Dear Whisky Customers
Firstly I would like to thank you all for your support and custom over the last year. After evaluating the sales figures, takings on Spirits were up just over 25%, which whilst we are in the midst of a recession isn’t too bad at all. I do hope that many of you woke on Christmas morning to unwrap an interesting bottle or two of whisky. December was all about the new English Whisky from the St Georges Distillery in Norfolk (which was reviewed in the last newsletter). We couldn’t keep up with the demand, and although it didn’t make it into the top twenty selling Malts of the year, it would have done if I included half bottles. So for those of you that had one I hope you enjoyed it, and for those of you that we didn’t manage to get one for, hopefully we will be getting some more in
Right settle down now as there is quite a lot to get through as it’s been awhile since my last newsletter!
So confession over with, now what’s in store then? As is customary at this time I’ll kick off with the league table of best sellers of 2009. As promised in the last newsletter I’ll give you my take on the 2009 Independent bottlers challenge. There’s the usual array of new stuff that I tasted before Christmas, which may or may not be in stock now. I have also been tasting a number of distillery bottlings over the last month or, especially re-visiting some old favourites, and it has come to my attention that a number are just not quite as good as I remember them to be! More on that later though.
GAUNTLEYS TOP 20 BEST SELLING WHISKIES OF 2008
(Last years position in brackets)
1. (3) Benromach Tradition
2. (-) Jack Daniels Single Barrel
3. (-) Nikka from the Barrel
4. (6) Edradour 10 year old
5. (10) Caol Ila 12 year old
6. (2) An Cnoc 12 year old
7. (4) Penderyn Madiera Finish
8. (5) Bruichladdich 12 year old ‘Second Edition’
9. (-) Clontaff Single Malt
10. (-) Pure Malt Black
11. (1) Dewar Rattray Stronachie 12 year old
12. (-) Red Brest 12 year old
13. (-) Greenore 8 year old
14. (-) Elijah Craig 12 year old
15. (-) Dewar Rattray Port Dundas 1991
16. (-) Dewar Rattray Craggenmore 1993
17. (-) Bruichladdich Waves
18. (-) Dewar Rattray Tomatin 1988
19. (-) Laphraoig Quarter Cask
20. (-) Bruichladdich Margaux Finish 16 year old
Well it’s all change at the top again! I think the figures bear out that once again money was the key issue for many customers, and with the Benromach tradition retailing for less than £25, it is still a real bargain. This also vindicated my cunning plan to introduce a small range of cheaper blended whiskies as they also sold well, along with half bottles. Many customers bought them as stocking fillers.
I also feel vindicated in my decision to finally stock the Jack Daniels single barrel. Having had the old No7 on a number of occasions and drowning it with coke, I approached it with some trepidation. I mean I was asked for it on a number of occasions and although turning down a sale is never a good thing, but just to stock it when you know it is awful goes against my sensibilities should we say. But upon setting aside one’s prejudices and actually tasting it, well that was a different matter.
It’s refreshing to see a couple of Japanese whiskies making it into the top 20, as I have been going on for years about how good they are. It’s also good to see that sales of the Penderyn are still holing up and Caol Ila 12 bouncing back up the table. I still have a soft spot for that malt, even after all these years. It’s also good to see that Bruichladdich still does well, even though I think that these days’ sales have been diluted by the sheer diversity of their range, yet the ‘classic’ 12 year old still seems to be a perennial favourite along with the Margaux finish 16 year old which myself and Mr Murray will disagree upon!
This whole diversity business leads me nicely into something I have been pondering!!
That is this: Is Bruichladdich’s and the whisky industries obsession as a whole with innovation driven by the marketing men or the customer? Many people believe that in our ever changing world, we are restless consumers with the attention span of a gold fish! No longer do we settle for the same old same old, but we need constant change, otherwise we become bored. An interesting comment was made by Arthur Winning at James MacArthur. He said to me the other day that a number of consumers are being turned off by this innovation lark because they no longer know what is ‘real’. Long gone are the days of double distillation and ageing in Bourbon casks, which would show case the ‘traditional’ distillery character. Now it’s all cask finish this, multi-distillation that, and before you know it the malt that’s in the bottle has absolutely no relation to the ‘real’ output of a given distillery.
Two examples (of which I’ll expand upon later) are the Bowmore 12 and the Scapa 16. Both these malts have moved a long way from their (to me) expected character. So maybe 2010 should be a ‘back to basic’s year?’ I would be interested to know your thought’s on this matter.
Dewar Rattray has had another good year with many customers returning and buying their bottling’s. It has to be said that I don’t have to work as hard as I did a number of years ago in convincing customers of their quality, well not the ones that I choose to stock that is. Even though the Stronachie has been knocked off the top spot, it’s good to see a number of their other bottling’s in the top 20.
