October 2010 - part 2 <--- November 2010 - part 1 ---> November 2010 - part 2

November 14, 2010

Glenkinchie 20 yo 1990/2010 (55.1%, OB, American oak) Another 20yo bottled in 2007 was much to my liking (WF88). Colour: white wine. Nose: not too powerful but extremely fresh, ueber-clean, starting on freshly cut apples and just touches of vanilla custard. Maybe a tad shyish but other than that it’s really like a walk through an orchard, if you see what I mean. No grainy, porridgy or yeasty notes in this one. The vanilla and notes of fresh oak tend to grow a tad bigger after a few minutes. With water: more on plums and other stone fruits. Whiffs of bubblegum, strawberry sweets, jellies… Very, very discreet soapy oak in the background, paraffin. Mouth (neat): fruitful and youthful, staring all on pear drops, lemon drops and even tinned pineapples. Again, it’s powerful but not overpowering. Gets then even more lemony, almost limey, grassy, kind of acidic in a nice way. Quite sharp, far from the ‘gentle’ Lowlands style. With water: good, easy, fruity profile, quite responsive if you see what I mean. Likes to play with your palate. A lot of lemon and tangerines. Finish: rather long, more on lemon zests and green wood, sorrel, raw spinach… Very zesty, in a fairly unusual way. Comments: it’s not the most complex whisky ever in my opinion but I like the fact that it’s relatively close to a famous neighbouring colleague: Rosebank. SGP:661 - 86 points.

Glenkinchie 33 yo 1975/2008 (50.7%, Jack Wiebers, Old Train Line, cask #6396) Jack Wiebers seems to like unusual casks displaying, err, unusual aromas. Let’s see… Colour: full gold. Nose: ah yes, this is highly bizarre once again. There’s something slightly sweaty or even cheesy at very first sniffs, with also hints of sour cream plus a little dill and other herbs. Highly unusual indeed. Goes on being even more butyric but also rather cleaner at the same time, with some vanilla, new wood, a little toffee and hints of fresh mint. A little caramel and café latte as well, then quite a lot of cut grass. The cheesy notes were ephemeral, good news. With water: milk and cream are back, together with more herbal spices from the wood. Cardamom? Custard. Also something a tad metallic. Mouth (neat): not cheesy or bearing other unusual notes this time, we’re much, much closer to the OB, only with more oak, tea and vanilla. Great greenness, à lot of lemon, even a little kiwi, green apples… Also toasted brioche. With water: hurray! It got really beautiful now, extremely zesty but with depth and complexity. Fresh oranges, lemon squash, grapefruits, notes of jujubes… Some green tea and a little ginger in the background. Sorrel. Finish: long, beautifully lemony. Comments: two whiskies in one, or rather four, depending on the amount of water you’ll add. It’s far from perfect but it’s very entertaining in my view. I’ll score it just the same as the OB. SGP:651 - 86 points.

MUSIC - Recommended listening: big, big sound with the amazing World Saxophone Quartet playing Duke's hypnotic Come Sunday. Plase buy all of these fab people's music.

November 12, 2010

The Big Push: twelve new or recent whiskies

Nose: it’s not one of these fresh fruity and zesty 1981 Lochsides, rather a heavy, deeply infused one, with some wood extracts, toffee, strong tea and notes of plum eau de vie, then something slightly gamy. Also some wild notes of fresh mushrooms, moss, earth… A surprising variant. Wine vinegar, parsley. With water: more grass, more herbs, more mint. Hints of sangria, blood oranges, shalots… Mouth (neat): here it is, Lochside’s trademark fruitiness (tangerines, oranges), but it’s coated with some soft spices (a little curry) and quite some kirsch. Slightly hot. Also notes of pipe tobacco, prunes, molasses… The whole is maybe a little brutal at this stage. With water: softer, leathery, slightly cardboardy. Finish: medium long, a little dry but clean. Very nice lemony signature, with some pepper. Comments: I like this one a lot but I tend to prefer purer Lochsides. SGP:462 - 87 points.

