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The Magical History
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All the linked files (mp3, video, html) are
located on free commercial or non-commercial third party websites.
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Copyright
Serge Valentin,
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Kate Kavannagh
2002-2013
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May 23, 2013 |
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Six new Littlemill for some fruity fun |
The Littlemill revolution isn't over! The indies keep issuing new casks every month or even week and that pleases me because many, if not all of them, are excellent. We'll have six new ones today... And that'll be even easier since, in my experience, Littlemill does not need much water. Rather than by vintage, we'll have them by ascending strength, that's easier as well. |
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Littlemill 27 yo 1985/2012 (46%, Coopers Choice, hogshead, cask #116, 250 bottles)  Colour: straw. Nose: lovely combination of pink grapefruits, mild honey, vanilla, fresh mint and apple peelings. Freshness, balance, fruitiness, elegance, everything is there, in a genuine old Lowlands style. Mouth: perfect citrus explosion, plus juicy raisins in the background. It does actually taste a lot like juicy raisins, there's even a slight muscaty side. A very dangerous dram. Finish: medium but ultra-citrusy. Tangerines and grapefruits all over the place. Comments: textbook ueber-fruity Littlemill. As I said, it's dangerous whisky coz it's so drinkable. Coopers Choice had a 25yo from the very same vintage two years ago that was much less to my liking but this one's pretty perfect. Simple fruity pleasures... SGP:651 - 87 points. |
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Littlemill 21 yo 1991/2013 (47.1%, Whisky Spirits, WhiskySeasons, June 2013) Colour: white wine. Nose: a more restrained, more mineral version, probably from a less active cask. That may suggest that Littlemill's usual exuberant citrusy side is enhanced by the oak. Having said that, this is just as lovely, with maybe a little more bubblegum as well after a few minutes. Mouth: quite a lemony bomb again, we're extremely close to the 1985, just a notch rougher. And again these raisins... In short, another dangerous one, much too easy to quaff. Finish: rather long, very fruity. Crystallised lemons and oranges plus a few herbs. Maybe savory? Comments: it's one of these 'riesling' malts that I quite enjoy. Goes down a treat. SGP:551 - 87 points. |
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Littlemill 21 yo 1991/2013 (50%, Douglas Laing, Old Malt Cask, refill hogshead, 262 bottles)  Colour: straw. Nose: we're much closer to the Whisky Spirit than to Coopers' 1985. This one's even a little porridgy and yoghurty in comparison. Some paraffin and 'artificial' vanilla too. Mouth: yeah, this baby's more difficult. There's a little plastic and then some odd notes of... coconut-flavoured yoghurt? Too bad because otherwise it's a fine Littlemill. Finish: again, crystallised lemons, and for a long time, except that some paraffin remains in the aftertaste. Comments: the general feeling is actually nicer than what you'd think when reading my notes, it's just a little weird at times. SGP:461 - 80 points. |
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Littlemill 24 yo 1988/2013 (50.3%, The Whisky Agency, refill bourbon hogshead, 309 bottles)  Colour: gold. Nose: this is more complex than the others, less straight, wider... Bags of lemons as usual, also herbs such as parsley (I also get, I swear, a little soy sauce and balsamic vinegar while this is no sherry wood), touches of dairy cream and then distinct notes of young sauvignon. As I said, this one's a little more complex so far. Mouth: perfect unfolding. A perfect fruit salad with oranges, tangerines, lemons... And a few slices of pineapple, a little candy sugar and some caramelised barley. Yeah, should that exist, does it? Finish: long, perfect, candied citrus fruits. Comments: perfect age, perfect spirit, perfect wood that lets the spirit talk. We're reaching perfection. SGP:641 - 90 points. |
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Littlemill 20 yo 1992/2013 (54.9%, Berry Bros & Rudd, cask #10)  Colour: straw. Nose: this time it's rather the vanilla that speaks first, then we have the expected bag of citrus fruits. No I won't list them all. Maybe hints of coconut like in the 1991 by Whisky Spirit? I'm tempted to add water but I'll play today's silly game: no water. Mouth: unusual, in a good way. Not easy to pin down, wait... Some wormwood for sure (absinth), aniseed, then orange liqueur (rather John Glaser's excellent Orangerie, are they still making it?), raisins, ouzo (not kidding)... A lot of fun in this one, and it's not dissonant in any way. Very oily mouth feel. Finish: long and pretty perfect. Old Sauternes this time, it's spectacular. Comments: this baby hasn't got the 1988's purity and total 'Littlemillness', but there are bags of fun. Try it if you can! SGP:651 - 89 points. |
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Littlemill 21 yo 1992/2013 (55.6%, Single Cask Collection, cask #20, 318 bottles) Ha ha, after cask #10, let's have cask #20. Colour: straw. Nose: look, no disrespect meant to this other superb Littlemill but it's quite the same as above, so long story short, it's a great nose. Mouth: slightly different now, we have rather less wormwood and other herbs, while the candied citrus fruits got comparatively a little louder. It's also a notch thicker and creamier, but that could be the extra 0.7%. Just kidding. Finish: long, a notch more on straw wine than on Sauternes but hey, I may well be trying to be smart. Comments: Seriously, it's another superb Littlemill. To think that the distillery, one of the oldest in Scotland (1772!) got closed less than two years later... (sob!). SGP:641 - 89 points. |
