Dear Whisky Customers
Welcome to the latest edition of the newsletter. This months big news is that we now have a facebook page - http://www.facebook.com/pages/Gauntleys-Whisky and a youtube page - http://www.youtube.com/user/TheGoodDramShow/featured - Yes Gauntleys is embracing the power of the web! Or well I am I suppose. In episode one I taste a couple of bottlings from Bruichladdich, those being the new Laddie 10 year old and the Octomore 4.1, followed by the new 5 year old Kilchoman and the Longrow 18 year old in episode 2.
Talking of Octomore, the latest release in the series will be out soon, it’s called 4.2 Comus, named after the son of Bachhus and Circe, the daughter of Helios the sun god. It is a follow on from the Orpheus bottling as it has been wine finished, but this time it has been finished in ex premier cru Sauternes casks. Hopefully the distillery will be sending me a sample, so the plan is to do a video review of it soon.
I’m often asked if older is better, and as you will know the answer is often no it isn’t. This was highlighted in a recent tasting of older expressions from Tomintoul, Glencadam and Tomatin, which I will expand upon later in the newsletter. I have also been tasting some new bottlings from Bladnoch, Bruichladdich and Kilchoman. As well as tasting the three Springbank CV bottlings.
Also there are two months worth of bottlings from Douglas Laing to catch up with and as my last newsletter was back in November I have included the ‘highlights’ of their November and December bottlings as well. Going back to Bruichladdich for a minute. I was fortunate enough to have a tasting of a number of the ‘futures’ bottlings that were finally released just before Christmas to those customers that ordered mixed futures cases ‘en premeur’. Added to that is the general round up of assorted stuff, so with all of that to pack in, we best kick off then!
But first this! http://www.gauntleys.com/product5286-highland-park-valhalla-collection-thor-16-year-old-521
TOMINTOUL& GLENCADAM TASTING
Ok. Firstly a big thank you to Angus Dundee distillers for sending me samples of these bottlings. So Tomintoul first. Like a number of whiskies I believe that Tomintoul shows its real class when it is in its late teens/ early twenties. The 10 year old is pleasant if a bit simple; the 14 year old is again pleasant but lacks the depth of the 16 year old which is superb. This does beg the question why bother with bottling it at 14 years old when in a couple of additional years it’s considerably more complex?
However it is in the 21 year old that I believe it finds it apogee, the fruit has become beautifully tropical by that time and the depth is frightening, with huge gobs of luscious honey too. It’s after that, maybe with the exception of the 27 year old bottled in 2007/8 that the oak starts to encroach and overpowers the spirit, which is certainly what happened with the 34 year old, that I tasted last month. The 33 year on the other hand is pleasant but there are no fireworks when I tasted it and like I said in my tasting notes that for £125 a bottle I’d really want more. Maybe I’m just hard to please!
Tomintoul 33 year old 40%
Bourbon
Tasted: Jan 2012
The nose opens with a serious degree of leafy herbal notes – menthol, mint, thyme. Behind sits a depth of succulent, mature honey, fleshy, juicy fruit and a touch of granite. Then with time the wood notes appear – pine resin, cedar and wood varnish. Wonderfully elegant and complex.
A soft, almost shy start to the proceedings. Subtly juicy with the herbal notes from the nose definitely noticeable. It joyfully meanders along in its own little world, adding a touch of honey, marmalade rind, thick cut barley and oak vanillins here and a touch of granity-crispness there. Mind the combination of alcohol and granite does make it feel a tad on the austere side. The honey does attempt to come back on the finish but I’m left feeling that for a £125 I want a bit more than just ‘gentle meandering’.
Tomintoul 1976 (34 year old) 43%
Bourbon
Dist: 1976 Btl: 2010
Tasted: Jan 2012
The oak is definitely in control here. It’s an overload of big, creamy/ milky vanillins, crème brulée and pure vanilla pod. There are hints of unsweetened honey and fleshy, sub-tropical fruit and ever so gentle spices attempting to extricate themselves from the oaks vice-like grip, but the oak is always going to win. In saying that it does have a wonderful depth.
The palate is soft and gentle to the point of over subtly. The alcohol is pretty intrusive and overtly dominates. That combined with the subtly of the sub-tropical fruit makes the palate feel rather one-dimensional and austere. Yes it has some pleasant, albeit subtle (again!) spicy notes along with hints of white liquorice and unsweetened white chocolate but the dry theme continues right to the end.
Now on to Glencadam. I love the 10 year old, which is just so succulently fruity it’s untrue. The 15 year old can sometimes suffer from over-intrusive oak, and I cannot see what the point is in sherry finishing this wonderful malt as it kicks that tropical fruit in the proverbials. Like Tomintoul the 21 year old is stunning, it has some serious weight and density, but there is a lovely balancing granity character. So again I cannot see why you would want to cover all that luscious, tropical fruit with sherry.
By the way you can read all my tasting notes here - https://gauntleys.wordpress.com/category/scotch-whisky-a-g/glencadam/ and here - https://gauntleys.wordpress.com/category/scotch-whisky-h-z/tomintoul/
Glencadam 1978 (32 year old) 46%
Sherry Cask 2332
Dist: 1978 Btl: Sept 2010
Tasted: Jan 2012
I would hazard a guess that this was a Manzanilla Butt as it has all the classic Manzanilla notes of salty green nuts and leafy notes. Fresh and intense it definitely doesn’t seem like its 32 years old, in fact if I was nosing this blind I would be hard pushed to pick the age of it. Some lovely, dusty spices linger at the edges and a slightly sweet honey note appears. Finally a touch of tropical, green fruit puts in a fleeting appearance. Given some more time in the glass a touch of smoke and dried fruit materializes and now it begins to show its age! A faultless and stunning nose!
The palate opens with a slightly dry and woody demeanour, followed by subtly sweet, sherry infused apricot and sultana, which gently builds along with hints of dark treacle. Gorgeously spicy on the middle, but the rather piquant alcohol kicks it in the nuts (so to speak) and calls time on any further evolution (which is a real shame). As the treacly sweetness fades the oak bitters out the finish, leaving a woody, bitter chocolate after taste.
I did try adding a drop of water to see if mitigating some of the alcohol would give it some length, and although it allowed some Armagnac-esque dried fruit to show it didn’t add anything to the length. So in conclusion a lovely malt, but given it would retail for around £225 I would need more complexity to make it a must buy.
TOMATIN TASTING
So first things first. A really bit thank you to the Tomatin distillery for sending me samples of these two mind glowingly good older expressions. Hmm, think I’ve given the game away there! The strange thing about Tomatin is that I wasn’t totally enamoured with their pure bourbon casked 15 year old. It seemed lacking something, or maybe the American oak just overwhelmed it. But add a touch of sherry, and bingo, it really comes alive, and even in the pure sherry casked expressions the distillery character is still evident, well, just. Although the 18 year old is pretty much perfect, with age it just keeps getting better and better.
Tomatin 1967 (40 year old) 42.9% (website price £400.00)
A vatting of 7 Bourbon Hogsheads
Dist: May 1967 Btl: Oct 2007
Tasted: Jan 2012
A beautiful old bourbon oaked nose of lightly toasted toffee and cinders. It has to be said you have to work this nose as it’s pretty tight and unforthcoming. Given time some hints of marmalade, roasted orange peel, spices, mature honey, burnt raisin and slightly sawdusty oak do begin to show. Faultlessly clean and extremely mature.
A soft and subtle palate of honeycomb, malt, toffee and light liquorice, but the oak starts to clamp down as the oils increase. A stunning middle – almond infused sub-cognac like dried fruit and dusty spices to die for. The sweet earthy-malt and the oils see off the oak intrusion rather well, but the finish is a touch on the dry side as some granite notes appear, but frankly my dear, this is a stunning old bourbon aged malt.
Tomatin 1982 (28 Year old) 57% (website price £315.00)
Refill Sherry Puncheon 92
Dist: Jan 1982 Btl: Aug 2010
Tasted: Jan 2012
A very earthy, slightly smoky nose of pure, nutty, oxidised dried fruit with a beguiling perfumed note which is slightly musky and delicately sweet. A stunning sherry cask, stunningly deep and immaculately clean with hints of dark toffee, deftly sprinkled with brown sugar and crumbly spices. Legendary stuff!
My god that’s an orgasmic start! Warm, moist fruitcake glides over the tongue followed by an earthy dried stewed fruit rancio. The piquant alcohol is softened by some beautiful muscavado sugar and hints of almond essence, liquid toffee-honey fills in the space. This is monumental stuff! Stunning length with some crumbly spices interwoven with hints of liquorice, 60% cocoa chocolate and flecks of barley. The balance is impeccable and there is definitely no need for a drop of water.
Don’t forget that you can read all my Tomatin tasting notes here - https://gauntleys.wordpress.com/category/scotch-whisky-h-z/tomatin/
NEW BLADNOCH BOTTLINGS
It’s been awhile since I’ve reviewed any new bottlings from Bladnoch, but as the festive period had diminished our stocks it was a good opportunity to see what was going on. To be honest there isn’t a huge amount of distillery character in the 10 year old sherry casked bottling, but it is a damn fine, and clean example. The 19 year old on the hand, has been aged in an obviously used sherry butt as there is less of the cask and a bit more of the lovely, aged spirit.
It never continues to amaze at just how well Bladnoch ages, especially in bourbon and so far I can’t say I have had one that tastes at all tired. Maybe one could argue that this current bottling becomes slightly fragile with water but its still a beautiful, mature dram.
Bladnoch 10 year old 55% (website price £41.08)
Sherry Butt No 88
Dist: May 2001 Btl: Nov 2011
Tasted: Jan 2012
Initially the nose is a touch high toned and very citrusy. Seriously fruity with apricot and banana notes apparent. The sherry cask aromas are very subtle adding earthy, nutty notes along with a huge degree of vanillins/ marzipan (American sherry cask?). It’s a very perplexing nose. I have never come across so much overt ‘oakiness’ from a sherry cask before. Wonderfully fragrant however with a delightful softness and sweetness.
