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Hi, you're in the Archives, December 2005 - Part 1 |
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MUSIC
– Highly recommended
listening - Brazilian superstar
Rita
Lee does Virus
do amor.mp3 live. She rules!
Please buy Rita Lee's music coz
you like it! |
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TASTINGS
- THREE EXCELLENT OLD GLEN KEITHS
Glen
Keith 33 yo 1971/2005 (51.9%, Jack
Wieber's Old Train Line)
Colour: deep amber. Nose: incredibly
winey at first nosing, almost like
an old Sauternes, with whiffs of
peat smoke (did they use their now
famous concentrated peaty water
at the time?) Some funny notes of
very ripe tomatoes, goulash, carrot
cake, maybe pumpkin soup…
It gets fruitier with time, developing
on overripe oranges and kiwis, balsamic
vinegar, old clementines, with something
toffeeish – and always these
whiffs of smoke. I say it’s
superb! |
| Mouth:
oh yes, this is a great sherried one.
Lots of vivacity, very playful –
not the ‘sluggish’, limpy
kind of sherry at all. Lot of dried
fruits, both tropical and ‘northern’,
fruit liqueurs, freshly squeezed oranges,
with also quite some rum-and-raisins
this time. Dunce, toffee, praline,
old sweet wine (more old Rivesaltes
than sherry). No peat that I can get.
Beautiful! The finish is rather long,
quite coffeeish and liqueurish –
wow, what a beauty. And it didn’t
get drying at all, hence my 93
points. |
| Glen
Keith 33 yo 1971/2005 (50.8%, Duncan
Taylor, Cask #8056)
I already had this one but couldn’t
take my time, so I thought it deserved
another go. Colour: amber –
brownish. Nose: oh yes, this is nice,
even if less fruity and less ‘different’
than the Wieber. The oloroso character
is more obvious, with quite some rum
and raisins, Xmas cake and chocolate.
Now I get some smoke as well but that
might be the power of my mind (not
that my mind is that powerful, that
is – don’t get me wrong)
Nice notes of lovage and soy sauce
after a moment, together with some
smoked ham and game. Very classical,
it reminds me of some Glenfarclasses.
Mouth: ah, yes, it’s a heavy
oloroso-influenced malt. Very toffeeish,
rumy and raisiny, sort of thick even
if it’s not unbearable at all.
Gets then sort of cardboardy, thanks
to the rather heavy, spicy tannins
which start to invade your mouth.
Nothing excessive, though. Some nice
and playful notes of tangerines, lemon
drops and fresh pineapple do come
through after a while, and sort of
re-balance the whole. Not one you
should taste while in a rush, no doubt,
as it keeps developing, gaining complexity
and vivacity… Very good! The
finish is rather long, still perhaps
a bit too drying but hey, 33 years!
Anyway, 90 points
for this very classical sherry monster. |
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Glen
Keith 1967/2003 (46%, G&M Connoisseur’s
Choice)
Colour: full amber. Nose: wow, what
a superb mix of sherry and sea air
(yes, I know where’s Glen Keith)!
Compact and complex at the same time,
with lots of dried oranges and kumquats
and a very nice smoke, developing
on flowers from the fields, a whole
basket of fresh fruits (lots of kiwis).
Perfect vivacity and no sign of over
ageing… Ah, and also my cherished
notes of old books, with a bit of
natural varnish and eucalyptus. A
great nose indeed. Mouth: creamy and
coating but elegant, starting on coffee
and Xmas cake, all sorts of dried
fruits… Alas, it gets then very
tannic, with quite some burnt notes
and also soy sauce. Rather drying
(just below the limit), becoming austere,
with a rather long finish on burnt
and rubbery notes. Well, nothing excessive,
that is, and the nose was tremendously
enjoyable, so it’s going to
be 87 points. |
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| CRAZY
XMAS WHISKY ADS - RATIONALES FOR CHOOSING
GIFTS - part 3 |
 |
| Left:
Vat
69 Gold, Xmas 1972,
'The Gift of Gold - It's the season
to give Gold. Vat 69 Gold, the holiday
Scotch with the golden light taste.'
Yes, cheaper than jewelry, I
suppose... Right: Canadian
Club, Xmas 1982, 'Even
the person who has everything occasionally
runs out - Canadian Club "The
Best in The House". Twelve
bottles of Canadian Club! Wow, hard
to run out again after such a gift. |
| 16:12
PM - THIS JUST IN – GREAT NEWS!
Luc’s call has
been heard all over the world, and
after quite a few red herrings, we’re
happy to report that the stolen glasses
have just been found in Rome. Picture:
one of the missing glasses being delivered
by two locals to chief of the Roman
carabinieri Alberto Quellochetrova.
The glasses will then be handed over
to the Belgian ‘politie’
in Antwerp. Phew! |
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| |
| 10:07
AM - THIS JUST IN -
It is a sad, very sad story. The kind
of sad story that often happens during
Christmas time, when a part of the
world rejoices and feasts (we know
some don’t, shouldn't we do
something about that?) Indeed, ‘somebody’
just stole Belgian Maniac Luc’s
set of three professional tasting
glasses. Luc just issued a call and
Whiskyfun is happy to help. Luc’s
own words: ‘Dear Whiskyfun
reader, I’m desperate, the three
tasting glasses were very important,
without them, even the rarest Glenfarclas
tastes like Loch Lomond. If you ever
spot my glasses at auctions or anywhere
else, please advise, I have prepared
a reward. They are genuine Bohemian
crystal cut glasses, 37cm and 2.3kg
each, three different colours: ultramarine
blue for my coastal malts, viridian
green for my inland malts and burnt
sienna for my beloved Glenfarclasses.’
Picture: an inconsolable Luc obliged
to taste an old Clynelish 12 yo 100°proof
for Giaccone from the neck at a very
recent Mara
tasting. |
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TASTING
- FOUR STRATHISLAS
Strathisla
35 yo (40%, G&M for Sestante,
75cl, 1980's)
Colour:
gold amber. Nose: the attack isn’t
particularly punchy but it’s
very ‘present’, with
a beautiful mix of flowers from
the fields, nectar, beeswax and
lots of tropical fruits (although
they’re less demonstrative
than, say in the old Bowmores or
Clynelishes). Quite some smoke –
this one must have been distilled
in at the turn of the 1950’s,
marzipan, walnut skins… Goes
on with some bold notes of very
ripe peaches, before it switches
to something slightly metallic and
quite some saltpetre. Quite flinty
as well, with also a little linseed
oil. A beautiful old whisky, not
tired at all. |
| Mouth:
sure it’s a bit weak now, and
probably less complex than the nose
but there are some superb, yet discreet
notes of fresh oranges, light honey
and olive oil. Develops on a little
marzipan, getting slightly waxy, minty
and a little papery… Maybe a
little liquorice and praline –
just a little - and then it almost
vanishes in a whisper… Hello?
There is no finish whatsoever! Right,
I guess this one lost quite a few
degrees in its bottle, and the palate
is just a gentle caressing wave, but
what a stunning nose! 86 points. |
Strathisla
36 yo 1969 (54.6%, Cooper's Choice,
2005)
Colour:
dark amber. Nose: extremely fragrant
and demonstrative at first nosing,
with some bold oloroso, lots of old
rum and raisins. Almost explosive!
Lots of dried oranges and caramel,
coffee liquor, Grand-Marnier, bananas
flambéed… Then it gets
much fresher and fruitier, on strawberries,
very ripe pineapples… Also quite
some dunce (chocolate and raspberries),
before it starts to smell cooked cabbage
and chestnuts! Strange but enjoyable,
I must say… Keeps developing,
on gravy, fresh parsley, wine sauce…
Yes, almost a sauce! Also whiffs of
crushed mint leaves. Mouth: lots of
oomph! This one seems to have been
sort of concentrated; it’s not
the alcohol, it’s the flavours!