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May 22, 2013 |
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Can you have too much Miltonduff? |
I haven't got much to say about Miltonduff, maybe because I haven't found many very inspiring bottlings in the past. But never say never... Oh, I remember, I had a great one in January, a very old 20yo for Forth Wines. And a Samaroli in April... |
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Miltonduff 22 yo 1989/2012 (50%, Chieftain's, hogshead, cask #6, 8 & 10, 1058 bottles)  Colour: gold. Nose: bags and bags of apples, juicy ripe ones and green ones as well. And cider apples. And plain cider. The fact is that I like apples, so I do enjoy this nose. Also the touches of vanilla and warm sawdust, as well as this cinnamon (pie)... More oranges after ten minutes. With water: orange juice with added custard and cinnamon. It's a cake! Mouth (neat): much in line with the nose, on just the same notes of apples, oranges, vanilla and cinnamon. The whole's quite big and powerful. With water: same, more or less. More apple juice, maybe cherries. Finish: not too long, with a little more sawdust and grass coming through. Liquorice in the aftertaste, as often. Comments: it's not a very wide profile but pleasure is there. Some classic 'medium' Speyside. SGP:451 - 83 points. |
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Miltonduff 30 yo 1982/2013 (50,1%, The Whisky Agency, refill bourbon hogshead, 269 bottles) Colour: white wine. Nose: unusual. The grass, vanilla and the fresh oak are loud, and so are the porridge and the muesli. As always with The Whisky Agency, there's something happening in the whisky. There's also something bizarrely metallic (copper coins) and touches of dust, as well as a little washing powder. Or is it Woolite? A very funny nose! With water: makes a U-turn and becomes much akin to the 1989, that is to say to some orange cake straight from grandma's oven. Aspirin tablets (wee whiffs). Mouth (neat): we're very close to the 1989 now, with the very same oranges and apples and then more cider. That's right, it's a kind of ultra-powerful cider and you cannot not think of Calvados. Tastes rather younger than it actually is. With water: same plus a little mint and other fresh herbs. Finish: of medium length, a notch grassier and more bitter. Comments: a notch wackier than the 1989 and so a little funnier and more entertaining, but I don't think it's very sexy whisky. SGP:461 - 84 points. |
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May 21, 2013 |
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Sechs Bowmore aus Deutschland |
I've planned to do another kind-of-articulate Bowmore verticale in a few weeks but in the meantime, maybe we could have a mixed bag of various recent vintages straight from Germany? As long as no weird finishings are done to them, and no weird batches from the 1980s are involved, I tend to like them all so let's be quicker than usual. Well we'll try to be quicker, I often get carried away with b****y Bowmore… |
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Bowmore 11 yo 2001/2012 (53.6%, Maltbarn, sherry, 175 bottles) Colour: full gold. Nose: a good example of a dram where spent matches and even notes of truffles - and maybe even a little mercaptan - work very well. They complement the briny and smoky profile perfectly and the whole really makes me think of some old motor oil for vintage cars (say old Motul ;-)). Yeah, or of some old fisherman's boat. Mouth: some sherried Bowmore are 'too much' in my opinion, but this one's quite perfect. Creamy bitter orange liqueur, crystallized ginger, brine, lemon and lime, salt… Very oily mouthfeel, you'd almost need a spoon. Quite. Finish: very long, with a perfect mix of limoncello and seawater. I'll have to try that one day ;-). Some tropical fruits as well, hinting at the glorious 1960s. Comments: perfect, I think you can't do much better with some eleven year old malt whisky. This little session starts well. SGP:557 - 90 points. |
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Bowmore 12 yo 2001/2013 (52.9%, The Whisky Agency, Liquid Library, refill butt, 484 bottles) Colour: gold. Nose: same as the Maltbarn, more or less, and guess what, we won't complain. Maybe the truffles/leather are a tad less obvious, maybe not. Mouth: fantastically identical. Brilliant whisky. Maybe I do seem to detect added touches of licorice, but other than that both are just the same whisky. Finish: ditto, Beth. Maybe this one is a tiny-wee-bit more roasted/fudgy? Comments: nah, great whisky. It wouldn't be surprising that both whiskies came from the very same Butt, or at least from sister butts. Coming up with a different score and SGP would be totally insane. SGP:557 - 90 points. |
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Bowmore 14 yo 1998/2012 (50.9%, The Whisky Cask, bourbon barrel) Colour: white wine. Nose: wait, isn't this a little soap? Plastic? Asparagus water? Beetroot? Cod liver oil? Not the nicest nose, let's wait, maybe oxygen will do it some good. zzz zzz zzz. Indeed, that worked. Grapefruits do emerge, rocks, aspirin tablets, wet gravel… The peat isn't big. Mouth: quite a revolution - and a revelation - after the rather unlikely nose. Hyper-briney and lemony, sharp, well-chiseled and very punchy. A very narrow but very well defined style, you just have to like it. Finish: it's almost seawater now. Very long. Gherkins. Comments: a restless baby, with ups and downs. Pretty extreme, in fact. I liked the palate a lot more than the nose. SGP:365 - 85 points. |
