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Hi, you're in the Archives, July 2007 - Part 2 |
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July
31, 2007 |
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YES!
The Malt Maniacs'
Malt Monitor has
been updated, with the help
of our esteemed colleague
Luca Chichizola. We have now
exactly 8,500 different whiskies
on it (of which +/- 200 have
been bottled right in 2007)
and 25,000 individual ratings,
mind you. Kudos to our livers!
Next update around September
30, we hope. You'll find the
new Monitor at the left
of the home page. |
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| TASTING
– LAPHROAIG: TWO BEAUTIES BUT
ONLY ONE BEAST |
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Laphroaig
16 yo 1968 (40%, Sestante, Sailing
Ship label, Pinerolo Import)
Colour: straw. Nose: not bold at first
nosing, rather delicately waxy, smoky
and orangey, with also hints of passion
fruits and guavas (somewhat like the
famous 10yo’s for Bonfanti).
Gets more maritime with time but never
really medicinal (except for a little
camphor). Whiffs of wrack, seashells,
floated wood, raw wool, beach sand…
Also whiffs of putty. Again, it’s
more delicate than wham-bam but everything’s
in place. Gets more lemony with time.
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| Mouth:
oh, it’s got much more oomph
than expected. Directly salty (pickled
anchovies?) and very lemony (lemon
marmalade), peaty and smoky…
The middle is maybe a tad weaker and
sort of watery after that (there’s
kind of a little slump) but it fires
back at the finish, with again quite
some salt, peat and pepper. Too bad
it was slightly weakish on the palate
‘between the attack and the
finish’, it would have fetched
more than just 87 points
in my books. |
Laphroaig
18 yo 1988/2006 (61.9%, Doulas Laing
OMC for Binny’s for The Plowed
Society, cask ref 2281, 154 bottles,
USA) 
After their stunning recent sherried
peat monsters (Broraggeddon, Port
Ellen) our friends the Plowedsters
selected a Laphroaig that does not
seem to exhale any sherry –
but that was bottled at a whopping
+/-62% (and not 50% as written on
DL’s golden top label –
does that make this even more collectable?)
Enough babbling, let’s try it.
Colour: full gold. Nose: superbly
pure and wild Laphroaig after a few
days of opening (whilst it was kind
of oddly caramelly and candied when
the bottle was just opened). Okay,
there still is a little vanilla fudge,
maple syrup and cappuccino but the
coastal notes really got the upper
hand. Peat, pepper, oysters, kelp
and all that jazz – but just
like in the Sestante, no medicine
(maybe just faint whiffs of mercurochrome).
Also notes of old books. And quite
some roasted nuts. Amazingly nosable
at such high strength but let’s
try it with a little water. So, with
water (whilst we had weird lavender
aromas when the bottle was newly opened)
it gets even more maritime (which
makes sense after all) and slightly
medicinal indeed this time (bandages,
mercurochrome). More a classic Laphroaig
now but without any exuberant fruity
notes. Mouth (neat): very punchy attack
but relatively round and candied at
the same time (apricot jam, candy
sugar, baklavas, vanilla), with the
distillery character really turning
up after that. Peat, lemon, pepper,
salt, crystallised oranges…
With water: not much change except
for more balance and a better compactness.
Still very candied. Finish: long,
peaty, peppery, with a little honey
now (orange blossom honey)? A wonderful
Laphroaig that didn’t stand
water when it was just opened (which
is a problem at 61.9%) but that got
used to it after a few days. 91
points. |
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SHOPPING
- Well, sometimes I write 'this
is a perfected hipflask malt' when
commenting on a whisky that's pretty
good but more something to sip in
small quantities in the open...
I'll have to change that, as a company
named Orvis
is selling this huge stainless steel
hipflask that holds
one US gallon (3.785 litres) for
USD198.00. As they wrote on the
website, 'A great gift or decorative
home accent, it can also be used
as intended to carry spirits'. For
people with deep pockets only, or
for owner of a bottle of Ardbeg
Mór? (via liquor
snob) |
MUSIC
– JAZZ - Recommended
listening: yes, maybe the music
is a bit too FM (or Kenny G. - you
can't always sound just like Steeleye
Dan) but Nnenna
Frelon sure can sing,
for instance on Louisiana
sun.mp3. Please buy her music... |
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July
30, 2007 |
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| PETE
McPEAT AND JACK WASHBACK in Saint-Tropez
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TASTING
– OLD AND NEW BRUICHLADDICHS
Bruichladdich
21 yo (45%, OB, Frattina Italy,
1980’s) 
Colour: full gold. Nose: quite beautiful
at first nosing, elegant, sort of
austere in a beautiful way, with
lots of bitter oranges and lamp
oil, soft lead pencil and a little
olive oil. Gets a little fruitier
with time (melons but more the skin
than the flesh, not too ripe apricots,
cider apples…) Gets seriously
smoky after a moment, ashy, with
also whiffs of charcoal. Also a
little paraffin and new magazine
(ink and paper). Drier and more
elegantly austere than most recent
versions we know. |
| Mouth:
excellent! Much closer to the current
versions in the sense that we have
a lot of melons, peaches, apricots,
gooseberries… Also sweets (candy-floss,
Turkish delights). Other than that
it’s quite malty, with again
these oily feelings (olive oil) and
something distinctly ashy and smoky.
Finish: quite long, mostly on sugared
smoked tea and cereals, with maybe
a little salt in the background. Pretty
excellent old Bruichladdich! 88
points. |
| Bruichladdich
22 yo 1984/2007 ‘Redder Still’
(50.4%, OB, 4,000 bottles)
This one was finished in Château
Lafleur casks (not La Fleur-Pétrus,
not Lafleur-Gazin), one of the very
best Pomerols in my opinion, so even
if I never really came across a claret-finished
malt that was to my liking, I have
high expectations. Very eye catching
bottle by the way, should be a hit
at Chinese New Year, if there’s
any left. Colour: amber with orangey
hues. Not red. Nose: what strikes
me at first nosing is the smokiness
rather than the expected winey notes.
Quite some coffee, bitter chocolate,
toasted bread, wood smoke… And
then we have the wine indeed but it’s
more discreet than expected. Mostly
in the blackcurrant family (fruits,
leaves, buds). Whiffs of peonies,
ripe redcurrants. A little kirsch,
gingerbread, cloves… And olive
oil just like in the oldie. Much less
extravagant than expected, that is,
and that’s pretty good news
to me. |
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Mouth: immensely sweet attack, much
more winey than on the nose. Cherry
stalk tea, blackcurrant jelly, strawberry
jam, all sort of ripe plums…
Gets then quite spicy (ginger, cloves,
quite some pepper). The whole is rather
hot but not excessively so. Very faint
rubber, a few tannins. Finish: quite
long, fruity and winey, with notes
of prunes and tea. And red wine of
course. A mixture that works, no doubt.