They really invade every part of your
mouth with quite some rubber, concentrated
fruit juices, highly reduced wine
sauce, apricot jam, overcooked gravy…
Maybe it was a solera cask? Lots of
notes of burnt cake as well, strong
liquorice… |
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| Let’s
try it with a little water now…
(while the nose got mintier)…
Yes, it gets smoother and more drinkable
– you can reduce it down to
20% ABV or so and it’s still
very rich – but the profile
doesn’t change much. Let’s
say it got fruitier, with much more
spearmint and chlorophyll. Anyway,
this one is an authentic sherry monster,
no doubt. Spectacular! 90
points. |
 |
Strathisla
35 yo 1969/2005 (56.3%, Whisky-Doris,
sherry cask #2516, 90 bottles)
Colour:
dark amber. Nose: starts much more
classically ‘oloroso’,
less extravagantly and more on chocolate,
roasted nuts… but then it gets
even meatier (smoked ham, sausages),
on gravy with onions, hints of oxtail
soup, cooked mushrooms and garlic…
quite ‘nourishing’! Keeps
developing with some much fresher
herbs, citronella, fresh mint, mullein,
lemon balm… Also soy sauce,
salted butter caramel… Whiffs
of smoke and tar… Very old white
wine, praline… Perfect, very
rich and complex. Not a clumsy kind
of sherry at all. Mouth: bold and
very thick, rich and creamy again,
extraordinarily coating and liqueur-like.
Bold notes of coffee, dark toffee,
old rum… Really hot despite
its old age. Apricot jam, something
resinous (propolis), wine sauce again…
Bitter caramel… |
| Okay,
let’s try to add some water
as well now… (while the nose
got mintier as well, but always as
meaty)… Funny, it really resembles
the Coopers’ more and more,
with just the same bold minty flavours
and, perhaps a little more pepper.
But it’s also quite drier and
definitely more tannic. Anyway, we
have another spectacular, genuine
sherry monster here. 90 points
(tie between the two 1969’s!) |
| Strathisla
17 yo 1987/2005 (46%, Signatory Unchillfiltered,
cask #2372, 324 bottles)
Colour:
white wine. Nose: very fruity at first
nosing, on boxed pineapples and candied
pears. Gets then quite rubbery, with
also some rather nice notes of hot
ham, melted paraffin. Not too complex
but rather enjoyable, I must say,
getting sort of bolder after a few
minutes, with quite some eucalyptus
(Vicks). Mouth: very fruity again
but maybe too sharp and lacking ‘broadness’.
Notes of crystallized citrons, with
a little salt but the middle is quite
wimp, almost nonexistent. Yet, there
quite some wax and paraffin gain.
Gets slightly bitter (lemon seeds).
The finish is rather short and a little
metallic. Not too unpleasant but nothing
too special. The nose was nice, hence
my 80 points. |
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| CRAZY
XMAS WHISKY ADS - RATIONALES FOR CHOOSING
GIFTS - part 2 |
 |
| Left:
Ambassador,
Xmas 1968, 'give Ambassador
Deluxe - New York's largest selling
Scotch, America's fastest growing
Scotch, The World's Lightest Scotch
- Watch your favorite friends light
up with knowing smiles when you give
them a gift of Ambassador Deluxe.
They know that there's nothing finer
than the World's Lightest Scotch (...)
Give Ambassador - the gift that will
be remembered long into the New Year!'
Right: Johnnie
Walker, probably early 1970's,
'Give Johnnie Walker Red, the
world's best selling Scotch. Why fool
around?'. Did it already occur
to you that the fact that a product
is a very heavy seller makes it an
ideal gift? |
| PETE
McPEAT AND JACK WASHBACK |
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TASTING
- THREE RECENT PORT ELLENS
Port
Ellen 27 yo 1978/2005 (52.3%, DL
for The Whisky Fair, 198 bottles)
Colour: pale straw. Nose: this is
an unusual Port Ellen, as there’s
no bold smoky, tary, tyre-like notes
but rather a clean farmy peat with
quite some lemon and wood smoke
that makes me think of the heavily
peated Ardmores or of the cleanest
Bowmores. Rather sharp and very
straightforward, with whiffs of
coal smoke and fresh herbs (a little
dill, celery, mintleaves), as well
as wet stones and clean wet dog.
Ah, also hints of aniseed, liquorice,
roots and fresh butter. It is, indeed,
a kind of profile I like –
a Riesling-malt? |
| Mouth:
bold and coating, almost thick which
is also quite unusual. Very bold,
nicely sweet but wonderfully peaty
and smoky, with some gentian, lemon
juice and marmalade, sweet pepper
and a little quince jam. Gets quite
liquoricy, rooty, with quite some
violet sweets in the background, a
little cough syrup, fir honey…
Extremely enjoyable! The finish is
long, very ‘invading’
and warming, mostly on herbs sweets
(do you know Ricola?) It’s really
perfect – not extraordinarily
complex but perfect and, above all,
extremely drinkable. Which makes me
think of these poor souls who, five
years ago, started to say there would
be no more good Port Ellens brought
to the market. Crap! 92 points. |
Port
Ellen 1981/2005 (57.7%, Scott's Selection)
Colour: straw. Nose: yes, this one
is more typical, with much more tar
and notes of brand new tyres right
at first nosing but those are not
as bold as in the, say official Rare
Malts. Quite some lemon as well, together
with some nice farmy notes (hay) and
something slightly caramelly that
makes this one quite rounder. Quite
some vanilla and oak, which is unusual
with most UDV – Diageo malts,
especially the Islayers. A little
coffee as well. Anyway, the balance
is perfect, even if we’d have
liked a little more ‘wildness’.
|
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| Mouth:
quite sweet at first sip but growing
quite punchier and, once again, sort
of ‘invading’. More citrusy
(and less lemony), with quite some
orange marmalade, candied grapefruit,
kumquats, quince jelly and lots of
smoky, tary flavours. Gets then quite
peppery, almost a la Talisker…
It stays very creamy and almost liquor-like,
though, with a little salt starting
to play with your tongue after a moment,
and the finish is long ‘as a
day with no bread’, very sweet
and peppery. Excellent! The palate
is as nice as the Whisky Fair’s,
in fact, and probably bolder and even
creamier – but the nose is a
little less pure, so it’s going
to be ‘only’ 91
points. |
 |
Port
Ellen 21 yo 1983/2004 (50%, Douglas
Laing OMC, DL 1572, sherry, 435 bottles)
Colour: gold. Nose: aha! Lots of crispy
bacon at first nosing and loads of
brand new tyres, as often. Quite funnily,
there’s quite some sherry sort
of strengthening these feelings. Some
beautiful coastal notes and quite
some fuel oil (it starts to smell
like an old fishing boat). Quite some
peat but it’s rather discreet.
Yet, what a superb nose! Mouth: creamy,
sweet and firm at the same time, with
a beautiful peat, rather medicinal
this time. Also quite some candied
lemon, smoked ham, cocoa… It
gets then meatier and meatier (and
smokier) and the finish isn’t
too long but goes back to fried bacon.
One for breakfast? Too bad I can’t
usually swallow anything but coffee
and croissants! Anyway, 90
points for this excellent
Port Ellen from last year. |
| MUSIC
– Recommended
listening - Lots of fun in there indeed!