GAUNTLEYS TOP 10 BEST SELLING INDEPENDENT BOTTLINGS
(Last years position in brackets)
1. (1) Dewar Rattray Stronachie 12 year old
2. (-) Dewar Rattray Port Dundas 1991
3. (4) Dewar Rattray Craggenmore1993
4. (-) Dewar Rattray Tomatin 1988
5. (-) Dewar Rattray Caol Ila 1995
6. (2) Dewar Rattray Craigellachie 1991
7. (-) Dewar Rattray Glen Grant 1995
8. (-) Dewar Rattray Glenrothes 1990
9. (-) Raymond Armstrong Invergordon 36 year old
10. (-) James MacArthur Strathmill 12 year old & Duncan Taylor Battlehill Miltonduff 9 year old
As you can see it’s been another successful year for Dewar Rattray. What more can you say, they keep bottling some amazing casks, so let’s hope that it continues into 2010. Incidentally I was asked the other day what was my favourite malt of the year, which is a question I always find difficult to answer but I’d have to say that it was a toss up between the Dewar Rattray 1967 Tomatin, the Duncan Taylor 1969 Glenrothes and the Duncan Taylor 1993 Ardbeg, but I could go on, and I have to say that all the bottling’s in this top 10 are there through merit.
NEW STUFF
(well they were new, just before Christmas!)
Duncan Taylor Glenlivet 1970 (39 year old) 54.3% £140.95
Bourbon Cask 2002
The nose offers up aromas of delicate maturity. Crisp honey, floor polish, cinnamon, Armagnac-esque dried fruit, lovely elderly orange fruit, sawdust, aged clarified butter and hints of mint. A beautiful nose that has a delicate floral top note.
The palate is soft and mature, opening with the honey and cinnamon spices followed by an abundance of Armagnac-esque dried fruit. The wood bitters it out a bit and the alcohol masks the finish. A touch of water takes the edge of the alcohol and although it simplifies the nose a little it allows the Armagnac-esque fruit to really shine through, brining out some liquorice wood notes and lengthening.
It’s amazing the difference between sister casks. Cask 2003 was definitely disappointing whereas cask 2002 is fabulous. This just reinforces the point that you should never take any whisky for granted and just because one cask was stunning doesn’t mean that another will be likewise.
Duncan Taylor Bowmore 1982 (27 year old) 50.5%
Bourbon Cask 85162
Quite a shy nose it has to be said. Delicately salty and oily with hints of peat, herbs, lavender, violet and butter. I think that some fruit lurks in the depths of this malt but it’s hard to tell if it’s closed or unforthcoming.
The palate is a shade on the watery side. A mixture of sugar water and parma violets, along with dry wood tannins. There is some salinity and a veritable sweet shop full of parma violets but it’s very one dimensional even the slightly medicinal finish doesn’t convince one to change one’s mind.
Water doesn’t really help to be honest, it’s starts to fall apart and becomes far too sugary-sweet. The spirit might have been good at one time, but it had definitely spent too long in the cask.
James MacArthur Dalmore 12 year old 59.8%
Bourbon
Quite a high toned nose. A bit like their bottling of Girvan, with a floral, gin like botanical/ grass character, which could be down to the relatively high abv. A suggestion of honey and orange. The palate is dry and intensely alcoholic. Again slightly floral and botanical/ grassy.
A drop of water bring out hints of delicately spiced, slightly perfumed orange fruit aromas and it becomes quite oily (lanolin) with a developing sweetness and minerality. The palate is now soft and sugary. The orange fruit is now very sugar coated. There is some pleasant late cocoa, vanillins and tannins, but it just doesn’t seem to have the balance. All in all the quality is fine, but to be honest a bit too sugary for my taste.
Dewar Rattray Clynelish 1997 (12 year old) 59.4% £39.95
Bourbon Cask 4664
Light, crisp and slightly perfumed/ high toned. Lovely depth of granity apricot and tangerine. There’s a slight alcohol prickle along with hints of clean rose petals and a developing slight candied sweetness. Soft on the palate with granity citrus fruits, apricot, a hint of banana, white chocolate and gentle spices. Piquant alcohol and a lovely slightly salted finish.
A drop of water brings out some light honey aromas and makes the orange fruit decidedly juicy and luscious. Meanwhile the palate now displays a broader complexity with the oak adding very pure vanilla and American cream soda notes. Mouthfilling and juicy with a straw like white fruits (pear) character emerging. Quite malty on the middle with the sweetness kept in check by the alcohol. Good length and finish. A really pleasant Clynelish.
Dewar Rattray Aberfeldy 1994 (15 year old) 57.3% £46.95
Bourbon Cask 4007
An earthy/ dunnagey nose. A stunning depth of molten chocolate laced orange fruit, maturing honey and Christmas cake dried fruit. Wow! The orange fruit really develops – floral and liquidy! Topped off with a liberal sprinkling of brown sugar. This is a superb nose.
The palate is exceedingly chewy. Full of maturing honey, rounded, complex and mouth filling orange fruit, barley and chocolate malt. The piquant alcohol cleans the palate to leave a mineraly, grainy finish along with a slight floral note.