The palate is full with a more expected sherry character – nutty, dried fruit. Although the cask is relatively subtle it still prvides the majority of the flavours – pure sun-dried raisins, nutmeg, gingery spices and a touch of almond. This has an amazing complexity and is showing maturity beyond its years as it moves into an Armagnac-esque direction. Lovely length with the spirit adding a touch of citrus at the finish.
With water the sherry character becomes a shade more leafy and a touch sweeter with hints of demeara sugar. A simply stunning sherry cask
Bladnoch 18 year old 55%
Sherry
Tasted: Jan 2012
A full on toffee’d, molasses, dark treacle, tarry sherry nose with hints of burnt herbs and malt. With time some liquorice coated orange fruit appears, dark chocolate and coffee. Yes the aromas are all cask derived but it has a lovely fresh edge to it.
Like the nose the palate opens with a mountain of toffee’d sherry. Slightly leafy and quite fresh. Piquant alcohol leads into a oily walnut, bitter chocolate, dark spice and slightly tannic finish. Again all cask derived.
With water the nose becomes very Amontillado like, developing a salty, nutty character. A lot olier now with hints of incense and spice. The palate is much the same, a tad simpler maybe but delightful mellow. One for the sherry enthusiasts
Bladnoch 19 year old 55% (website price £48.98)
Sherry Butt 2618
Dist: Jul 1992 Btl: Nov 2011
Tasted: Jan 2012
A lovely, mature, chocolatey, refill-sherry nose. The sherry is subtler than the 18 year old and allows the slightly high toned, mature grassy spirit to come through. For its age it has a lovely fresh intensity and with time a touch of perfumed white flowers, orange, earth and cream emerges. Beautifully balanced with some late nutty notes.
The palate is a tad dry and slightly woody to begin with showing coffee and chocolate coated nuts, but the slightly sugar coated orange fruit balances. Piquant alcohol leads into a spicy, slightly perfumed white fruit, brown sugar and light malt finish.
With water it becomes mellower and less intense but the orange fruit on the nose has become emphasised and exceedingly luscious and it really emphasises the spiciness of the finish.
Bladnoch 20 year old 51.4% (website price £50.56)
Bourbon Hogshead 5739
Dist: Dec 1990
Tasted: Jan 2012
A lovely venerable nose of mature honey and dried grass with hints of coffee, liquorice and toasted caramel. Still there is a hint of honeyed-citrus and hints of perfumed white fruit to give the nose some lift and freshness.
The palate opens with some earthy, dried grass, mature coffee, and more loamy, earthy notes. Delicate toffee-spices weave in along with a touch of barley and more dried grass. Beneath is some delicately sweet, malty spirit resulting in a brief citrus flourish before the dried grass notes return.
A drop of water opens the nose to display some beautifully fragrant, perfumed lilly and musky rose and has endowed the nose with a beguiling sumptuous character. The palate one could argue has become a tad watery, but it has allowed a touch of white fruit and oily, old rose petal/ Turkish delight to emerge. All that aside it is still a beautifully mature dram.
AS PROMISED TWO LADDIES!
A big thank you to the guys at Bruichladdich for sending me samples of these two. As mentioned in the introduction you can see my video review of the Laddie 10 here - http://youtu.be/677MYJk_JRc
Bruichladdich DNA3 1985 (25 year old) 50.1 (website price £232.00)
Sherry
Dist: 1985 Btl: 2011
Tasted: Nov 2011
The nose opens with the rich, slightly woody, nutty, mature sherry. Given its age the sherry aromas have a beautiful delicacy to it, giving way to a huge coastal hit along with citrus, however the sherry hangs on in there adding walnut, molasses/ treacle. It’s a magical combination of sea air, delicate floral honeysuckle spirit and wood. With time a hint of dunnage floors, peat, loam and touch of fishiness appears.
The palate is soft and dry, opening with sweet liquorice toned mature sherry, nuts and dried fruit, shot through with an intensity of mouth-watering alcohol and salinity. Beautifully balanced and exceptionally long. An amazing mouthful of baked apples, almond, cinnamon, dark chocolate/ toffee, macerated orange along with a touch of peat and earth. Stunning length and ethereal like finish.
Bruichladdich ‘The Laddie’ 10 year old 46% (website price £32.93)
Bourbon/ Sherry
Tasted: Dec 2011
The nose is bursting with juicy fruit, sweet barley and some beautiful, shimmering coastal notes and a soupcon of peat. Very full and malty with some balanced, clean, sherry notes. Much fuller than the old 10 year old and less floral but lovely nevertheless.
Soft and full on the palate. A beautiful melding of bourbon and sherry casks. Like the nose suggests it’s quite full with a slightly molassed dried fruit character along with hints of malt, cereal, light peat and a touch of honey. The middle is quite piquant, and accented by the gentle saltiness. Good length with the oak slightly bittering out the finish (adding some dark chocolate notes) but some beautiful liquid honey coated tropical banana tries to counter that, and just about succeeds.
A PAIR OF KILCHOMAN’S
I recently did a vertical tasting of Kilchoman, starting with the new make spirit followed by the Islay Barley, then the Spring 2011 bottling and finishing with the 2006 vintage and you can definitely see that the oak is starting to influence the aromas and flavours. I also tasted the 2006 vintage against the Longrow 18 year old in episode 2 of the Good Dram show - http://youtu.be/wl5-SjrBraY
I have to say that I really enjoy Kilchoman and it is definitely interesting to watch its evolution, whether I’d pay nearly £90 for the Islay Barley I’m not entirely sure but I would buy the 5 year old. So if you have bought any of the previous bottlings, such as the Spring/ winter 2010 or Spring 2011 bottlings and have some left, then I’d suggest you get hold of a bottle of the 2006 vintage and do a comparison tasting. Aside from that you can always read my tasting notes here - https://gauntleys.wordpress.com/2011/12/28/kilchoman-distillery-bottlings-tasting-notes/
Kilchoman 2006 (5 year old) 46% (website price £43.97)
Bourbon
Dist: 2006 Btl: 2011
Tasted: Dec 2011
A soft and full nose which appears to be showing quite a lot of oak – of the toffee’d variety. Still distinctly Islay with the expected brine, bog myrtle, iodine and moist peat. Very rounded with a developing pine note.
Soft, full and toffee’d on the palate with a seam of gentle, sweet peat running through. Quite chewy with the sugars increasing towards the middle where upon a pleasant, palate cleansing blast of alcohol and coastal citrus puts paid to all the toffee stuff, leaving the mouth rather resplendently coated with a slightly oily, sooty, coal dust residue. Lovely length with a slight bittering from the oak at the death.
Kilchoman ‘Inaugural 100% Islay Barley’ 3 year old 50%
Fresh and Refill Bourbon
Dist: 2008 Btl: June 2011
Tasted: Feb 2012
Sweet and full aromas of creamy orange sweets, pure caramel along with a touch of peat and brine. It’s youthfulness is clearly on show with a touch of porridge and with time it does become quite herbal – chives, camomile and bog wort(?).
The palate is light and cerealy with a serious degree of pungent, herbal peat along with a touch of caramel. Slightly bracing and relatively straightforward with the peat becoming oilier and drier towards the finish. It definitely has the purity of 2010 bottlings. Very enjoyable.
JANUARY DOUGLAS LAING OLD MALT CASK BOTTLINGS
So I thought, let’s start with the Islay’s this month. Now, you know as well as I that Bunnah can be a bit hit or miss and especially in sherry, but the 10 year old was quite pleasant, however as we already have the rather superb 14 year old in stock I thought I’d pass on that. The two ‘phroaig’s were superb, the 12 year old was quite sweet and rich and the 15 year old was extremely fruity. I’m sure they won’t last long on the shelf, so I’d suggest you grab one whilst you can!
The Coal Ila must be the oddest expression (in a good way as you’ll see from my notes) that I’ve come across, and unfortunately it had sold out by the time I had placed an order, so unfortunately you won’t get to experience it!
Then it was then onto Glenallachie and founding member of the ‘Axis of Evil’ Tobermory. Shall we say neither of them was particularly pleasant and neither was the Glenturret, which was sulphur tainted. The Glen Keith was ok, but the spirit had lost out somewhat to the oak and finally the Tomatin, which again was ok, if a bit on the hot side.
Douglas Laing Old Malt Cask Bunnahabhain 2001 (10 year old) 50%
Refill Sherry(?)
Code: OMC2119
Dist: Dec 2001 Btl: Jan 2012
Tasted: Jan 2012
A rather salty, malty and dark nose with some subtle sherry notes. With time a veritable bucket load of pure almost ‘new oak’ vanillins arrive with a seriously creamy punch and now dominate.
The palate is very much like the nose, in being malty and oily but displaying a more overt sherry character – prunes and dried fruit. The middle is quite salty and slightly smoky. Good length with a spicy finish.
Douglas Laing Old Malt Cask Laphroaig 1999 (12 year old) 50% (website price £61.95)
Bourbon
Code: OMC2107
Dist: Aug 1999 Btl: Jan 2012
Tasted: Jan 2012
Hmm, quite a sweetie! A lovely depth with plenty of sweet barley, iodine, medicinal peat, bog myrtle, manure and tar.
The palate opens with the sweet barley as the oily/ ashy character builds. Gently medicinal with some dry peat notes. It continues with its sweet theme right the way through and those sugars hold the alcohol in check. Very long and quite juicy by ‘phroaig standards. Finishes with an oily/ ashy coating.