Santana? Steely Dan (eh, Peter?),
Nuyorican soul? No, it's Los
Mocosos and they are
doing Mi
barrio loco.mp3. Like their record
company writes: 'If America still
prides itself on being a melting pot,
then this just might be the ultimate
American band'. Please buy their music! |
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| TASTING
- SIX CLYNELISHES |
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Clynelish
32 yo 1972/2005 (49.9%, Single Malts
of Scotland, cask #15619)
Colour: white wine – very pale
for such an old malt. Nose: oh yes,
again one of these wonderful 1972
Clynelishes, with their trademark
tropical fruits. Quite some mango,
quite some passion fruit and a little
fresh pineapple, topped with caramel
and vanilla sauce plus a dash of white
pepper. It develops on sea air, smoke
(bonfire), with also quite some apple
and walnut skins (a kind of wax in
fact), a touch of nutmeg and cinnamon,
fresh mastic, a little olive oil…
All that is less explosive than in
other ‘old new Clynelishes’
but maybe more elegant and a little
subtler. Very, very nice. Mouth: oh
yes, it’s perfect – although
everything comes at the same time.
Orange juice, wax, smoke, resin, mango,
caramel, pineapple, pepper, a little
cardboard, notes of camphor, cough
syrup and that’s all. There’s
little development precisely because
it’s so bold and ‘abundant’
right at first sip. And the finish
is long and resiny, with also quite
some bitter oranges. XLNT. 92
points. |
| Clynelish
22 yo 1972/1995 (58.95%, Rare Malts,
75cl)
A version for the US, I believe…
Colour: white wine. Nose: punchier,
less ‘tropical’ at first
nosing, more on cake and pastries.
Quite some praline and some huge waxy
notes emerging after a moment. Really
on beehive, paraffin and all sorts
of oils (colza, olive…) plus
a little incense. It gets then smokier
and smokier (white wood smoke) and
a little resinous, before… yes,
there, the tropical fruits arrive.
It’s more sort of ‘skinny’,
with rubbed orange zests, bananas,
tangerines… Quite some walnut
liquor as well. Another more than
perfect old new Clynelish that has
quite some similarities with the ‘genuine’
old Clynelishes (before they were
christened ‘Brora’). Mouth:
how punchy and powerful, and how drinkable!
Incredible that one can swallow this
one just like that, without a single
drop of water – or is it me
again? It starts on bitter oranges,
lots of wax as expected (mastic candies
– and the kind of Turkish delights
they make using mastic), developing
on smoked tea, butterscotch, bergamot,
quince jelly… Again it gets
smokier, with also more and more tea
(notes of old pu-erh), liquorice sticks,
hints of Smyrna raisins (I’m
sorry, not any other kinds of raisins
here)… Maybe it’s getting
just a bit too tannic (you can feel
it on the back of your tongue) but
that’s a detail here. The finish
is very long as expected, waxy, orangey
and resinous. Just superb –
even if I may be a little partial
to Clynelish. 93 points
(and thanks to the Plowedsters.) |
| Clynelish
10 yo 1994/2005 (54%, Exclusive Malts,
David Stirk)
Colour: pale gold. Nose: rather grainy,
coffeeish and mineral at first nosing,
with whiffs of coal smoke. Hints of
burnt bread, sharpening stone, earl
grey tea (bergamot). Not exactly aromatic.
Gets then rather yeasty and mashy,
with some notes of porridge, steamed
potatoes and muesli. Also some rather
nice flowery notes (flowers from the
fields). It gets nicer and nicer with
time, it’s one for lovers of
‘natural’ whiskies –
which I am. Mouth: extremely sweet
and curiously fruity, almost like
kirsch or grappa. Maybe it lacks a
little ageing… Bold notes of
peaches and strawberries with a little
caramel sauce, getting then very vegetal
(tealeaves, sorrel, spinach) and rather
bitter… Raw propolis, green
pepper, lots of wax… Not totally
enjoyable, rather extreme as far as
bitterness is concerned. Long and
very bitter finish, on cloves - almost
anaesthetizing (and it’s not
the alcohol). One dentists should
use, perhaps (Peter?). Anyway, 80
points, because I quite like
bitterness. |
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 |
Clynelish
11 yo 1994/2005 (58.9%, Single Malts
of Scotland, sherry butt, cask #4011)
Colour: pale gold. Nose: not extremely
different but it’s a little
cleaner and smokier at the same time,
less yeasty and also more on hot butter
and pastry, plus Clynelish’s
usual ‘waxiness’. And
yes, it’s much smokier, definitely.
I liked the ‘Exclusive Malt’
– I like this one even better,
for it’s much more ‘Clynelish-esque’.
Mouth: hot and spirity, with the sherry
adding another layer compared to the
‘Exclusive Malt’. It then
calms down a bit, letting some nice
notes of dried oranges and wax coming
through, as well as, again, cloves
and pepper – even chilli and
harissa. But it doesn’t get
as bitter… Now, it does need
a few drops of water otherwise it’s
too burning (Tabasco is easier to
drink, err…). Let’s go…
and while the nose got even smokier…
Ah, yes, it got much more enjoyable,
with lots of fruits (overripe melons,
sugared apples) and quite some Turkish
delights, rosewater, oriental pastries…
And always these bold way notes. The
finish is long, quite bitter again
even with lots of water, but like
I said, I like bitterness. A very
good young Clynelish for big boys.
87 points. |
| Clynelish
17 yo 1987/2005 (55.3%, Signatory,
refill butt #990326)
Colour: gold. Nose: quite powerful
and surprisingly peaty and farmy for
a Clynelish, not very different from
a 1980’s Brora. There come the
usual waxy notes, with something quite
mineral instead of fruits (although
there are a few notes of bitter oranges).
Some rather bold notes of rubbed lemon
skin, fireplace, used coins, silverware
and, this time again, mastic. Probably
one of the nicest young Clynelish
noses I ever came across, with kind
of an austerity I always liked. Almost
perfect – and it gets smokier
and smokier, not unlike the best Ardmores.
Mouth: superb! Sharp like a blade,
extremely lemony and waxy at the same
time, with also these ‘stony’
notes I cherish and quite some peat.
A perfect compactness, with lots of
other various citrus fruits then giving
it quite some extra-complexity: candied
citrons, tangerines, crystallized
oranges. Add a pinch of salt and a
little ginger and you have a rather
simple, yet perfect Clynelish, with
a long, rather peaty finish. I love
it. 90 points. (and
thanks, Pierre) |
 |
 |
Clynelish
17 yo 1983/2000 (43%, Dun Bheagan)
Colour: yellow gold. Nose: rather
closed at first nosing, then developing
on notes of old emptied wine cask,
cooked fruits and quite some perfume.
It gets then sort of dusty, with also
some notes of overripe oranges and
reminds me of the Edradour 10 yo (the
previous owner’s ‘bulky’
bottles). Not easy to enjoy, getting
frankly vinous after a few minutes.
Notes of hot toddy, café latte…
Well… Mouth: starts on Cointreau
and coffee liqueur, cooked sweet wine,
a little rancio… Goes on on
crystallized oranges and ginger, toffee,
hints of soy sauce. Yet, the finish
is rather long and more balanced than
expected. Luckily, this palate really
saves the rather weird nose. 78
points. |
|
MUSIC
- It's Sunday, we
go classical with Yugoslavian cellist
Viktor
Uzur playing the Sonata
in D Minor.mp3 by Dmitri Shostakovich
(St. Petersburg, 1906– Moscow,
1975). Please buy Viktor Uzur's
recordings and go to his concerts. |
 |
 |
CRAZY
XMAS WHISKY ADS - CARTOONS
After
Mr Jenkins and Brock Savage, yet
another fictionnal character is
telling us small truths about life
(cartoon ads are hot this year all
over Europe, it appears). This time,
it's the Balvenie
guy! What's amazing is the fact
that he always drinks his Balvenies
in a tumbler and on ice. Yes, even
the 21 yo PortWood! A maverick,
indeed... in spite of his de rigueur
bow tie. |
| TASTING
- THREE NEW UNUSUALLY HEAVILY PEATED
MALTS |
| Ardmore
11 yo 1994/2005 'Heavily Peated' (60.8%,
Single Malts of Scotland, cask #121011)
From The Whisky Exchange’s brand
new series of ‘private’
bottlings. Colour: pale straw. Nose:
wow, lots of peat in there! I’ve
had many rather peaty Admores but
this one is the peatiest ever. Very,
very vegetal and grassy, even mineral.