87 points. |
MUSIC
– Very heavily recommended
listening (I insist): Junior's
groove.mp3 sung by Lorette
Velvette and played
by the Kropotkins (with the Velvet's
Maureen Tucker on drums and current
WF favourite Dave Soldier on violin).
'More cult than this doesn't exist'.
Please buy their music. |
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July
29, 2007 |
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TASTING
– TWO OLD LOCHSIDES
Lochside
1964/2006 (47.7%, Scott's Selection,
Single Blend)
Lochside used to shelter both malt
and grain distilling equipments.
The marriage has taken place at
birth, with the incredible Mr. Joseph
W Hobbs as the priest, which means
that malt and grain whiskies have
been together for 42 years. Let’s
see if there isn’t any relationship
problem… |
| Colour:
gold. Nose: starts on typical slightly
bourbonny, oaky and heavily vanilled
aromas as well as lots of grated coconut
and hot praline. Goes on with a little
nougat, milk chocolate, toasted brioche,
butter… The malty notes are
well in the background, with also
hints of orange marmalade and soft
spices (Szechuan pepper, paprika,
nutmeg). Closer to old grain than
to old malt I’d say, but perfectly
fresh and clean. Mouth: a very sweet
and nicely sour attack with the oak
playing a leading part, but also with
more fruity notes than on the nose.
Lemons, grapefruits, oranges…
Something slightly bitter in the background,
not unlike heavily infused black tea.
Then it’s all back on wood extracts
(tannins, something slightly milky,
cloves, ginger and all the rest of
the family in row). It’s very
pleasant woodiness, that is, never
getting too drying. Finish: quite
long, rather spicy and woody, leaving
a rather strong aftertaste of dried
ginger. In short, probably less ‘sweet
and round’ than an old grain
but still very different from an old
malt. Not only a curiosity, for sure.
88 points. |
| Lochside
35 yo 1966/2002 (50%, Douglas Laing
OMC, 216 bottles)
This one is a ‘true’ malt
from Lochside. Colour: pale gold.
Nose: oh, this is very unusual for
an old Lochside. Much less of a fruitbomb
than most other versions I could taste,
more on metal polish, cod oil (really)
and paraffin. Somewhat as if somebody
had thrown a handful of nails into
the cask (or was it heavily patched?)
Now, it improves with time, with more
waxy notes, shoe polish, cut grass
that starts to ferment, even whiffs
of wet dog, old leather. Still little
fruit, that is, except for hints of
banana skins and citrons. Mouth: maybe
a little ‘mushy’ at the
attack, still not extremely fruity
and slightly metallic. Lots of wood,
tannins, apple skin… More fruits
than on the nose, that is. Very ripe
kiwis, bitter oranges. Quick comparison
with another 1966 (by Jack Wieber)
really makes it sort of weakish and
too oaky, but it’s still a very
good old dram. Finish: not excessively
long, still peppery / woody, gingery,
but with nice notes of crystallised
orange zests. Slightly disappointing
considering its pedigree. 85
points (old Lochside malts
usually make it over 90 in my books.) |
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July
28, 2007 |
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TASTING
– THREE TOBERMORIES (some
strange) |
Tobermory
1972/1990 (46%, Moon 'The Animals',
cask #1527-31, 600 bottles)
I hope this one will be as great as
the superb ‘De Viris Illustribus’
version. Nice frogs on the label anyway…
;-). Colour: straw. Nose: quite punchy,
starting on something vaguely medicinal
(mercurochrome) and rather porridgy
at the same time. There is some peat
as well (although I wouldn’t
say it’s a mislabelled Ledaig),
notes of manure, bitter oranges, something
like fruits starting to rot, new plastic,
wet dog… Don’t Get me
wrong, all that is quite pleasant
in fact, just very different from
what we’re used to. Notes of
gin. Gets much peatier with time,
with also quite some pepper, hints
of mustard, ashes and shoe polish…
On second thought, there may well
be a little Ledaig in this one. Mouth:
well, this is extremely ‘different’
to say the least, not sure I’ll
find what I need in my usual tasting
vocabulary. Starts with lots of shampoo
(just like when you forgot to close
your mouth when taking a shower),
plastic, waxed cardboard (or something
like that)… And cologne (like
when you forgot to close your mouth
when….), glue (?)… Well,
you got it, this palate is plain weird
and, honestly, flawed. Funny but flawed.
Finish: gets a little better once
the shampoo is gone but… In
short, if you ever put your hands
on this one, you’ll have a lot
of fun nosing it but please don’t
let the liquid touch your lips. I’
even wondering if they didn’t
let those frogs bathe in the whisky
before bottling. 60 points
(for the nose). |
Tobermory
33yo 1972/2006 (49.6%, Alambic Classique,
cask #9721, 198 bottles) 
Colour: amber –
mahogany. Nose: it’s the sherry
that does the talking here. A lot
of praline, raisins, roasted nuts,
old rum, strawberry jam… The
spirit itself isn’t too talkative
so to speak. Hints of rubber (but
no sulphury notes). Gets more animal
with time, with hints of ham, game,
meat and wine sauce… Gravy?
Actually, it really improves with
time, getting closer and closer to
balsamico in a certain way. Old walnut
liqueur, Campari. I’m really
starting to love this nose (said Caesar
to Cleopatra). Mouth: well, this is
really concentrated sherry and oak.
Starts on big tannins and heavily
reduced wine sauce, verjuice, armagnac
at cask strength, prunes… Goes
o with cherry leaves, blackcurrant
leaves, rubber… Frankly, this
is a little too much, almost like
if they had cooked together five casks
of sherry matured whisky to come up
with just one. Finish: very long and
hyper-vinous as expected. Well, if
you’re into true sherry monsters,
this is for you, but if you prefer
balance and complexity… The
Freddy Kruger of sherried whiskies?
76 points (again,
for the nose). |
Tobermory
12yo 1995/2007 (56.9%, The Single
Malts of Scotland, hogshead, cask
#482/828, 861 bottles) 
Colour: straw. Nose: of course this
is much younger and more simple but
there are some similarities with the
version by Moon, notably the whiffs
of manure, gin and plastic. Other
than that it’s on plain porridge,
grains and mashed potatoes plus a
little pepper and apple juice. Certainly
not unpleasant and very, very ‘Tobermory’,
maybe even more than the OB’s.
Mouth: sweet and grainy, grainy and
fruity, fruity and mashy. A genuine
Tobermory, no more, no less. Finish:
long and in keeping with the palate.
And this is how a mundane young malt
can defeat two rare and expensive
oldies! 78 points. |
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JUST
SEEN on
the very excellent French forum
whisky-distilleries.info,
Douglas Laing's new livery for the
Old Malt Cask range. More modern,
no doubt - now, it seems that they
kept the famous self-destructive
hexagonal box. |
MUSIC
– Recommended listening:
oh no, we forgot to celebrate the
40th anniversary of John
Coltrane's death (although
'celebrating' may be a very stupid
word here) on July 17. Let's make
a few quick Giant
steps.mp3... |
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July
27, 2007 |
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| TASTING
– TWO YOUNG BENRINNES |
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Benrinnes
2001/2006 (43%, Jean Boyer, Gifted
Stills) 
I think it’s very clever to
issue such young malts to show distillery
character in its full nudity, especially
when the whiskies are gently reduced
(and priced). Would be great to be
able to try such expressions of all
Scottish distilleries head to head!