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Bowmore 15 yo 1997/2013 (52.5%, The Whisky Agency, The Perfect Dram, barrel, 153 bottles) Colour: white wine. Nose: oh, an herbal Bowmore! I get dill, parsley, maybe chives, seaweed for sure (kelp), then beach sand, wet cardboard, old books, maybe a little turpentine… Who said all youngish Bowmores were the same? Hope it's not me! ;-). In short, another adventure… Probably a little less expressive than the previous ones. Mouth: there are echoes of lavender, so to speak, very distant echoes, but the rest is all on brine and some kind of multi-vitamin fruit juice. Cranberries? I have to say this sweetness is quite unusual, it's one of the sweetest young Bowmores I've ever tried. Also a little coconut from the US oak, I guess. Finish: long, sweet. The coconut is even more obvious. Comments: kind of un-Bowmore but extremely entertaining and mucho quaffable. A funny one, I'd say. Have fun! SGP:555 - 87 points. |
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Bowmore 17 yo 1996/2013 (52.7%, The Whisky Agency, hogshead, 307 bottles) Why did they put a portrait of Jacques Brel onto the label? Seriously, it's quite wonderful. "In the port of Amsterdam, there are sailors who sing…" Colour: white wine. Nose: stop it, turn off the lights, this is it. Perfect sooty, smoky, ashy Bowmore. No need to say more. Mouth: utter perfection, everything's there. The smoke, the tropical fruits, the brine and god knows what else. It's rather more complex than others, balance is absolutely perfect, well everything's perfect. Finish: sadly, yes. Maybe it's a wee-tad too sweet and 'grapefruity' for Bowmore, but you see, I just had to find something I do not totally like in this little whisky. Comments: "And when they are too drunk, they plant their noses to the sky, they blow their noses in the stars and they piss like I cry on unfaithful women…" Ah, Maître Jacques… SGP:556 - 91 points. |
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Bowmore 1995/2012 (58.9%, Malts of Scotland, sherry hogshead, cask #MoS 12057, 185 bottles) This little baby should be a notch heavier than the others ;-)… A huge string of pearls is forming when you pour it into your glass. Colour: amber. Nose: I do like them cleaner and less sherried, I think peat+sherry can make utter wonders (think Laphroaig 1974 or the first Lagavulin 21) but the result can also be a little whoooof, I mean, dissonant. Yet it's not quite the case here, it works pretty well but the leathery notes are quite big. A lot of pencil lead too, chocolate, artichokes… It's a style, it's a style. I had planned not to use any water but let's not be silly this time. With water: plenty of gunpowder. Both Pu-erh and lapsang souchong teas. Old motorcycle (Norton?) Mouth (neat): good, I won't deny it, this is spectacular. A blend of tar liqueur, walnut liqueur, Cointreau and Fernet-Branca or Cynar. It's extremely heavy. With water: works, but not spectacularly so. There's a kind of gingery bitterness/leafiness that remains there. Finish: long, leafy, faintly metallic and 'gunpowder'. Comments: MoS already issued several other casks of heavily sherried 1995s. My favorite were #113 from 2009 and #177 from 2010 (both WF 91). This one won't go that high despite its, well, very spectacular side. SGP:476 - 86 points. |
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May 20, 2013 |
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Two young Balvenie, official and independent |
It's always a joy to taste Balvenie because I think it's one of the easiest malts around, in a good way of course. Even when it's very old, or very young. Having said that, the regular Doublewood has always been the one that I found a little less convincing, but I last tried it in 2008 (WF 78). Time to try to revise my feelings... |
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Balvenie 12 yo 'DoubleWood' (40%, OB, +/-2012) Colour: gold. Nose: well, it's a little too malty/coffeeish for my taste, it's a profile that needs more power in my experience or you get something cardboardy or even a little soapy. Having said that, some aspects are very pleasant, especially the touches of orange liqueur and the chocolate. As they say, the jury's still out. Mouth: light, easy, malty, chocolaty, raisiny... A little honey too. Balance is achieved, this time I think it's a pretty perfect 'access-category' malt whisky. Finish: not the longest but there's good body and I enjoy these dry raisins. Comments: the nose was frankly weak - but is it whisky to nose? - but I found the palate pretty impressive, fuller than before. Extremely sippable. SGP:441 - 80 points. |
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Burnside 1994/2012 (56.7%, Scott's Selection)  Please don't tell anyone, but Burnside is Balvenie. Colour: amber. Nose: what a strange one! It's a kind of metallic sherry, hard to describe. There's some coffee for sure but also a weird leather, some plastic (brand new Renault ;-)) and huge notes of aspirin. Like four tablets in 5cl of water. There's quite some meat too, beef jerky, ham, prunes... Not too sure what to think so far, we'll have to dig deeper. With water: rubber and raisins come out, classic but not too nice in my opinion. Mouth (neat): wham! Pencil shavings and coffee galore, plus some bitter herbs in the background. Huge bitterness, would make Jaegermeister taste like diluted rosewater in comparison. With water: okayish now, but there's an odd gingery side and the bitterness just wouldn't go away. Finish: very long, bitter and herbal. Green oak. Comments: I've had some excellent recent Scott's but this one just doesn't click on my nose and palate, so to speak. For adventurous whisky lovers only? The distillery is hard to detect. SGP:372 - 70 points. |
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Today: JAZZ. Performer: our friend Darren Kramer and his Organization aka DKO. Track: Regret (that was on Quench!) Please visit Darren's website and buy all his music... |
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May 19, 2013 |
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Tasting three excellent new Teaninich 1973 |
There's been quite a few old Teaninichs around in recent months and I've always found them interesting. I also like the fact that the strength is so low, no need to fiddle around with water, spoons or pipettes, but won't the whiskies be weak? Le's see... |