Quite some diesel oil, fusel oil,
coal… Freshly cut grass…
Gets then very smoky, and then there’s
these notes of gunflint, wet calcareous
stone. Notes of citrus fruits (mostly
grapefruits), a little dill, wild
carrots, wet hay… Something
of the old Broras, even if, of course,
it’s less complex. Ardmore never
fails to amaze me! Mouth: wow, it’s
even nicer than on the nose. Very
sharp and compact, with something
very unusual, unlike any other peaty
malt we know. Much more tea (both
green and smoked) and very little
fruity and/or farmy and/or maritime
notes. It gets also very waxy and
resinous (bold notes of propolis),
very bitter but in a perfect way (Campari
and un-sugared lemon juice). And how
clean it is, even if, again, it’s
not too complex! The finish is long,
mostly on smoke, lemon and grapefruit
juice. Excellent phenolmenal surprise,
congrats Sukhinder and gang. 90
points. |
 |
 |
Caperdonich
1997/2005 (43%, Jean Boyer, Best Cask)
This one of the peaty batches Seagram
did in the past at Caperdonich, just
like they did at Glen Keith and Benriach.
It’s the first peated Caperdonich
I ever had. Colour: almost white.
Nose: oh yes, it’s very peaty!
It almost smells like a young Laphroaig,
with lots of smoke, quite some iodine,
sea air and lots of fresh fruits:
pears, strawberries, melons, tangerines.
Hey hey, it’s a very nice one!
Extremely clean and fresh… Also
quite some liquorice. Anyway, no need
of the sea to get some coastal aromas,
it appears… |
| Mouth:
sweet and peaty, very compact and
perfectly ‘coherent’.
Maybe a little simple but not dull
in any way. Some bold notes of pear
juice, gentian liqueur, getting
very rooty, with also lots of chlorophyll.
Something of Laphroaig’s new
make in the background… The
finish is rather long, bold, mostly
on smoke. An excellent peaty Speysider,
maybe a little simple but that will
fear no Ileach baby on the tasting
table. I’m sure we’ll
see several other peaty Caperdonichs
soon. 87 points.
Ballantruan
2001/2005 (62.1%, McKillop’s
Choice, cask #14339)
Another ‘deviant’ peated
Speysider, distilled at Tomintoul
this time, and another first for
me. Colour: white wine. Nose: extremely
powerful and coffeeish, on pear
and grapefruit juice, very close
to new make. Some peat smoke, no
doubt, but it’s partly masked
by the alcohol. We’ll try
it with some water. |
 |
Mouth:
unexpectedly drinkable despite the
high strength. Very sweet, with lots
of fruity notes (apples, ripe kiwi,
pineapple), getting then very citrusy.
There is some peat but rather less
than in the Caperdonich. Not much
else for the moment but let’s
try it with some water now. As often,
the nose got farmier – and peatier.
The palate got nicer as well, with
quite some caramel, smoked tea, and
some very creamy notes of apricot
juice and plum syrup. The finish is
rather long, with some rather bold
notes of exploded gunpowder (not that
I ever ate some, but I guess it must
taste like that). It hasn’t
got the Caperdonich’s purity
and ‘rectitude’ but it’s
still a very nice peaty youngster.
I guess they bottled it because it’s
kind of a first, thus probably committing
an infanticide, but it is promising
indeed. 82 points. |
| MUSIC
– JAZZ - Recommended
listening - Good, this is not just
for any ears, but if, like me, you
like Miles' In a silent way period,
plus Gil Scott-Heron, plus the Art
Ensemble, you'll probably love the
underground Norwegian combo Wibutee
and their entrancing piece called
Attempt.mp3.
Please, please buy their music! |
 |
Bottle
#145 – Colour:
straw. Nose: lots of peat in there!
Almost like the peatiest Caol Ilas,
with an even deeper smoke. Rather
clean and fresh, with notes of caramelized
apple pie, vanilla crème and
apple compote. Rather simple but much
enjoyable. Mouth: powerful and fruity,
with quite some citrus fruits, peat,
a little liquorice and lots of apple
juice. It really tastes like an Islayer
– a simple but flawless one.
One of the peatiest Ardmores I ever
had, very enjoyable. 85 points.
Bottle
#179 – Colour:
straw. Nose: again, the peat is well
here but it’s more subdued this
time, even if more maritime. Quite
some iodine and seaweed, but also
some farmy notes. Very clean again
but clearly different from the previous
bottle. Mouth: powerful, quite sweeter
than bottle #145, nervous, with lots
of citrus fruits (grapefruit). Very
peaty and oily, with something of
Lagavulin. The finish is beautiful,
on gentian eau-de-vie. Really different
indeed, but both were very good! 87
points. |
| Ardmore
13 yo 1992/2005 (55.6%, Signatory
Straight from the Cask for Corman
Collins, Alsace Pinot Noir finish,
cask #1395)
Good, someone had to do it one day:
use a cask of Alsace wine. It’s
pinot noir, which is quite normal
as the Alsatians never use any barrels
for their whites - which account for
more than 90% of their global production,
that is. Let’s taste it now
and check if it tastes any ‘Alsatian’.
Colour: pale gold (no pinkish colours).
Nose: rather discreet at very first
nosing, but getting then quite peaty
like all recent Ardmores I could taste,
with something sulphury and rubbery.
Nothing excessive, though. Goes on
with both mineral and meaty notes,
with some wet limestone and smoked
ham, getting then quite vegetal (whiffs
of horseradish, celeriac). Hints of
brunt matchsticks, fireplace…
Rather sharp and austere in fact,
with no obvious winey notes I could
smell, which may be good news. Mouth:
rather powerful, sweeter than expected,
again a little rubbery. Some distant
notes of wine do emerge now, together
with quite some gingerbread, fruit
cake, eau-de-vie (Alsatian, of course).
Notes of ripe strawberries, blackberries,
icing sugar, cake… It’s
very, very tasty, in fact, and far
from being as unbalanced as I had
feared (I usually don’t like
wine-finished peaty malts). It keeps
developing, getting a little peppery
and unbilievably salty (salted liquorice).
The finish is long and bold, on fruit
eau-de-vie and salt… Very interesting,
I’ll let my Alsatian friends
who are winemakers taste it in the
coming days, I’m curious about
their reactions. 85 points. |
| Ardmore
1977/2003 (58.1%, Scott's Selection)
Colour: white wine. Nose: rather more
expressive right at first nosing,
with quite some peat smoke again (but
it’s more subdued here, I guess
Arsmore increased its peat level at
the turn of the 90’s), some
very nice mineral notes again but,
mostly, much more fruits (peaches
and melons) and waxy notes. Beehive,
mastic, tar, fresh crushed almonds…
Gets also a little resinous, with
whiffs of fresh oak, vanilla, maybe
fern… And always a superb smoke
(rather white wood smoke). Excellent.
|
| Mouth:
really powerful but superbly balanced,
with a very waxy and resinous attack.
There is some peat but it’s
not too prominent here. Again, there’s
quite some salt that sort of underlines
the notes of mastic, marzipan, olive
oil, propolis, cough candies…
Very interesting! Notes of burnt herbs,
tequila (nice with salt), maybe Chartreuse…
A very unusual profile, not unlike,
yes, a peated tequila + some salt.
The finish is rather long, waxy and
salty… Again, very interesting
and… good! 87 points. |
 |
 |
MUSIC
– Highly recommended
listening: something rather unusual
on these pages, Japanese experimental
music (well, not too experimental
actually). It's a wonderful collage
made by brilliant visual artist and
musician Takagi
Masakatsu, called And
then.mp3. What a wonderful, peaceful
and introspective piece... For meditation?
