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Hi, you're in the Archives, September 2008 - Part
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September
12, 2008 |
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TASTING
– FIVE OLD GLEN GRANT by Cadenhead |
| A
very interesting session we did with
Olivier, who could put his hands on
these five minis. Not sure all these
whiskies have also been bottled as
‘full’ bottles. |
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Glen
Grant - Glenlivet 15 yo (46%, Cadenhead,
black dumpy, 1980’s)
Colour: pale gold. Nose: oh, this
is superb. Starts on a lot of honey
(rather whole beehives), wax polish
and wood smoke, with a slight OBE.
Goes on with very obvious notes of
chestnut liqueur like they make in
Ardèche (in France’s
Massif Central mountains). Even more
smoke after a moment, then very ripe
strawberries and mirabelles. Also
a little menthol, leather and fresh
walnuts. Absolutely top notch. Mouth:
interesting that there are exactly
the same kinds of notes as on the
nose, which isn’t that common.
Then we have a little more mint. Excellent.
Finish: long, a tad jammier, going
back to malt and chestnut honey. Comments:
top notch and highly drinkable, with
a perfect balance. SGP:443
– 91 points. |
| Glen
Grant - Glenlivet 16 yo (80°proof,
Cadenhead, black dumpy, 1980’s)
Colour: amber. Nose: we have
a fantastic sherry here, reminding
us of a very old Palo Cortado. A lot
of old walnuts, bitter chocolate,
very old Armagnac, honeydew, liquorice
wood and pu-erh tea. Magnificient.
More menthol again after a moment.
One of the best cough syrups we ever
had. Cough, cough! Mouth: a tad less
complex now but beautifully balanced
between three main flavours: mint,
honey and walnuts. Finish: long, just
a tad woodier now (obvious tannins),
with touches of peat. Comments: a
grand whisky again. They sure knew
how to select their empty casks! SGP:442
– 91 points. |
Glen
Grant - Glenlivet 18 yo (46%, Cadenhead,
black dumpy, 1980’s)
Colour: pale gold. Nose: this one
is much more on spices, ginger and
pine resin, as well as rather more
malty and spirity. Quite some gentian
and liquorice wood, unusual hints
of tomato sauce, ginger, nutmeg, sage…
Actually, this one is the simplest
so far but it’s still very nice.
Whiffs of peat and almond milk. Mouth:
better now. A lot of orange marmalade,
ginger and overinfused tea, too bad
it gets a bit tannic. Blackcurrant
jelly. Slight OBE. Finish: medium
long but with more honey. Comments:
very good but less good than the younsgters.
Dry. SGP:352 – 85 points. |
| Glen
Grant - Glenlivet 22 yo (46%, Cadenhead,
black dumpy, 1980’s)
Colour: full gold. Nose: much more
vegetal, resinous, with a lot of encaustic
and then milk chocolate, coffee and
chestnut honey like in the beautiful
15yo. A tad rougher and more spirity
than the latter, that is. Hints of
dust and ‘new’ newspapers.
Mouth: again, this is rather beautiful
but rougher than the younger versions.
Resins, cough drops, walnut skin and
green apple more in the background.
Finish: more on fruit spirit, kirsch,
with something a little rubbery. Again,
less grandiose than both the 15 and
the 16 but very, very good. SGP:461
– 87 points. |
| Glen
Grant - Glenlivet 26 yo (46%, Cadenhead,
black dumpy, 1980’s)
Colour: mahogany- reddish. Nose: it
seems that we’re back to the
16’s style, but this is even
bigger. Huge notes of prunes, Corinth
raisins, very old rum, getting almost
tarry. No sulphur at all, that is.
Goes on with notes of szechuan pepper,
caramelized ribs, ham… Quite
exceptional I must say. There’s
also a little peat smoke as well as
notes of coal oven. Fab nose. Mouth:
hugely concentrated but not cloying
at all. Raisins, prunes, black tea,
Havana cigar and chocolate. Finish:
long, just a tad tannic at the end
(grape skins) Comments: excellent
once again, but the 16 was even greater
in our book. Ah, youth! SGP:541
– 90 points. |
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Cutty
12 (vs Chivas), USA,
1978. Teaser: "Which
One Is "Best"? Body:There
is no one "best" Scotch.
No one "best" automobile.
No one "best" yacht. The
best is whatever most suits your taste.
That's one thing that makes life so
enjoyable. Finding out which things
are best by trying them all. So, even
if you're drinking another 12 year
old Scotch, maybe you should try the
smooth, less smokey taste of Cutty
12. It just might be that, for you,
the "best" is yet to come.
Cutty 12"
That's what we call treading
very carefully. |
| MUSIC
– Recommended
listening: a guy called Zomy
Woof (not zomby) playing
the great master's Watermelon
In Easter Hay.mp3 in an otherworldly
manner. Alas, I think you can't buy
this, but you may browse this fantastic
website. No I didn't
quote the original composer, did I?
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September
11, 2008 |
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TASTING
THREE
LONGROW |
Longrow
7 yo 2000/2008 (55.8%, OB, Refill
Bourbon / fresh Gaja Barolo cask,
12,120 bottles) 
I had the occasion to try this several
times but always postponed, until
a very good friend sent me this sample.
It has to be said that I adore most
of Angelo Gaja’s wines. Colour:
gold/orangey. Nose: my first feeling
is ‘hey, not that bad!’