Water brings out a touch of lanolin and some gorgeous spices. It has become very floral although it’s not as intense as it is without water. But……….. the palate is exceedingly luscious! The soft, liquid fruit glides sensuously over the tongue. Slightly sweeter and mellower now, which allows the lovely spices to come through on the finish. Personally I would opt to have it nest, but either way it’s a lovely dram.
Dewar Rattray Glen Scotia 1992 (17 year old) 59.4% £58.95
First Fill Sherry But No1
A big, luscious, leafy, sherry nose. A monster – yes! But….. The complexity and expansiveness of the cask along with the cleanliness is stunning. Pure Colombian with a rum like note, green olives, brandy butter, lavender, burnt toffee, chocolate coated raisins. Ok, so the distillery character is pretty swamped but it tries to fight back with a touch of brine and peat.
The palate is no surprise all cask. Leafy and tannic with liquorice, and coffee flavours to begin. A coastal astringency appears on the mid palate before the alcohol kicks in. However the fun is not curtailed. Dried Armagnac-esque fruit, sweet toffee, Christmas cake and a shed load of raisinated fruit sweep in. Superb purity. Stunning length with hints of cocoa powder on the finish.
Water doesn’t change the nose very much, maybe it’s slightly oiler and not so complex. The same goes for the palate, so again I would opt to take it neat. Hang on! Some peat has just wafted in! Ahh, now I’m getting the coal scuttle licking finish!
Like I have said a hundred times before. For a sherry cask to get me excited it has to be good………. And this is!
Dewar Rattray Port Morant (Guyana) Rum 1992 (17 year old) 46% £40.95
Now the interesting thing with this is that the sample arrived at its natural cask strength of 58.8% and obviously my notes reflect this, so the ‘with water’ notes will be what it will actually taste like. I asked Francis at Dewar Rattray why they had decided to bottle it at 46% and she told me it was because not being specialists in rum they had taken it on advice to bottle it at the lower abv, and one or two of there other customers said they preferred it at 46%.
Now, me, being me, preferred it at cask strength, to which Francis replied “Don’t tell me that!” “You won’t believe the aggravation I’ve been through with this!” They apparently have another cask of I think 1995, which hopefully they will bottle at cask strength.
A pungent and oily nose. I don’t actually need to put my nose in the glass to tell that! This is really intense – rum soaked chocolate sultanas, plump and juicy ones at that. Lovely powdery spices (cinnamon) and yet more dried fruit, cane molasses along with hits of menthol, chicory and a developing leafy-herbalness. The palate is soft and oily opening with pure cocoa powder, cinnamon, all spice, linseed oil and sultanas. Juicy dried fruit with cane sugar. The sweetness is balanced by the piquant alcohol and the length is superb infused with chocolate drops. A real hit of the Caribbean!
With water (what it will actually be like)
The nose has become very oily now. All those aromas are still pleasant but it seems more reserved and less intimidating I suppose. The palate has the same increased oiliness, and I have to say it has a lovely mouth feel. Those spices, unbridled by the alcohol veritably dance on the tongue. The water also has brought out a medicinal/ leafy note which mutates into a Laphroaig-light, iodine and plaster note (A bit reminiscent of the Alchemist’s Rhum Agricole). Ok, so I preferred it a bit more hardcore, but at 46% it’s still really good.
Dewar Rattray Bunnahabhain 1974 (35 year old) 44.3%
Bourbon cask 7111
The displays a huge amount of oak, which frankly mauls the spirit. Butter coated white peach, pear and caramel. It’s very luscious with some orange fruit and coastal salinity attempting to force a way through. The palate opens with salted, sweet white fruit, greengage, heather and a touch of sugar water. A light peat smoke note drifts in before the combination of oak and alcohol crush the finish leaving a salty-bitter after taste. Somewhat unbalanced to be honest.
Dewar Rattray Bowmore 1989 (20 year old) 50.1%
First Fill Sherry Hogshead 1101
A big, leafy, silky, peat infused sherry nose (walnuts, dates, coffee, liquorice). There is a faint sulphur note which tries it’s best to hide amongst the soot and tar. Over time some fishy notes emerge as the sherry aromas are pushed back a bit.
The palate is rubbery and like the nose faintly sulphured. The sherry arrives first with green nuts, dried fruit and walnut flavours, followed by the parma violets, salt and herbs. Lovely length with pure treacle and liquorice and finally some gentle smoke. It has a good integration with the salinity balancing out the sherry sweetness, but it’s a shame about the sulphur blemish.
With water the nose becomes sweeter and the sulphur note (definite green eggs) is a lot more noticeable even through it does it’s best to intertwine with the rubber notes, it also develops a metallic nuttiness. On the palate the over sherry character has taken a back seat and it has become a lot sweeter, like the nose, an almost violet/ rose water character.
I’m probably being over critical, but in my opinion Dewar Rattray have bottled some better casks of Bowmore.
THE 2009 INDEPENDENT BOTTLERS CHALLENGE
Firstly a bit of a gripe! I can’t believe how small the coverage in the Whisky Magazine there was for such a prestigious competition. I mean go back a couple of years and it merited several pages with information, pictures, etc. Now take a look at Issue No 82 and it has now shrunk to one page, which is purely a brief list! I sort of mentioned this to Rob Allanson, the Whisky Magazines editor when he asked me to be a judge again.