Old Pulteney ‘WK499 Isabella Fortuna’ (52%, OB, travel retail, 18,000 bottles, 100cl, 2010) This cryptic bottling is named after the last remaining drifter boat in Wick Harbour, the Isabella Fortuna, registered as WK499. No ideas how old this one is, probably quite young. Colour: straw. Nose: starts fresh and very fruity, mainly on garden fruits such as apples, ripe pears and white cherries. Gets then a tad grassier but lightly so. Fresher and cleaner than other Pulteneys but also simpler so far. Mouth: good, rather powerful attack, all on garden fruits once again. Same kind of development as on the nose, only louder and even more in two steps. First fruits, then, quite brutally, loads of grass and a pleasant saltiness. Finish: long, simple, with a little mint and maybe a little peat. Comments: simple pleasures. Very well made, flawless but lacks more complexity. Some other recent small batches from Wick have been more inspiring I think, but this is unquestionably good. SGP:643 – 81 points.

MUSIC - Recommended listening: the Art Ensemble reloaded! We had it in June, le's have it again. Theme de Yoyo by the Art Ensemble and Fontella Bass. Rare and s-e-m-i-n-a-l. Please buy all of the Art Ensemble of Chicago's music!

November 11, 2010

The Big Push: Eight new Speysiders

MUSIC - Recommended listening: Germany's Lyambiko and her catchy Give it up that was on 2006's album 'Love... and then?' More love! Smooth can be good, please buy Lyambiko's music.

November 10, 2010

The Big Push: a small hotchpotch (with video support!)

Mouth: good attack, smooth, roasted, malty (maltier than many malts), with some coffee and honey, nuts, orange marmalade and touches of wood. In the background, a faint dryness, a little dust. The middle is a little weaker, it’s not quite full bodied. Finish: short but very pleasant, a tad oakier, with quite some marmalade and cinnamon. Comments: I think it’s very, very good and anyone looking for a light but ‘wide’ dram will enjoy this baby, especially since it’s not ‘too’ expensive. Nice composition, probably one of the best blends around. SGP:431 - 84 points.

OK let’s be serious, I believe this wee baby’s just a tad drier and oakier than the 1967 and maybe a tad less smoky, but it’s still stunning. The industry’s former best kept secret stroke again. SGP:572 - 94 points.

PS: yes, that was Laetitia Casta playing BB in the movie Gainsbourg - (vie héroïque). Excuse my Frenchness.

MUSIC - Recommended listening: queen of modern fado Susana Maria Alfonso de Aguiar aka Misia sings a beautiful Triste Sina (from her 1999 album Paixões Diagonais). Please buy Misia's music.

November 9, 2010

The Big Push
There are so many new whiskies around these days, and great ones at that, that Whiskyfun's traditional 'one distillery at a time' format became unsuitable for the current pace. That's why we'll try to do a 'Big Push' for a few days, maybe we'll manage to catch up!

The Big Push: Nine recent Islayers

With water: the beast still roars! Water woke up a tarry peatiness that, precisely, reminds me of the Rare Malt (that I used to call ‘the Pirelli whisky’ – nothing to do with the naked girls on the calendars). Mouth (neat): ah yes, yes yes! More vibrant than the nose and ueber-lemony, superbly zingy, ‘chiselled’ and kippery. Greatest notes of olive oil and marzipan in the background. Gets then ashier and saltier at the same time. I don’t think we used to know how PE would behave after 30 years of age, I think we have the answer. With water: perfection made whisky. Please call the anti-maltoporn brigade. Finish: very long. Superb salty aftertaste and a contrasting spice blast (carvi, pepper, cloves, bitter almonds). Comments: wow. To think that we’ll have all these new old Port Ellens to try in the coming years! And if PE was the peaty Islayer that aged best? Shall we soon see the revenge of the old lady on her thundering neighbours? Imagine there’s probably much more old PE than old Ardbeg around… SGP:367 - 95 points.