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Teaninich 39 yo 1973/2013 (40.1%, The Whisky Cask, bourbon, cask #6068) Colour: gold. Nose: lovely! Yellow flowers, nectar and pollen, fresh sultanas, ripe apples, greengages, Sauternes, orange blossom and vanilla crème. Impressive freshness, it's all playful and superbly fruity. Let's only hope the palate will stay the course. I cannot not think of some similarly aged Benriach. Mouth: sure the oak shows up, and it's even quite green and tea-ish, but the fruits are big enough to make the whole enjoyable and still fresh and lively. Also funny notes of camphor and eucalyptus, rosehip tea... It's actually got something of some old Irish pot still. A little incense and cedar wood as well. Finish: shortish but clean, while the oak hasn't got any louder. Some lemon balm in the aftertaste. Comments: only the slightly oaky arrival on the palate makes it lose two or three points in my book, otherwise it would have been a sure 90. SGP:551 - 88 points. |
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Teaninich 40 yo 1973/2013 (40.4%, The Nectar of the Daily Drams) Colour: gold. Nose: we're very close, finding differences is tough. Maybe a notch less sultanas or other round aromas and rather more grassy tones. Otherwise just as fresh and pleasantly vibrant. The very low natural strength has no impact so far. Mouth: same whisky as above now, I cannot find any differences and believe me, I'm trying hard. Finish: maybe this one is a notch grassier? A little more green tannins? Maybe not. Comments: same as above, a pretty miraculous old whisky. SGP:551 - 88 points. |
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Teaninich 40 yo 1973/2013 (42%, The Whisky Agency, refill sherry hogshead, 213 bottles) Colour: gold. Nose: we're obviously very close again. Sultanas, plums, sweet white wine, maybe honeysuckle... Lovely, lovely... Mouth: same as above. Maybe added touches of coconuts but I may well be dreaming - or need holidays. Finish: same. Maybe a little more white pepper. Comments: scratching my head. Anyway, this consistency after 40 years is quite spectacular and its not the first time this happens. That was a quick session! ;-) SGP:551 - 88 points.
 Check the index of all Teaninich I've tasted so far
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Today: FOLK ROCK. Performer: Vassar Clements. Track: Cream's anthem White Room. Please visit his website and buy his music... |
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May 17, 2013 |
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Two Tobermory, more quirky fun |
Yes, let’s have two independent Tobermory (ies?) today. One will be relatively young while the other one will come from the famed 1972 vintage that gave us so many stunning glories from so many Scottish distilleries. |
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Tobermory 17 yo 1995/2013 (54.9%, Single Cask Collection, bourbon hogshead, cask #699, 251 bottles) Do we have to expect a porridge bomb? Colour: white wine. Nose: interesting. I know interesting often sounds like a death word but it’s not here. The first thing that’s very obvious is that this is no porridge bomb, no beer bomb and no yeast bomb, although there is a little bit of all that. No, what’s quite striking is the freshness and, above all (so to speak), the coastal side, with sea breeze, iodine, fresh oysters… It’s even a little ledaigy, maybe it was a ‘transitional’ batch between Ledaig and Tobermory? Pure speculation… Also graphite oil, linseed… With water: became more mineral and still not much yeast. A youngish Tobermory that’s not feinty/yeasty at all! Mouth (neat): hey hey! Lovely lemony arrival, with a good acridness – provided you like that as much as I do – and a feeling of these high-end mescals from Del Maguey, between olives and capers. Splendidly unsexy, I’d say. With water: sweeter, rounder, but all this lemon remains there. Actually more grapefruits now. Finish: long, rather more briny. Very good. Comments: very good indeed, quite a surprise I have to say. Perfect coastal style with, maybe, a Clynelishopultenesque side. Oh, forget about that. SGP:452 - 88 points. |
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Tobermory 39 yo 1972/2012 (49.9%, Alambic Classique, oloroso sherry cask, cask #12307, 139 bottles) The small German bottlers Alambic Classique have always had some great old Tobermories and Ledaigs. Oh and 1969 Port Ellen but that’s another story… Colour: mahogany. Nose: ah yes, we’re between Kikkoman sauce and old balsamic vinegar, that was to be expected. Also a lot of old rancio, old-Cognac style, a lot of old leather (say WWII flying jacket – whatever), old Bourgogne, cigars, old walnuts, pipe tobacco, cherry liqueurs… All that is quite superb. Chocolate (no, not old). Let’s try it with water: as often, it’s the meatiness and the walnuts that grew bigger. Superb now. Mouth (neat): there is a feeling of sipping some kind of oak decoction but that won’t last for long since there are also beautiful sweeter spices, bitter oranges, bitter chocolate and then bags of cumin and cloves. Not the easiest old dram, especially because there’s more and more salt coming to the front after a few minutes, but it’s really a… a… well, a style of its own. With water: sure the oak is loud but balance is kept, thanks to the not-so-drying spices and all the tiny tertiary notes that keep appearing. Kumquats, caraway, cocoa, lime, black cherries, more walnuts. Nah, yeah, it does become a little too drying after a while but we’ve seen worse, haven’t we. Finish: medium, really drying now. Sawdust, strong tea and cocoa powder. It’s the weakest part, as often with very old whiskies. Comments: probably a little past its prime, with a wood that already took control, but it’s still a kind of moving old whisky. Coz they don’t make them like this anymore… (wot?) SGP:372 - 85 points. |
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May 16, 2013 |
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Trying four 1997 Clynelish, or the joys of consistency |