Douglas Laing Old Malt Cask Laphroaig 1996 (15 year old) 50% (website price £70.95)
Bourbon
Code: OMC2131
Dist: Oct 1996 Btl: Jan 2012
Tasted: Jan 2012
More maturity on the nose than the 12 year old with menthol, camphor accentuated honey and fleshy apricot, banana and barley. Subtly peated with a distant coastal bonfire note. A seriously fruity ‘phroaig.
The palate is drier and less fruity than the nose would lead you to believe. There is a greater degree of peat soaked oils along with a hint of creosote. Even the intense alcohol fails to dislodge those oils as the stick to the mouth. Lovely length with the herbal notes running riot – bog myrtle, menthol and seaweed. Finishing with a light Colombian coffee and liquorice note.
Douglas Laing Old Malt Cask Caol Ila 1995 (16 year old) 50%
Bourbon
Code: OMC2127
Dist: May 1995 Btl: Jan 2012
Tasted: Jan 2012
Whoa! What a nose! It reminds me of a cross between old Chenin Blanc (oily oxidised white fruit) and old Riesling (petrol). Seriously interesting and flecked with maturing honey, smoke and earthy peat.
The palate is very ashy and tarry. Again like the nose it displays that petrol and oxidised white fruit. Quite full and pungent with a piquant salty middle which fades into a spicy, bready malt, gently smoky and creosote laced finish. Seriously entertaining!
Douglas Laing Old Malt Cask Glenallachie 1995 (16 year old) 50%
Bourbon
Code: OMC2128
Dist: Mar 1995 Btl: Jan 2012
Tasted: Jan 2012
A high toned nose of earthy, marc like notes and burnt caramel. Yes it displays all that lovely industrial characteristics that I love! Hints of citrus and grass.
The palate opens quite sweet and gristy but that industrial character is very prevalent. Hard as nails, short and alcoholic. Not one of there better bottlings.
Douglas Laing Old Malt Cask Tobermory 1996 (15 year old) 50%
Bourbon
Code: OMC2129
Dist: Apr 1996 Btl: Jan 2012
Tasted: Jan 2012
Ah, my old nemesis! Will you surprise me this time?............ well…………. What do you think?......... Yep, you’re correct. Business as usual, although instead of wet cardboard notes we have sulphur. Hmm, one thinks those poor old stills were thrashed a bit on this distillation. A bit of oily cereal, burnt caramel and a touch of peat complete the nose.
The palate, as is often the case is to be endured rather than enjoyed. Industrial, burnt caramel, muddy barley and a fizzy, slightly metallic finish. Lovely!
Douglas Laing Old Malt Cask Glen Keith 1993 (18 year old) 50%
Bourbon
Code: OMC2133
Dist: Sept 1993 Btl: Jan 2012
Tasted: Jan 2012
A pleasantly fresh and citrusy nose with plenty of creamy oak, but also a touch of burnt caramel.
The palate is oily and quite creamy, with oodles of pure, buttery oak which builds, and builds, and, well you get the idea. Good length with some gristy, herbal notes in the finish.
Douglas Laing Old Malt Cask Glenturret 1994 (17 year old) 50%
Sherry
Code: OMC2135
Dist: Sept 1994 Btl: Jan 2012
Tasted: Jan 2012
The nose is quite sulphured and rather industrial, which was not what I was expecting. Rather murky with some spicy citrus aromas attempting to emerge from the sulphur fug.
The palate is short, alcoholic with a touch of spicy, baked fruit and a lot more than a touch of sulphur! Pleasant? Ah, no!
Douglas Laing Old Malt Cask Tomatin 1990 (21 year old) 50%
Bourbon
Code: OMC2138
Dist: May 1990 Btl: Jan 2012
Tasted: Jan 2012
The nose is quite full and sweetly spiced with plenty of rich barley fruit and creamy oak along with hints of mentholated herbs.
The palate is mellow and rich, opening with the softly spiced, herbal accented, fleshy fruit along with a touch of citrus and honey. The alcohol is pretty intrusive but does carry a wave of spices, whilst the oak sits in the background. The finish is a bit hot but there are some fresh citrus notes.
JANUARY DOUGLAS McGIBBON PROVENANCE BOTTLINGS
It has to be said that this month’s offerings from the Provenance range weren’t exactly the best that I’ve tasted. There were far too many lowlights it has to be said with the Blair Athol being the best of a rather unexciting bunch.
Douglas McGibbon Provenance Glengoyne 1999 (12 year old) 46%
Bourbon
Code: PRV0765
Dist Dec 1999 Btl: Jan 2012
Tasted: Jan 2012
A rather murky and industrial nose. Oily cereal and burnt caramel along with a slight dried grass note. The palate is not quite as industrial as the nose would lead you to believe, but it’s still rather hard going. Citrus, grass, a touch of creamy oak and a slightly spiced finish.
Douglas McGibbon Provenance Arran 1997 (12 year old) 46%
Bourbon
Code: PRV0748
Dist Dec 1997 Btl: Jan 2012
Tasted: Jan 2012
A slightly smoked and somewhat murky nose. A very un-fruity Arran. The palate is much the same murky, cardboardy. Acerbic, biting alcohol and a burnt vanilla finish. Could almost be from Mull.
Douglas McGibbon Provenance Glen Spey 2002 (9 year old) 46%
Bourbon
Code: PRV0772
Dist: Aug 2002 Btl: Jan 2012
Tasted: Jan 2012
A nose of turpentine along with grassy notes. Pure fusel oil to be honest. The palate is very much the same, maybe there is a touch of citrus fruit but that’s academic really I guess. You would have thought that the oak would have removed these impurities by now. Unfortunately not.
Douglas McGibbon Provenance Inchgower 1999 (12 year old) 46%
Sherry
Code: PRV0762
Dist Apr 1999 Btl: Jan 2012
Tasted: Jan 2012
Soft, oily and slightly industrial. There are vague hints of well used sherry cask, burnt toffee, nuts and murky, earthy notes. The palate is sweeter and gristier but still slightly industrial, however it moves in a pulpy, spicy, tequila-esque manner. In fact it has a distinct agave flavour. Good length but it’s still rather hard work.
Douglas McGibbon Provenance Benrinnes 1998 (12 year old) 46%
Sherry
Code: PRV0776
Dist Dec 1998 Btl: Jan 2012
Tasted: Jan 2012
A slightly murky and industrial nose of spicy dried sherry fruit with a slight turpentine edge which in fairness does blow off. Late notes of roasted coffee and golden syrup. The palate is quite oily, yet sweet with spicy dried sherry fruit, but that turpentine note is ever present and sort of evolves into an old petroly Riesling like flavour. Maybe there is a touch of spice, honey and Armagnac-esque dried fruit. The palate is not as bad as the nose suggests, well, that’s as long as you like it a bit weird!
Douglas McGibbon Provenance Craigellachie 1999 (12 year old) 46%
Sherry
Code: PRV0770
Dist Sept 1999 Btl: Jan 2012
Tasted: Jan 2012
A soapy nose with burnt caramel, raisinated fruit and a hint of lemon. The palate is a bit hard and industrial with oily cerealy marc like notes. Quite spicy though with hints of toffee and muscavado sugar.
Douglas McGibbon Provenance Blair Athol 1999 (12 year old) 46%
Sherry
Code: PRV0760
Dist Jan 1999 Btl: Jan 2012
Tasted: Jan 2012
An oily and slightly gristy nose with some pleasant sherry spice notes. The palate is soft, opening with some caramelised nuts, followed by hints of barley and spice. Quite malty and chewy on the middle with a long, toffee’d finale accented by hints of French, dark coffee.
FEBRUARY DOUGLAS LAING OLD MALT CASK BOTTLINGS
This month OMC bottlings kicked off with a pleasant if a bit straightforward Glenburgie followed by a pleasant Strathisla, which if it had a been a tad cheaper I would have gone for it. The same could be said for the Glenlossie. The 18 year old Glen Grant was a bit lean and alcoholic, but the Caol Ila that ended this flight was really good – very savoury with plenty of smoked meat character!
The second flight, the following day started with a real treat for the taste buds! Yes the usual sort of stuff from MacDuff! The Benriach was a bit too old but the Tomintoul was stunning, but is not going to be released until next month, so we’ll have to wait and see what that will retail for. And finally there was another text book bottling of Laphraoig, which if I hadn’t already reserved the 12 and 15 year from January’s bottlings I would have definitely selected it.
Douglas Laing Old Malt Cask Glenburgie 1995 (16 year old) 50%
Bourbon
Code: OMC2142
Dist: Apr 1995 Btl: Feb 2012
Tasted: Feb 2012
A sweetly spiced nose, liberally sprinkled with castor sugar with hints of botanicals and honey. Pleasantly clean with some underlying oak, which becomes creamier as it envelops the nose.
The palate opens with the creamy/ milky oak; flecks of honey and spice are interwoven. The sweets builds and becomes quite confected. Pleasantly deep, if a bit straightforward with a long, sugary-sweet finish.
Douglas Laing Old Malt Cask Strathisla 1995 (16 year old) 50%
Bourbon
Code: OMC2134
Dist: Dec 1995 Btl: Feb 2012
Tasted: Feb 2012
A beautifully clean and fresh nose. Sweetly spiced with a touch of ozone and slightly dried, sub-tropical fruit. Liberally honeyed and showing a pleasant dollop of vanilla oak. Full and deep with a lovely fruitiness and late gristy spice.
The palate is as fresh as the nose with some edgy white fruit and light honey along with hints of botanicals and toasty, spicy oak. Slightly grainy on the middle with a long buttery/ marzipan finish. Lightly oiled and I love that grainy bite to it!
Douglas Laing Old Malt Cask Glenlossie 1993 (18 year old) 50%
Bourbon
Code: OMC2113
Dist: Sept 1993 Btl: Feb 2012
Tasted: Feb 2012
A light, slightly gristy nose with hints of baked apples and vanilla oak. Quite pleasant with some soft, loamy spices.