I would have liked to have seen it laid out like a regular tasting column with tasting notes and reasons why a certain bottling was given a gold medal. I even said that I’d quite happily supply tasting notes for the ones that I evaluated. Ok, so partly I would be chuffed to see my tasting notes in the magazine, but I think that it really deserves more attention than it is getting. I am a big supporter of the Independent sector and well, if I don’t say anything who will. So Rob, if you are reading this then, give me a break and I’ll write something for next years challenge. I promise to be good and not too outspoken……….. Honest………. Really…….. Fingers not crossed!!!
I would also like to point out that on their website they are still showing the 2008 results, which to be honest with you is really poor show!
In the competition I was given the Speyside and Lowland categories to judge. In each category I have given both the ‘official’ results and the ‘unofficial’ (ie if it was just up to me) results including comments where necessary. I must point out that I do not know who were the other judges in these catagories and that all the samples are tasted blind with only a number, age statement and abv to go on.
SPEYSIDE 12 YEARS OLD AND UNDER
OFFICIAL
Medal My Score (out of 10)
GOLD Gordon & MacPhail Glen Elgin 1995 12 year old 45% 8.1
SILVER Douglas Laing Braeval 12 year old 50% (Re-fill Sherry) 8.6
BRONZE Berry Bros Longmorn 1996 12 year old 56.7% 8.0
UNOFFICIAL
Medal My Score (out of 10)
GOLD Douglas Laing Braeval 12 year old 50% (Re-fill Sherry) 8.6
SILVER Gordon & MacPhail Glen Elgin 1995 12 year old 45% 8.1
BRONZE Berry Bros Longmorn 1996 12 year old 56.7% 8.0
As you can see there was a consensus amongst the judges with regard to the top three in this category, just the order in which they were placed. Shock, horror I gave top spot to a sherried dram! The Braeval however was quiet delicately sherried and as my tasting notes show - A lovely robust Spey showing some maturity (on the nose).
The G&M Glen Elgin, which I had to add to the list was absolutely spot on! The nose was very pleasant - Delightfully grassy and citrusy with a touch of light earthy-peat and some orange fruit. Creamy/ buttery oak follows with a touch of white chocolate and late peppery spice. Lovely balance and complexity.
The Berry’s Longmorn was interesting because it was obviously peated. I can’t say that I’ve come across a Longmorn quite like it. It was quite coastal and could have easily passed for an Islay with with lashings of leafy bog myrtle and rubbery notes. All backed up by some oily, subtle vanilla oak. Whilst on the palate it was crisp and powerful with light peat, coal dust, bog myrtle and spices. Water emphasises the sweet malt and barley. It lessens the peat impact and allows more of the delicate Speyside fruit to show through.
Overall the quality was quiet even, the only really poor bottling was the peated Cadenheads Caperdonich 12 year old 52.6%, which just scraped a 5.2. My conclusion for this malt was - Interesting nose (of earth, peat, manure and bog myrtle), dull palate. Very alcoholic and not fruity. If you are going to do a peated Spey, make sure the spirit has fruit to back up the peat!
SPEYSIDE 13 TO 18 YEARS OLD
OFFICIAL
Medal My Score (out of 10)
GOLD Dewar Rattray Glenrothes 1990 18 year old 51.4% 8.2
SILVER Cadenheads Glenrothes-Glenlivet 18 year old (Sherry) 7.2
BRONZE Robert Graham Braes of Glenlivet 18 year old 40% 8.5
UNNOFICIAL
GOLD Berry Bros Aberlour 1995 13 year old 46% 8.7
SILVER Robert Graham Braes of Glenlivet 18 year old 40% 8.5
BRONZE Dewar Rattray Glenrothes 1990 18 year old 51.4% 8.2
Now in this category we start to diverge. I thought the Bourbon oaked Aberlour was a perfect, light, citrusy Spey. Delicate yet oozing charm and character. But as the Glenrothes and the Glenrothes-Glenlivet were more robust in character I can only assume the other judges found them more appealing, but I thought that the Aberlour perfectly optiomised the ‘traditional’ Speyside character (hmm, we’re coming back to that traditional theme again!!)
The Braes was similar in character to the Aberlour. Again it had that grassy/ sauvignon blanc character and the nose was - Intense, deep, brittle barley aromas with light honey and a saline note. Lovely hints of liquid orange, sweet earth and spices. On the palate it seemed a lot younger than 18 years old and as you can see it was just edged out (in my opinion) by the Aberlour.
However I can’t complain about the winner! The Dewar Rattray Glenrothes has poise and elegance by the bucketful and as it makes the Gauntleys top 10 best selling Independent bottlings of 2009, I think no more really needs to be said.