Colour: almost white. Nose: we’re
very close to newmake here but without
the unpleasant aromas of distillation.
Something smoky and meaty (ham), greengages,
kirsch, ripe melons and white peaches.
Faint hints of fusel oil. Also sugared
yoghurt, lager beer. Quite immature
but I guess that wasn’t the
point here. |
| Mouth:
sweet, already nicely rounded, fruity
and just as smoky and meaty as on
the nose, with an added waxiness and
notes of toasted bread and oatcakes
as well as notes of ripe apples –
but no pears despite the young age.
A rather clean but also quite thick
spirit. Oily mouth feel. Finish: rather
long, quite fat even if not exactly
heavy, smoky and waxy. Very, very
interesting… And pleasant as
well! 80 points. |
| Benrinnes
12yo 1994/2006 (59%, Norse Cask, hogshead
#601, 290 bottles)
Colour: white wine.
Nose: I must say it’s not really
more mature but that could come from
the stronger alcohol. Amazingly similar,
with a little smoke again, ham, wet
stones, roasted coffee beans…
But let’s try it with a few
drops of water. It got even smokier,
almost ‘peaty’ in a certain
sense, but also more mineral and grassy.
We have the same kind of oily smells
as in the 2001 (fusel?) Mouth (neat):
again, it’s very similar to
the 2001, just a tad sweeter thanks
to the alcohol. With water: amazing
how it resembles the 2001 when reduced.
It seems that seven or eight further
years in wood didn’t change
much. Maybe the fruitiness is more
complex (apples but also oranges).
Slightly bitterer as well. Finish:
long, just as oily and sort of thick
as the 2001, with just an added touch
of salt. Excellent young whisky, another
proof that Benrinnes makes classy
spirit. Thanks to the worm tubs? Or
to the partial triple distillation?
81 points. |
| MUSIC
– Recommended listening:
Let's have a little African music
today, with Uganda's Charles
and Frida Sonko playing Nawuliranga.mp3
with the Orchestra Melo Success. It
was in the sixties and they were really
good, please buy their music if you
can... (via the great blog Benn
loxo du taccu) |
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July
26, 2007 |
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| PETE
McPEAT AND JACK WASHBACK in Saint-Tropez
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TASTING
– THREE 1984 CAOL ILAS |
Caol
Ila 21 yo 1984/2006 (46% Coopers Choice)
Colour: pale gold. Nose: classic Caol
Ila, mid-peated, smoky, buttery, with
notes of ripe freshly cut apples and
tangerines. Whiffs of sea breeze and
fresh oysters. Not very far from the
official 18 yo as far as the nose
is concerned. Mouth: yes, classic
Caol Ila. A little liquorice, smoke,
fruit salad, marzipan… Gets
smokier and ashier with time, swinging
from fruits to smoke and minerals.
Finish: rather long, dry, clean and
peaty. Hard to tell you more about
this one. 84 points. |
| Caol
Ila 1984/2006 (53.5%, Scott's Selection)
Colour: white wine. Nose: punchier
but much more on grains, mash, beer,
porridge… Less smoky and less
peaty than the Coopers. More on lemons
– or should I say lemon flavoured
yoghurt? Rather nice but a bit simple
I’d say. Mouth: powerful, smoky,
peaty, fruity (lemons and apples),
slightly salty… Ite missa est.
Finish: more of the same for quite
a long time. Very good but ‘it’s
just another good Caol Ila’.
84 points. |
| Caol
Ila 22 yo 1984/2007 (59%, The Whisky
Fair, bourbon hogshead, 261 bottles)
Colour: pale straw. Nose: a little
silent at first nosing, not very expressive.
Takes off a bit after a while but
it’s still no brilliant talker.
Rather sharp, more mineral and ashy
than its two siblings, but gains steam
with more time (don’t rush this
one!) Gets wilder, peatier, closer
to the south shore’s profile.
Big smoke, ashes, green apples…
Mouth: punchy, compact, lemony, peaty,
smoky, ashy… And reversely.
A little more oomph and complexity
that in its bros, thanks to more fruits
(notably grapefruits and gooseberries).
Perfect balance I must say. Finish:
long, pure smoky lemon sweets (somebody
should invent that one day). A bit
less ‘boring’ than the
other ones but maybe all our bottling
friends could slow down a bit with
Caol Ila… Sure it’s totally
great whisky but does the world really
need 1,245,278 new (rather similar)
expressions every year? No offence
intended and of course that's a general
comment. 86 points. |
MUSIC
– Recommended listening:
that's right, it's Punk passionara
Siouxsie
Sioux who sings Lewis
Allan's Strange
fruit.mp3 in 1987 (it 's on
Through the Looking Glass). Did
she manage to capture Bilie Holliday's
spirit? Please buy here music... |
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July
24, 2007 |
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| TASTING
– SEVEN BANFFS |
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| Banff
1974 (40%, G&M Connoisseurs Choice,
Old Map Label)
Colour: dark straw. Nose: very fresh
and rather smoky, all on fresh kiwis
and working toaster. Notes of cider
apples, also muesli. Lots of presence.
Whiffs of new putty, mastic. Beautiful
oakiness in the background (freshly
sawn oak). What’s sure is that
it’s very smoky. A great surprise.
Mouth: sweet and full bodied at just
40%, starting more on spices this
time (mustard seeds, pepper) as well
as these green apples and fresh walnuts.
Gets a little weaker after that (weakish
middle) but it takes off again at
the finish, with a nice grassiness
and always these mustardy notes. Good
whisky, a little old style I’d
say. One could use it as a great mustard
sauce. 86 points.
|
| Banff
31yo 1967/1999 (41.5%, The Bottlers,
cask #3113)
Colour: gold. Nose: probably not as
smoky as the G&M but there is
some smoke. Also much grassier, with
big notes of marzipan and fresh almonds
as well as smoked tea (lapsang souchong).
Notes of wood varnish, old cupboard,
carpenter’s workshop (great
oakiness). Add to that a rather splendid
fruitiness (cider apples just like
in the G&M, quinces…) and
you get a superb Banff. I must say
I start to understand better our friends
who are true Banff aficionados, like
MM’s Michel. Mouth: similar
to the G&M but even more ‘Banffesque’,
with loads of spices and yes, these
heavy notes of mustard. Un-sugared
coffee. Excellent oakiness (apple
peel, almond skin) and something slightly
perfumy in the background (orange
blossom water). Finish: long, peppery
and mustardy, with that oriental background
(baklavas). Truly excellent and anything
but boring. 90 points. |
| Banff
30 yo 1975/2006 (42.2%, Duncan Taylor
Rarest of the Rare, cask #3416)
Colour: straw. Nose:
we’re in the same territories
but this one is quite fresher (if
that’s possible) and less smoky.