Please buy Takagi's CD's. |
| |
| CRAZY
XMAS WHISKY ADS - RATIONALES FOR CHOOSING
GIFTS - part 1 |
 |
| Do
you think we have to present our
friends and families with various
expensive whiskies every bloody
Xmas just to please them and to
show them how much we love them?
No, no, there are many other motivations
that several big whisky brands will
know explain to us. Bottom line:
why choose their bottlings and not
others'. What's important is to
remember that most of these ads
aim at people who are not regular
whisky buyers, so there's no point
in talking about quality, cask selection
or other (sometimes) concrete features.
Anyway, let's kick off this little
15-ads or so series with... Left:
100
Pipers, Xmas 1973,
'It's nice to give something
you wouldn't mind getting yourself.'
Right: Crown
Royal, Xmas 1979,
'It's hard to forget someone
who gives you Crown Royal'. Hmmm,
both ads sort of cut both ways,
don't you think? But again, these
ads are not aimed at whisky freaks
;-)... More in the coming days... |
| TASTING
- FOUR NEW INDIE LAPHROAIGS |
| Laphroaig
10 yo 1994/2005 (52.5%, Exclusive
Malts)
From ex-Cadenhead David Stirk’s
new series of bottlings. Colour: white
wine. Nose: very, very fruity at first
nosing, mostly on freshly cut apples
(granny Smith), fresh strawberries
and boxed pineapples. Goes on with
some notes of flint stone, apple skins,
almond milk. There is some peat smoke
of course but it’s curiously
subdued. Gets then quite vegetal,
on freshly mown lawn, leaves, hints
of hay, roots… It’s nice
but not exactly what you’d expect
from a Laphroaig, and it sort of lacks
precision. |
 |
| Mouth:
very sweet attack, with lots of liquorice
roots, soon to get quite bitterish
(over-infused, un-sugared tea). Very
rooty, herbal, lacking body –
which is surprising. Something prickly,
though (Alka-Seltzer). Notes of lemon
peels, bitter almonds… Quite
hard to enjoy this one, it’s
a bit too sharp and I feeel it really
lacks balance. Too bad! 74
points. |
| Laphroaig
10 yo 1994/2005 (56.7%, Acorn, Japan)
Acorn is a Japanese bottler and importer.
Colour: white wine. Nose: starts much
more Laphroaigish than the ‘Exclusive
Malts’, with lots of iodine,
seaweed, peat smoke, wet stones…
Classic! Notes of clay, chalk, peated
barley (obviously), smoked tea. Lots
of beer coming through after a while
(Pilsen). Also whiffs of aspirin,
cow stable… Aromatically sharp,
with little sweetness unlike the OB’s
– I love this kind of nose.
Just perfect! Mouth: wow, this is
a good Laphroaig! Bold and compact,
with the usual mix of peat, dried
citrus fruits, gentian, smoked oysters…
A little less creamy and mouth filling
than the fantastic official 10 yo
C/S but otherwise it’s much
in the same vein. Quite some marzipan,
propolis, pepper, and a long, bold
and extremely satisfying finish. A
perfect young Laphroaig, well worth
chasing down. 91 points. |
 |
Laphroaig
16 yo 1988/2005 (50.1%, Douglas Laing
for The Whiskyfair, cask #1062, 151
bottles)
Colour: pale straw. Nose: rather hot
and spirity at first nosing, curiously
closed. Rather mashy, smoky but much
less than expected, This one really
takes its time, for it’s only
after five minutes that it starts
to exhale the usual maritime and medicinal
notes, and quite discreetly at that.
Seaweed, fresh oysters… Freshly
cut apples, wet hay… A subdued
Laphroaig, it appears. We’ll
try it with a few drops of water but
first, let’s taste it neat... |
| Mouth:
ah yes, much more happening now. Not
the usual bold peat and smoke, though,
but rather lots of earthy, waxy notes
and quite some liquorice. Very little
bandages, embrocations or camphor
and quite some sugary notes. With
water: no significant development
on the nose, except some funny cheesy
smells (several cheesy Islayers this
year!) and some stony aromas. The
mouth gets a little more sugary but
also a little dusty and cardboardy.
Nicely, that is. The finish is rather
long, mainly on liquorice. In short,
a different Laphroaig that’s
got its own charms. 86 points. |
| Laphroaig
13 yo 1991/2005 (59.1%, SMWS 29.40)
Colour: straw. Nose: that’s
strange, it’s also rather closed
and takes a lot of time to develop.
More spirity of course, but also a
little perfumy, with some rose water
and rotting oranges. Another one that
will be treated with water. Mouth:
ah, superb! Lots of natural liquorice
and other roots, mastic candies, gentian
spirit, strong caramel… But
it’s quite burning. Let’s
add some water… Ah, yes, the
nose really opens up now, but in a
curious direction, with lots of fudge,
toffee, espressso, cappuccino…
The mouth doesn’t get much more
complex, though, staying on liquorice,
green tea, herbal liquors (Chartreuse)
and maybe getting just a tad more
tary. Again a very different but enjoyable
Laphroaig. Shall we call Laphroaig
a proteiform malt? 87 points. |
| |
| CRAZY
XMAS WHISKY ADS - GUIDANCE TO WIVEs
- bis |
 |
 |
 |
Above,
left,
Dewar's
White Label, Xmas 1935,
'That Christmas Gift
List - 'Put down Whisky for Bob. He
always insists on Dewar's "White
Label" Note that Bob isn't
that stupid, he's controlling what
his wife writes. But the latter probably
knows her husband is behind her back,
because of his pipe's smells! Otherwise
she'd have listed... er... a new vacuum
cleaner? - Above, right, Seagram's
V.O., Xmas 1972, 'Give
That Great V.O. Taste.' Looks
promising. Left, Scoresby
Scotch, Xmas 1991,
Balloon: 'Mmmm, Scoresby... Very
tempting - Body: ''Few Things
During The Holidays Are As Tempting
As The Premium Malt Taste Of Scoresby
Scotch' - Signature: 'Taste
The Temptation'. Well, this Roy-Lichtenstein-esque
ad is very clear, Scotch is an excellent
mean for women to take their husbands
to bed. Hmmm, I never tasted that
Scoresby but... well... |
| MUSIC
– JAZZ - Highly
recommended listening: yeah, Patricia
Barber again! This time,
she's doing White
workd.mp3 live (radio broadcast).
Astounding. There's also an excellent
QT video where Patricia tells us that
she drinks Cognac on stage there.
Imagine what her music would be, had
she rather a Brora... Please buy Patricia
Barber's music. |
 |
| TASTING
- TWO BALVENIES
Balvenie-Glenlivet
29 yo 1974/2004 (48%, Cadenhead,
bourbon, 180 bottles)
Indie Balvenies are quite rare and
again, it’s Cadenhead who
managed to get some (as well as
Glenfiddichs). Colour: gold. Nose:
rather punchy at first but still
smooth, starting with the usual
notes of honey, mirabelle jam and
yellow flowers form the fields.
Perhaps jus a little less rounded
than the old OB’s, and maybe
a tad smokier. Hints of gravy, balsamic
vinegar. Gets a little toffeeish,
with also quite some vanilla crème,
chantilly, pastries… Notes
of dry white wine (Chablis), cold
smoke, butter… Very complex
and remarkably balanced. |
 |
|
Mouth: sweet and rounded but still
quite nervous, starting on icing sugar
and candied fruits (pears, apricots)
and ripe melon, bananas, sweet white
wine this time (from the Loire valley,
like Quarts de Chaume). Some nice
white pepper to keep it playful…
It gets then quite tannic, but the
tannins are of the silky, kind and
very rummy, unexpectedly. Sultanas.