The Cadenheads Glenrothes-Glenlivet was a first filled Oloroso sherry monster, and you all know my feelings on those types of whiskies. There was a slight sulphur blemish on the nose, which is where it lost marks and the palate was (as expected!) - Liquid sherry wood, spices and alcohol. It does develop a berry fruit note along with some cinnamon spice and is actually quiet appealing for a monster. Water removes some of the complexity, but it’s still mouth filling.
The bottling’s entered into this category were a probably a bit more mixed, quality wise and the real stinker was yet another sulphur spoilt Oloroso sherry monster which could only muster a paltry 5.9 points - Gordon & MacPhail Linkwood 15 year old 43%. Ones concluding thoughts were - It’s ok, although it has a bit of a sulphur blemish it’s not ruined by it. The alcohol is very intrusive for 43% and water doesn’t really help.
SPEYSIDE 19 + YEARS OLD
OFFICIAL
Medal My Score (out of 10)
GOLD Berry Bros Glenlivet 1975 33 year old 46% (Sherry) 7.0
SILVER Cadenheads Benriach-Glenlivet 23 year old 53.3% 8.6
BRONZE Dewar Rattray Dufftown 1976 32 year old 55.4% 7.3
UNNOFICIAL
GOLD Cadenheads Benriach-Glenlivet 23 year old 53.3% 8.6
SILVER James MacArthur Glenlivet 30 year old 57.6% 8.3
BRONZE SMWS ‘Cinder Toffee & Scented Sandalwood’ 23 year old 54.1% 8.2
Well what can you say? There was a wild disparity between the judges in the category. I mean I wonder how on earth the Berry’s Glenlivet won. The decision was a real travesty. For it to have an average score high enough to win, someone must have given it a 10, and well, it’s really just an average whisky. I’ll just have to reproduce my notes on it for you to see why:
Nose: A leafy, rich, sherry nose. Lot’s of dark chocolate, hickory, nuts and wood spices. Showing some maturity. No real distillery character though. (2.9)
Palate: As the nose. (2.8)
Finish: Good length. (1.3)
Conclusion: Good, clean sherry cask but no real distillery character though. Could be from anywhere. Seems younger.
To say that this was the best Speyside bottling leaves me speechless! It has absolutely no distillery character whatsoever – and how many more times to I have to say it?
Anyway the real winner in my opinion was the Cadenheads Benriach-Glenlivet. Why? Because it was exciting, complex, interesting and a complete antithesis to the Berry’s
Nose: A lovely deep and crisp nose of honeyed citrus, earth, dried raisins and sultanas, figs, light coffee-spice and vanilla oak. Gorgeous! Gets creamier over time and develops a floral note. Water emphasises the lovely orange fruit, wood notes a touch of burnt toast emerges along with a meaty/ bacon-like note. (3.8)
Palate: Soft and fruity with lashing of apricot, banana, citrus fruit and vanilla. Quiet an earthy middle with a hint of tannin and restrained alcohol. Water makes it wonderfully soft and fruity emphasising the light citrus oils. (3.4)
Finish: Long with grass and Sauvignon blanc white fruits and herbs. (1.4)
Conclusion: Superb. The palate could have done with a bit more complexity, but that’s a minor quibble!
As for the Dufftown! Well you know that it makes up the so called Axis of Evil along with such luminaries as Tullibardine, Fettedcairn, Tobermorey, etc. It’s a dirty malt and although there was nothing wrong with the bottling, the distillery is definitely not in the Premier League!
Right, the James MacArthur Glenlivet. Now what was wrong with that? Loads of lovely honey on the nose. Ok so the palate is not as complex as the nose and the finish is a bit hot, but it still out scored the Dufftown! And how the SMWS ‘Cinder Toffee & Scented Sandalwood’ failed to impress the other judges is beyond me. I mean, ok, it has a bit of a stupid name but the nose is enormously well endowed with oodles of vanilla, deep, honeyed fleshy fruit – pure liquid apricot! (Definitely as good as the Benriach-Glenlivet with 3.8) The palate becomes a bit homogenous with the addition of some water, but without it is a big, juicy Spey!
LOWLAND 12 YEARS OLD AND UNDER
OFFICIAL
Medal My Score (out of 10)
GOLD Duncan Taylor Whisky Galore Auchentoshan 9 year old 46% 6.5
UNNOFICIAL
GOLD Duncan Taylor Whisky Galore Auchentoshan 9 year old 46% 6.5
As there was only one entry in this category, it was always going to win a gold medal. For once I was spot on with my assumptions of what distillery it came from (see newsletter No 39 – July 2009). All I can say is that young Auchentoshan doesn’t even come close in quality to say the current 8 year old Bladnoch. So a tip for the Independents that want a young Lowland on their list is – Go see Raymond!
Frankly if it was down to me I wouldn’t have issued a medal in the class. I mean by giving it a gold medal, says that it is worthy of such an accolade, and apologies to Duncan Taylor but it isn’t!