More a classic old Speysider, on light
honey and all kinds of fresh fruits
(oranges, apples). Delicate oakiness
and quite some farmy aromas starting
to take control (clean manure, hay).
Faint hints of musk and a little praline.
Again, different but just as superb
as the 1967. Mouth: almost the same
whisky as the 1967, with maybe just
a little more oomph. Please see above.
Finish: a tad more drying, with more
tannins but the whole is excellent
again. 90 points. |
| Banff
26yo 1980/2006 (56.1%, Duncan Taylor
Rarest of the Rare, cask #2913, 220
bottles)
Colour; straw. Nose: much more mundane
than the 1975 at first nosing, rounder,
sweeter, more on cooked fruits (apple
compote) and light honey. Also notes
of Fanta. No smoke. Gets then more
vegetal, grassy, maybe slightly coastal
(kelp). Far from being unpleasant
but less thrilling than its older
brother, at least on the nose. Mouth:
powerful, tasting much younger than
the 1975 (not just five years) and
more bitter as well. Slightly acrid.
Other than that it’s also more
on lemon zest and green apples. Finish:
very long, curiously acidic, just
like peppered lemon juice. Good but
a bit difficult I’d say –
it had a hard time after the superb
1975. 84 points. |
| Banff
29 yo 1975/2004 (46%, Berry Bros,
cask #3323)
Colour: white wine. Nose: this one
is a straighter version again, much
more mineral and ashy. Quite some
shoe polish, aluminium pan, matchtiscks…
Gets smokier with time, even more
mineral (flints, wet chalk). Beautifully
austere and extremely clean, with
something metallic that resembles
OBE. Oh, and we have a lot of bitter
chocolate making a late arrival. Superb
again. Mouth: extremely coherent with
the nose. There’s this straightforwardness
(or should we call that rectitude?),
a beautiful sharpness and a perfect
blend of minerals and citrus fruits.
Just like the best Alsatian Rieslings.
|
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| Finish:
long, softer now, clean, balanced
and superbly spicy (now we have a
little mustard again). Great bottling,
I’d have loved to try this one
at cask strength. 90 points
(and thanks Tomislav). |
| Banff
1966/2001 (52.3%, Blackadder Raw Cask,
cask #3438, 539 bottles)
Colour: pale gold. Nose: this is much,
much woodier, with lots of varnish,
vanilla and toffee, and very little
of Banff’s character. Pleasant
but it could be just any Speysider.
Faint whiffs of smoke and mint but
that’s all. Mouth: well, it’s
definitely the oak that’s got
the lead in this one, even if it’s
not exactly drying. Again these varnishy
notes, very bitter apple peels, grapefruit
skin, green curry… And yes,
mustard. I’m not a fan of hyper-fruitiness
but this one could be a bit more,
well, fruity. Finish: long but still
quite tannic and bitterish. Extreme
in its woodiness, yet it’s not
plank infusion. Hard to explain, in
fact. 80 points. |
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And
also revisiting Banff
36yo 1966/2003 (50.2%, Jack Wiebers
Premier Malts, C#3440)
I scored this one quite poorly a few
years ago and my friend Michel (yes
the same Michel) thought I should
try it again and provided me with
a new sample. Good idea. Colour: pale
gold. Nose: very close to the Blackadder
(it’s sister cask) but it’s
a little less woody and the distillery
character gets through more easily.
A little smoke, a little shoe polish,
tarmac, apple peel… Less presence
than, say the Berry Bros but I agree
it’s a very nice nose. |
| Mouth:
powerful, not as woody as its sister
cask but definitely spicier. Hugely
peppery, mustardy, punchy, bitter…
It’s really for bad boys. Finish:
marginally rounder and softer than
cask #3438 but the aftertaste is very
oaky and dry, just like you just ate
a full block of bitter chocolate (70%+).
Conclusion: you were right Michel,
it’s worth more than just 77
points but you really have to like
oak in your whisky. My opinion of
course. Now, I agree Banff can be
stupendous, but I’ll spare you
useless comments such as ‘but
why the hell did they clo…’
81 points. |
| MUSIC
– Recommended
listening: it's cult, it's Mister
sun.mp3 sung by ex-expert in global
warming Brigitte
Bardot. Weezz dew Frenchuh
accentuh uff coorss'. Please do what
you like. |
 |
| |
July
23, 2007 |
|
|
| PETE
McPEAT AND JACK WASHBACK in Saint-Tropez
|
| TASTING
– 2 OLD AND 2 NEW INDIE TALISKERS |
 |
| Talisker
1972 (70°proof, Gordon &
MacPhail, black label, golden eagle,
1980’s)
Colour: pale gold. Nose: molto torbato
(copyright Valentino Zagatti) for
a Talisker, and very maritime as
well. Hints of bicycle inner tube,
seawater, beeswax, antique shop
and almond milk. Sort of bold and
delicate at the same time. Citron
and soft pepper. Very perfect nose
even if the whole is in fact very
subtle. Too subtle for me? Mouth:
maybe a little too much caramel.
It’s slightly fragile actually,
a little cardboardy but not weak
at all. Add to that a slight smokiness.
Not far from the current 10yo OB
(who said old whiskies are always
better?) but sort of weaker on the
palate – but again, not tired.
86 points. |
| Talisker
1979/1994 (46%, Moon Import)
It’s funny, this one is meant
to be from the ‘islay of skye’
according to the label. Well, I know
nothing about Gaellic so… Colour:
white wine. Nose: rather discreet,
maybe a tad soapy in fact. Gets peatier
and more peppery with time but also
grassy, austere, dry, not very enjoyable
I must say. I usually like this kind
of profile but this one lacks the
sharpness and straightforwardness
that should go along. And did I mention
the notes of cod oil? Mouth: better
for a while, with more body, more
richness but also something cardboardy
that leads to a weaker middle. Quite
waxy and a little salty. A little
iodine. Gains power again after a
thirty seconds, with the lemon and
pepper making a late arrival. Finish:
probably the best part. Compact, more
‘Taliskerian’, maritime,
with quite some nutmeg and lemon marmalade.
Good whisky in fact, but not an absolute
winner (although this one may please
the label drinkers). 84 points. |
| Talisker
1992/2006 (46%, Jean Boyer, One Shot)
We already tried this one, but it
was it's cask strength sister. Colour:
white wine. Nose: we’re on another
planet despite the similar strength.
Much closer to the grain, the mash,
with surprising notes of poppy seeds
and even sesame seeds as well as almond
milk. The whole is rougher and wilder
than its older siblings but also smokier,
even if not immensely maritime. Grassier.
Notes of apples. Peated apples? Mouth:
excellent attack, extremely classic.