Mouth (neat): it’s a rather punchier but also slightly simpler version of Port Ellen, and it may suffer a bit from comparison with the 31yo. Don’t get me wrong, it’s some great PE, it’s just that the OB was so revealing… Anyway, this is a classic peat-packed, zesty middle-aged PE, with a lot of lemon, a little salt and a perfect peatiness. With water: perfectly balanced natural PE. Kippers, lemon, ashes, pepper, ginger… Finish: long, dry, very ‘precise’. Comments: I should have tried this excellent one before the OB instead of ranking them by ABV. I know, a mistake, it’s always hard to follow a stunner. SGP:258 - 92 points.

MUSIC - Recommended listening: she's from Guinea, she's got an extraordinary voice, she's called Kani Dambakate´ and she sings I kolon ma ni kana ma. Please buy Kani Dambakaté's music and support African music.

November 8, 2010

Tasting two official Cragganmore

There’s more Cragganmore around these days, both official and independent, and I think the whisky’s image keeps improving. Will the new official 21yo match the wonderful 29yo from six or seven years ago?

Cragganmore 21 yo 1989/2010 (56%, OB, American oak casks, 5856 bottles) Colour: straw. Nose: one of the few whiskies that display rather heady notes of aniseed and liquorice at first nosing and even hints of sherry (whilst, yeah, it’s probably bourbon wood). There’s also rather meaty notes, ham, then fresh fruits (more like strawberries) and a ‘raw’ vanilla as well as hints of struck matches, flints and freshly malted barley. A rather big personality. Oh, and also unusual hints of shallots (cooked). With water: really improves, becoming even fresher and superbly herbal. Chives, high-end green tea, green apples, more aniseed and whiffs of hay (after a hot summer day, of course). Very faint soapiness, even after 15 minutes. Nothing unpleasant though. Mouth (neat): nervous attack, less smooth than expected for a Cragganmore, very fresh and very fruity. Apples and kiwis. A lot of liquorice wood as well, some grapefruit, pomegranates… All that’s coated with a few green tannins that do further bring out the freshness. With water: more on fresh fruits, tinned peaches and pineapples, liquorice allsorts, orange drops… More youth and more briskness. Finish: long, more gingery, herbal and grassy. A little cardamom and coriander in the aftertaste. Comments: lots happening in this one. It’s not a Cragganmore to sip in an old Chesterfield armchair late at night. The brisk fruitiness is spectacular. SGP:751 - 87 points.

Cragganmore 17 yo 'Manager's Dram' (62%, OB, 1992) This one was distilled around 1975. Colour: full gold. Nose: very punchy, with similar aromas (flints, struck matches) but also something that’s even closer to sulphur, leather and shoe polish. Most probably from sherry casks. Rather winey as well. Very nice whiffs of damp earth and humus and a little salpetre. Very interesting nose but the 62% vol. are well there! With water: superb! Game, old balsamic vinegar, menthol, tiger balm, camphor, fern… The Managers had it good in 1992. Mouth (neat): yee-hah! Strong, invading, nervous, heavy on the liquorice and on herbal liqueurs. Mint liqueur? Dantziger Goldwasser? Quite extreme. With water: crash! It became so heavily mentholated that it’s almost flawed in my view. Reminds me of some very strong old bourbons of Irish (some, not all!) Finish: very long but really green now, kind of biting. I’m sure some enthusiasts would love this one but it’s a rather tricky malt on the palate. Comments: the nose was superb but the palate was really too hard for me. A dichotomic old Cragganmore. SGP:481 - 80 points.

MUSIC - Recommended listening: the wonderful Argentinian actress and singer Soledad Villamil (think El secreto de sus ojos) sings La cancion y el poema (from her CD Morir de amor). Please buy Soledad Villamil's music!

November 7, 2010

Tasting two official Auchroisk

The various older versions of the Singleton of Auchroisk have been rather underwhelming but now that the appellation ‘Singleton’ has been reattributed to Dufftown, Ord and Glendullan, maybe these newish Auchroisks will be more tastebud-catching, so to speak.