LOWLAND 13 TO 18 YEARS OLD
OFFICIAL
Medal My Score (out of 10)
GOLD Cadenheads Bladnoch 17 year old 55.1% 6.2
SILVER Ian Macleod Rosebank18 year old 48% 5.6
BRONZE Berry Bros Bladnoch 1990 (18 year old) 46% 3.5
UNNOFICIAL
GOLD Cadenheads Bladnoch 17 year old 55.1% 6.2
SILVER Ian Macleod Rosebank18 year old 48% 5.6
BRONZE Berry Bros Bladnoch 1990 (18 year old) 46% 3.5
This was just a three horse race, and well you can judge for yourself the quality by looking at the scores. Let’s just say if they were horses, they would have long been put out to pasture (and that’s being polite!) The Berry’s Bladnoch was a complete abomination. A clapped out old nag (to stick with the horse analgy) fit only for being turned into copydex! It was easily the worst whisky I tasted and whoever though that it was even remotely worthy of being bottled should be strung up by their toes and be forced to drink it through a straw. You think I’m joking? Read the tasting notes below and tell me that I’m wrong.
Nose: Oily and fatty with lanolin, old wool fat, vanillins and an intrusive, intense dirty marc like character. There’s absolutely no fruit whatsoever! A drop of water vaguely redeems it bringing out some fruit and liquid honey. (1.5)
Palate: Oily and not so brusque, but like the nose there’s no fruit just dirty, decaying rose petals. Water makes it horribly candied and weak. Dreadful! (1.0)
Finish: Raw and spirity. Some spice and cardboard. (1.0)
Conclusion: Horrid! A score of 3.5 is being generous!
The Macleod Rosebank was probably the worst bottling I’ve ever tasted from that distillery and the Cadenheads Bladnoch was barely above average. If it was down to me I wouldn’t have awarded any medals, because by giving them an award, you are saying that these are good whiskies, and frankly they’re not.
C’mon people, surely you can do better than that! I know you can because the samples submitted for last years category were so much better.
LOWLAND 19+ YEARS OLD
OFFICIAL
Medal My Score (out of 10)
GOLD Berry Bros St Magdalene 25 year old 46% 8.7
SILVER Specialty Drinks Linlithgow 1982 26 year old 63.7% 8.1
BRONZE Duncan Taylor Inverleven 1978 29 year old 45.5% 8.4
UNNOFICIAL
GOLD Berry Bros St Magdalene 25 year old 46% 8.7
SILVER Scotch Malt Whisky Society ‘Waken the Taste buds’ 19 year old 8.6
BRONZE Cadenheads Auchentoshan 19 year old 46% 8.5
Finally some redemption for my poor tortured taste buds!
There was very little to choose between the Berry’s St Magdalene, the SMWS silly name 19 year old (I think they have been infused with the spirit of Richard Branson!) and the Duncan Taylor Inverleven. The Inverleven had a beautiful nose of light, yet mature honey, barley, light coffee and a slight perfumed orange note. All set against a background of wonderful vanilla oak and wood spices, but the palate was showing it’s age a bit and wasn’t quite as good as the nose.
The Berry’s St Magdalene had a stunning depth and typicity. It was much fresher on the nose and it definitely belied its age. It only just edged out the SMWS bottling. Whereas the St Magdalene revelled in its grassy freshness the SMWS bottling was a deep, rich, honeyed Lowland with a veritable mouth full of mature fruit and coffee notes.
I was surprised the Linlithgow made it into second place as it had a really interesting (peated) nose but the palate was dull and alcoholic. As my tasting notes point out:
Nose: Quiet like the SMWS ‘Waken the Taste buds’ – Intense and earthy. Showing more maturity and an almost Islay-esque peaty/ manurey note. Very good! With water it emphasises the silky orange fruit and maybe brings out a touch of pineapple(?) amid all the peatiness. (3.6)
Palate: Oily with old straw and peat. Can’t taste much else beyond the alcohol! Water mellows but doesn’t really do much else apart from maybe emphasising the coffee’d wood notes. Disappointing! (3.1)
Finish: Moderate, spicy finish. Water again doesn’t change it much maybe brining out a grassy after taste. (1.4)
Conclusion: Not exactly typical. Really interesting nose but lets itself down on the dull palate. Shame.
And finally the Auchentoshan!.......... Sometimes this whisky tasting lark is a funny old game. One minute you think you have it all sussed out and then someone throw’s you a curve ball and it’s a case of ‘Ur out!!’ What am I talking such rubbish about? Well these were my notes from tasting this sample, and I haven’t made this up at all.
Nose: An intense and leafy nose with crisp barley and grains running riot. This is definitely a single grain. Loads of toffee’d oak arrive with a veritable bucket full of late buzzing spices (3.7)
Palate: Oily and dense. Exceedingly grainy with loads of toffee oak. (3.3)
Finish: Moderate length with a lovely late peppery/ spicy finish.
Conclusion: Must be a grain. Very intense and oaked. Port Dundas? I love it but should it really be in the Lowland category?
Need I say anymore?
THINGS JUST AINT WHAT THEY USED TO BE!