The palate is fresh and slightly botanical with some barley sugar and malty notes. Long with a zesty, fresh, botanical finish.
Douglas Laing Old Malt Cask Glen Grant 1993 (18 year old) 50%
Bourbon
Code: OMC2143
Dist: Oct 1993 Btl: Feb 2012
Tasted: Feb 2012
A surprisingly high toned nose. Lean but clean with a slight nuttiness and a slight marc-like note. It seems younger than 18 years old. Late hints of barley and toffee.
Soft and youthful on the palate. Like the nose, lean with a suggestion of citrus. Pleasant nutty, vanilla notes on the middle and a good spicy finish. However it’s still a bit lean with a distinct mentholated/ alcoholic finish.
Douglas Laing Old Malt Cask Caol Ila 1996 (15 year old) 50% (website price £68.95)
Bourbon
Code: OMC2140
Dist: Sept 1996 Btl: Feb 2012
Tasted: Feb 2012
Lovely, soft aromas of sweet, smoked bacon, liberally coated in bbq sauce! – Seriously! With time it some white fruit emerges and the nose becomes quite herbaceous with hints of bog myrtle and medicinal peat.
Soft and loamy to begin with on the palate, again with that smoked bacon character. The sweet barley on the middle gives the palate fullness with some tarry-peat notes. Extremely juicy finish, the sugar coated barley extends with sweet liquorice and a light tarry, ashy aftertaste. A delightfully sweet and rich Caol Ila.
Douglas Laing Old Malt Cask Macduff 1990 (21 year old) 50%
Bourbon
Code: OMC2139
Dist: Dec 1990 Btl: Feb 2012
Tasted: Feb 2012
The nose reeks of Evo stick glue with acerbic white malt vinegar and some astringent, fizzy white fruit.
The palate is sherberty sweet and a touch fizzy with that glue note. Hard, industrial and distinctly unpleasant on the palate with a slight metallic finish. Yes, it’s business as usual at Macduff!
Douglas Laing Old Malt Cask Benriach 1990 (21 year old) 50%
Bourbon
Code: OMC2147
Dist: Feb 1990 Btl: Feb 2012
Tasted: Feb 2012
It’s quite hard to get a grip on this nose. There’s some lightly burnt caramel and burnt heather notes, which to be fair do dissipate quite quickly to leave some grassy citrus and light honeyed barley. Over subtle?
The palate opens with a touch of manure along with some honey and wood notes. A bit indistinct with lightly, sweetened honeyed fruit and a touch of spice. Reasonable length, finishing with some citrus and mature oak which bitters towards the end.
Douglas Laing Old Malt Cask Tomintoul 1989 (40 year old) 50%
Bourbon
Code: OMC2144
Dist: Feb 1990 Btl: March 2012 (?)
Tasted: Feb 2012
A beautiful nose of light, Cocgnac-esque dried fruit and coffee along with some boisterous mature oak and sumptuous, yet edgy, honeyed fruit. All topped off by some delightfully crumbly brown sugar spice mix. With time some dark, macerated fruit appears as does some floral honey overtones.
The palate is wonderfully soft and light opening with the gentle honey and a touch of sub-tropical, mature fruit and barley. Deliciously malty and mouth filling on the middle with some gentle cocoa and bitter chocolate nuances, which sticks to the tongue! Stunning length, displaying hints of molasses and treacle coated dried fruit. It may start out quite light in character but the body builds magnificently, finishing with the crumbly brown sugar spice mix. Absolutely divine, a serious tour de force!
Douglas Laing Old Malt Cask Laphroaig 1993 (18 year old) 50%
Bourbon
Code: OMC2132
Dist: Sept 1993 Btl: Feb 2012
Tasted: Feb 2012
A big, oaky and sweet nose with plenty of smoked meat and kipper notes. Quite gently peated with the peat wrapped in bacon fat. With time it develops some medicinal and manure characteristics.
Again the palate is quite sweet and vanilla’d. Slightly sooty with plenty of bracing, astringent coastal salty bits. The oils build on the middle and the sweet honey glazed smoked meat comes back but the alcohol and coastal notes see off the honey before it becomes too sweet. The finish is pretty dry with a light tar, soot and burnt wood aftertaste. Another excellent ‘phraoig!
FEBRUARY DOUGLAS LAING DOUBLE BARREL BOTTLING
Douglas Laing ‘Double Barrel’ Mortlach/ Laphroaig 10 year old(?) 46% - Second Release
Bourbon
Code: DBS0031
Tasted: Feb 2012
The nose is distinctly young, cereally and phenolic. Quite gristy with some honeyed sweet fruit and a hint of violets, heather and barley. The palate is a bit caramel flattened to be honest. Quite oily and less exciting than the first bottling. It’s also a lot younger with an ‘off the still’ cereal character. Slightly heathery with some fishy, briny peat. Young, raw and slightly disjointed with a sugared, gristy barley finish and a pleasant bitter/ sweet after taste.
FEBRUARY DOUGLAS LAING DIRECTORS CUT BOTTLING
This is a relatively new range from Douglas Laing which sits between the Old Malt Cask and the Old and Rare bottlings. It’s the first time I’ve been sent a sample from this range and I was very impressed. So impressed I’ve bought it!
Douglas Laing Directors Cut Bunnahabhain 1991 (20 year old) 49.6% (website price £108.95)
Bourbon
Code: DIR0008
Dist: Dec 1991 Btl: Feb 2012
Tasted: Feb 2012
A stunningly fresh nose, redolent of salt encrusted tropical fruit – apricot and pineapple with a beautiful salty-citrus twang! Very, very clean with hints of barley and light oak, and even some grist! With time the oak becomes wonderfully sawdusty and the mature honey takes on an almost old Glenrothes-like sheen.
The palate is fresh with a touch of oak attempting to intrude, but that is soon put in its place by the coastal notes. Delicate, ethereal honey, flesh apricot, orange and white fruits play out on the middle shot through with some delightful sugar-gristy moments. The finish is beautifully fresh, long and salty yet very soft and full fruited with a liquorice and soft, barky spice after taste.
FEBRUARY DOUGLAS MCGIBBON PROVENANCE BOTTLINGS
Douglas McGibbon Provenance Dalmore 2001 (10 year old) 46%
Bourbon
Code: PRV0767
Dist May 2001 Btl: Feb 2012
Tasted: Feb 2012
A feinty and oily nose of syrupy sweet tinned fruit. A bit murky and faintly metallic. The palate is oily and industrial. hard, murky, acerbic, grubby, underdeveloped with a murky spice finish.
Douglas McGibbon Provenance Dailuane 2000 (11 year old) 46%
Sherry
Code: PRV0778
Dist Apr 2000 Btl: Feb 2012
Tasted: Feb 2012
A heavy, herbal honey nose. Its like hitting a brick wall it’s so dense! A pleasant citrus note along with some light, obviously refill sherry notes as well. The palate opens with vanilla toffee coated white peach and apricot. Quite fleshy, full and rounded. Becoming more toffee’d towards the finish with a soft, spiced finish. Quite pleasant.
Douglas McGibbon Provenance Aberlour 2000 (11 year old) 46%
Bourbon
Code: PRV0788
Dist June 2000 Btl: Feb 2012
Tasted: Feb 2012
Fly spray!! Really! Rank and fizzy. Yuk! The palate is quite nasty and plasticy. Again fly spray and sugary vanilla. Bitter finish. Truly awful.
Douglas McGibbon Provenance Glentuachers 1999 (12 year old) 46%
Bourbon
Code: PRV0780
Dist Oct 1999 Btl: Feb 2012
Tasted: Feb 2012
A fresh and gristy nose with a touch of burnt caramel, earth and vanilla. The palate is soft and milky. Quite full and slightly oily with carameled barley. Reasaonable length with some soft, sweet spice and citrus on the finish.
DEWAR RATTRAY’S ISLAY VATTING
Dewar Rattray Cask Islay Blended Malt 46%
Vatting No1
Btl; 2001
Tasted: Nov 2011
A pungent nose, predominantly young-ish Laphroaig. Quite manurey with camphor, iodine and bog myrtle. With time some tarred rope, fish, brine and parma violets emerge. A lovely vatting with a mature core.
The palate is fresh and coastal, opening with some slightly sweet barley, lemon and garden fruit. The oily sooty-peat follows. Those lovely Islay flavours unfold on the middle with coal tar, seaweed, fish and more peat. Like the nose there is some mature, rounded spirit beneath. A seriously, mouth puckeringly astringent/ coastal finish. Oooh this is good!
A TRIO OF BOURBONS
I must admit I was a bit surprised to find out that Buffalo Trace had reduced the abv of their standard bottling. I was even more surprised when I tasted it. All I can say is that they have ruined it! It’s a travesty and a real shame, so I have started to look for an inexpensive Bourbon to replace it with and thus it lead me to taste the Old Fitzgerald, which to be honest didn’t fit the bill. The other Bourbon was a miniature, which I was given a number of years and for no particular reason has just sat in the cupboard until my girlfriend decided to pick a random dram for me. Needless to say I’ve never heard of this company and after tasting this I have no intension of seeking them out.
If I find out any further information as to why Buffalo Trace has taken this course of action then I’ll keep you informed.
Buffalo Trace 40%
Btl: 2011
Tasted: Dec 2011
The nose opens with pepper, cinnamon and toasted rye notes. So far so good. However the oak is a lot less intense than it used to be and the spirit itself bleeds through with a more noticeable high toned youthful, simplistic character. Less masculine, less intense (given the lower abv) and possibly more elegant.
One could argue that the palate is overly subtle, or one could say that it was thin, bland and watery. I personally think the later. I’m sorry but bottling at 40% rather than 45% has ripped the guts out of this once magnificent spirit. God it’s a lightweight, the oak has disappeared up it’s own proverbial, and yes there maybe a brief flash of pepper but it’s really a sorry shadow of it’s former self.