The finish is long, sweet and slightly
drying at the same time, with quite
some liquorice… A superb old
Balvenie, in any case, probably at
its peek. 91 points.
|
 |
Balvenie
15 yo 1989/2004 ‘Single Barrel’
(47.8%, OB, cask #7633)
Colour: straw. Nose: starts yeastier
and farmier than usual, with quite
some hot milk and some herbal notes
(dill). Gets a little resinous and
quite ‘vanilled’…
Rather complex in fact, a nice expression
of Balvenie without the usual sweetness
and roundness. Mouth: rather nervous,
with lots of vanilla (should I add
‘of course’?) and liquorice,
going on with some cooked green vegetables
and quite some caramel. A style on
its own! Some interesting notes of
white rum (ti-punch) and a rather
long finish, just slightly too drying.
Anyway, I like this one quite a lot.
86 points. |
| |
| CRAZY
XMAS WHISKY ADS - GUIDANCE TO WIVES |
 |
| Left,
Old
Grand-Dad, Xmas 1958 (I
know, looks recenter) - Right, Johnny
Walker Red, Xmas 1972. |
| MUSIC
– Recommended
listening - A very nice song with
violins and all that by Australian
bluseman Geoff
Achison and his Souldiggers,
called Kissing
angels.mp3. Please buy Geoff Achison's
music. |
 |
| TASTING
- FOUR NEW INDIE CAOL ILAS |
 |
Caol
Ila 1979/2005 (60.9%, The Cross Hill,
Jack Wieber's, 204 bottles)
A new series by German wizard Jack
Wieber (nice packaging, Jack!) Colour:
straw. Nose: very nice first puffs,
very complex right at first nosing.
Lots of acidulous fruits (kiwi, not
too ripe strawberries, tangerines),
some big, bold waxy notes, something
very nicely mineral (wet chalk, limestone),
medicinal (maybe a little aether)
and, of course, peat smoke. Quite
splendid! Develops on farmy notes
(doghouse), high quality olive oil,
waxen paper… what’s impressive
is its perfect balance and complexity.
Also some caramel cream, marzipan,
sour apple liqueur… Wowie! |
| Mouth:
oh yes, it’s perfect! Bold,
powerful, invading… Extremely
waxy, with lots of marzipan, quite
some ginger, cardamom, herbal liqueurs
(ach, Jägermeister!) Also some
smoked tea, olive oil again, all sorts
of smoked ‘things’, and
a big, bold peat smoke that sort of
underlines the whole shebang. Ah yes,
and also some cider apples! Wow, what
a great Coal Ila, with its long and
waxy finish! No less than 91
points. |
| Caol
Ila 12 yo 1992/2005 (46%, Whisky Galore)
Colour: gold. Nose: very fruity, rather
smoky, typically Caol Ila. Very clean
and pure, with notes of hay, fresh
mastic, limestone… Not very
bold aromatically, in fact, but very
seductive. Kind of a perfect balance
between the fruitiness and the peatiness
that should appeal to many newcomers.
Lots of liquorice roots after a moment,
Chinese anise. Garden bonfire…
Hints of bitter chocolate. A nice,
flawless Caol Ila on the nose, not
unlike the official 12yo, just a little
bolder... |
 |
| Mouth:
very, very nice, bold and very coherent
with the nose. Peat, liquorice roots,
cooked apples… A perfect compactness,
with also some gentian spirit, getting
very earthy and rooty. A perfect balance,
even if it remains a little simple,
but that’s probably the best
you could expect from a rather young
Caol Ila. Yes, a flawless and most
enjoyable young peaty Islayer. 87
points. |
| Caol
Ila 1993/2005 (46%, Wilson & Morgan)
Colour: pale straw. Nose: this one
is much less smoky and peaty, and
consequently much fruitier. Bold notes
of fresh pear juice and pineapples
mixed with sea air. The peat starts
to shine through after a good three
or four minutes, but never gets as
bold as in the Whisky Galore version.
Still a very nice expression, again
very clean and pure. Mouth: again,
it’s less bold, less peaty and
more fruity, but in no way less good
this time. It gets as earthy when
developing, and certainly saltier
and more maritime (remember the last
time you drank seawater?) The finish
isn’t extraordinarily long but
very ‘rooty’, gently bitter.
Another very good one! 86
points. |
| Caol
Ila 1995/2005 'Extra Strength' (50%,
Wilson & Morgan)
Colour: straw. Nose: very, very similar
to the 46% version, perhaps a little
more closed and slightly less fruity.
Quite mineral and herbal. Maybe that’s
the alcohol, we’ll try it with
a little water… Mouth: ah, now
it gets even closer to the 46% version,
but not really stronger, quite curiously.
Perhaps a little sweeter but that
might come from the alcohol too. Let’s
try it with water… No significant
further development on the nose, just
a little soap (like always when you
ad water). I was too quick, let’s
wait a few minutes… No, nothing
more, just more apple skins and something
rubbery and feinty. Yes, exactly like
some low wines, in fact. The palate
got a little better, that is, fruitier
and waxier. But I still like the 46%
version better. 83 points. |
| |
| CRAZY
XMAS WHISKY ADS - STARS IN THE SKY |
 |
| Just
like last year, I'll publish a few
old Xmas ads within the coming weeks
- and why not start right away with
these two ads that look strangely
similar. The Seagram marketing people
are/were stars of recycling! Left,
Crown
Royal, Xmas 1985,
'A star is poured.' - Right,
Chivas,
Xmas 1994, 'Not everyone
is looking for reindeer'. |
| MUSIC
– Recommended
listening - I first thought it was
Whiskyfun favourite Nellie McKay when
I first heard her excellent little
song called Constant
state of want.mp3, but no, it's
Christine
Lavin. She's very good,
if you ask me, please buy her music... |
 |
| TASTING
- THREE GLENGLASSAUGHS |
 |
Glenglassaugh
22 yo 1974/1997 (43%, Hart Bros)
Colour: straw. Nose: it starts very
vegetal (freshly cut grass), developing
on fresh walnuts, burning matchsticks,
wax, with quite some smoke in the
background (beech fire). Whiffs of
turpentine, smoked cold cuts, marzipan,
colza oil… Rather interesting
even if it sort of lacks oomph. Mouth:
sweet and waxy attack (orgeat), with
a pinch of salt right at the start.
Very almondy, developing on candied
orange zests, herbal tea, light caramel,
fir-tree honey, mastic… Excellent,
even if not extremely complex. Some
cardboardy notes, spurts of powdered
nutmeg… Yes, excellent, with
a medium long but very balanced finish,
on bitter almonds and mint. A perfect
palate that nicely compensates the
rather discreet nose. 87 points. |
| Glenglassaugh
27 yo 1978/2005 (46.7%, Auld Distiller's
Collection, Jack Wieber, ‘Dark
Sherry’, 170 Bottles)
Colour: dark amber – bronze
with green hues, almost fluorescent.
Nose: lots of dry sherry! Very meaty
right at first nosing, with some hot
smoked ham, balsamic vinegar, green
tea, gravy. Very little sulphur and
rubber (good news?) Goes on with salted
liquorice and lovage, before quite
some furniture polish, turpentine
and eucalyptus emerge. Also some coffee,
burnt caramel… Just superb,
if you ask me. Mouth: oh yes, classy!
Nervous and vivacious despite the
heavy sherry, starting on all sorts
of caramelized roasted nuts, Smyrna
raisins, toasted bread, with hints
of high-end grappa. Lots of fudge.
Maybe it lacks a little body but nothing
to be ashamed of, especially because
there are some very unusual notes
of spearmint emerging then, together
with some citronella, Coca-Cola (just
faint hints, don’t worry), ginger…
Very complex indeed. One to try, definitely
– a beautiful example of ‘sherry’.