Auchroisk 1999/2009 'Manager's Choice' (60.6%, OB, cask #111323, 642 bottles) From bodega sherry European oak. Colour: straw. Nose: it’s the wood that talks first, with a good deal of coconut, mint and aniseed on top of vanilla and hints of rum. Cake. Other than that, it’s all rather aggressive at such high strength, better add water right away. With water: more fresh oak, sawdust, broken branches and just something slightly gamey that suggest sherry wood. Cut grass. It’s rather flawless but it’s a little boring, if I may say so. Mouth (neat): good, smooth yet nervous attack, rounded at the same time, on apple pie and lemon squash. The wood’s a tad bitter in the background. Hints of bubblegum. With water: it’s all good and even pretty perfect, with no more bitterness and rather more fruits, especially juicy apples, but again, it’s not very inspired – and inspiring. Yawn… Finish: rather long, fresh, vanilled, slightly woody and faintly mentholated. Notes of rum in the aftertaste. Comments: I’m sure this is technically perfect, but it’s not a very thrilling whisky in my opinion. SGP:441 - 82 points.

Auchroisk 20 yo (58.1%, OB, 5856 bottles, 2010) From both American and European oak. This one bears a wonderful pre-WWII label. Colour: straw. Nose: this one is just as powerful as the MC but there’s much less oak impact, the style being rather less “concentrated’. Classic fruity Speysider, with quite some vanilla, walnuts, hazelnuts, fresh butter, fresh putty, vanilla fudge and many tinned fruits such as peaches and apricots. Orange cake. With water: too bad, water brings out the oakiness, just like in the MC. A little more menthol, cough syrup, crème brulée. Mouth (neat): sweet, creamy, much in the style of the MC but a little wider, with more complexity. I like these herbs, this mint flavoured green tea, the lemon balm, the touches of mint drops, these faint fudgy notes… All good so far. With water: more of the same, which is great. Finish: long, with hints of caramel, Turkish delights and lavender sweets. Pine sap in the aftertaste as well as a little coffee and coconut. Comments: just like the MC, it’s technically perfect but it’s also more ‘interesting’, with more dimensions and rather less oak influence despite this baby’s older age. SGP:541 - 87 points.

MUSIC - Recommended listening: the Strawbs with Sandy Denny on backing vocals doing their famous How Everyone But Sam Was A Hypocrite in 1969. Please buy the Strawbs and Sandy Denny's music.

November 5, 2010

Clynelish 27yo 1982/2010 (59,8% The Nectar of the Daily Drams, joint bottling with LMdW) Colour: pale gold. Nose: instantly reminds me of the ‘Synch Elli’ at 46% that we had during the class, with this fruitiness that ‘comes straight from the 1970s’ coated with a waxiness that’s rather more ‘1980s’ indeed. The whole is terrific despite something a tad too spirity and kirschy that’s probably related to the very high ABV. With water: more soot, more grass, more wax. Mouth (neat): bang! This profile hits you right between your eyes, with the wax, the orange zests, the slight smokiness, the thick grass, the lemon that adds zing to the whole… With water: this is why I love these Clynelishes. It’s not really complex whisky, and maybe even a tad roughish, but the balance between the fruits and this very idiosyncratic waxiness is divine. Finish: long, with more grass and oils. Lemon oil? Comments: this may be for Clynelish lovers exclusively. Yes, more for us. Perfect age for a 1982/1983 Clynelish but it’ll stand even more ageing in my opinion. Yes I’m partial to Clynelish. SGP:553 - 92 points.