Isn’t that so? Like I said in my introduction I had been fortunate to taste a number of distillery bottling over December, which is quite a change for continually tasting the Independent stuff. The thing about tasting whisky is that more often than not a word will pop into your head when you first put your nose in the glass and generally speaking that first perception stays all the way through the tasting. Some say that you should taste a spirit a number of times because of external factors etc, but in my experience this ‘gut feeling’ generally doesn’t change.
CASE NO1
So when I tasted the new Bowmore 12 year old I was expecting the smoky monster of yore, but what I got instead was….. well….. fluffy!!! Fluffy??? Since when has Bowmore been anything less than hardcore???! And yes I tasted it again and again, and all I could come up with was, well… er… elegant?! What has happened to this once rugged and smoky whisky?
Bowmore 12 year old (New Label) 40% £32.95
Very oily coastal orange fruit to begin with, followed by barley, light peat smoke, honey, fish, brine and hints of spices and menthol. The sherry sits pleasantly in the background and supports. One wonders where the intense peat smoke of old has gone?
The palate is dry, soft and a bit fluffy to be honest. Still oily with light peat, barley, menthol/ eucalyptus and hints of fisherman’s friends, which leads into a coal/ charcoal dust middle. This must be the politest Bowmore I’ve ever tasted, dare I say elegance has replaced its manly charms? The finish is very long with an intense saline finish and returning coal dust after taste.
CASE NO2
Well, your honour, here is the evidence for case number two. Firstly, like the Bowmore, it is not a bad whisky, if I’m honest. It’s ok, but like the Bowmore, this is a pale shadow of its former self. It makes you wonder where these casks have been stored. It was the same story with a distillery bottling of a 14 year old 60.6% some time ago, which also had a distinct lack of coastalness (lots of tropical fruit, toffee, butter fudge and banana, etc).I mean it has three dunnage and three racked warehouses, and given its history of intermittent production one would think all it’s output is stored on site.
I’m not the only one that thinks like this. In the latest bible Jim Murray laments this whisky as well, and as I can’t claim to have the knowledge or experience that he has, but I have tasted a few expressions of Scapa over the years and I believe that to find the true Scapa, in my opinion you have to go back to some of the bottlings of late 80’s distilled spirit by Gordon & MacPhail.
Scapa 16 40% £58.95
The nose is a bit flat to be honest with honey, caramel and a touch of vanillins. A fleeting hint of salinity passes followed by menthol, heather and bracken notes. Charming but hardly windswept and coastal. The palate is much the same, quite honeyed with a rather large amount of caramel/ toffee. The saline note is makes a brief acquaintance with the tongue and it’s a bit short.
CASE NO3
I am expecting to hear howls of anguish, knowing how popular this malt is. How dare he rubbish it! Well I guess I’ll have to take it on the chin. However I would like to say in my defence that I have always like the gentle coastal character of Bunnahabhain and found it to be most agreeable, maybe it’s my memory, who knows, I am getting on a bit you know! Ha!
I think Jim Murray eluded to this sulphury character to the whisky in a review of it some time ago, and as it is not sherry cask matured it can only come from either taking the cut a bit too early or from possibly pushing the stills a bit too hard. One wonders if that is the case whether its popularity has in fact done it no favours? According to the Malt Whisky Year Book 2010, (which I hasten to add is a very informative read, and we do still have some copies left, priced at £12.95) – Production in 2009 was around 2 million litres, so it’s apparently running close to capacity.
However the spirit that’s in the bottle would have been distilled in the late 90’s, which was when there was some uncertainty over the future of the distillery. In fact the then owners Edrington mothballed it from 1999, until 2003 when it was sold to Burn Stewart, although limited distillation continued throughout that period. So could that be the reason? Maybe there was pressure on those few weeks of the year to distil as much spirit as possible? Hence the need to crank it up?
Bunnahabhain 12 year old 40% £35.95
Soft aromas of caramel coated apricot, heather, a faint briny note and a touch of barley. The nose exhibits a touch of the foreshorts (rubber tyres and sulphur). There is some distant light smoke and the aromas become more sweet and candied over time.
The palate is soft and somewhat muted. It opens with an earthy/ hessian note followed by soft apricot and a faint briny character along with the rubber/ sulphur note hanging around in the background. A touch of tart and bitter oak invades the mid palate and dries out the finish. All in all it’s a bit flat and although the gentle coastal notes linger it is nowhere near as good as I remember it.
Whilst on the subject. I had the chance to do a comparison tasting of the distillery released Toitech (revived in the last newsletter) and a Signatory released heavily peated Bunnahabhain. - The Toiteach has a more coastal peat character on the nose and is definitely not as sweet, although you can tell they are both cut from the same cloth, so to speak.
The Toitech also tastes younger and is a lot more coastal and fishier. It also has a greater degree of coatal astringency, and the alcohol is more intrusive. However with water I would say that it the Toiteach takes the accolades.
Signatory ‘Heavily Peated’ Bunnahabhain 11 year old 55.2%
Cask 5298 & 5299
The nose is very sweet and candied. Pear drops and hints of medicinal/ herbal-peat. I think the use of the term heavy is somewhat overstating the case, moderately might have been a better term. However there is probably more ‘peat smoke’ than pure peat to be honest, but it has a pleasant earthiness and a late fishy note.