Allegedly this bottling at a lower strength was done to save money! I can’t believe that a distillery that has built its reputation on intensely complex, powerful and cask strength bottlings feels the need to save a few dollars by desecrating its entry level whiskey. Never has 5% been missed so much. I hope sales plummet and the powers that be at the distillery realise how stupid and short sighted they have been!
Old Fitzgerald Original Sour Mash 43%
Wheated Bourbon
Tasted: Jan 2012
A very sweet, cotton candy nose with plenty of ‘fluffy’ wheat. That sweetness seriously overwhelms the oak which tries its hardest to creep in as does some crisp rye notes.
The palate is soft and fluffy with no shortage of toasted caramel and brown sugar. Relatively straightforward with a slight earthiness. The alcohol and the rye does bite back on the middle attempting to keep the sugars in check and the oak adds a smidge of bitterness to the finish. Pleasant as long as you have a sweet tooth!
Vintage Bourbon Company 1980 (20 year old) 60.2%
Cask R600-73
Dist: 1980 Btl: Oct 2000
Tasted: Dec 2011
A big, intense Bardstown style nose. Seriously OTT in the oak stakes but some fat corn and crisp rye can just about be found. With time hints of violets, vanilla pod, damp earth, burnt coffee and liquorice also emerge.
The palate is quite soft given the abv. The oak is a lot gentler than the nose would lead you to believe although it still has a marked vanilla ice cream character with toasted sprinkles! The alcohol hit is pretty intense although the spirit remains relatively smooth. It’s a little on the one dimensional side to be honest with the spicy woody tannins and alcohol combining to shorten the finish.
With water it all goes horribly wrong (maybe this is why it was bottled in a 5cl miniature). The nose and the palate has become quite soapy with some lavender and violet notes but the oak has all but disappeared. Vey peppery now, almost Tequila-esque – very odd! I can’t remember a spirit showing such a dramatic change with the addition of water.
THE HIGHLIGHTS OF NOVEMBER/ DECEMBER DOUGLAS LAING RELEASES
Well, well, well. An almost drinkable bottling of Fettercain! That’s a novelty. But moving swiftly on. I’ve tasted a couple of the distillery bottlings of Knockando in the past and they were ok, but this was the first time I had tasted a privately bottled Knockando and I was very impressed. It’s wonderfully balanced with a lovely honeyed depth. The Glen Keith has now unfortunately sold out, but needless to say it was rather pleasant.
Going back to how well some Lowland malts age, the St Magdalene was exceptionally good, and is definitely worth the price tag. As you well know I do enjoy Imperial. Yes it can be a bit straightforward in its youth, but I have always found that it is extremely good value for money. As it gets older it becomes wonderfully honeyed, and this bottling is definitely no exception.
To a certain extent you can say the same about Miltonduff, although it can be a bit hit and miss from time to time. This one however is truly exceptional. Really well balanced and not a bad price for a 21 year old whisky.
And finally the 34 year old Glenlivet. Sometimes old Glenlivet just hits the spot – and this one definitely does. This is a dram you need to take your time with and contemplate as it unfolds rather majestically.
Douglas Laing Old Malt Cask Fettercairn 1995 (16 year old) 50%
Bourbon
Code: OMC2103
Dist: Nov 1995 Btl: Dec 2011
Tasted: Dec 2011
Shock, horror, this is initially actually quite pleasant……….. for a Fettercairn! Still as usual industrial with hard as nails barley and brittle honey. A bit on the sugary side and amazingly slightly perfumed with hints of white liquorice, but there is no escaping it’s stinky, industrial, decaying vegetation, faintly cardboardy character.
The palate is again not too bad by Fettercairn standards, yes, it’s industrial with a hint of burnt rubber but there is some pleasant honey to balance the slightly murky-malt and cardboardy spices. However I wouldn’t part with 50 odd pounds for it though.
Douglas Laing Old Malt Cask Knockando 1994 (17 year old) 50% (website price £66.95)
Bourbon
Code: OMC2104
Dist: Apr 1994 Btl: Nov 2011
Tasted: Nov 2011
A beautiful, full and aromatic nose. Redolent of luscious, sweet, natural runny honey with beeswax notes and a hint of crisp citrus. Wonderfully balanced!
Full and soft on the palate with a thread of gentle spice running through it. A wonderful mouthful of honey and oak with a piquant, brusque, plate cleansing middle. Superb length with the honey lingering. Serious succulent and more-ish with a late citrus and grassy finish.
Douglas Laing Old Malt Cask Glen Keith 1993 (18 year old) 50% (sold out)
Bourbon
Code: OMC2092
Dist: Sept 1993 Btl: Nov 2011
Tasted: Nov 2011
A stunning nose of brittle, hard edged barley with fleshy citrus and melon fruit aplenty. With time the exuberantly creamy oak barrels in (forgive the pun) liberally endowing the nose with some delightful Madeira-esque finish baked shortbread. Superb maturity and with time a slight perfumed note appears.
The palate is quite oily with the granity hard barley and honey showing first followed by oodles of citrus and melon, wrapped in the most delightful soft honey imaginable. The middle has a distinct earthy, bourbon like character and the spices build wonderfully. Good grief those spices are running rampant now! – It’s become a veritable spice monster!. Lovely length with the honey and oak lingering.
The oak and the spirit are beautifully balanced and very evocative. The finish displays and almost rye like nip and it could almost be an American/ Scottish hybrid. Truly superb!
Douglas Laing Old Malt Cask St Magdalene 1982 (29 year old) 50% (website price £123.95)
Bourbon
Code: OMC2095
Dist: Oct 1982 Btl: Nov 2011
Tasted: Nov 2011
A seriously perfumed nose – Violets, lavender, oriental spices. A shade on the sweet side (granulated sugar) but there are some hints of dried corn husks, incense and clean, spicy bourbon oak. Seriously complex and beautifully aged.
Soft and dry on the palate. The soft tannins show first but as often is the case with St Magdalene the spirit really does have the guts to stand up to it and adds, surprisingly a fair degree of malt along with honey and piquant spices. Lovely length, robust, yet elegant and lively with hints of light Italian coffee, granulated sugar, violets and cinnamon.
Douglas Laing Old Malt Cask Imperial 1976 (35 year old) 50% (website price £108.95)
Bourbon
Code: OMC2094
Dist: Oct 1976 Btl: Nov 2011
Tasted: Nov 2011
The nose opens with cedar and sawdusty oak with the latent honey lurking somewhere beneath. Oooh the aromas are stunningly deep and mature with some glorious spicy notes along with creamy/ buttery, pre vanilla oak and a hint of black pepper and white flowers.
The palate is full, rich and resplendent in it’s earthy spiciness and brittle honey. Quite granity on the middle with a subtle oiliness. Lightly smoked with the alcohol and granite notes creating quite a dry ending, although it’s reasonably long with a distinct heathery finish. Let’s see if a drop of water can coax it out?
With water the nose is slightly oilier and has emphasised the oak, whilst on the palate it has become quite gristy sweet now with the lehua honey set loose. Seriously juicy now, maybe a touch simpler but there’s no mistaking the lusciousness of the mature honey as is often the case with old Imperial. A seriously lovely dram.
Douglas Laing Old Malt Cask Miltonduff 1990 (21 year old) 50% (website price £73.95)
Bourbon
Code: OMC2110
Dist: May 1990 Btl: Dec 2011
Tasted: Dec 2011
The nose opens with a complex plethora of wood notes (cedar, pine). Seriously robust and full of macerated citrus, stewed apple, mature honey, clove, cinnamon and a smidge of dried fruit as well. Stunningly deep and complex. With time the oak takes on that beautiful aged, sawdusty character and a slightly mentholated camphor note appears.
The palate is loaded with lightly coffee accented spices, malt extract. Like the nose it is very full and delightfully sugar coated. The middle is slightly honeyed and bursting with dried fruit. The oak is immaculately well behaved and adds a mature toasted vanilla note. Superbly balanced and very long with some heather-honey liberally coating the mouth along with those delightful spices.
Douglas Laing Old Malt Cask Glenlivet 1977 (34 year old) 50% (website price £133.95)
Bourbon
Code: OMC2098
Dist: Jun 1977 Btl: Dec 2011
Tasted: Dec 2011
A superb nose of beautifully mature dried fruit along with hints of smoke. As often is the case it moves into exotic, spiced honey accented with lime, lemon, banana, apricot, pineapple and a touch of kiwi fruit. The lovely mature oak is buried under the sheer weight of fruit. The citrus give the nose a lovely freshness and boy does the lime come through. Dense and packed!
The palate opens with the sweet, mature honey and seeped dried, dark fruits and dark honeycomb with hints of malt and vanilla before the exotic fruits break through. There’s a big hit of cinnamon spice on the middle and we’re onto more dried fruit, walnut, liquorice and vanilla from the oak. A seriously endearing old dram, seriously chewy, dark, spicy and exotic. Definitely one for contemplating after dinner by an open fire!
NOVEMBER/ DECEMBER DOUGLAS LAING CLAN DENNY BOTTLINGS
Why oh why do Douglas Laing keep bottling these stunning grain whiskies! I had to pass on the two November bottlings, not because they were in any way lacking, but because we already had other stocks of old grains. However I just couldn’t resist the two December bottlings. The Cambus was every bit as good as its sister cask that Mr Murray gave a 97.5 score too!
Douglas Laing Clan Denny Carsebridge 1981 (30 year old) 59.1%
Bourbon
Code: DEN0078
Dist: Oct 1981 Btl: Nov 2011
Tasted: Nov 2011
The nose opens with an immense hit of supercharged spicy oak. Quite fudgy with plenty of sweet vanilla and a touch of mature honey. Interwoven is some pleasant, nippy almost rye like notes.