Big, fat, oily, peaty, peppery, maritime
and lemony – yet very drinkable.
Finish: long, still very bold, assertive,
compact… A perfect young Talisker,
maybe a tad sharper and less than
the recent official OB’s –
yes that’s possible. Not really
complex but great whisky. 88
points. |
| Talistill
1996/2007 (46%, Taste Still, 180 bottles)
With a name like this, I’d bet
it’s Talisker inside (nothing
ventured, nothing gained, right?)
When the Pot Still bar will have their
own bottling, maybe they’ll
call it Talipot ;-) Colour: gold.
Nose: yet another profile! Cleaner,
sharper, more mineral, smokier, less
mashy but maybe also less demonstrative.
Hints of mint and apple skin, flints…
Also notes of very fresh oysters?
Very nice notes of beeswax, orange-scented
candles… Keeps developing or
a long time, with more and more orangey
notes. Superb I must say, but you
have to give it time. Mouth: rounder,
softer for a while but getting more
assertive, peaty, candied, fruity
(quinces, oranges). Loads of spices
as well, an ever-developing peatiness,
more and more pepper… And yet,
it’s still perfectly balanced.
Brilliant young whisky at a perfect
drinking strength (not sipping, sipping
is 50%, drinking is 46%). Finish:
long, wide and compact at the same
time, peaty, waxy, smoky and candied…
100% pleasure. Another one that may
prove that, indeed, malts distilled
from around 1992-1994 on got globally
better (again). My tuppence. 90
points. |
| MUSIC
– Recommended listening:
I don't know why I felt the need to
listen to this old Super
Strut.mp3 by Eumir
Deodato today... Why
oh why... But please buy his music! |
 |
| |
July
22, 2007 |
|
|
| TASTING
- FOUR MILLBURNS |
 |
| Millburn
1966 (40%, Gordon & MacPhail Connoisseurs
Choice)
Colour: full amber. Nose: beautifully
orangey, with also lots of beeswax
and honey as well as whiffs of wood
smoke, shoe polish, old furniture…
Another one that smells like a high-end
antiques shop (not just the average
second dhand goods dealer, of course).
Gets superbly minty and camphory,
nutty, toasty… Fabulous balance.
Top class old whisky, very complex
on the nose. Mouth: lots of oomph
but now we have these weird notes
of cardboard I often found in Millburn.
Quite dry, with lots of cocoa powder,
flour, cinnamon, coffee… On
the other hand, the sherry’s
very pleasant, with a taste of ‘yellow’,
dry oloroso, old walnuts… Hints
of blackberry jelly. Very interesting
I must say, especially the rather
long finish on coffee, chocolate and
jam (maybe blackcurrant this time).
An old style malt, no recent version
of any distilleries come close to
this regarding its profile. A slice
of History? 88 points. |
| Millburn
1971/1991 (40%, Gordon & MacPhail
Connoisseurs Choice)
Colour: gold. Nose: ouch, this is
really weird… Tinned sardines?
Corned beef? Last century’s
sausages? Luckily, things do improve
after a good ten minutes of breathing.
More metallic notes, malt, roasted
nuts… But there’s also
a rather huge cardboardiness. Hints
of rotting oranges… And then
it’s back to smoked meat. Bizarre…
Mouth: very bizarre indeed. Hints
of apple compote at the attack but
then we have lots of paper and even
plastic and soap. Lavender sweets?
Goes on on paraffin, fish oil, hints
of marzipan… And again this
meatiness (smoked ham). Not too enjoyable
I must say, even if the medium long
finish is nicer, quite salty…
72 points. |
| Millburn
1974/2000 (40%, Gordon & MacPhail
Connoisseurs Choice)
Colour: straw. Nose: almost silent,
this one. A little grainy but also
just as cardboardy as the 1971. Hints
of coal, wet stones, metal polish.
Also very grassy. Not much happening
on the nose here, I’m afraid,
maybe just hints of beer, mint and
sweat (or gym socks). Mouth: almost
as bizarre as the 1974 but it’s
sort of toned down, not as extreme.
Paraffin, mineral tasting oil, paper
indeed, stale apple juice, quite some
salt… A bit weakish. The finish
is rather short, cereally, salty and
again, quite cardboardy. 70
points. |
| Millburn
17 yo 1979/1996 (43%, Signatory, Antique
Collection, France, 6000 bottles)
Colour: straw. Nose: Millburn’s
weirdness is well here but this is
more civilized. More on fresh butter
(but we do have a little wet paper
and cardboard), grains, hints of violets,
buttered caramel, fresh baguette,
tea… Also hints of metal and
mint, wet hay, infused green tea,
motor oil, smoked ham… There’s
always something happening in any
whisky coming from the three old Inverness
distilleries (Glen Albyn, Glen Mhor,
Millburn), for the better or the worse.
This one is very pleasant. Mouth:
rather full bodied, probably better
balanced than both the 1971 and 1974
(the 1966 was on another planet, partly
thanks to much more sherry in the
vatting I guess). We have quite some
salt, notes of Guinness, caramel,
chamomile tea, peanut butter, candy
sugar… Maybe also a little maple
syrup. Lots of praline as well, no
cardboard and paper this time. Finish:
quite rich, medium long, on caramel,
earl grey tea, dried oranges and vanilla.
Too bad this wasn’t bottled
at 45 or 46%, it’s excellent
old whisky. 85 points. |
MUSIC
– Recommended listening:
it's Sunday, let's go classical
with one of WF's favourites, the
magical Anna
Netrebko (who does
not take herself too seriously it
seems - great!), this time singing
the Cavatina
and rondo.mp3 from Act 2 of
Glinka's A life for the tsar.Please
buy all of her works and go to her
operas and recitals. |
 |
| |
July
21, 2007 |
|
|
 |
TASTING
– THREE MANNOCHMORES |
| Mannochmore
1984/2004 (46%, Gordon & MacPhail
Connoisseurs Choice)
Colour: gold. Nose: relatively discreet
at first nosing, developing mainly
on wood (new plank), but it’s
high quality plank. Then we have whiffs
of sherry, the whole being quite subtle.
Pleasant. Mouth: the attack is a bit
lumpish but it grows more nervous,
on caramel, fudge, cooked coffee and
toasted bread. Right, burnt bread
again. Finish: not very long but pleasantly
bitter, with unusual coastal notes
at the very end. A good version. 85
points. |
| Mannochmore
1990/2006 (46%, Gordon & MacPhail
Connoisseurs Choice)
Colour: straw. Nose: very
characteristic, sort of smoky (garden
bonfire, burning wet leaves and grass).