Speaking of oranges, there are quite
some oranges in there, mixed with
kind of a mustiness (wet wool, old
wine cellar) as well as notes of candied
apricots, kumquats and ginger/pepper.
The peatiness comes through slowly
but surely, and this never gets vinous
as such. Very pleasant notes of verbena
and lemon balm as well, not very common.
We’re positively surprised,
especially since there’s no
sulphur at all. Mouth: what to say?
It’s very thick, very concentrated
and very demonstrative. One can feel
the nebbiolo’s usual harshness
and roughness when it’s young
(remember great wines never fully
mature in cask, but have to spend
quite a few additional years in their
bottles to get drinkable), but also
the oak’s big influence, almost
new oak style (ginger, nutmeg, pepper).
The spirit manages to have its say
despite the casks’ loud and
constant chattering and the sum of
all that produces something that’s
rather pleasant. Something like peated,
spiced kumquats? Finish: long, coating,
big, with an added saltiness on top
of the orangey notes. Comments: I
do prefer the ‘neat’ versions,
like the very excellent CV, but I
have to say this is well made. I believe
Springbank made some huge progresses
in their wine cask finishings, even
if we’re very far from ‘traditional’
whisky here. Tradition? Isn’t
that for old people? Anyway, easily
my favourite finished Longrow ever.
SGP:755 - 84 points. |
Longrow
1987/1999 (45%, Samaroli, 360 bottles)
Colour: white wine. Surprise! Nose:
plain Longrow, CV-style, minus the
slightly buttery notes (and minus
the wet wool). Very straightforward,
very peaty. Right, we do have faint
touches of gooseberries in the background
but that’s all. Ultra-clean.
Mouth: I tried it h2h with the CV
and both are rather close, which is
great news as I love the CV. You may
read our notes for the CV there. Finish:
clean and long. Excellent peatiness
and saltiness. Comments: one of the
cleanest Longrows I could try, but
maybe also one of the less complex.
Zing! SGP:347 - 88 points. |
| Longrow
1973 (46%, OB, large digits, golden
screw cap, SC999, 75cl, mid 1990’s)
The older version of the 1973 has
got a huge reputation but oddly enough,
this batch hasn’t. Colour: full
gold. Nose: starts on a rather bizarre
mix of warm butter, grenadine (very,
very big) and vanilla fudge and develops
more on orange marmalade, blood oranges
(big), menthol, slightly stale sea
water and ginger. Highly unusual.
Pleasant? Hard to say… The notes
of blood oranges are great, for sure,
but the whole isn’t excellently
balanced I think. Mouth: it’s
bit better now, but still a little
unbalanced. Quite some salt, oranges,
medium peat… Notes of cardboard
as well, hazelnuts, kippers…
Finish: long and very, very salty,
to the point where salt almost overwhelms
the rest. Slightly dusty aftertaste.
Comments: not quite a disappointment,
it’s still very good whisky
of course, but very far from the earlier
batch (or from the stunning 1974’s)
in my book. Please don’t buy
the newest batch for the price of
the earlier one on evilBay (see pictures)!
SGP:324 – 84 points. |
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Chivas
Regal, USA, 1976. "Why
think of it as an expensive Scotch
when you can think of it as an inexpensive
luxuy?" Rolexes, yachts,
Rolls Royces or diamonds, both Chivas
Regal and Johhnie Walker Black Label
where using them a lot in the 1970's
and 1980's. Here's
an example, from 1976 as well. |
| MUSIC
– Recommended
listening: let's have some very good
jazz today with the very excellent
Canadian guitarist Adam
Smale and his combo doing
Fun
city.mp3 (from his debut CD Fun
City). Please buy Adam Smale's music.
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September
10, 2008 |
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TASTING
TWO
1937 STRATHISLAS |
| I
agree nobody should give a damn about
the differences between two almost
unobtainable 1937 Strathislas by the
same bottler, but how could I resist
trying these two antiques, now that
I got the samples on my desk? Furthermore,
I usually don’t post notes about
the ‘benchmark’ malts
I’m trying to use every time
I start a series (to calibrate nose
and palate and to have a ‘starting
point’) but as I just checked
that I never posted any notes for
the popular Strathisla 12, well, here
we go. |
Strathisla
12 yo (40%, OB, +/- 2006)
Colour: gold. Nose: malty and honeyed
at first nosing, with also hints of
toasted oak and sherry. Also faint
floral notes (our beloved dandelions)
and very pleasant hints of orange
blossom and orange zests. Maybe not
a huge personality but the whole is
pleasantly fragrant. Mouth: more ‘Chivas’
so to speak, malty and nutty, with
notes of cake and coffee but little
fruitiness. Hints of orange marmalade.
Finish: rather long, still quite malty,
with a little honey in the aftertaste.
Comments: more than just an average
Speysider. Very drinkable ‘just
like that’, without having to
scratch your head too much. SGP:441
- 81 points. |
| Strathisla
34 yo 1937 (43%, G&M Connoisseur’s
Choice, Pinerolo, old black label,
rotation 1972)
Where does this rotation year come
from? Well, one may only know of the
‘rotation year’ for some
malts when they came from the original
cases, usually for Italy, as these
‘rotation years’ used
to be written on them. Sometimes Belgian
bottlings had them as well, including
on labels or back labels. Colour:
full gold. Nose: starts on superb
honeyed and waxy notes (a whole beehive)
together with splendid floral whiffs.