The quite pronounced oak makes it dry start to the proceedings but some soft, demarara coated fruit duly arrives. Very full and spicy on the middle with the slightly floral, sweet grain notes encroaching. Very long with hints of coffee, fudge and spice in the finish.
With water the nose displays more of the botanical spirit as the oak beats a retreat. Maybe a touch sweeter with a greater honeyed emphasis. The palate is softer, fleshier and distinctly more fruity – dried fruit, banana and milk chocolate. Lovely length with a pure coffee grain finish.
Douglas Laing Clan Denny Girvan 1965 (46 year old) 49.7%
Bourbon
Code: DEN0079
Dist: June 1965 Btl: Nov 2011
Tasted: Nov 2011
A lovely, sweet-ish nose – Muscavado sugar coated grain! Yum! The nose becomes crisper as the grain bites and forces the oak into the background. Seriously grainy now but some gorgeous rum like dried fruit has become to emerge. Stunningly complex.
Again the palate is quite sweet to begin with but the edgy grains balance that out rather well. Hints of honey glazed smoked meat and juicy dried fruit appears, but the grain and piquant alcohol keep the sweetness in check until the very end when some lovely, creamy coffee’d vanilla is let loose. Still it has a very mouth-watering finish and a lovely honeyed spice finish.
Douglas Laing ‘The Clan Denny’ Invergordon 1966 (43 year old) 47.5% (website price £131.95)
Bourbon
Code: DEN0080
Dist: Mar 1966 Btl: Dec 2011
Tasted: Dec 2011
A massive, slightly perfumed nose opening with some glorious dried fruit and grilled nuts. The oak is rather subdued (by Invergordon standards) but adds some fresh creamy vanilla. Seriously spicy and slightly earthy, but the grain has a beautifully balancing freshness. With time it develops an almost gristy sweetness. Elegant and very, very good.
The palate is silky smoothness personified! Liquid mature honey with mandarin, grilled nuts, alcohol soaked dried fruit and the sweetest spices imaginable coat the mouth. Gently oaked, with the grain imparting just the tenderest of nips and again like the nose it has a distinct perfumed edge. The oak returns on the finish, leaving a beautifully creamy mouth-feel. Absolutely gorgeous!
Douglas Laing ‘The Clan Denny’ Cambus 1963 (48 year old) 49.5% (website price £139.95)
Code: DEN0081
Dist: Aug 1963 Btl: Dec 2011
Tasted: Dec 2011
An enormous, full on, ‘in yer face’ hit of sweet vanilla oak, dried raisins and wonderfully crisp grain. The spices conjured up are multidimensional and dramatic. It’s definitely not an oak monster though as some beautifully balancing citrus notes emerge. Very American in character with a violety note emerging in time. Seriously weighty!
The palate is sublimely soft and succulent. The oak is a shade gentler than the nose would suggest, but still seriously spicy with some zesty, tingly citrus. It all comes together beautifully on the middle. A symphonic mouthful of oak and spirit. Extremely long with hints of herbal honey and grilled nuts. The generous oils coat the mouth and balance out the zesty citrus and slight bittering of the oak at the death.
NEW JAMES MACARTHUR OLD MASTERS BOTTLINGS
These were obviously new bottlings back in November when I tasted them The Aberfeldy was ok, if a touch on the sweet side and the Allt-a-Bhannie had a bit too much oak incursion, however the 22 year old Girvan on the other hand was absolutely sensational, deep, intense and very complex and definitely on a par with some of the Clan Denny bottlings I’ve been raving about.
James MacArthur Old Masters Aberfeldy 2000 (11 year old) 55.8%
Bourbon Cask 83
Dist: Apr 2000 Btl: 2011
Tasted: Nov 2011
A slightly high toned and very gristy nose with plenty of tequila-esque peppery notes. Slightly raw at the edges with white liquorice and herbaceous notes.
The palate opens with some pleasantly sweet barley and again the grist. It’s not as voluptuously fruity as I’d usually expect it to be, but it displays more of a granity, brittle honeyed character. Like the nose it has a definite tequila like character and finishes with no shortage of peppery notes.
With water the nose becomes somewhat muted as the natural oils dampen it down. Likewise the palate which has become a tad on the bland side but it is still pleasantly mouth filling in a soft, gristy, sugary manner. Although in saying that the finish is a bit too sugary though.
James MacArthur Old Masters Allt-a-Bhainne 1995 (16 year old) 54.7%
Bourbon Cask 125282
Dist: Aug 1995 Btl: 2011
Tasted: Nov 2011
A bit too well endowed in the oak department I think. Loads of buttery shortcake and caramel aromas, which over time develops a burnt nuance. There are some hints of lemon curd and barley along with a late earthy note but it is the oak which is the dominating factor.
The palate opens with the tight, tart, minerally lemon but the burnt caramel oak quickly arrives. Piquant alcohol see’s that off and the grassy citric notes return in the finish.
A drop of water brings out some sherberty orange notes but that burnt caramel character lingers. On the palate dilution removes the oak completely and reveals the spirit to be a bit long in the tooth – sugary sweet and somewhat homogenous.
James MacArthur Old Masters Girvan 1989 (22 year old) 63% (website price £63.99)
Bourbon Cask 110633
Dist: Sept 1989 Btl: 2011
Tasted: Nov 2011
The nose has a stunning depth and complexity, opening with some juicy, dried sultana, date and prunes all liberally sprinkled with demarara sugar. The oak is full and rich but balanced by the high toned Girvan grain character. With time some sweet cherry and violet aromas emerge.
The palate is full and sweetly oaked with some beautiful oils coating the rum-like dried fruits. Wonderfully mature oak vanillins fill the mouth and event though the alcohol is pretty intense those wonderful sun dried juicy raisin, sweet, plump sultana and date notes keep it in check. As expected the oak does bitter out the finish a touch but it adds some lovely 100% cocoa chocolate and mocha. Finally the sweet grain puts in an appearance along with a fat corn note. Seriously intense stuff and seriously good!
A drop of water doesn’t change the nose very much, maybe making it a touch oiler, whereas on the palate it tames the alcohol and allows the mouth coating oils full reign – both vanilla and walnut oil. Still supremely juicy and wonderfully long and balanced.
A PAIR OF GLEN SPEY’S
Personally I feel that Glen Spey is a very under rated distillery. I know that it can be a bit simple and I have come across the occasional less than perfect bottling, but both of these bottlings have a lovely clean, fresh, Speyside typicity to them, which is very endearing and the Diageo bottling makes an ideal pre dinner dram.
Douglas Laing Old Malt Cask Glen Spey 1997 (14 year old) 50%
Bourbon Cask: DL6955
Dist: Feb 1997 Btl: Feb 2011
Tasted: Nov 2011
Quite a high toned and gristy nose with plenty of sharp citrus. Very clean with hints of caramel, grass and a developing perfumed note.
The palate is pleasantly citric, a bit on the fizzy side with hints of spice, vanilla and barley. Like the nose it is clean, fresh and grassy. To me it seems reminiscent of a very ripe Sauvignon Blanc. Not overly endowed in the complexity department but the finish keeps on rolling.
Diageo Flora & Fauna Glen Spey 12 year old 43% (website price £40.42)
Tasted: Nov 2011
A beautifully crisp and peppery nose with hints of fern, perfumed honey and sugar coated tangerine. Wonderfully clean and fresh with hints of malt and seed oil.
The palate has that same freshness but it definitely has some depth. Very full in the mouth with plenty of granity honey and a distinct herbaceous character which overlays some pleasant, slightly drying oak. Mouth wateringly crisp with a gentle, slightly perfumed fade.
https://gauntleys.wordpress.com/category/scotch-whisky-a-g/glen-spey/
BRUICHLADDICH FUTURES TASTING
This was a tasting that I had been looking forward to for quite awhile, so a big thanks to my tasting compadre Keiron, who graciously cracked open these bottles, for a truly unique and interesting tasting session.
Bruichladdich Future – Trestarig 2005 (6 year old) 46%
Triple distilled from Publican Barley
Bourbon Cask
Dist: Aug 2005 Btl: Apr 2011
Bottle No: 1075
Tasted: Nov 2011
The nose opens with a lovely, delicately sweet floral note. As expected it’s quite gristy with plenty of fishy, costal hints. Laddie’s new make can be quite biscuity and there is plenty of that evident here. There is not a huge amount of oak but what there is imparts some burnt caramel and a touch of butter. The aromas remind me of ‘Toshan, but cleaner!
The palate is soft and quite rich in character with plenty of sweet digestive biscuits with light hints of pepper and caramel. There is a pleasant spicy bite on the middle with hints of burnt wood and linseed oil mingling with the biscuity notes. The barley sweetness holds all the way through and it finishes with the barest of coastal notes.
Bruichladdich Future – X4 2005 (6 year old) 64.6%
Quadruple distilled from Oxbridge Barley
Bourbon Cask
Dist: Mar 2005 Btl: Apr 2011
Bottle No: 1285
Tasted: Nov 2011
Quite a refined and high toned nose, but like the Trestarig there is plenty of sweet barley and biscuity notes. Obviously not as rich as the Trestarig but showing a touch more wood notes.
The palate is sweet and gristy and (no surprise) alcoholic! In saying that it possesses a lovely softness in the mouth but given the abv it does finish short but spicy with just a touch of sweet digestive biscuit.
With water the nose possibly becomes a tad sweeter along with hints of green apple and violets, still quite biscuity but the oak has vanished. On the palate the light, natural oils are more prevalent and just like the nose the oak has disappeared but it’s still wonderfully spicy.