Gets then more yoghurty, porridgy,
grainy… Also notes of green
apples, fresh walnuts. Very pleasant
in its own genre, with less sherry
than in the 1984. Mouth: the attack
is a little dry and bitter, less pleasant
now. Quite some oak, hints of mustard,
strong tea… Burnt bread. Lacks
smoothness in my opinion. Finish;
long but still drying and bitterish
(rocket salad). Interesting nose but
the mouth is a bit hard I think. 76
points. |
| Mannochmore
18 yo (66%, OB, Manager's dram, 1800
Bts., 1997)
66%? Shall we get our kicks from this
one? Colour: gold. Nose: starts right
on wet paint, cut cactus and newspaper
of the day (ink), aspirin. Sure you
can nose it but it’s extremely
austere, although quite elegant I
must say. With water (aaah): gets
closer to the grain and the mash,
with also whiffs of raw wool, motor
oil… Mineral. Not exactly sexy
but this one is kind of intellectual.
Mouth (neat): extremely powerful to
say the least, bitter… Hard
to swallow. Notes of ultra-strong
herb liqueur. With water: it’s
more lemony (crystallized lemon zests)
and more on porridge. Finish: long,
still austere, very grassy, quite
demanding. A very serious malt, sort
of respectable but not made to give
you much pleasure (not unlike my math
teacher, 30 years ago – I hope
she’s still alive but does not
read Whiskyfun!). But it’s very
interesting malt. 83 points. |
 |
MUSIC
– Recommended listening:
and now for something different,
American poet Yusef
Komunyakaa declaims
No
Lowdown Blues.mp3 with master
Hamiett Bluiett on barytone sax.
Please support poetry. |
| |
July
20, 2007 |
|
|
| PETE
McPEAT AND JACK WASHBACK in Saint-Tropez
|
 |
TASTING
– RECENT
INDIE SPRINGBANKS |
Springbank
10 yo 1996/2006 (46%, Duncan Taylor
NC2, Port Cask)
Colour: gold – apricot. Nose:
rather punchy at first nosing, a little
spirity, but then it’s all on
apricots, a little wood smoke, toasted
brioche and honey. Hints of blackcurrant
buds in the background, peonies. Faint
whiffs of cologne, nothing unpleasant.
Mouth: an extreme fruitiness plus
a faint smokiness. We have a lot of
blackcurrant jelly, bubblegum, maybe
even marshmallows… Seville oranges
as well… Is it winey? Maybe
a little but the whole is balanced
and enjoyable. Good structure. Finish:
medium long, still on bubblegum but
also with quite some pepper and dried
ginger. Good, very drinkable, not
complicated. Good value. 85
points.
Same malt but bottled
in 2007
: extremely similar
although maybe a tad less winey on
the nose. The palate is just the same
as far I can judge. No reason to rate
this one differently. 85 points. |
| Springbank
13 yo 1993/2007 (58.7%, Single Malts
of Scotland)
Colour: white wine. Nose: oh, this
one is probably the closest to a recent…
Longrow that an indie Springbank can
get. No peat but very heavy notes
of tinned pineapples, dried lychees,
something strangely chemical (I’m
not saying it’s wrong) such
as Alka-Seltzer, lime juice, strong
porridge, a little manure… Gets
wilder with time, with quite some
pipe tobacco, a little shoe polish…
Very ‘different’ and extremely
entertaining I must say. Unlike any
other malt. Mouth: yes it’s
like an unpeated Longrow again. Oily,
unusually herbal (sage? Coriander?
Parsley?), with quite some olive oil,
bitter oranges, and maybe hints of
lavender and violet sweets. Keeps
developing, mostly on grapefruits
and spices (cloves, all-spices). Finish:
long, much more balanced than expected,
grassy and nicely bitterish. Well,
this one gives a lot of fun, but who
did pour quite a few litres of Longrow
into that cask? ;-) 86 points. |
| Springbank
35 yo 1971/2007 (59%, The Whisky Fair,
sherry wood, 239 bottles)
Again an improbable strength
considering this one’s age.
Colour: gold. Nose: this is ‘of
course’, very different. It
starts on fantastic resinous notes
(new thuja box you just bought in
a souk in Marrakech – err…),
cellulose varnish, bananas, camphor,
coconut milk… Also whiffs of
camphor, eucalyptus, acacia honey…
Extremely fresh, not woody at all,
complex but assertive – I like
this nose a lot and the high alcohol
probably kept this one very, very
lively. In other words, the advantages
of an old malt without its drawbacks.
Will it be the same on the palate?
Mouth: sweet, round, creamy, punchy
but unbelievably drinkable at 59%
(or is it me?) It starts more on apricots
and cherry plums this time as well
as orange marmalade and ginger, with
a few tannins frolicking on your tongue.
There’s also a faint smokiness,
vanilla, mocha, praline, nougat, white
pepper… In short, it’s
a very sultry old Springbank. With
a few drops of water (not needed but
just to see what happens – and
while the nose gets more on mint and
eucalyptus): not much changes except
for a little more oak, a little more
salt and a certain grassiness. Finish:
long, extremely balanced and satisfying
considering its age, fruity, creamy,
spicy, salty… With also a little
nutmeg. Frankly, I didn’t get
much sherry I must say but this is
a brilliant old Springbank, elegant
and full of uprightness. Impeccable
selection by our German friends. 93
points. |
| MUSIC
– Recommended listening:
it's hard blues time today, with the
late R.L.
Burnside and his Going
down South.mp3 (from A ass pocket
of whiskey, with Jon Spencer's Blues
Explosion). Please buy R.L.'s music... |
 |
| |
July
19, 2007 |
|
|
| PETE
McPEAT AND JACK WASHBACK in Saint-Tropez
|
| TASTING
– FOUR OFFICIAL GLENMORANGIES |
 |
| Glenmorangie
1971 (43%, OB, circa 1996)
Colour: gold – amber. Nose:
more spirity than expected and not
that subtle at first nosing but things
keep improving after a few minutes.
We have lots of coffee, wood smoke
and bitter chocolate, with a marked
maltiness together with notes of green
apples and then quite a fruit blast
(lots of kiwis, gooseberries) with
whiffs of steaming hot green tea.
Lots of wax as well, stones, a little
turpentine and an overall profile
that’s closer to a nearby distillery
starting with a C. that’s a
little further north on the east coast.
Great old style Highlands. Mouth:
excellent attack, beautifully dry
and very elegant, with notes of old
fino. Quite some liquorice, lots of
spices (soft paprika, cinnamon), walnuts,
then cough syrup, black tea from a
good house, bitter chocolate…
Too bad it’s just a tad weakish
because it’s really excellent.
Finish: not very, very long but quite
phenolic, with some smokiness, resin,
crystallized quince, salted liquorice,
olive oil… This is funny, there’s
more happening at the finish than
at the attack or at the middle. Perfect
dryness I’d say, and great complexity.
Probably one of the best Glenmoes
I ever had. 90 points. |
| Glenmorangie
30 yo ‘Malaga Cask Finish’
(43%, OB, 2597 bottles, circa 2006)
Let’s go on with our little
‘embedded’ wine encyclopaedia.