I love it. 91 points. |
 |
| Glenglassaugh
28 yo 1976 (51.9%, Dormant Distillery
Company, cask #2376, 279 bottles)
Colour: straw. Nose: quite closed
at first nosing, just a little spirity,
but it’s soon to exhale some
very perfumy and slightly soapy notes.
Orange skin, lavender, cardboard…
Develops on ginger tonic, paraffin,
almond milk, but everything is sort
of toned down. We’ll try it
with a few drops of water after the
first sips. |
 |
Mouth:
very sweet and almost sugarish, starting
on sugared cereals, rum, vanilla liqueur…
Quite some oomph but some very simple
flavours. Water needed, maybe…
Let’s go: the nose gets a little
farmier and more phenolic, with a
little peat coming through, burning
candle, and something meaty, like
smoked ham and sausages… It
certainly improves, good news. The
palate got better as well, still a
little sweetish but with quite some
dried fruits and also herbal teas.
Liquorice as well. The finish isn’t
too long, alas, and again a little
sweetish. Anyway, Glenglassaugh has
never been a high-profile distillery,
and this one isn’t bad at all.
Perhaps just not as complex as what
you’d expect from a malt that’s
almost 30 years old. 80 points. |
| MUSIC
– Oldies but
goldies: 1968, ex Marilyn Monroe boy
friend Yves
Montand sings A
bicyclette - mp3 live. One of
the old French songs I like best -
excuse my frenchness. |
 |
| PETE
McPEAT AND JACK WASHBACK |
| VIDEO
CLIP - Just
found a fantastic old movie about
the reopening of Scottish distilleries
in 1933, after the prohibition. It's
on the Scotsman's website, right there.
|
 |
|
Linkwood
1991/2005 (46%, Wilson & Morgan,
sherry wood)
Colour: amber. Nose: rather smooth,
with quite some sherry and rubber
at first nosing. A little smoky as
well. Then it grows fruitier and fruitier
(apple compote, ripe apricots, plum
cake), with also some notes of sweet
white wine. It gets then both caramelly
and a little sourish, on cider, oxidised
cut apples. Hints of wax and resin.
Again a simple but nice young sherried
Speysider, it appears. Mouth: creamy
start, very sherried and, again, very
rubbery. Burnt cake and caramel, fruit
cake, crystallised oranges, strong
tea (quite tannic in fact) and basta.
Simple but not bad at all, with a
long finish on caramel and pastry.
83 points. |
Linkwood
13 yo 1990/2004 (46%, Whisky-Doris,
sherry cask)
Colour: gold. Nose: wow, this is completely
different at first nosing, with some
mega-bold notes of apple juice and
fresh milk, with a little light rubber
(even if that doesn’t exist,
I guess). Goes on with lots of vanilla
crème, then fresh spring water
(stony-metallic-vegetal) but not much
else. I say it’s ultra-simple
and compact but very unusual and highly
interesting. Mouth: ah, now we’re
much closer to the Wilson & Morgan,
with the sherry and the rubber, all
the dried and crystallised fruits,
but also an added layer of fresh fruity
notes, with some very ripe plums and
apricots. It’s also fresher,
less tannic, and the finish is even
longer. Again, it’s not complex
but perfectly balanced and very drinkable.
85 points. |
 |
 |
MUSIC
- It's Sunday, we
go classical with the excellent
Lindsay
Quartet playing Schubert's
rather violent (ha!) Allegro.mp3
of Death and the Maiden (No. 14
in D minor, D. 810). Please buy
the Lindsay Quartet's music and
go to their concerts. |
 |
TASTING
- Speyside 1990/2005 'Armagnac Finish'
(54.4%, Celtique Connexion, 297 bottles)
Jean Donnay is starting to bottle
some of his ‘double-matured’
malts at cask strength and I say it’s
good news. So, I’m really curious
about this one… Colour: deep
gold. Nose: not too expressive at
first nosing, rather ashy, distantly
smoky and slightly farmy. Certainly
not the bold sweetness you’d
expect from that kind of ‘ACEing’,
but the malt is soon to develop on
some rather maritime notes, dried
seaweed bonfire. Quite some burning
matchstick (phosphor), hot cake, toasted
bread…. A rather ‘different’
profile. Quite some natural vanilla
after that, and then the whisky gets
rather winey, in a very nice way.
I guess it’s the Armagnac’s
effect. Rather in the fino sherry
genre, A very ‘serious’
nose in any case, not overly expressive
but rather subtle and ‘dry’.
|
| Mouth:
what a contrast! Hot, bold, creamy,
almost invading, with lots of praline,
maple syrup, a little fructose (or
icing sugar). Lots of oomph! A very
nice blend of fruitiness and nuttiness,
with some caramelized pecan and cashew
nuts and something faintly perfumy
(Turkish delights, rose jam, gewürztraminer).
What’s more, it’s also
rather spicy, with some clove, cinnamon,
nutmeg, and maybe even Chinese anise.
I can’t really get the Armagnac
and that’s good news, as it
should mean it’s been integrated
to the malt. The finish is rather
long, creamy and coating, with a little
liquorice and something rather salty…
Very good, in any case. 87
points. |
| MUSIC
– Recommended
listening - It was about time we talked
about Mick
Harvey, probably the
most important collaborator of one
of Nick Morgan's (hence Whiskyfun's)
favourite artist Nick Cave. Not only
he's a member of the Bad Seeds but
he's also a diligent exegete of Serge
Gainsbourg's works, as, for instance,
The
song of slurs.mp3 should testify
(from his 1995 album 'Intoxicated
man'). Do you like it? They buy his/their
music. |
 |
| TASTING
- TWO TEANINICHES |
 |
Teaninich
14 yo 1983/1997 (58.3%, Clan des Grands
Malts)
Colour: pure gold. Nose: a little
closed at first nosing – this
one will perhaps need some water.
Some rather unusual medicinal notes,
though (bandages, camphor) mixing
with quince jelly or paste. Ah, it
does get much more aromatic after
a moment, with some beautiful notes
of ripe apricots, greengages, light
honey, crystallised chestnuts. Keeps
developing on sweet white wine, dried
oranges, camomile, with some whiffs
of coal smoke and even something maritime.
Subtle and delicate. |
Mouth:
lots of oomph and a nice sweetness.
Rather malty, with some notes of sugared
cereals, dried oranges, caramelized
pastries (fruit pies). Some bold notes
of over-baked cake, maple syrup, roasted
peanuts… Crispy praline, nougat…
Rather concentrated and dense, and
maybe a tad mono-dimensional but very,
very enjoyable, especially the long
and creamy finish on fruit jams and
candy sugar. Totally flawless.
87 points (and thanks,
Nicolas).
Teaninich
19 yo 1983/2002 (58.7%, Cadenhead's
Authentic Collection, bourbon hogshead,
174 bottles)
Colour: pale straw. Nose: rather closed
again at first nosing, grainier and
a little more vegetal. Vanilla crème,
Turkish delights, mirabelle jam…
Juts like its younger brother, it
needs quite some breathing, it appears.
Well, quite strangely, it does not
get any more complex after a good
quarter of an hour, juts mashier and
grainier, with some muesli, broiled
cereals, caramel rice… Too bad.
Mouth: it seems it’s rather
simple again. Sweet and powerful,
very grainy and cereally, with some
corn syrup, sweet cider, caramel,
cheap praline… And that’s
all, folks. Let’s ad a few drops
of water and see whether it improves
or not… Well, no, it doesn’t.
Always these sweetish cereally notes,
with some industrial vanilla crème
(dusty, at best). Just uninteresting
– thank god we know there are
some great Teaniniches around. 76
points. |
| MUSIC
– Recommended
listening - Hey, let's play a little
game now. It's very simple: you win
if you manage to stay completely immobile
on your chair while listening to the
great Maceo
Parker doing Hats
off to Harry.mp3. Okay, you loose.