Bruichladdich Future – Islay Grown 2004 (6 year old) 46%
Distilled from Publican, Oxbridge and Optic Barley
Bourbon Cask
Dist: Dec 2004 Btl: Apr 2011
Bottle No: 0982
Tasted: Nov 2011
Lightly phenolic with sweet peat and rose peatl notes mingling. Ever so slightly confected with hints of sweet digestive biscuits. With time some soft, ultra-ripe tropical pineapple appears. To me it puts me in mind of a peated ‘Toshan. Really intriguing!
The palate is light and gentle with oodles of sweet barley and delicate Spey-like grassy notes and some green apple. The light phenolic notes of the nose do not seem to appear on the palate but it has a lovely, fresh, mouth-watering, slightly perfumed finish.
Bruichladdich Future – Organic 2003 (7 year old) 46%
Distilled from Maris Otter Barley
Bourbon Cask
Dist: Dec 2003 Btl: Apr 2011
Bottle No: 2599
Tasted: Nov 2011
A surprisingly spirity, high toned and edgy nose, but I’m afraid that there is not a lot else, maybe some sweet orange and fishy peat, but this is way too young and displays absolutely no wood interaction. It definitely doesn’t display and fatness, which could be down to the organic barley having smaller grains resulting in less sugar after fermentation?
The palate is soft and gentle with a distinct milky character. Pleasantly round with some sweet barley but overall quite straightforward and dare I say it a bit bland and short. I would have expected some grist and biscuitiness but there is none of that present.
Maybe this is a more ‘natural’ whisky, but one thing is for sure it definitely needed more time in the cask. Another thought is that given that this is organic the low wines tank would have to have been cleaned of all non-organic spirit, thus this could have been the product of the first run, ie, without any feints or foreshots from any previous distillation being added, thus the level of congeners in the spirit would have been a lot less than a spirit that was say distilled during the middle of a run. I could well be wrong but it’s a thought?
Bruichladdich Future – Octomore ‘The Beast’ 2004 (6 year old) 60.5%
Distilled from Optic Barley. Peated to 167 ppm
Bourbon Cask
Dist: Nov 2004 Btl: Apr 2011
Bottle No: 2249
Tasted: Nov 2011
A very briny, windswept, youthfully phenolic nose of bog myrtle-peat and iodine. Very rich, full and maurey but this is by no means a one dimensional peat monster, there is some lovely balancing macerated fruit with hints of ‘old skool’ Caol Ila fresh garden fruit and a sprinkling of coffee/ chocolate spices. A seriously concentrated Islay nose with some beautiful coastal oily moments. Given time in the glass it becomes seriously rich and unctuous with the young biscuity spirit reacting with the wood to impart an almost Madeira-esque ‘finishing cask’ character – It’s a bit like Caol Ila on steroids!
The palate is very butch and oily with creosote and tar notes up first. Once the eye watering alcohol has passed some hot peppered mackerel, vanilla oak, bog myrtle and herb notes flow in as does some delightfully dry, dusty peat, and more peat, and yet more peat! Liberally coating the mouth with this stunning peaty/ tarry/ oily residue. Stunningly long with hints of burnt wood and mulchy vegeatation.
With water the richness of the oak takes a bit of a back seat to the herbal, bog myrtle and manuery notes. On the palate it has become more rounded and chewy now the alcohol is lessened and hints of sub-tropical fruit, banana and white peach have now emerged. The oak has intensified and the rampant bourbon vanillins make this a monumentally spicy mouthful, but that peat cannot be tempered. Beautifully polished but still with a definite Islay rawness.
I tasted it against the last distillery bottling 04.1 and that seemed almost thin in comparison with this monster, which leads me to believe that the futures bottling was matured in more active casks. Also the peat make up was a lot ‘wetter’ in character in the 04.1. Either way Octomore is the real deal!
SPRINGBANK TASTING
I have never tasted the Springbank CV. To be honest I wondered what the point of that particular bottling was as we all know that Springbank really needs some years on the clock before it becomes the dram we know and love. I mean the 10 year old can be very hit or miss, although more of a hit in recent times it has to be said, but after tasting the CV bottling I still really can’t see the point in buying it. It’s raw and lacking in character and for the extra quid or so it would cost to purchase the 10 year old, in my opinion you would be getting so more bang for your buck as they say.
To be honest I was really surprised by the Hazelburn CV. I was expecting a youthful and unexciting dram, just like the Springbank CV, and yes it is youthful, and yes it’s a bit straightforward, but it has a wonderful intensity and a subtle complexity, which goes to show the real quality of this spirit.
But the most successful of the CV bottlings by a long shot is the Longrow CV. I love this malt. Like the Hazelburn it could be argued that it is a bit one dimensional, but that is the point. It’s been created to show the spirit at its peatiest and it is relatively affordable when compared to older age statements of Longrow. And so onto the Burgundy Wood finish. Just like 2008’s Barolo finished Longrow this is rather good. It’s yet another, full, wild beastie of a malt. I’m sure that a few people will be put of by the slight butyric note, but to me it adds to the madness!
Hazelburn CV 46%
Tasted: Dec 2011
A seriously coastal intense nose. I think I can feel salt encrusting my nasal passageways! Quite high toned with a light heather, violet, acacia and orange blossom aromas. A subtle, yet endearingly complex spirit. With time some hints of singed driftwood emerge.
Like the nose it is intensely crisp and coastal, but that is balanced with some macerated apricot, light barley and malt. Quite robust and deep for a triple distilled spirit but short, partly to do with the rampant salt and citrus. The palate is a shade more one-dimensional than that nose would lead you to believe but it’s a damn fine blast, finishing with a soupcon of dried spice.
Personally I believe that it really needs some oak character to round off the intensity of the spirit and allow the obvious complexity to show through.
Springbank CV 46%
Tasted: Dec 2011
The nose opens with some perfumed rose petal notes – proof of its youthfulness. There is some nascent honey, flecked with salt. A bit light and effete with a touch of earthy, dry peat and some oils. With time there is a minor sherried, tobacco leaf intimation. I would assume that there is a very, very small proportion of older spirit in this as it really is Springbank in a nappy!
The palate is light and briefly sugary sweet before some coastal and earthy peat notes put in an appearance. Those sugars attempt to temper the rawness of the spirit, but to be honest the spirit really hasn’t got much character apart from that rawness and confirms my suspicions that there isn’t a great deal of older spirit at work here. Reasonable length with the salinity creeping in leaving a light, fish oil and salty mouth coating.
Longrow CV 46%
Re-Tasted Dec 2011
The nose opens with sweet heather and dusty peat along with hints of burnt wood, decomposing vegetation and manure. Yeah, that’s good! Bracingly coastal with a seriously chlorinated, fishy hit. However all that is balanced superbly by the barley sweetness. By far and away the most successful of the CV bottlings.
The most noticeable thing about this spirit in the mouth is the enormity of the weight. Full and malty and seriously chewy, just like chowing down on burnt coastal wood splinters, liberally sprinkled with pepper and dry, dusty, violety tinged peat. Short, sharp and very, very intense. After chewing on wood the mouth dries up under the coastal onslaught. Ok it can be argued that it is a bit one-dimensional, but it delivers that one dimension so well.
Longrow 1997 (14 year old) ‘Burgundy Wood’ 56.1%
Aged 11 years in re fill Bourbon and 3 years in fresh Burgundy casks – 7800 bottles
Dist: Feb 1997 Btl: Oct 2011
Tasted: Dec 2011
A hugely coastal infused grapey nose. Slightly straw dried yet perfumed red berry aromas mingle with the earthy, slightly vegetal peat. The middle opens to display clove studded orange, rich, slightly singed toffee, camphor along with medicinal and cough sweet hints. Very deep and dense and as is often the case with wine finished longrow’s there is a touch of butyricness, but to me it just adds to the madness and complexity!
Very intense and alcoholic on the palate. The palate opens with some serious wood notes – coffee, treacle, bitter, dark chocolate and dry tannins followed by some luscious ripe red fruit, spice, vegetal peat and just like the nose a slight butyric note. Quite oily and spicy with an eye watering hit of alcohol on the middle. Very long with sweet, but dry smoky finish.
A drop of water brings out rich aromas of coffee laced clotted-cream with redcurrant jelly. In fact it has an almost sherried richness with some wonderfully dusty, muscavado sugared moments. Still huge and enveloping with the peat showing a slightly more phenolic side. The palate has become a wonderful mouth filling melange of muscavado sugar coated sweet red fruit, coffee, toffee and molasses-like malt. The coastal intensity is still there and lightens the palate leaving a gently peated finish. Stunning!
THE GENERAL ROUND UP
So it’s almost a wrap for this month, but the newsletter wouldn’t be complete with out ones round up of the good, the bad and the ugly!
Johnnie Walker Black label 12 year old 40%
Tasted: Nov 2011
The nose to be honest is somewhat homogonous and smells, well, like whisky! That may sound a bit of a daft thing to say but apart from some hints of black pepper and crisp grain, not much else leaps from the glass.
The palate is very much like the nose. Somewhat straightforward with plenty of caramel/ vanillins and a touch of spice. It’s obviously a well made blend but to me it seems pretty innocuous stuff.
Bushmills Original 40%
Matured for 5 years in American Oak
Tasted: Nov 2011
An inviting and seriously crisp nose with some lovely hard, brittle cereal and citrus. Quite austere with an edgy floral/ perfumed grain note.
The palate is soft but brittle, opening with the crisp barley and honey followed by some creamy oak. Maybe this is a tad austere for some palates but I love that. Good length with a lively citrus finish with hints of floral botanicals.
Jameson 40%
Tasted: Nov 2011
Quite a dense nose, with that boiled sweet/ confected sherry character. Actually quite well balanced with some oily Pot Still malt and pleasantly integrated floral grain balancing. With time a touch of spice appears.