Clynelish 37 yo 1972/2010 (58.9%, Gordon & MacPhail for LMdW, Book of Kells, cask #14300) Colour: gold. Nose: it’s not the expected fruity explosion that strikes first here, rather something vinous that borders balsamic vinegar and ‘old boy’s jam’ (several fruits in eau-de-vie). No huge quantities of fruits in the background either, rather some coastal notes, seashells, seaweed… Not often to be found in 1972 Clynelishes. Also some antique wood, beeswax, dried fruits (here we go!), figs, dates, litchis, tangerines, then oriental pastries, something earthy, humus… It’s all very complex! It’s also rather sooty. With water: more damp wood and these balsamic notes are back as well. Smells almost like mead now. A very old, long forgotten wine cellar? Mouth (neat): one again, it’s not as directly fruity as expected, rather resinous and slightly bitter (Jägermeister). We have also many spices, soft curry, liquorice, maybe even a little pastis, an obvious saltiness, quite some orange zests and marmalade… What’s more, it’s easily sippable at 55%! Keeps developing, becoming very, very lemony (liqueurs). Not a classic 1972 Clynelish but this kind of variant is truly excellent. With water: rounder, more honeyed, with the lemon remaining in the background and then more soot and even a faint smokiness. Quite some salt as well. Finish: rather long, maybe a tad more ‘fuzzy’ than usual and more on stewed fruits and bananas flambéed. In the aftertaste: a lot of liquorice and even more salt. Comments: this will benefit from a little breathing once the bottle’s been opened. It’s rather richer and ‘wider’ than other Clynelishes, I guess it all comes down to what you’re expecting from your Clynelish. But quality’s very, very high for sure. SGP:652 - 91 points.

MUSIC - Recommended listening: I've first heard of Vusi Mahlasela during the World Cup in South Africa and it was an instant hit. Please listen to Jabula and then buy all of Vusi Mahlasela's music.

November 4, 2010

Glenglassaugh 26 yo (46%, OB, 2010) I wasn’t extremely fond of both the 21 and the 30 from last year (while I thought the 40 was brilliant) so let’s see whether this new 26 is in a higher league or not (remember, personal feelings only!) Colour: gold. Nose: starts rather malty and slightly toasted, with notes of, er, toasts, cornflakes, caramel and vanilla fudge as well as faint gingery notes (like speculoos). Nice herbal notes behind all that, hints of orange zests, hawthorn… Gets then more and more ‘oriental’, that is to say more and more on orange blossom water, baklavas, spicy honey… Very nice development, it started a tad ‘mundane’ but never stopped getting more complex and aromatic. In other words, needs time if you don’t want to miss it. Mouth: good, smooth attack but there’s also quite some wood, an obvious tannicity and notes of strong tea that are very noticeable… What’s nice is that they come with some mint and liquorice, which soften the tannins in some way. Keeps improving after that, with some lemon marmalade and touches of coriander. Finish: rather long, with more pepper. Malty signature, a faint smokiness and quite some liquorice. Comments: a perfect example of a 85 points malt in my book. Please remember 85 is a good score, probably the equivalent of 93 or 94 at other places. No I’ll never hand out astronomical scores in the hope of being quoted in the distillers’ promotional efforts, whether printed or digital. Oh and remember I work for nobody and am not looking for fees, work or for a position. Phew, why am I telling you all this just now?! SGP:441 - 85 points.

Glenglassaugh 1974/2010 ‘The Manager’s Legacy’ (52.9%, OB, Jim Cryle, refill hogshead, 200 bottles) Colour: gold. Nose: punchier of course but not heavy, and certainly more complex and with more personality than the 26. Starts on superb notes of pipe tobacco and dried oranges as well as just touches of camphor and pine sap. Goes on with notes of mocha, espresso, dried litchis, dried tangerines, a little liquorice... Also the same whiffs of toasts as in the 26. It’s a superb nose! (not only my view, it’s a fact, please believe me ;-)). Also some leather and marzipan. With water: traces of pencil shavings but also tropical fruits and unexpected farmy notes (clean cow stable ;-)). Mouth (neat): haha! Sure there is some oak once again but it comes along these beautiful resinous and mentholated notes that are sometimes to be found in old casks (when it’s extreme it gets bad but it’s perfect here). Orange marmalade, passion fruit ice cream, mangos (very obvious here), tangerine liqueur, also a little chartreuse (these resinous notes again), verbena… Really excellent! With water: that makes the oak a tad louder but it also widens the fruitiness, so to speak. Sultanas and dried muscats (or old desert wine made out of muscat grapes). Finish: long, round but certainly not sluggish, always with this great oakiness that gives the whole a perfect backbone. Comments: spitzenklasse as they say on the other side of river Rhine. Try to find one bottle of this new baby. SGP:552 - 92 points.