Then there’s more resinous and
minty notes, a little camphor, hints
of old wood and leather, sandalwood,
orange liqueur… What’s
truly amazing is how close to the
recent 12yo we are here, even if the
oldie is much deeper and more complex.
Nice OBE developing after a few minutes
(metal polish – not bad, mind
you!) Only one word: great. Mouth:
a tad soft and shy at first sipping
but it picks up steam after a few
seconds, with a blend of resinous,
oaky and orangey notes as well as
a little mint. Far from being as great
as on the nose but certainly not kaput.
Gets then even more resinous, dry
and salty, which is rather unexpected.
Hints of peat in the background. Finish:
not too long of course and even saltier
than before. Kippers? Notes of green
tea. Comments: 34 years in wood plus
36 years in glass won’t kill
a whisky it seems. Moving… And
what a nose! SGP:362 –
88 points (that is to say
92 for the nose and 84 for the palate,
should I decompose the score). |
| Strathisla
35 yo 1937 (43%, G&M Connoisseur’s
Choice, Pinerolo, old black label,
rotation 1973)
Colour: gold, slightly paler than
the 35yo. Nose: no wonder this one
is rather close to the 34yo at first
nosing, but it gets then rather drier
and a bit more candied at the same
time. A little more towards the ‘malty/coffeeish’
zone, if you see what I mean. Less
youthful in a certain way, with less
floral notes but the same slightly
camphory and resinous whiffs. A little
less great but still high class. Mouth:
very, very similar to the 34yo now,
even if it’s rather drier again.
Same kind of saltiness. Now, it does
display a little more oomph and a
fuller body after a while, getting
even sort of big. Very good ‘resinous’
touches (mastic, mint flavoured chewing
tobacco – well, last time I
tried that it was 30 years ago). Excellent
notes of salted liquorice as well.
Finish: longer and fuller than the
34, on mint tea, liquorice and a little
gentian. By the way, last week I tried
to chew gentian roots (for WF research
purpose of course) and believe me,
it was… horrible, whilst gentian
spirit is usually a thrill. Comments:
funny how this one started more shyly
and then never stopped getting fuller
and fuller. SGP:273 - 89 points
(Nose 84 and palate 91 – yeah
I know the average isn’t 89
but who cares?) |
| While
I’m at it, very old
bottles often display low levels and
many think the whisky’s dead.
Yet, that's not always the case, we’ve
seen high levels with ‘dead’
whiskies and low levels with very
assertive and youthful whiskies. I
think the key issue is the ‘haziness’
of the liquid. Flat or dead whiskies
get usually kind of ‘drab’,
and only translucent (or sometimes
completely opaque) instead of limpid. |
| BONUS
- Something else: Gordon
& MacPhail have issued a new livery
for their popular Connoisseurs Choice
series, so maybe it's time to have
a look at the various labels that
have been used through the ages...
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1
– Old black label –
until late 1970’s – age
on main label and sometimes on large
shoulder label, vintage usually on
main label, no bottling year.
2 – Old brown label
(aka brown banner label) – early
1980’s to late 1980’s
– age on main label, vintage
on main label, no bottling year.
3 – Old map label
(aka cream label) – late 1980’s
to mid 1990’s – usually
no age statement – vintage on
main label – usually bottling
year on small neck label.
4 – New map label
– mid 1990’s to 2007 -
no age statement – vintage on
main label – bottling year usually
on small neck label. Various colours.
5 – Newest map label
– from 2008 on – no age
statement – vintage on main
label – no bottling year it
seems.
Hope that helps... |
| MUSIC
– Recommended
listening: dance music on whiskyfun?
Well, why not, when it's made by very
talented musicians such as Haiti's
Jephté
Guillaume. This is called
The
Prayer.mp3 (acroostix mix - what
does that mean?) and it's from 1997.
Please buy Jephté Guillaume's
music. |
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September
9, 2008 |
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TASTING
– THREE BRUICHLADDICH |
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| Bruichladdich
1998/2008 ‘Manzanilla’
(46%, OB, 6,000 bottles)
It’s to be noted that Bruichladdich
worked only for a few weeks in 1998,
and had been silent for a few years
before and then until 2001 again.Colour:
gold. Nose: this is very, very winey
at first nosing but it’s in
no way an ‘added’ vinosity.
Everything is very coherent in there,
the notes of bitter oranges and very
ripe melons quickly leaving room for
drier aromas such as apple peelings,
walnut liqueur, almond milk, marzipan
and café latte. Gets fresher
and fresher after that, sort of purer
and cleaner, mostly on apple juice.
Also hints of stout and just a very
faint rubber (inner tube, not unpleasant
at all) as well as touches of herbal
tea (maybe rosehip.) Not exactly a
sherry monster on the nose, the spirit
and Manzanilla work very well together
I think. Mouth: this is even sweeter
than on the nose – so much for
dry sherry. A lot of orange marmalade,
plum jam and crème brûlée
with notes of walnuts again and something
pleasantly ‘nervous’ and
slightly prickly (icing sugar) playing
with your tongue. Finish: medium long,
clean, a little maltier and toastier.
Hints of peat. Comments: very, very
good. Let’s hope they’ve
still got some casks from these 1998
distillations. SGP:632 –
87 points. |
| Bruichladdich
1998/2008 ‘Oloroso’ (46%,
OB, 6,000 bottles)
Colour: gold/amber with salmony hues.
Nose: what’s rather surprising
is that whilst manzanilla is drier
than oloroso, this whisky is a little
drier than its sibling on the nose.