Softly sherried with a slightly more homogenous palate, but the oily Pot Still malt is still present and the floral grain notes come through on the finish
Glenmorangie Original 10 year old 40%
Tasted: Nov 2011
A soft, slightly soapy nose with a pleasant freshness along with a citrus twist. The palate is again slightly on the soapy side. Straightforward (or innocuous – take your pick) with hints of spice and bitter oak on the finish.
Balvenie 15 year old 47.8% (website price £52.43)
Bourbon cask 7134
Dist: Apr 1996 Btl: Oct 2011
Tasted: Dec 2011
A firm but gorgeously fruity nose with more than a nod in the direction of tropicalty (ripe and green banana, guava, apricot), accented by herbal and gristy malt notes. With time it becomes wonderfully fleshy and slightly perfumed. The oak adds a beautiful creamy veneer to the aromas. Seriously good and seriously deep.
Soft and subtly sweet on the palate. A wonderfully fresh, granity note balances the oak and fleshy fruit. Apricot, banana, honey and malty cereal combine with a twist of citrus, greengage and herbal notes. The piquant alcohol leads into a mouth watering, slightly gristy barley and sawdusty oak laden finish
With water the nose is softer and a touch sweeter with a greater emphasis on the fleshy fruit, although some gorgeous, dusty spices have now put in an appearance. On the palate the oak is maybe a tad more prominent giving the palate a lovely milky/ clotted cream dénouement. Some beautiful honeyed moments interplay with the gentle spices and all the time you are aware of the sheer depth of fruit which forms a wonderful backdrop. Excellent length with a distinct banana led finish. Do I like this? Absolutely!
Old Pulteney 21 year old 46%
Tasted: Dec 2011
A deep, mellow and mature nose. Seriously rounded with a multitude of aromas – Camphor tinged; salty-malty-makula honey mingles with fresh green, cucumber, lime rind and seeped exotic fruit. Seriously deep with hints of old wood/ hickory and surprisingly, given it’s age some gristy barley. With time more of the coastal character asserts itself.
Full and wonderfully gentle on the palate, wave after wave of lightly honeyed, mature, tropical fruit breaks over the tongue. There is a beautifully delicate line of smoke and coastal notes which weaves its way through followed by some demerara flecked malt. Stunningly deep and full, yet light on its feet, with the alcohol adding a piquancy. Very, very long and gristy with delightful hints of oak and spices. For a malt this light it lingers impressively and signs of with a breath taking herbaceous finish.
As you probably know by now but this wonderful malt was selected by Jim Murray as his 2012 World Whisky of the Year. All I can say is that it is definitely a worthy winner and hopefully in the next newsletter I’ll be reviewing the rest of the range, courtesy of Inver House Distillers Ltd.
Caol Ila 10 year old ‘’2009 Unpeated’ 65.8% (website price £61.90)
Btl: 2009
Tasted: Jan 2012
A very fresh and briny nose. The lack of peat allows hints of citrus, lime and white fruit to show. Seriously coastal with plenty of barley along with a touch of tarry rope and hessian. It has a slight ‘triple distilled’ marc like character, which I assume is from the relatively high abv. Deliciously juicy with even a touch of fleshy banana liberally sprinkled with demerara sugar!
The palate is full, although not overly oily with plenty of slightly honeyed barley along with a touch of citrus and fish. The high level of alcohol makes the mouth water and masks any further development but the juicy, citrus fruit hangs on in there.
With water the nose is still extremely briny, but now the oak puts in an appearance with hints of light toffee and coffee. There’s even a faint floral note now. Even more juicy on the palate and quite sweet now. Even the fishy notes seem sugar coated! Like on the nose the oak is more noticeable now. Very long and seriously bracing finish which leaves the mouth quite dry and salt encrusted.
Carn Mor Clynelish 2003 (6 year old) 46%
Bourbon Hogshead 2223
Dist: 2003 Btl: 2009
Tasted: Feb 2012
A biscuity, soapy, cerealy marc-like nose with a touch of spice. Far, far too young although it’s good spirit. There’s absolutely no wood interaction (which is obvious from the colour or the lack of it!). Late hint of grass.
The palate is a bit sweet, a bit gristy, a bit grassy and a bit spicy. Intrusively alcoholic, no wood, no real finish, should have been left in the cask for a few more years.
Glen Moray No Age Statement 40%
Tasted: Nov 2011
A hugly oaked nose. It seems like a new world Sauvignon Blanc with perfume, bubblegum and a slight hint of rose water. Definitely one-dimensional. The palate mirrors the nose in being straightforward and pleasantly full, but it does become overly sweet. A pleasant quaffer as they say in wine circles!
Maracame Tequila Reposado 38% (website price £56.35)
Aged for 9 months in American oak
Tasted: Dec 2011
Quite a fleshy and oily nose, opening with some beautifully fragrant, pure vanilla oak which has a delightful creamy edge, followed by some woody/ pulpy notes and plenty of lime. Very complex and balanced.
The palate is wonderfully soft, opening up with some toasted, fleshy, pulp, light oils, light honey and a delicate pepperiness. Again wonderfully balanced with the pepper building to a crescendo. Full flavoured , elegant and wonderfully pure. Good length with a herbal twist and just a slight bittering of the oak in the finish.
Cragganmore ‘Friends of the Classic Malts Edition’ 14 year old 40% (website price £44.04)
Dist: 1996 Btl: 2010
Tasted: Dec 2011
A beautiful honeyed nose, oozing tropical fruit and subtle, yet blanketing sherry notes. Seriously deep with some delicate citrus just peeking through. Seriously fragrant and expressive nose!
Soft and voluptuous on the palate, opening with honey glazed barley and malt. The sherry imparts some lovely earthy spice on the middle and adds a subtle but noticeable depth. Some tart citrus balances and the granity Spey character becomes more evident towards the finish but some lovely, juicy malt keeps it under control. A seriously stunning Cragganmore, which put’s the 12 year old to shame!
Bunnahabhain XVIII (18 year old) 46.3% (website price £66.91)
Tasted: Dec 2011
A soft supple sherried nose. Almost spotless (apart from a very minor sulphur blemish). Expansive and generously endowed with roasted nuts, orange oil, walnut, prunes, coffee, muscavado sugar, soft spices along with a touch of violet. Wonderfully complex, although pretty much all the aromas are wood derived apart from a late touch of fish and brine.
The palate is much the same as the nose, heavily endowed with leafy Oloroso (including minor sulphur blemish), lightly oiled, toasted nuts, tangerine, rich, moist Christmas fruit cake and a hint of vanilla. A wonderfully thick and chewy malt with a hint of sea spray in the long finish. The oak does slightly bitter the finish but in doing so adds a liberal dose of 90% cocoa. Minor blemish aside, this is a stunning malt.
Five, Brecon Vodka 43% (website price £24.84)
Btl: 2011
Tasted: Dec 2011
Newly re-packaged, thankfully and bottled at a higher abv.
The nose is quite full and cerealy with a lovely creaminess. Still slightly floral but less grainy now with a greater degree of roundness with an earthy, slightly whisky like undertone.
The palate is soft, slightly sweet and very creamy. Like the nose it is full and cerealy with the creaminess of the spirit continuing. However the grain does nip pleasantly on the middle leaving a fresh citrus finish. The elevated level of alcohol certainly adds a lovely creamy texture and a greater degree of intensity……….. And I’m so glad they have ditched that horrendous packaging in favour of an altogether classier look.
Penderyn Madeira Finished 46% 35cl (website price £20.95)
Sept 2011 Bottling
Tasted: Dec 2011
A very high toned nose with plenty of peppery marc-like notes, cider apple, compressed apricot and pumpkin(?) along with a touch of sultana and dried fruit from the finishing cask. The nose shows a lovely depth and a sweet malty core. Later hints of sugared almonds and tobacco leaf appear.
The palate opens with some soft, sweet-ish barley followed by the youthful pepper and some tart citrus. A pleasantly intense middle with the finishing cask adding some blindingly lovely dried fruit of an almost Armagnac quality. Late oils arrive as does a slight bittering from the oak. One can definitely see some mature spirit at the core of this bottling. Still seriously good
Old Ballantruan 50%
Tasted: Jan 2012
A young and bracingly phenolic nose. Obviously not coastal given that it is a peated spey, but the peat aromas are distinctly medicinal in character. Beneath is some sweet malt and grist.
The palate opens with some sweet barley followed by gentle medicinal peat and grassy spey notes. Tongue searingly alcoholic, which makes the mouth water uncontrollably! Seriously intense with a light ashy/ spicy finish.
Now adding a drop of water you would expect some changes to be made, but I have never experienced such a profound change to a malt. Where has the peat gone? It’s done a runner! All that’s left is some slightly sweet, slightly oily, slightly cerealy spirit of undeterminable provenance.
Personally I’d stick with the Tomintoul ‘with a peaty twang’ if you have a craving for a young, peated spey.
Banchereau Hors d’Age (40 year old) 40% (website price £299.95)
Tasted: Dec 2011
A clean and quite mineral laced nose of light toffee coated orange/ Satsuma along with hints of brown sugar and honey. A beautifully deep, yet delicate and elegant dried fruit rancio, which is supplemented by some sweet plum and date notes. Gentle cinnamon and light sandalwood float in along with a touch of perfume. A stunningly mellow, mature and rich nose.
Like the nose the palate open with a clean minerality, which gives a vibrant edge to the dried fruit as it mingles seamlessly with mature honey and alcohol soaked sultanas with a hint of citrus rind. Beautifully soft spices emerge on the middle. Extremely mouth filling but surprisingly light on its feet. Just like the Grande Champagne XO there is plenty of sweet almond and vanilla oak notes on the finish, but there is no bittering out of the finish as the warming, sweet semi-dried plum and cherry notes remerge as does the minerality. Wonderfully elegant and amazingly long.
Well that is definitely it for now. I hope you enjoyed the read, and don’t forget to tune into The Good Dram Show!
All the best