MUSIC - Recommended listening: one of the most pillaged tracks of all times, Cymande's The Message. So much better than all what so many clueless 'DJs' have done out of it. Please buy Cymande's music.

November 3, 2010

Brora 26yo 1981/2008 (48%, Chieftain's, cask #1521, oloroso sherry butt, 588 bottles) I already tried a few Broras in the same series, they were all very good but not really thrilling in my opinion, maybe because of the wood (WF 83-86) and maybe because not all 1981s were great whiskies. Colour: amber. Nose: the sherry isn’t as dominating as in other bottlings but it does kind of interfere with the spirit in an uncoordinated manner. That creates some slightly soapy notes as well as some rather heady notes of pencil lead, shavings and damp old wood. The spirit has troubles making it through the wood – and imagine its Brora! Yet, there are nice notes of humus, moss, fern (fern grows bigger over time). Mouth: salty attack, then something lavenderish that give it a 1982-Bowmoreness if you see what I mean. Violet sweets, orange drops, white pepper, cologne (a little)… It’s nicer than it may sound but well well well… Cranberry juice – not sure notes of cranberry juice go well with Brora. Finish: medium long, much more liquoricy. Liquorice allsorts and bags of them. Comments: the distillery’s undetectable here and the sherry has added weird flavours of confectionary. Blackcurrant Jell-O? But it’s not bad whisky of course, far from that, it’s only slightly ‘unstructured’. Another cask by ‘parallel’ bottler Dun Bheagan (#1526) was much more to my liking (WF88). SGP:642 - 78 points.

Brora 30 yo 2010 Edition (54.3%, OB, 2,958 bottles) Many people had thought that the quality of the Brora 30s would dwindle year after year as they would move away from the magical vintages from the early 1970s. I was among those people and I’m sorry to say that up to last year, we were proven wrong. Maybe that will change? Colour: straw. Nose: right, this isn’t as peaty as the 30yo used to be and we’re rather closer to the 25yo from two years ago, with something that’s rather ‘Talisker’ in the nose. It’s not explosive, rather delicately marine, seaweedy, almondy and buttery, with light vanilla notes and just hints of patchouli and various dried flowers. It’s got something slightly ‘old-world’. Faint farminess arising after a while, together with a little more peat. With water: as expected, more farmy, seaweedy, slightly grassy. Almond oil. Mouth (neat): this is more like an early-1970s Brora, with a good deal of peat, lemon and salt plus some obvious medicinal notes, antiseptic, wood smoke, kippers… It’s still unusually ‘unbig’ at 54% vol. and rather more lemony than others but quality’s very high here, no doubt about that, even if it’s not quite a ‘2004’ in my opinion. With water: ah yes, it’s all there now, with the salt, these oily notes, ‘a feeling of petrol’, more almonds, that famous waxiness, smoked salmon ( from river Brora of course), lemon… All perfect now. There must be some older casks in the vatting, and not just one. Finish: long, salty, sooty, smoky, paraffiny, with hints of green olives and anchovies in the aftertaste – or is that only brine? Comments: it’s funny how water revived the ‘Broraness’ in this Brora that’s rather less fruity than last year’s version in my opinion. I think Diageo should add a free miniature of Gleneagles water with each bottle. SGP:356 - 91 points.

Swallow all this booze? Come on!
I've heard that it's been said or written somewhere on the Web (couldn't tell you where, the whisky Web became such a maze) that I do not actually drink all the whiskies on Whiskyfun and that I often score my whiskies completely at random. I'm sorry to confirm that all that is perfectly true. I'll even give my little secret away: I'm using this very cool device. (Dear colleagues, I'm sorry, there's only one, it's a prototype.)

MUSIC - Recommended listening: stupendous singing by Spain's Maria Concepción Balboa 'Concha' Buika! It's called Volveras and it's on her great CD 'Niña De Fuego', which you should buy asap. Please do.