We’re closer to a classic Bruichladdich,
with the whiffs of melons, apricots
and even gooseberries flying around,
and then more typical notes of oloroso,
such as chocolate, praline and raisins.
Finally more grassy notes (walnut
skin, apple peeling.) Almost no vinosity
at all this time. Mouth: this is a
whisky we’d call ‘gourmand’
in French – sorry, never found
a similar term in English. Much richer
and sweeter than on the nose, and
hence sweeter and richer than the
manzanilla version, with also a more
obvious peatiness here and quite some
spices (quite some pepper). Other
than that it’s all on chocolate,
sultanas and various fruit liqueurs,
including orange and maybe date arrack.
Finish: long, still sweeter than the
manzanilla, with even a few bubblegummy
notes but no icing sugar (or fructose).
Comments: it’s not bold and
thick first fill oloroso, which can
be seen in the colour. Maybe a tad
youngish again but already very, verypleasant.
Also, we’re maybe closer in
style to a good sherry finishing that
worked well. Let’s say I liked
the manzanilla just a tad better,
mainly because it’s more unusual.
SGP:633 – 86 points. |
Bruichladdich
1986/2008 (53.4%, OB, fresh sherry,
Stillman Ruaridh Macleod, Munich Festival,
cask #531) 
1986 was the year when they filled
a lot of sherry casks at Bruichladdich,
and most bottlings we could try ranged
from very good to excellent. Colour:
full amber/brownish. Nose: it’s
very interesting to try this against
the 1998 oloroso because in these
times where many bottlers try to rush
maturation, that really shows that
longer ageing does bring more complexity
indeed. Okay, up to a certain point.
This is much more complex than the
1998, with many various aromas such
as, at random, chocolate, olive oil,
camphor, beeswax, dried pears, coffee
and raisins, and then just like in
the 1998, a few grassier notes. More
green tea here. Big notes of orange
liqueur after a while. There’s
also quite some rubber again, maybe
not too far from sulphur this time,
much more than in the ‘Manzanilla’.
I have to say that that plus the notes
of olive oil may not please everyone…
Mouth: too bad, it is the kind of
‘rubbery sherry’ that
I detect here on the palate, and frankly
it’s not easy whisky at all.
Tar, pepper, rubber bands like we
chewed at school, heavy spices, very
strong black tea, tannins… Maybe
you have to be a fearless Münchner
to really enjoy this. Actually, I’m
sure some people like this a lot but
for me, it’s not exactly on
‘the right side of sherriness’
if I may say so. Finish: long but
bitter and tannic. Blackcurrant buds
tea. Comments: there are several other
1986 Bruichladdichs that are way better
than this very extreme version in
my book, starting with the Country
Life version. You just can’t
only have stunners within one vintage
I guess, but once again, some guys
may love this ‘extreme-ness’.
Too bad, it all started very well
at first nosing, but I finally liked
both younger 1998’s much better.
SGP:371 – 78 points. |
Back
by popular demand: THE CRAZY WHISKY
ADS |
| We’ll
post quite a few interesting old adverts
for Chivas in the coming weeks, hope
you’ll like them. Some may be
reposts, so, apologies... |
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Chivas
Regal, USA, 1970. "Come
now. You knew this would happen to
your Chivas the moment you put it
out." A theme that Chivas
has used and abused over the years.
Will you guess which are the other
brands/bottles? |
| MUSIC
– Recommended
listening: do you remember the excellent
psychedelic funk band Mandrill?
Gosh they were good! Let's listen
to their wonderful understanding of
what were Moroccan
nights.mp3 in 1973 and then buy
their music... (Moroccan nights inspired
a lot of great musicans it seems.) |
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September
8, 2008 |
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TASTING
THREE IRISH |
| Redbreast
12 yo (40%, OB, John Jameson, 750ml,
1970’s?)
Many think that Redbreast is one of
the best Irish and we won’t
argue, so it’s a thrill to be
able to try an older version of the
12. Too bad we don’t have the
current version at hand for proper
comparison (our last bottle has been
emptied since a long time) but sometimes
old tasting notes are useful and we
still have vivid memories of the whisky.
Colour: amber. Nose: extremely unusual.
Much less fruity than the new 12 and
much more on the other main dimension
of it, that is to say pine resin and
wood varnish. A lot of cough syrup,
old camphor, huge notes of marzipan
and candle wax, Barbour thornproof
dressing (really!), ink… Certainly
not what we’d call an ‘Irish
nose’ and you never know whether
all this was there originally or if
it was brought by glass maturing,
but what’s sure is that it’s
simply great. Great experience. Mouth:
quite punchy and rather ultra-dry
now, almost like, say, amontillado
at the attack. Unfolds after a moment,
that is, with again something resinous,
old walnuts, chestnut honey, bitter
chocolate and olive oil. Hints of
aniseed (pastis). Again, this is highly
unusual but very good (you know, both
notions are sometimes related when
you’re trying a lot of whiskies.)
Finish: shortish but unexpectedly
fruity, as if the bananas and guavas
had waited until the very last minute
to ‘say hello’. Comments:
great, great stuff. I’d love
to put my hands on a full, unopened
bottle of this (yeah, as if I was
the only one…) SGP:271
- 90 points. |
| An
Aingeal Dubh (The Dark Angel) 11 yo
1996/2008 (46%, The Nectar, Daily
Dram, Cooley, 212 bottles)
Colour: pale gold. Nose: now we’re
Irish, with a rather big fruitiness
blending apples, gooseberries and
bananas (not lots) and various other
fruits with grassier elements such
as plain grass and green tea. Also
a little wax but much less than in
the old Redbreast. Gets more orangey
after a moment (squash), with also
hints of linseed oil. The more Scottish
of all Irish on the nose. A lot of
presence. Mouth: one word: pleasure.