1997 was a good year at Clynelish and it’s always a joy to try these zesty, nervous and often very mineral drams. Especially when you’re a lover of genuine Alsatian Riesling… But warning, there can be lame ducks… |
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Clynelish 15 yo 1997/2012 (46%, The Coopers Choice, sherry butt, cask #9112, 360 bottles) Colour: gold. Nose: fresh and zesty but the (light) sherry tends to make it lose a part of that freshness in my opinion. It’s also a tad too butyric, so not my favourite 1997 Clynelish so far. It’s got something slightly sour in the background, even if there are also nice whiffs of menthol, which I enjoy. Mouth: I like this better. The candy sugar blends well with the moderately waxy profile, we’re also having a little white chocolate and then this feeling of limoncello that we often get in youngish Clynelish. A little Demerara sugar. This is good. Finish: rather long, candied again. Crème brûlée in Clynelish? Peppery aftertaste. Comments: maybe it’s a notch unlikely, and the nose may well not be very typical, but it remains a very fine, full-bodied dram. SGP:451 - 81 points. |
Clynelish 15 yo 1997/2012 (53.2%, Chester Whisky, bourbon hogshead, 197 bottles) Colour: white wine. Nose: mineral and waxy, a tad paraffiny as well, which may not be absolutely great here. Whiffs of sea water, then grass and maybe agaves. With water: nah, now its great, it just needed to swim a bit. Shoe polish, rocks and lemon. Mouth (neat): yeah, a crisp, zesty, precise, full-bodied Clynelish that takes no prisoners, as they say. Big lemon, wax and… Riesling. Just wee touches of bubblegum as well. With water: no more bubblegum, rather kumquats and bergamots. Finish: long, clean, pure and fresh. Comments: I won’t wax lyrical ;-). There are (even) better ones out there but this one is just great. SGP:362 - 87 points. |
Clynelish 14 yo 1997/2012 (54.8%, Whisky Tales, cask #6473, 120 bottles) Colour: straw. Nose: same as above, only a notch crisper, maybe… With water: same comments. Superb nose. Mouth (neat): again, almost the same whisky as above. I won’t copy-and-paste everything, mind you. With water: same. Maybe this one’s a wee notch rounder and sweeter? Maybe the cask was a tad more active? Finish: same comments. Comments: same ballpark, obviously. No reasons to score this differently. SGP:462 – 87 points. |
Clynelish 14 yo 1997/2011 (55.5%, Berry Bros & Rudd, USA, casks #4654-61) Colour: straw. Nose: there, almost the same whisky again. Good, maybe this one is even more mineral and crisp than the others… Maybe a notch grassier as well. With water: no, it’s just the same whisky as above. Variations are infinitesimal. Mouth (neat): same as the other ones. Maybe a tad fruitier? I seem to find strawberries and pomegranates. With water: indeed, it’s a little fruitier now. Goes well. Finish: it’s actually got a Tasliker-y side. Excuse me. So a little more pepper. Comments: fruitier at times, sometimes a little rougher… Ah, the joy of tasting ‘remote sister casks’! Even if these babies make you scratch your hair a bit. SGP:462 - 87 points.
(and thank you, Todd) |
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May 15, 2013 |
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Two Tullibardine and no finishing |
Tullibardine was probably a little understated in recent years and I have to say that some older bottlings haven’t really convinced me, either the spirit was a little unlikely (feinty/dirty and soapy at the same time, which takes the biscuit, ha ha), or the wood/wine influence was too strong. Having said that, I’ve heard that things have much improved in very recent times, so this is a good occasion to have another go at the distillery, with two brand new official expressions. There are also new wine-finished NAS bottlings – you know, Sauternes, Bourgogne and such - but I think we’ll manage to avoid them. Hurray! |
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Tullibardine 'Sovereign' (43%, OB, +/-2013)  Another new no-age-statement malt whisky, from first fill bourbon, apparently. Don’t we expect young age and bags and bags of vanilla? Colour: straw. Nose: bags and bags and vanilla (well, it’s no vanilla bomb, don’t get me wrong), on a soft and unexpectedly clean malty base. The use of first fill American oak worked pretty well, there’s no excessive coconut or ginger and there are even pleasant touches of rocks and wool under the rain. Also freshly broken branches. Mouth: no weakness at 43%, notes of both overripe and fresh apples, some cider, a little ginger, maybe cardamom and cinnamon (typical freshish oak), quite some pear eau-de-vie, barley water and sugar and then more bitter herbs, probably from the oak again. Finish: rather long, on walnuts and raw malt, with cinnamon in the aftertaste. The oak speaking. Comments: the older official no-vintage – and sometimes vintage - Tullibardines used to gather scores ranging from 60 to 70 in my book. This is another world, although we’ll probably have to try the older ones to find… err, more sovereignty. SGP:441 - 78 points. |
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Tullibardine 20 yo (43%, OB, +/-2013) Also from first fill bourbon casks, it seems. Colour: gold. Nose: the ‘American’ vanilla is obviously more intense than in the Sovereign but the maltiness in the background is big enough not to make this baby smell bourbony, it isn’t at all. We’re rather on leaves, white chocolate, tobacco, fresh almonds and walnuts, grass and just a wee dirtiness (notes of fermentation, beer, yeast) that goes quite well in this context. Adds bigness. Also touches of coconut oil this time, as well as ‘yellow’ flowers such as dandelions. Mouth: this is different. Less clean, young and classic than the Sovereign, it’s got these slightly unlikely notes that used to be found in old bottlings. A wee feeling of burnt plastic and stout for a while, but then there’s more honey and chocolate, together with ginger, bitter oranges and a slight Chartreuse-y feeling. A little walnut liqueur too, I quite like this palate, it’s got some personality despite the use of first fill casks. Finish: rather long, with an oiliness and more ginger. Comments: I think it’s a very encouraging bottling. Nothing to do with the unlikely older versions. SGP:461 - 80 points. |