Malaga is a city in Andalucia and
its production of sweet whites is
quite restraint, even if they get
more popular again. The main grapes
are Pedro Ximenez and Moscatel (which
may explain why my old grandma used
to like her small glass of Malaga
every once in a while). Colour: full
gold. Nose: amazingly sweeter and
simpler than the 1971 at first sniffs
– but it’s a little shy
too. Alas, it does not take off like
the 1971 did, staying rather simply
vinous, raisiny, fruity (apricots),
with also hints of ginger tonic. Not
exactly in the same league it seems…
Mouth: the attack is weaker than the
1971’s, sweetish, sort of lumpish,
with a little muscat, crushed ripe
strawberries, vanilla-flavoured yoghurt…
It’s also a little cardboardy,
with just a little spices (nutmeg).
Not bad, of course, but it’s
really having a bad time after the
really brilliant 1971. 78
points. |
| Glenmorangie
1993/2005 'Chinkapin oak cask' (57.3%,
OB, cask #1953, 298 bottles)
Exclusive to World of Whiskies at
Heathrow. Chinkapin, aka quercus muehlenbergii,
is a variety of oak trees that is
native to eastern North America. After
wine, botany - incredible how much
we learn thanks to Glenmorangie. Colour:
dark gold. Nose: we’re a little
closer to the 1971 at first sniffs,
but it develops on lots of hot roasted
coffee beans, toasted oak (heavy treatment
it seems), vanilla, grilled tea (Japanese
hochicha) and hints of mint. Quite
simple but like many of Glenmorangie’s
‘oaky experiments’, it
does quite work. Nice toastiness and
oakiness (but not much else, that
is). Enjoyable dryness. With water:
it’s like plain coffee now!
Amazing… Mouth (neat): sweet
and punchy, very resinous and very
unusual. An intriguing wood infusion!
Something like turpentine (not that
I quaff turpentine every day), liquorice
sticks, tar… And something very
herbal, that I never had before. ‘Funny’.
With water: cappuccino! And I’m
not joking… Truly amazing. Finish:
long, bold, compact, coffeeish, resinous
and vanilled. The whole is very different,
entertaining and special. Too bad
there were so few bottles… 87
points. |
| Glenmorangie
1991/2005 ‘Speakeasy’
(58.40%, OB, Bourbon Barrel #5448)
Hand bottled by clients visiting the
distillery. So, a ‘speakeasy’
is a kind of… OK, joking! Colour:
full gold. Nose: probably the shyer
of them all. A little spirity, getting
then very grassy with just a little
mint and liquorice… Maybe it’s
the high alcohol, let’s try
it with water: hmm, no, not much else
happening, except maybe a little aniseed
that we didn’t have before.
Mouth (neat): sweet, spirity, extremely
vanilled and fruity (ripe mellon).
Much, much nicer than on the nose.
Nice spiciness as well (pepper from
the wood) but gets a little burning.
With water: a little more mint but
it dos not get any more complex I’m
afraid, and the finish is in the same
vein (nice notes of pears, vanilla
and mint though). Good whisky but
it’s a little ‘middle
of the road’, especially when
compared with the restless ‘Chinkapin’.
80 points. |
| MUSIC
– Recommended
listening: Most surprisingly, nobody
ever complained about the fact that
we had some Hot
Tuna only once on Whiskyfun.
Weird… Anyway, time to listen
to the great Jorma and Jack (ex-Jefferson
Airplane as you probably know) again,
this time they’re doing Bowlegged
woman, knock kneed Man.mp3 –
live! Please buy their music! |
 |
| |
July
18, 2007 |
|
|
| TASTING
– 3 LAPHROAIGS + 3 UNDISCLOSED
ISLAYERS |
 |
Laphroaig
16yo 1988/2004 (46%, The Syndicate,
bottled at Bruichladdich)
A strange bottle that looks like an
OB. Which kind of Syndicate is it?
Sorry collectors, I have no further
clues. Colour: pale gold. Nose: a
very clean Laphroaig, similar to the
usual 10yo but with a little more
of everything, that is to say more
peat, more lemon, more grapefruit
and more gunflints in this case. Not
too medicinal I must say. Mouth: pretty
much in the same vein. Ripe kiwis
and pineapples, even more grapefruits,
more peat than in the 10 and quite
a smokiness. Finish: rather long,
getting salty with time. Very salty
actually. Excellent, 89 points.
Last minute info: our
friend Geert tells me that The Syndicate
is a club gathering ten famous whisky
people on Islay, including distillery
managers, who are funding their activities
by doing their own bottlings from
time to time. |
| Laphroaig
‘Quarter Cask’ (48%, OB,
circa 2007)
Colour: gold. Nose: all on chamomile,
bananas, kiwis, butter, vanilla and
smoke. Mouth: herb liqueurs, vanilla,
wormwood, dried pear… And smoke.
Finish: long, closer to the regular
Laphroaigs, smoky, delicately tannic.
Excellent balance but maybe a tad
less thrilling than the first versions
in my opinion. Maybe a little too
smooth. 87 points. |
 |
| Laphroaig
10 yo Cask Strength (55.7%, OB, circa
2007)
A personal favourite (nothing original
about that). Colour: gold. Nose: oh,
the CS seems to have grown fruitier.
Loads of strawberries, orange and
chocolate, verbena (brilliant!), cherry
plums. Maybe a tad les peaty than
previous versions but more globally
exuberant. Mouth: closer to previous
batches now (by the way, did you know
that a typical batch at Laphroaig’s
gathers 250 barrels @ 55 gallons?),
very smoky, with lots of kumquats
and hints of maraschino as well as
passion fruits. A lot of zing. Long,
compact and perfectly balanced finish.
Superb, this one reminds me of the
older ‘green stripe’ version.
92 points. |
 |
Islay
8 yo 1998/2007 (58.8%, The Spirit
Safe and Cask, hogshead #52, 305 bottles)
An undisclosed Islayer bottled by
Celtic Whisky Compagnie in Brittany.
Colour: pale gold. Nose: smoky as
it should, medicinal as expected and
superbly minty and camphory as well.
Loads of mercurochrome, bandages,
embrocations… And then big bold
notes of soaked peated malt, wet hay,
farmyard… One of the most idiosyncratic
young Islayers from the south shore
I could try recently, but with no
fruits and no sweetness. Fantastic.
Mouth: triple bang. Hugely concentrated,
as smoky as possible (almost like
if you licked the snoot off a chimney),
with a wild, wild peat. Amazingly
demonstrative. Finish: endless, maybe
a tad sweeter now (apple lolly), still
extremely smoky, peaty and quite salty
as well. Succulent. 90 points. |
| And
also two other 'undisclosed' Islayers:
Smoking
Islay NAS (55%, Blackadder, Cask ref
BA2005/213, Bottled 2005)
Perfect balance. Prototypical young
Islayer, simple but flawless. 87
points. |
 |
| Adelphi
13yo 1992/2006 'Breath of Islay' (57,5%,
Adelphi, cask #5346, 275 bottles)
Excellent smokiness, smoked tea. Pepper.