Fruity but not ‘youngish’
at all, slightly oily and phenolic
for good measure (again, more phenolic
than most unpeated Irish I could try
up to now), and perfectly balanced.
Hints of bananas Bushmills-style.
Finish: medium long, in keeping with
the palate except for an added ‘roughness’
that’s anything but unpleasant
(strong tea, pepper.) Comments: just
amazingly drinkable. Next time, do
magnums! SGP:731 – 88
points. PS: it’s amazing
how Cooley’s whiskies are becoming
great with more age, whilst I didn’t
like them too much when they were
young. |
| Cooley
15 yo 1992/2007 (56.4%, The Whisky
Fair, bourbon barrel, 312 bottles)
Colour: straw. Nose:
this is much drier and closed than
the Dark Angel, starting with almost
no fruits and rather on alcohol, oak,
grass and even notes of antiseptic
and glue. Typical of a malt that needs
water to wake up. So, with water:
that brought out wilder notes (like
peat without the smoke, if you see
what I mean) but no further development.
Funny how this one seems to be a little
anaesthesized, whether neat or watered
down. Mouth (neat): it’s more
talkative than on the nose when undiluted
but still not as ‘wide’
as the Dark Angel. More or less the
same profile, maybe a tad fruitier
and a tad less phenolic. A tad more
‘Irish’ if I may say so.
With water: now we’re talking!
More bananas, guavas, papayas, pears,
baked apples, aniseed and even a little
mint and quite some spices. Finish:
similar to the Dark Angel but longer
and even more satisfying. Comments:
a lazy Irish but when it wakes up,
it rocks! Water is obligatory for
that purpose. SGP:632 –
87 points. |
| MUSIC
– Recommended
listening: this is the very excellent
Popa
Chubby doing a very funky/bluesy
Stoop
down baby.mp3 (from his CD Booty
And The Beast). Not quite bootylicious
but what a guitar! Please buy this
Popa's music... |
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September
7, 2008 |
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MALTERNATIVES
THREE TEQUILAS for a change |
| Please
don’t take these notes too seriously,
as we’re totally inexperienced
as far as tequila’s concerned
(actually, you should not take any
of our notes too seriously! ;-) |
Arette
Anejo (38%, OB, 100% agave)
Distilled in pot stills, only from
agaves from the Jalisco plains, and
matured in bourbon casks. Colour:
straw. Nose: starts half medicinal
and half rooty/earthy. Whiffs of gentian,
camphor and cinchona, the whole being
very fresh and very clean. Of course
there’s also these aromas that
we couldn’t describe with other
words except ‘tequila’,
or ‘cactus’? Bitter oranges,
orange liqueur. Not much wood influence
it seems. Mouth: not as ‘weakish’
as I would have expected at 38%, but
smooth and fresh, maybe a tad less
complex than on the nose (that wasn’t
too complex either). Pears, ginger,
root infusions (more gentian tea here,
also rooibos), ginger tonic, gin (and
plain juniper). Finish: medium long
and more gingery now. A tad sugary
as well. Comments: we’re far
from malt whisky of course and again,
I have no experience. What’s
sure is that it’s very well
made, but it’s rather an aperitif
than a spirit that you would slowly
sip after dinner. SGP:550
– as a whisky lover, I’d
say 75 points, but
tequila lovers may rate this higher. |
| Reserva
del Senor Anejo (38%, OB, 100% agave)
From the Rio de Plata distillery.
The agaves come from Los Altos fields.
Colour: pale gold. Nose: this is much,
much less expressive than the Arette,
and much less ‘tequila-alike’.
Actually, I wouldn’t have said
this was tequila, and it makes me
rather think of some ‘foreign’
attempts at making whisky. A little
grainy and candied, notes of tea,
vanilla, ginger tonic, oranges again,
a little wood smoke, charcoal (BBQ)…
Also slightly almondy. Maybe a bit
undetermined, especially when compared
to the very neat and straightforward
Arette. Mouth: very round and very
vanilled, lacking body in my opinion.
Finish: short, leaving only a lot
of vanilla on your tongue. Comments:
not very ‘tequila’ after
the Arette, hence quite pointless
to us whisky drinkers. Not a big spirit.
SGP:430 – no rating. |
| Jose
Cuervo Anejo ‘Reserva de la
familia’ 2007 (38%, OB, 100%
agave)
Matured in oak casks for more than
five years. Colour: full gold. Nose:
this is clearly something else, a
much more complex spirit that seems
to have its eye on both rum and whisky.
Very fragrant, though, starting on
huge notes of church incense, then
mint, camphor, bandages, gentian (in
that sense it’s much closer
to the Arette than to the Reserva
del Senor), developing on orange blossom,
rosewater, gingerbread (very big notes)
and ginger tonic, with just hints
of caramel. Very superb, I must say.