November 2, 2010

Whisky for Movember 2010 has started!
Ladies and gentlemen (well, gentlemen!) it’s time to grow your moustache for Movember 2010! Movember is a global charity that raises funds against prostate cancer, all funds going to The Prostate Cancer Charity or to Everyman (Institute of Cancer Research).

The rules are simple, start around November 1st clean shaven and then grow a moustache for the entire month.  The moustache becomes the ribbon for men’s health, the means by which awareness and funds are raised for cancers that affect men. Much like the commitment to run or walk for charity, the men of Movember commit to growing a moustache for 30 days. You may even keep your moustache after November 30, how cool is that?

You may further help by donating to the Movember team of which I’m a member, it’s called Whisky for Movember. You should also order one or several special bottles that were just done by the excellent Master of Malt team, sporting the famous moustaches of Dave Broom, Charlie MacLean, Marcin Miller, Richard Paterson and an unknown French whisky enthusiast. All profits will go to this very worthy cause! You'll find the whiskies on the Master of Malt website (two styles available under each label, Smo'key and Mo'land, only 420 bottles of each).

Bruichladdich 32yo 1977/2010 ‘MCMLXXVII’ (47%, OB) The crazy Bruichladdich people seem to be willing to go on with strange names, this time a very Roman ‘MCMLXXVII’. Imagine going to your nearest liquor shop and asking for the new ‘Emseeemelekseksveehihi’. Well, alternatively, I guess you could also yell ‘1977’. And don’t we all know what 1970s + Bruichladdich can mean? Colour: pale gold. Nose: we’re clearly in the same league as the 1970s here, the overall style being rather similar albeit a tad more mineral and waxy, which can’t be bad, can it? That the distillery still has such casks is great news, I had thought they were all gone. So, what do we have? Apricots, melons, vanilla, honeydew, brooms, gorse, honey, fir liqueur, sap, sultanas… and just a little paraffin and lamp oil on top of the whole. I must say this is extremely classy. Mouth: all in keeping with the nose. Superb, very zesty fruitiness and no obvious oakiness whatsoever. The trademark melons and peaches once again, notes of cranberry juice, a little mango, papayas, lemon balm… And many other fruits. Very much to my liking but warning, it’s also dangerously drinkable. Finish: maybe not the longest ever but it remains very fruity and even the aftertaste is as fresh as a baby’s mouth, with bags of strawberries. Comments: I think this very classy bottling may well be this month’s best piece of news (I know this is just the start, but well…) It reminds us that these Bruichladdichs from the 1970s can join the Lochsides 1966, Clynelishes 1972 and a few others (Longmorns for example) in the pantheon of the greatest fruity old malts. Love it, also for its relative ‘un-oakiness’. SGP:741 - 93 points.

Bruichladdich 32 yo 1967/1999 (47.7%, Signatory, Millenium, sherry, cask #161, 274 bottles) Colour: mahogany/coffee. Nose: this is simply a sherried version of the 1977, and it’s a stupendous sherry. What’s really striking is the coastalness of this baby that goes so beautifully with dry sherry. Nothing to do with the peaty whiskies that can ‘smell of the sea’, this one is like a light sea breeze. One of the few heavily sherried whiskies that are also extremely elegant and very sleek. Other aromas: coffee, tobacco, prunes, iron, Spanish ham (nope, not just any cured ham), walnuts, leather, varnish (like in some old bourbons)… Tends to become a little less aromatic after a few minutes but it’s still beautiful. Mouth: an astonishing combination of a fresh fruitiness (please read the 1977’s notes again) with some classic dry sherry of the chocolaty-walnutty kind. Wonderful notes of dried mushrooms in the background, morels, porcinis and such. Enough said. Finish: just like the 1977’s, it’s not the longest ever but the balance is perfect and the whole is oh so elegant and superbly old style. Comments: it’s impossible for me to tell you which of these two Ladies is the best. And why would that matter, by the way? SGP:552 - 93 points (et merci les Passionnés!)