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May 14, 2013 |
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1982-1969, one of our last true Port Ellen verticales, I’m afraid |
A Port Ellen verticale is something that’ll become harder and harder to do, because there seems to be fewer and fewer new expressions around. Bottlers have kept bottling their ‘very last PEs’ for at least 15 years but it seems that they’re not lying to us anymore. So this may well be one of our very last PE verticales, although I’m sure we’ll always manage to find one or two yet-untasted bottlings to try. But organising more than one or two more true verticales in the future? Not too sure… So it may be better to switch to economy mode today and to only have four of them, including a brand new one for a start. |
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Port Ellen 1982/2013 (59.5%, Malts of Scotland, Warehouse Diamonds, sherry hogshead, cask #MoS 1306) A brand new one indeed. I think many whisky lovers remember the amazing Glengoyne 1972 from the same series. Colour: dark gold. Nose: the notes of tobacco and leather from some rather dry sherry (wood) associated with a tarry and coastal PE, even a tad rubbery: imagine some kind of fruitcake eaten on a fisherman’s boat in the middle of the ocean. Maybe better not… Seriously, this is rather brilliant, balance is perfect, it’s got a crisp coastal profile but also some more rounded notes of figs and dates as well as a little camphor, as often with old Islays. With water: gets narrower and more coastal at the same time. Brine and sultanas plus much, much less tar or rubber. Although, after a few more minutes, some exhaust fumes do come out… Mouth (neat): huge yet crisp and sharp, very lemony and briny at this point. The sherry seems to bring a leafiness again but this is too strong, water is much needed. Cough, cough… With water: very dry, tarry, peppery… Plenty of old walnuts, tar liqueur, then more lemon, mile and kippers. Classic and not easy. Finish: long, with even more lemon. Some brine too. Bitter oranges in the aftertaste. Comments: we’re between too worlds here, it’ not as crisp as the ‘refills’ such as most officials and it’s not as heavy and rich as the sherry monsters (DL, old JMcA and such). In a way, it’s less spectacular but maybe better balanced. SGP:467 - 92 points. |
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Port Ellen 23 yo 1978/2001 (50%, Douglas Laing, Old Malt Cask, sherry finish, 764 bottles) I'm asking you, who would still do a six months finishing on a PE these days? And even reduce/dilute it? How customs change with the times!… Colour: white wine (sherry finish, really?) Nose: obviously younger and rougher, with more barley, muesli, soot, ashes, coal smoke and then a little dill. The sherry influence is highly symbolic, I simply don’t manage to detect much sherry to tell you truth. Or I am very tired. Anyway, it’s a raw and clean PE, almost fully naked, as its colour suggested. With water: same, no changes. Perhaps more grapefruits and almonds. Mouth (neat): a little shaky at first sips, with a soapiness that’s a little disturbing. Paraffin, a little lavender, then more lemon… Something a little metallic as well (silver spoon). The rest is perfect PE but the metallic soapiness is a little strange. Maybe water will kill that. With water: doesn’t swim. The weirder parts got louder. Lemon juice from a silver tumbler? Finish: rather long but these notes of plastic and soap just wouldn’t go away. Comments: Douglas Laing have bottled dozens and dozens of better PEs, if not hundreds. Not an opinion, a fact. SGP:365 - 78 points. |
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Port Ellen 1977/1991 (59.7%, Gordon & MacPhail, Cask Series, cask #2017) This is pretty young, maybe not even 14 year old. I’ve tried very little 1977 in the past, one Signatory, one Milroy, the famous Turatello, one DL and that’s pretty everything. Colour: gold. Nose: we’re somewhere between the two previous ones. There seems to be some kind of leafy and leathery sherry but the very high strength makes it difficult to nose. Harder than the new MoS in any case. I seem to detect some wonderful almondy tones, though. Maybe also fresh truffles – and no that’s not s*****r. With water: truffles indeed, brand new rubber boots, burning oil and more tar. This suggests a great palate… or a catastrophe. Mouth (neat): no. A weird PE, full of plastic and even more soap than in the DL. Ultra-hard so far, let’s pray. With water: no way. Finish: dry, rubbery, bitter and, sadly, long. Comments: some obvious flaws, even if some parts were great in the nose, which is why I won’t be too harsh with my score. Who needs scores anyway… Well, I like scores better than verbal diarrhoea, I have to say ;-). Anyway, I think this is a good example of the old days’ inconsistency. G&M had some utterly stunning PEs and yet they would have also bottled this lame one. In a way, it used to be less boring, the whiskies were all cheap anyway and risks could be taken ;-). SGP:276 - 72 points. |