Mouth: yes, this is excellent. Great
attack, not too powerful but smooth
and ‘wide’ flavour wise,
with more wood than on the nose. It’s
clearly a spirit that one may try
H2H with a very good rum and a very
good malt whisky. Excellent bitterness
in the back, roots, ginger, bitter
oranges, cinnamon (quite a lot –
loads, actually), plums, figs…
Very, very good. Finish: quite long,
in the same vein except for an added
sugariness that we already found in
the other ones and that you almost
never get in whisky. The aftertaste
is almost as much the aftertaste of
a liqueur. Comments: great stuff to
have in your bar. We’re just
wondering, do they also make this
at 43%, or better yet, at cask strength?
SGP:552 – 87 points
(again, on a ‘Scotch scale’).
And thanks to Alexandre @ La Maison
du Whisky. |
| MUSIC
– Recommended
listening: after these tequilas, what
else could we have than the
Champs and their 1958
Tequila.mp3?
Please buy the Champs' music... |
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| |
|
September
5, 2008 |
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|
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TASTING
– THE NEW GLENMORANGIE SIGNET
Please
note that this review was written
without knowing how this whisky
was made, as it came in as a ‘confidential’
preview sample one month ago or
so. This one is to be launched on
October 1 but we could already spot
it on World Duty Free’s website
and at Laviana's (where the picture
comes from). Anyway, let’s
say this is ‘half-blind’
tasting. |
| Glenmorangie
‘Signet’ (46%, OB, 2008)
We’re trying this H2H with an
older Glenmorangie 12yo ‘Côtes
de Beaune’ finish, that was
quite a success in our book in the
‘plain wine’ finished
category (among quite some misses
in our opinion.) Colour: amber/orange.
Nose: well, it does smell a bit like
sherry-finished whisky but not only
that, as if there was something else
in the mix. Maybe new oak? Rather
fragrant, with rather obvious notes
of old roses and old-style perfume
(musk, patchouli), then vanilla, bitter
oranges and ginger. A little paraffin
as well. Gets finally much toastier,
sort of roasted (coffee beans) before
returning to fruitier notes (blackcurrants).
Always quite some ginger and nutmeg,
rather typical of new or first fill
oak. Very nice nose altogether, only
the rather heavy notes of paraffin
are a bit too much for our taste.
Mouth: it’s a little more on
the winey/honeyed side again at the
attack (very ripe strawberries) but
that’s soon to be counterbalanced
with the same notes of toasted oak
as on the nose. Very sweet and rather
nervous. There are clearly these two
‘families’ of aromas,
both being easily identifiable, but
just as what happened on the nose,
it’s the oak that wins at the
end, thanks to its very spicy signature
(the usual soft curry, dried ginger,
white pepper and nutmeg.) Finish:
long, the oak almost speaks solo now,
with quite some tannins and even a
little mustard. Comments: I’m
wondering whether the two main kinds
of casks that were used here –
or so it seems – were used consecutively
or if they were simply blended before
bottling. Either way, it’s another
very good ‘modern’ whisky
by Glenmorangie, kind of the missing
link between their experiments with
wine casks (Côtes de Beaune,
for instance) and new oak (Artisan
Cask, Astar and all the single casks).
It works, and I guess the various
combinations of both ‘universes’
can make for endless variations. SGP:531
- 87 points. |
Update:
after a phone call with Glenmorangie’s
skilful Rachel, we learnt that they
partly used some roasted and ‘chocolate’
malt in this whisky, that is to say
rather ‘rare’ malt that
was exposed to higher temperatures.
Missouri oak-alike oak was used as
well, the whole being a complex combination
of various barleys/malts, ages and
types of casks. Gosh, we didn’t
pick the ‘roasted malt’
side of the combo at all, maybe we
should go back to tasting Fanta…
Fantafun.com, how does that sound?
As for this new Glenmorangie
packaging, well, all we can say is
that it reminds us of Dior's j'adore
quite a lot, even if less so than
the 25yo. Should we expect the lovely
Charlize Theron behind LVMH/Glenmorangie's
tables at Whisky Live Paris? Maybe
better than some kilted Scots, if
you ask me... Or maybe not. |
 |
MUSIC
– Recommended
listening: one of today's most wonderful
guitar duos, Frenchmen Sylvain
Luc and Bireli
Lagrène (Bireli's
Alsatian, actually) play Henri Salvador's
Syracuse.mp3.
Just superb... And please buy these
maestros' music! |
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| |
|
September
4, 2008 |
|
|
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TASTING
-
TWO MACALLANS
by Duncan Taylor |
| Macallan
19 yo 1989/2008 (48.7%, Duncan Taylor,
Rare Auld, cask #3025)
Colour: straw. Nose: starts a bit
rough but pleasantly so, quite malty
and caramelly. Quite some oak as well,
hints of fresh mint, a little wood
smoke… Gets then also a little
mouldy (moist cellar, wet wood –
yes, barrels). Hints of pears, chocolate
and liquorice. Rather lively, getting
fruitier over time. Mouth: rather
nervous again, starting very malty
once again, with quite some liquorice
and candy sugar, then bitter oranges
and marmalade. Full bodied and assertive,
with again kind of a smokiness in
the background. Very faintly rubbery.
Finish: long, with the oak playing
a larger part now. Caramel and tannins.
Comments: a very, very ‘all
right’ version of Macallan,
rather close to the official ‘Fine
Oak’ range in style but with
more oomph. SGP:452 –
85 points. |
| Macallan
17 yo 1990/2008 (53.3%, Duncan Taylor,
Rare Auld, cask #10119)
Colour: straw. Nose: this one is rounder
and more polished than the 1989 despite
the higher strength (and the younger
age). Mocha, malt, cut apples, vanilla
and praline. Also a tad spirity, let’s
try it with a little water. With water:
it got much grassier and yeastier,
as if the cask’s work had been
cancelled. On the other hand, we get
some very nice notes of fresh almonds.