Ashes. Very good. 87 points. |
MUSIC
– Highly
recommended
listening: another slice of that
wonderful Hendrix cover CD, 'Power
of Soul', this time it's Chaka
Khan shouting Little
wings.mp3. Please buy her music...
|
 |
| |
July
17, 2007 |
|
|
| PETE
McPEAT AND JACK WASHBACK in Saint-Tropez
|
 |
TASTING
– TWO 'FRENCH FINISHED' 1995
SPEYSIDERS
Ardmore
11 yo 1995/2006 ‘Wood Finish’
(42%, Dun Eideann, cask #14069)
A rather strange bottle. The label
says it’s a ‘wood finish’
but it doesn’t add which wood
nor for how long it’s been
finished. Does that make any sense?
Let’s try to find out…
|
| Colour:
straw. Nose: a rather fresh start
on quite some peat like often with
Ardmore as well as notes of overripe
pears and kiwis. Gets then rather
grainy and mashy (mashed potatoes
with quite some butter) and slightly
minty. Quite some yoghurt as well,
sour cream, chlorine… Sort of
mouldy (not obligatorily in a bad
way), old wine cellar, old barrel...
Slightly stale apple juice. Mouth:
maybe a tad too smooth at the attack,
with first a little apple juice and
then directly the peat and the pepper
as well as hints of cardboard and
liquorice. Very sweet toffee, buttered
caramel, cake… Gets a little
bolder with time, quite candied and
gingery (speculoos). The attack was
a bit weakish but it keeps improving
after that, even if it never gets
really bold or too satisfying. A little
too sweet for Ardmore, I’d say.
Finish: not too long, sweet, vanilled,
fruity and peppery, with something
that reminds me of a peated Irish
Connemara. Quite some caramel and
hints of salt. Alright, I couldn’t
get any finishing here, except maybe
bourbon, but it’s very drinkable
malt for sure. 80 points. |
| Speyside
1995/2007 ‘Affinage Fût
de Vin de Champagne’ (46%, Celtique
Connexion)
A single malt from Speyside that’s
been ‘finished’ in a Champagne
cask where white wine was matured
before it got ‘champagnised’
in bottles, like they do with the
best cuvees. Colour: full gold. Nose:
starts on lots of wine and wood influence
but in a very elegant way, with notes
of wet oak, quince jelly and something
toasted/roasted like if they was botrytis.
Pretty complex and certainly not fat
or thick. Goes on with notes of orange
salad with olive oil and fresh mint
leaves, hints of fir honeydew, apricot
jam… Slight meatiness in the
background (bacon with pineapple).
Quite some beeswax as well. Very interesting,
doesn’t smell of Champagne as
such, or maybe very old Champagne
in the Bollinger style. Mouth: thicker,
somewhat oilier and also oakier, with
a rather nice bitterness from the
wood that balances the sweetness.
Something slightly grassy but then
we have the expected yellow fruits
(quince, apricot). Notes of walnuts.
Maybe less complex than on the nose
but quite assertive. Finish: long,
grassier, still quite bitter (herb
liqueur), with hints of mint again
and quite some liquorice. A very active
champagne cask it seems and rather
punchy and almost ‘invading’
whisky. Not the light side of champagne,
I liked the nose a little better than
the palate - and what a nose!. 86
points. |
| MUSIC
– Recommended
listening: what, Earth
Wind and Fire? Yes, but
it's their supersonic version of Voodoo
Chile.mp3 (from the fantastic
Hendrix cover album 'Power of Soul'
that gathers luminaries such as Carlos
Santana, Bootsy Collins or Prince).
Please buy their music... |
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July
16, 2007 |
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| PETE
McPEAT AND JACK WASHBACK in Saint-Tropez
|
| TASTING
– TWO
NEW BALBLAIRS |
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Balblair 40yo 1965/2007 (47.7%, Speciality
Drinks Ltd – The Whisky Exchange)
A brand new bottling by our friends
in London, with a different packaging.
Colour: amber. Nose: really a carpenter’s
workshop! Lots of cellulose varnish,
freshly sawn oak but also old furniture,
antiques… Also lots of vanilla,
cloves, nutmeg, roasted nuts. The
oakiness is very heavy but also extremely
pleasant. This one could be mistaken
for a very old and very good rum when
nosed blind I think. Keeps developing
on crystallised oranges and heather
honey, then ripe mellon and peaches
as well as bananas flambéed.
Gets more and more ‘old-Balblairish’
with time. Quite superb I mist say.
Mouth: we’re closer to the famous
38yo OB now, with the fruitiness striking
right from the start and holding out
on the heavy woodiness. Very ripe
melons again, bananas, apricots…
Orange zests, pecan pie, coffee beans…
Very good even if maybe a little less
complex than on the nose. Still very
nervous at such old age, in any case.
Finish: long, quite hot and almost
young, with the wood, the spices and
the fruits mingling quite beautifully.
A rather rougher version of the famous
38yo OB I’d say, still a beautiful
old whisky. 90 points. |
| Balblair
16 yo 1991/2007 (57%, C&S Dram
Collection, hogshead, Cask #1015,
192 bottles)
Colour: white wine. Nose: much less
wood influence of course, much closer
to raw spirit but it’s classy
raw spirit. Quite fruity (fresh strawberries,
gooseberries and apples). Faint hints
of cologne – nothing embarrassing
here. A little porridge. A rather
inactive cask it seems. Mouth: extremely
fruity, not too far from tutti frutti
spirit. It’s a little too hot
at full strength, that is, let’s
add a little water… Right, while
the nose got more lemony and slightly
earthy, the palate got gentler, simply
fruity (apples and pears again) and
malty/grainy. No flaws but maybe no
real thrill either at this stage.
Also a little pepper. Finish: medium
long, with a little oak, less fruits,
more pepper and added notes of apple
and walnut skins. Simple but good.
79 points. |
 |
 |
MUSIC
– Recommended listening:
ha
remixes! We're not int that too much
but I must say Frenchies Rocca
and Kohndo did a marvellous
job on Carla
Bley's Song
sung long.mp3 (it was on 1976's
Dinner Music) Please buy all these
people's music! |
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:
Balblair
40yo 1965/2007 (47.7%, Speciality Drinks
Ltd – The Whisky Exchange)
Glenmorangie
1971 (43%, OB, circa 1996)
Islay
8 yo 1998/2007 (58.8%, The Spirit Safe and Cask,
hogshead #52, 305 bottles)
Laphroaig
10 yo Cask Strength (55.7%, OB, circa
2007)
Laphroaig
18 yo 1988/2006 (61.9%, Doulas Laing
OMC for Binny’s for The Plowed Society,
cask ref 2281, 154 bottles, USA)
Springbank
35 yo 1971/2007 (59%, The Whisky Fair,
sherry wood, 239 bottles)
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