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Port Ellen 1969 (63.1%, Gordon & MacPhail for Donini, +/-1980) This is pretty young too! And very rare... A 1969 for Intertrade had been an absolute killer in my book (WF 96) while another one bottled at 62.2% wasn’t bad either (ha, only WF 94). Not to mention the CCs brown label and other wonderful 1969s (Silver Seal, DL for Alambic…) So nutshell: this should be fab. Colour: gold. Nose: kah-baaam! Massive yet ultra-fresh, not far from the 1977, only even punchier. It’s probably great but the important word is probably, no chances are to be taken with our noses. Careful! With water: there’s a little wine vinegar, plenty of motor oil, lemon, some kind of smoked cheese or maybe even gym socks, new tyres and a new box of rubber bands. Highly unlikely and even perverse but absolutely spectacular. Oh, and fumes as well. Mouth (neat): absolutely immense, this baby hits you between your eyes like Muhammad Ali on steroids. Oh forget. Stunningly massive and powerful, one of the most powerful whiskies I’ve ever tried. While I’m still alive, let’s try it with water: a bed of lemon, oysters, seaweed, iodine and liquorice. One of the purest PEs you could find. Well, try to find one! ;-). Finish: endless, brinier, smokier and, above all, very kippery. Comments: a totally extreme whisky, fabulously sharp, chiselled, concise and simply implacable. It’s obviously less complex than the older ones such as the officials, but this narrowness is actually an asset with ‘dry white’ whiskies, as long as no single tiny flaws show up. Absolutely immense and almost Wagnerian. Yeah, that would rather be Verdi. SGP:467 - 96 points. |
And now a little bonus… (tasted two days later, this one wouldn’t have survived after the very powerful 1969) |
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Old Guns (43%, OB, blend, Low Robertson, 1970s) Low Robertson & Co were holding Port Ellen's license, so there must be some young PE in there, let's try to find out... Colour: pale gold. Nose: ah yes, this tar, this smoke, this ‘good’ rubber and these notes of motor and almond oils blended together… You just can’t miss it. There’s also a little sea water and then smoother tones of camphor, milk chocolate, vanilla and apple pie. No big monster but indeed the main base malt should have been PE. Mouth: this time this is extremely peaty, quite brutal, very briny and salty, ashy, sooty, lemony… There must be at least 30% Port Ellen in there, if not much more. Also notes of sardines or anchovies in brine, kippers… And plain sea water! It’s actually more coastal than many a Port Ellen. Finish: quite long and always very briny. A lot of salt in the aftertaste. Comments: a spectacular beast, I guess the good people who would have bought this while expecting some good average blended Scotch may have been very surprised. It’s pure smoky brine. SGP:356 - 86 points. |
(Grazie mille to Geert, Konstantin and Diego) |
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Today: JAZZ. Performer: Yo la Tengo. Track: Sun Ra's Nuclear War (version 3). Lots of LOLs, do Yo la Tengo come from Saturn too? Please visit their website and buy their music... |
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May 13, 2013 |
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Let’s have two Balvenies that I’ve always enjoyed but that I haven’t tasted since, er, their 2004 versions. What’s more, one of them is now bottled at a much higher strength. |
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Balvenie 21 yo 'PortWood' (47.6, OB, +/-2012) This baby used to be bottled at 40% vol. in the olden days but I think it used to be one of the biggest malts ever bottled at 40% ;-). WF 86 back in 2004. Colour: full gold with apricoty hues. Nose: what’s quite striking is the mint that comes through right at first sniffs, or rather the rubbed cassis leaves. Those play first violin for quite a few seconds, before the expected Balvenieness starts to appear, with ripe plums, quinces, nectar, wild flowers (dandelions) and quite some brown sugar (cassonade, crème brulée). A leafier Balvenie altogether, I’m not 100% sure yet it’s as great as it used to be when it was lighter (yeah, amazing). Mouth: I hate to write that but maybe it’s a little too strong, as if the higher alcohol clashes a bit with all the red and black berries from the Port. It tastes kind of slightly overcooked and kirschy but other than that, it’s very fine, quite jammy, becoming a little smoother and rounder. Again a leafiness as well. Finish: long, maybe a tad undecided so to speak. Juicy peaches. Comments: very good, obviously, but I feel that in this version, the Port and the spirit are fighting together, not unlike two fruits that shouldn’t go into the same fruit salad. Maybe mirabelles and cassis? SGP:651 - 83 points. |
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Balvenie 30 yo 'Thirty' (47.3%, OB, +/-2013) I always loved the Thirty. The strength hasn’t changed, it’s always a cask-strengthish 47.3%, in true William Grant fashion. I think I also had it at the World Whisky Awards 2013. Colour: full gold. Nose: oh, this is so much more to my liking on the nose. Pure honey, really. In my experience almost all official Balvenies are honeyed (especially the old ones) but this is actually even more honeyed than honey. You may add a few very ripe apricots and yellow plums (mirabelles). Enough said. Mouth: superb, punchy yet silky, extremely honeyed and jammy, with some brown sugar and fudge coating the whole. I love this richness that never becomes ‘too much’. Vanilla-infused acacia honey like a good friend uses to make. Finish: long, smooooth, rounded, honeyed, with a little orange and mint in the aftertaste that keep your palate as fresh as a baby’s. Comments: perfect, one of my favourite honeyed Speysiders (as opposed to the sherried ones). SGP:641 - 91 points. |
| Pete McPeat and Jack Washback |
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Today: SOUL. Performer: Ben Sidran. Track: a funny little song we may need when seeing what's cooking at some whisky distilleries (I mean, wrt prices). Listen to this ;-). Please visit Ben Sidran's website and buy his music... |
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May 12, 2013 |
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Hills and rollercoasters in Dufftown |
Yeah a silly headline again. There’s a shiny new old Dufftown by Scotia Royale, a fairly new independent bottler who seems to like unlikely packaging ;-). We’ve barely tried 20 Dufftown on WF so it’s a good occasion to have two or three other expressions, starting with a little aperitif from days gone by. With all these new whiskies, I’m afraid we’re starting to neglect all the old bottlings we still have to taste. That’s bad! |