Now, please buy Maceo's music! |
 |
 |
CRAZY
WHISKY NEWS: OLDEST BOTTLE OF CLYNELISH
EVER FETCHES MAD PRICES ON EBAY -
Where
will the craze stop? Last week, a
bottle of 1818 Clynelish sold for
£50,000.01 on eBay, setting
a new world record. We could get hold
of both the (happy) seller, Mr. Pippo
Monihasnohoda, from Rome and the (even
happier) buyer, Himako Mpulsivekolekta,
from Tokyo, Japan. Pippo told us:
"Ma, I found three cases
ove thatte olde Clinnelishe in an
old oenoteca in Sicilia last summer.
It ise now closed ande the ownere
disappeared but I amme very happy,
I wanted to keep alle bottles butte
I am not a collectore so I decided
to selle one bottiglia to whiskey
lovers. Maybe I shalle selle anothere
one later bicoz I only collecte Macallan."
Hmm, a little confusing, I must say...
As for Himako, he couldn't hide his
joy: "Me very very very happy!
Me buying other bottles. Me love Clynelish.
Me says thank you Mr Monihasnohoda!"
And when we asked him whether he'd
open the bottle, Himako answered:
"Me already open. Very good.
Very punchy, with a lot aniseed, getting
cloudy with water but good. Me love
it!" Himako sent us a larger
picture of his new treasure, which
you can admire here.
Thanks, Himako!
(In
hommage to Nick Benwell and with our
deepest apologies to our Italian and
Japanese friends - we love you all,
guys.) |
| MUSIC
– Recommended
listening: very excellent new band
The
Jealous Girlfriends play
Lay
around.mp3. Nice licks, nice sound,
nice vocals, stylish... So much better
than the usual bim-bim-bam-bam-bim-bim-bam-bam
we can hear these days. And contrarily
to what the photograph may suggest,
they aren't members of the Malt Maniacs,
but please buy their music. |
 |
So,
we have propolis, eucalyptus, tiger
balm, mastic, almond milk, fermenting
hay (I love these smells), old books
(which I cherish as well), very old
Calvados, mixed with coconut milk
(almost Malibu, erm…), dates,
dried figs, Smyrna raisins, cooked
apples with cinnamon, mulled wine.
Add to that maelstrom some whiffs
of sea air and an added layer of pine
resin and you should get the whole
picture. Simply a thrill, as expected.
Mouth: how creamy, how bold and how
elegant at the same time. Really punchy,
starting on some bold liquorice, smoked
tea, coconut liquor again (no name)
and hints of gentian eau de vie, Suze…
Lots of dried fruits such as bitter
oranges, bananas, figs… And
then the waxy cohort, with mastic
and eucalyptus candies, fir tree honey,
mint and liquorice sweets. Great hints
of dry sherry, old rancio, sherry
spirit, marc de Bourgogne. The development
is endless, with kind of a roughness
that keeps it from getting a ‘simple’
digestive (or a Club malt). A perfect
hipflask malt, to pour your very best
friends after a long walk in the mountains.
And the finish is endless, very waxy
and nicely rummy (‘arranged’
rum?). Okay, enough maltoporn. 95
points.
Springbank
12 yo 1991 ‘Bourbon Wood’
(58.5%, OB, 5986 bottles)
Colour: white wine. Nose: well, first,
I must confess it’s not very
fair to try this young overproof Spinger
head to head with the legendary old
100° proof, but after all, both
are 12 yo OB’s and both have
more or less the same level of alcohol.
But good news, this more recent version
is far from getting ridiculous on
the nose. Sure it’s much narrower
aromatically but there are some very
nice notes of cooked apples, burning
candle wax, pepper and porridge. Very
‘natural’, in fact, certainly
quite close to the new make. The casks
weren’t first fill bourbon,
I guess. It gets curiously farmy after
a moment, with notes of hors stable
and dried seaweed (Longrow?). There
must be some peat in there. Quite
milky and yeasty, in fact. I quite
like it, but it does not hold a candle
to the old 100° proof, to be honest.
Mouth: powerful, a bit simple at first
but getting quite nicely waxy and
quite peaty again after a few seconds.
Strikingly organic and almost animal,
meaty, with some peppered salami,
liquorice, burnt caramel, getting
very woody after that. Very strong
tea, cinnamon, nutmeg, curry…
It gets quite hot! Let’s try
it with a few drops of water now (and
while the nose gets much more flowery):
ah, no, that doesn’t work. It
gets even more bitter, on infused
tealeaves… Too bad, but the
finish is long and quite balanced,
on herbal teas. A very good whisky
– but not a Grand Cru, far from
it. 85 points. |
| Springbank
15 yo 1989/2005 (60.5%, SMWS 27.57)
Colour: white wine. Nose: extremely
spirity, attacking on pear juice,
burnt bread and yeasty/mashy notes.
This one needs water… Well,
all that happens is the usual farmy
notes, with also quite some stale
beer (Guinness) and whiffs of wet
dog (well, a whole army). A very immature
malt, in my opinion. Mouth: smooth
and sweet when neat but that’s
all. Water needed indeed… Oh,
too bad, there very little added complexity,
just a little sugared apple juice,
perhaps a little liquorice and basta.
The finish is quite long but spirity
and sugary… Very, very simple.
75 points. |
 |
 |
CRAZY
WHISKY NEWS: SCOTTISH SOLDIERS GET
ADVANCED TRAINING AT PORT ELLEN MALTINGS
- With
the deployment of British troops in
several foreign countries where high
temperatures, sand storms and fires
make for very uncomfortable life conditions,
it's been decided to send all Scottish
battalions to the Port Ellen Maltings
(Isle of Islay) to allow them to get
used to these conditions before they
leave the country. "Aye,
that's pretty cool for us and my chaps
and I like the local products but
I'm not sure smelling heavy peat like
that will stand us in good stead on
the field" said to Scotsman
Lance Corporal Jock 'Trigger' McAllister.
Hmm... Not sure, indeed. |
Check
the index of all entries:
Whisky
Music
Nick's Concert
Reviews |
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Best
malts I had these weeks - 90+
points only - alphabetical:
Ardmore
11 yo 1994/2005 'Heavily Peated'
(60.8%, Single Malts of Scotland, cask #121011)
Balvenie-Glenlivet
29 yo 1974/2004 (48%, Cadenhead, bourbon,
180 bottles)
Caol
Ila 1979/2005 (60.9%, The Cross Hill,
Jack Wieber's, 204 bottles)
Clynelish
17 yo 1987/2005 (55.3%, Signatory,
refill butt #990326)
Clynelish
22 yo 1972/1995 (58.95%, Rare Malts,
75cl)
Clynelish
32 yo 1972/2005 (49.9%, Single Malts
of Scotland, cask #15619)
Glenglassaugh
27 yo 1978/2005 (46.7%, Auld Distiller's
Collection, Jack Wieber, ‘Dark Sherry’,
170 Bottles)
Glen
Keith 33 yo 1971/2005 (50.8%,
Duncan Taylor, Cask #8056)
Glen
Keith 33 yo 1971/2005 (51.9%, Jack
Wieber's Old Train Line)
Laphroaig
10 yo 1994/2005 (56.7%,
Acorn, Japan)
Port
Ellen 21 yo 1983/2004 (50%, Douglas
Laing OMC, DL 1572, sherry, 435 bottles)
Port
Ellen 1981/2005 (57.7%, Scott's Selection)
Port
Ellen 27 yo 1978/2005 (52.3%, DL for
The Whisky Fair, 198 bottles)
Springbank
12 yo ‘100° Proof’ (57%,
OB, UK, ‘rather light vatting’)
Strathisla
35 yo 1969/2005 (56.3%, Whisky-Doris,
sherry cask #2516, 90 bottles)
Strathisla
36 yo 1969 (54.6%, Cooper's Choice,
2005)
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