Mouth (neat): oily and round mouthfeel
but oddly enough it’s rather
fruitier and fresher than the 1989
on the palate. Notes of pineapple
sweets, white chocolate, malt (lots
again) and then herb candies (like
Ricola, if that rings a bell to you.)
Maybe just a tad sugary, but let’s
see what happens with water: once
again, it gets hugely vegetal and
grassy and loses its fruitiness. Who
said bizarre? Finish: rather long
but still quite grassy. Comments:
this one isn’t Michael Phelps
(right, I’m French, so I should
say Alain Bernard I guess.) Better
keep it undiluted. SGP:371
– 82 points. |
| MUSIC
– Recommended
listening: Cameroon's great
Sally
Nyolo singing DJini
DJome.mp3. Please buy Sally
Nyolo's music and support African
music! |
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| |
|
September
3, 2008 |
|
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TASTING
- TWO RECENT INDIE BUNNAHABHAINS
|
Bunnahabhain
38 yo 1970/2008 (40.3%, Duncan Taylor
Rare Auld, cask #4073)
Colour: gold. Nose:
this is one of these uberfruity old
Bunnahabhains it seems. Starts very
assertively, on a hints of putty mixed
with loads of fresh oranges and tangerines,
bananas, acacia honey and whiffs of
spearmint. Gets then a tad more ‘fudgy’,
with also notes of cappuccino and
vanilla as well as a little tea (earl
grey – obvious notes of bergamots
here) and toasted oak. Very fresh
considering this one’s age,
but not exactly a fruit bomb because
there’s more than that. Usually
the palates don’t match the
noses in these old whiskies but you
never know… Let’s see.
Mouth: starts rather similarly (citrus
fruits) but – should I say ‘of
course’ – the wood is
much more obvious, albeit not too
drying. Nicely integrated. The other
obvious notes are of the resinous
kind (pine candies, chlorophyll gum).
Not too ripe bananas (tannins). Finish:
surprisingly long, half oaky, half
orangey. Orange tea? Comments: very,
very good, with a rather stunning
nose and a pleasant palate. SGP:640
– 89 points.
Bunnahabhain
28 yo 1979/2008 (46%, The Single Malts
of Scotland, cask #18831, 234 bottles)
From a bourbon barrel. Colour: pale
gold. Nose: this one is a completely
different whisky. I don’t know
if it’s the distillation regime
at Bunnahabhain that changed but this
is much grassier and sort of zesty,
with notes of lemon juice and green
apples, green bananas, vanilla and
plain apple juice. Faint whiffs of
menthol as well, barley, warm milk…
Not very deep but extraordinarily
fresh at 28yo. Mouth: this one has
more presence than the 1970, with
quite as much oak but also the beautiful
spices that go along. Ginger, soft
curry, nutmeg… Other than that
it’s all on ‘processed
fruits’ (apple compote, dried
pears, pear cake) with a little praline
and notes of almonds (marzipan). Finish:
maybe not the longest but still quite
fruity, clean, leaving your mouth
as fresh as a baby’s. Comments:
Bunnahabhain isn’t the malt
that usually displays the biggest
personality, and this is no exception,
but balance and cleanliness make this
old one most pleasant. Funny that
the notes of pears remained after
all these years. SGP:531 –
89 points. |
MUSIC
– Recommended
listening: when one of our favourite
male singers (and guitarists) does
one of our favourite female singers'
favourite songs... It's Richard
Thompson doing Joni Mitchell's
Black
Crow.mp3. Please buy all these
wonderful people's music!
September
4 update: blimey, it's the original
version that I posted. Silly me...
|
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September
2, 2008 |
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|
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TASTING
– TWO 1981 BRORA |
| Brora
23 yo 1981/2005 (48%, Dun Bheagan,
cask #1512, 648 bottles)
Colour: full gold. Nose: we’re
very, very close to Clynelish as we
know it today here, except that this
is a tad more mustardy. Other than,
that we’re all on beeswax, paraffin,
roasted nuts, bread crust and apple
compote, with faint whiffs of iodine.
Rather big notes of quince jelly arising
then, as well as a little sweet wine
(Maury or Rivesaltes and the likes)
and dry sherry. Back on mustard and
smoke at the end. Mouth: a punchy,
peppery and candied attack, very nervous,
with quite some peat and hints of
fructose (or kiwi). Gets sweeter and
sweeter after that, almost sugary,
with various jams (apricots, plums,
orange marmalade) and quite some oak.
Gets also a little bitter (grass,
leaves, oak). Finish: long, half-sweet,
half-grassy, with rather big tannins.
A tad drying. Comments: very good
but it’s like if the cask and
the spirit didn’t totally mingle
together. SGP:464 - 83 points. |
| Brora
19 yo 1981/2000 (61%, The Bottlers,
Refill sherry cask, cask #1076)
Colour: full gold. Nose: this is even
more ‘Clynelish’, and
beautifully so, at that. Big, big
waxy notes with apricot pie, honey,
pine resin and something rather mineral
and animal at the same time in the
background. But it’s very strong
whisky so let’s add water now.
With water: this got really wild,
with notes of ‘hare belly’
(no spoonerism), meat sauce, balsamico,
black pepper… Big waxy notes
again. Then ‘coastal’
smells (seashells), chocolate, cloves
(big), more black pepper… Putty,
almonds… And finally huge notes
of pine needles. One word: great!