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The Dufftown-Glenlivet 10 yo (40%, OB, Bell's, +/-1985) I’ve tried several old official 8s but never this 10. Colour: light gold. Nose: nice old style grassy Speysider with some OBE starting to show. Wee metallic touches and a little cold tea, then overripe apples and hay, and then a slightly dirty meatiness that’s not too entrancing – to say the least. Quite some cardboard too. After fifteen minutesm: some much nicer notes of shoe and metal polishes, typically ‘OBE’. Mouth: hey, this is big! Surprisingly complex, with some menthol and overripe apples at first sips, then more cough syrup and, well, more apples (with thick skin!) Some kind of herbal liqueur as well, esp. Bénédictine, then wee touches of bananas flambéed… A very good surprise on the palate, really. A big, fat old style malt! Finish: pretty long, full and wide, slightly greasy and oily. Comments: as I said, a very good surprise. I believe these bottles are very cheap at auctions (hint, hint). SGP:462 - 86 points. |
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Dufftown 13 yo 1978 (59.6%, James McArthur, +/-1991)  Colour: almost as white as water. Nose: new-make-y indeed. Plain porridge, boiled cereals and cut grass, that’s all. Maybe cherry juice. The cask must have been extremely tired. With water: whey, baker’s yeast, porridge again… And plain wort. Mouth (neat): aaargh… There were absolute stunners in this series but this is ugly. Extremely raw, extremely bitter, extremely hard to swallow. Plastic. And that’s not only the high strength… With water: nope. Plastic and various chemicals, paraffin, waxes and oils… No good in this context. Some prettier lemony notes after a few minutes but that’s too late. Finish: long and very kirschy. Raw spirit. Comments: yeah yeah, the good old days… ;-). In a way, it’s fun. For the records, as they say. SGP:231 - 35 points. |
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Dufftown 34 yo 1978 (55.8%, Scotia Royale, sherry, 172 bottles, +/-2013) I think it's Glen Catrine (Loch Lomond) behind this newish independent bottler. Colour: full gold. Nose: well well well… It’s quite hard to pin down, there’s something metallic again, just like in the old 10, notes of chestnuts, old polished wood (and varnish), some meat or rather cured ham, old books, a little camphor, quite some paraffin… All that is a tad wobbly and unlikely in my opinion, but water may work. With water: plenty of old wood, almost rotten. Kind of perverse (the BBC would like it – err, no, apologies…) Mouth (neat): a very difficult one. Heavy oak, heavy liquorice, heavy coconut (serious) and concentrated Jaegermeister. What is this? With water: bitter and acrid. Finish: long and bitter. Way too much wood. Comments: sure even bad whisky is still pretty good but here, I do not quite understand. This shouldn’t have been bottled as a single cask and that’s no opinion, it’s a fact. There. Now, it’s still much more interesting than the other, younger 1978. It reminds me of a 1978 by Jack Wiebers that used to share the same characteristics but that was much, much better balanced and actually pretty excellent. As soon as a whisky loses balance, things can go very wrong. SGP:381 - 55 points. |
I think we need a recovery dram. This older one should do the trick… |
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Dufftown-Glenlivet 21 yo 1958/1979 (45.7%, Cadenhead, black dumpy) Colour: light gold. Nose: the old 10 with more oomph. Extreme polishes and waxes, old toolbox, pu-erh tea, earth, mushrooms, leaf mould… I’m sure you see I mean. Very ‘ancient’ and typically ‘black dumpy’. Mouth: fab herbs and all the liqueurs made thereof. Old dry sherry, walnuts, cider apples, hints of vegetables (asparagus? We’re now well into the season so that MUST be asparagus – haha). Also huge feeling of shoe polish, another typically ‘black dumpy’ descriptor in my experience. Finish: long, dry, waxy, herbal and metallic. Sounds awful but it’s not. Comments: to be honest it’s a dry style that may not please everyone but I’m stirred whenever I come across such a bottling. Nah, let’s not exaggerate, there used to be (even) better ones. SGP:362 - 90 points. |
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Dufftown 40 yo (45.3%, OB, +/-1980) This one was probably distilled around WWII, maybe even before the war. Colour: deep gold. Nose: it’s the fruitiness that strikes first, with a profile that’s not without remind us of the older Bablairs. Some bananas, butter pears, papayas… There’s also quite some almond oil and a faint sourness (cider apples) as well as a little mint. Some custard as well, butterscotch, hints of quinces… It does not show much age I must say despite a very discreet touch of iron. A lot of refill wood, probably, and little sherry. After a few minutes: more stewed fruits. Mouth: old style! Sweet, fruity and grassy at the same time, starting on bags of fruit peelings, apples, bananas… Then blood oranges and quite some bitter herbs (cinchona?) from the oak I guess. Rocket salad and green tea. The power is perfect. Too bad it becomes a tad drying after a few seconds, rather too much on over infused tea. Finish: medium long, with the oak coming even more to the front. Wheelbarrows of cinnamon and green tea. Also something pleasantly lemony. Comments: a very interesting ‘old old’ malt whisky. Very pleasant profile but I think it's pretty much out of fashion. SGP:471 - 85 points. |
Phew, this session was quite a rollercoaster. (and thank you, Konstantin and Heinz). |
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Today: PROG ROCK. Nah, I shouldn't post this on WF, but Andrew Latimer's guitar can be unbeatable. Performer: the good old Camel. Track: For today. Please visit their website and buy their music... |
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