MUSIC - Recommended listening: great modern jazz piano by Michael Wolff. It's called Euphoria and it's on his album 'Impure Thoughts.' The music's very pure and the percs are perfect! Please buy Michael Wolff's music.

November 1, 2010

Two 1893s head to head
Aren’t we expecting several new flights of GlenWonka-ish ‘oldest whisky in the world’ or ‘most expensive whisky in he world’ in the coming months? Those will be ‘obscene’ to some whilst other punters just won’t care or bother and will think that, as always, ‘this is a free world’ and ‘after all, business is business’. I for one – and for once - won’t argue. Having said that, I’ve been wondering why we poor bloggers or webmasters wouldn’t also come up with ultra-deluxe-giga-premium posts, while we’re at it, and I have been rummaging through my shelves, trying to find something preemptively deluxe, so to speak. I think I found something…

Cognac Grande Champagne 1893 (J. Calvet & Co, early 20th century) No ABV statement on these very old bottles. Colour: mahogany. Nose: very old spirits tend to converge when they spent their lives in wood but that isn’t the case here, it’s all very grapey, very close to the fruit, with notes of marc and grappa and something slightly ‘cooked’, reminding me of some PX. There’s also something kirschy, as if it was distilled from pinot noir, which can’t be the case. Or did they send over some Nuits or some Chambertin from Burgundy? What’s amazing is how it unfolds after that, all on liquorice, chocolate, various aromatic herbs and just touches of balsamic vinegar. Also a little tamarind, speculoos and fermented prune sauce. Striking freshness. After ten minutes: huge notes of sultanas. Mouth: rich, absolutely not tired, picking up on the same notes of sultanas as well as quite some dried figs. Good mouth feel, not really bold but more than reasonable after all those years. Quite some jam as well (cherries again, raspberries), a little tea, Corinthian raisins… Something of a liqueur, in that sense very different from contemporary cognacs. Finish: surprisingly long, smooth, all on raisins (various kinds) and a little ripe blackcurrants. Ratafia. Immaculate aftertaste, extremely clean. Comments: very much unlike recent cognacs, much less ‘woody’ or polished and with more fruits, especially stewed ones or jams. Let me score it on its own merits, as if it had been distilled twelve years ago ;-). SGP:741 - 86 points.

Grand Bas Armagnac 1893 (44%, Domaine de Jouanda, early to mid 20th century) This should have been rebottled quite some decades ago, maybe from demijohns. According to the colour, it didn’t spend too much time in wood. Colour: pure gold. Nose: even fresher than the cognac, probably younger, less aromatic but rather more medicinal, with whiffs of camphor and old turpentine. Develops more on roots and earth, leaves (blackcurrant, cherry), hints of green vegetables and then quite some marzipan, almond oil and even fresh walnuts. Maybe a bit more ‘from the countryside’ than the cognac but just as fresh. Gets slightly grapey after a few minutes (blackcurrants, cherries). Mouth: absolutely perfect, even rather punchy, balanced, fresh, nervous and almost as rooty/leafy as on the nose. Curiously nutty, certainly medicinal again (throat lozenges), with also hints of bitter oranges and cinchona. Amazing youth. Keeps developing on liquorice, cardamom and black pepper. Strong tea. Finish: very long, with a little more oak now (tea) and quite some nutmeg. Clean aftertaste on herbal tea and fresh mint. Comments: that this was distilled 117 years ago is quite unbelievable… But true, the bottle came directly from the domaine and it’s a very well reputed one. Again, we’ll score it on its own merits. SGP:551 - 89 points.

(With heartfelt thanks to Patrick and Régis)

You may expect a few even more ‘premium’ malternative tasting sessions before Christmas. And finally, let me quote the sadly missed and very un-PC humorist Pierre Desproges: “Le whisky est le cognac du con” (whisky is the idiot’s cognac). Well, then I’m probably one of the biggest idiots ;-).

MUSIC - Recommended listening: the amazing guitar of Preston Reed aka 'the world's most gifted guitarist' playing Hijacker. Please buy Preston Reed's music.