Mouth (neat): hyper-thick and oily.
And powerful. Too hot when unreduced,
that is… With water: exceptional,
close to its older bros (1972 and
such) except that there’s less
peat. Wax, peat, salt, pepper, wasabi
and toffee. Finish: long, candied,
peaty and peppery. Comments: great
stuff, even if it lacks a bit of the
purity of the older distillates. Same
high quality as its sister cask by
the same bottler (#1077). SGP:455
– 91 points (and
heartfelt thanks, Magnus.) |
| We
take this opportunity to point you
towards these interesting
explanations regarding Spanish/Sherry
casks on Bruichladdich's
blog. |
MUSIC
– Recommended
listening: I'd bet that most people
listening to the very first measures
of this piece will think it's Ry
Cooder or any other master of slide
guitar. Yet, it's the Chinese classical
pipa and chin player Lui
Tsun-Yuen who's at
it in this wonderful Buddhist
chant.mp3 that was recorded
in 1965 (chin solo, no actual singing
here). Doesn't it sound very, err,
'Paris, Texas'? Please buy Lui Tsun-Yen's
music (the great master just passed
away in January)... |
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| |
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September
1, 2008 |
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|
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TASTING
TWO
BRORAS from the 70’s |
| Brora
18 yo 1978/1996 (58.3%, Scotch Malt
Whisky Society 61.4)
Colour: white wine. Nose: ouch! It’s
one of these very, very grassy and
hugely mineral Broras, a style that
no other distillery ever produced
in our opinion. Cactus juice, linseed
oil, paraffin, wet stones, car engine,
snails (really – remember we’re
French), wet gravels, motor oil, asparagus,
cut grass… Well, you see what
I mean. Totally love it or hate it,
we chose the first option. With water:
more of the same. Even more austere.
Mouth (neat): very wild, heavily organic
and mineral at the same time, with
a huge bitterness. Mustard sauce,
green vegetables, green tea, tobacco
(chewed), pepper, cardamom, liquorice
roots, gentian… With water:
it got sweeter and more ‘Clynelish’
now, with more beeswax, honey, even
‘pale’ sultanas and quince
jam. Crystallised lemon. Not less
beautiful! Finish: long, back on mustard
and peat but the lemony notes are
still there. Comments: a bit of a
surprise, as I would have expected
a 1978 to be a little softer and rounder.
This is really in the style of the
early 1970’s, except on the
palate when diluted. Top notch but,
as they say on eBay, introvabile,
alas. SGP:466 – 91 points.
(and thank you, Magnus.) |
| Brora
31 yo 1972/2003 (49.30%, Douglas Laing,
Platinum, 221 bottles)
A bottling from DL’s good old
times, we have very high expectations
here. Colour: amber. Nose: God this
is exceptionally twisted! Almost dirty
– the kind of dirtiness that’s
hugely pleasant -, almost perverse,
with a lot of game upfront, meat sauce,
Havana tobacco, strawberry wine, old
walnuts, peat smoke, wet dead leaves,
diesel oil… It’s even
a tad skunkish, which is fab here,
mind you. All that settles down a
bit after a moment, the whole getting
rather cleaner, straight, very mineral
and always very waxy. Also hints of
leather polish. Exceptionally complex
and entertaining but not easy-easy.
Kind of ‘David-Lynchesque’.
Mouth: superb attack, a beautiful
duo between the spirit and the sherry.
A lot of vivacity (tangerines, orange
marmalade) but also a very spectacular
‘thickness’ (concentrated
fruits). Pu-erh tea, dried pineapples,
bitter oranges, peat, cardamom, Szechuan
pepper, coriander, malt extract, marc
from Burgundy, old herbal liqueur
(‘Shartroose’, as Quentin
Tarantino would say), Parma ham…
It’s simply endless. Finish:
it’s the sherry that remains
now but it’s a beautiful one,
so, who cares? Comments: a high quality
1972 Brora, which is almost a pleonasm.
There aren’t so many sherried
ones around so it’s even more
interesting, especially since it’s
rather less sherried than, for instance,
the famous Brorageddon or the 1972
by/for the Whisky Shop (black label),
and a tad less peaty than most 30yo
OB’s, but still a true aromatic
monster. SGP:477 - 94 points
(et merci à toi, Pierre.) |
| PETE
McPEAT AND JACK WASHBACK
in Saint-Tropez
|
| MUSIC
– Recommended
listening: our Alsatian compatriots
Kat
Onoma play La
Chambre.mp3 (that was on their
1995 CD 'Far From The Pictures').
Please buy Kat Onoma'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:
Brora
18 yo 1978/1996 (58.3%,
Scotch Malt Whisky Society 61.4)
Brora
19 yo 1981/2000 (61%, The Bottlers,
Refill sherry cask, cask #1076)
Brora
31 yo 1972/2003 (49.30%, Douglas Laing,
Platinum, 221 bottles)
Glen
Grant - Glenlivet 15 yo (46%,
Cadenhead, black dumpy, 1980’s)
Glen
Grant - Glenlivet 16 yo (80°proof,
Cadenhead, black dumpy, 1980’s)
Glen
Grant - Glenlivet 26 yo (46%, Cadenhead,
black dumpy, 1980’s)
Redbreast
12 yo (40%, OB, John Jameson, 750ml,
1970’s?)
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