The palate is as sweet as the nose, opening with a barley sweetness followed by a moderate level of peat which is of a drier consistency and more flakier. The barley sweetness returns and is accented by some hints of rubber and Bowmore-esque violets. The soft-ish alcohol masks the finish.
A drop of water makes the nose drier and woodier. Maybe bringing out a touch of orange fruit and suppressing the sweetness a little. However it does make the palate somewhat watery, insubstantial and overly sugar-sweet.
Bunnahabhain Toiteach 46% £55.95
An intensely youthful nose full of all things fishy and crumbly bog myrtle-peat. A wave of coastal-fresh astringency powers from the glass as does hints of burnt wood, camphor and seaweed. Beneath all this stinkiness is some lush sherried honey and citrus fruit, liberally doused in brine I hasten to add! And the peat aromas evolve with a sweet-ish earthy overtone.
The palate is like the nose, young, phenolic, yet very manly and robust with a good depth of sherried, herbal fruit and honey. The alcohol is very piquant for 46% (do not add water under any circumstances!) and when that fades, it leaves a fishy, pure coal dust and crumbly peat mid palate which in turn leads to a coal scuttle licking finish!
WHILST ON THE SUBJECT OF ‘PEATY’
There is nothing like a peated whisky at this time of the year. Although some of you may disagree with me, for those of you that love all the stinky, medicinal, bog myrtle flavours, these two new releases should be just up you street, and if you love the peated ones and you have not tried the ‘daddy’ of peated whiskies – Octomore, you really should as it is stunning!
Bruichladdich Octomore Orpheus 61% £89.95
Peated to 150ppm, finished in Chateau Petrus casks.
Wow, you don’t even have to put your nose in the glass to smell the peat reek! It fills the room! However it is surprisingly soft and very civilised. The wine finish is relatively subtle adding a pure red berry note along with a beguiling sweetness. Stunning integration. The peat aromas are incredibly complex – Of the bog myrtle, iodine, fish, light tar and creosote variety.
Soft, almost gentle opening, leading out with red berries fruit followed by the peat, bog myrtle and iodine. Like the nose the peat flavours have an amazing complexity, starting out quite coastally before moving through a lovely, crumbly sweetness until it becomes more coal dusty in character. Although the alcohol is quite high, it is well integrated and behaves. The length is stunning, the peat rumbles on majestically accented by fishy notes. The peat really coats the mouth and leaves and almost gritty after taste.
A drop of water emphasises the fishy/ rubber characteristics of the peat aromas. The wine notes are sent to the back as a lovely tangerine/ satsuma note appears along with some wood notes. The peat has developed a lovely sweet edge. Whilst in the mouth the delicate oils shine and it’s youthful cereal side can be discerned, as can hints of fisherman’s friends, menthol and carbolic. Either with or without water, this is a stunning whisky!
Benromach Organic ‘Special Edition’ 43% £35.95
I wondered what was so special about this bottling. Then I put my nose in the glass and it all became apparent – Peat! – Lovely, dry, crumbly peat! There is not so much oak as in the first bottling and it has a delightful Caol Ila like freshness to it. With time it becomes quite fishy with iodine and rubbery notes emerging. However it is not one dimensional and there is a lovely strata of fruit beneath.
The palate mirrors the nose with some gentle peat, of the crumbly, fishy persuasion. The peat reek gathers pace but it is by no means a monster, but it finishes with serious intensity leaving a coal dust and wood tannins finish. Finally the slightly tropical fruit (banana and apricot) pushes its way through on the after taste. Superb stuff!
GENERAL ROUND UP – BLENDED WHISKY
Duncan Taylor Black Bull 12 year old Blended Whisky 50% £34.95
A blend of 50% Malt and 50% Grain
A clean and robust nose. Rich sherry fruit, liquorice and coffee is entwined with slightly floral/ botanical/ lemony grain overtones. The palate follows a similar trajectory. Opening with the sherry wood, chocolate, coffee, treacle and vanilla. All pleasantly balanced by the crisp grain, which kicks in on the mid palate with lemon and botanical notes. Good length and finish with the coffee-wood spices lingering.
Gold Label Blended Whisky 40%
Bottled for ABC Ltd
A soft and a bit on the bland side. Some homogenous sherried malt mingles with a slightly floral grain note. Sniff extremely hard and a touch of peat and coastal orange fruit can be detected. Soft and flat on the palate. I suspect some caramel at work here. Sweet toffee and a touch of sherry cask with some rose petal notes. The grain comes through with a botanical flourish on the finish as does a soupcon of honey. A perfectly respectable, inexpensive (I presume!) if ultimately unexciting blend.
GENERAL ROUND UP – LOWLAND/ IRISH
Bladnoch Dew ‘Peated New Make Spirit’ 72.2%
Definitely new make on the nose – Full of toasted barley and cereal. Quite oily, with plenty of high toned botanicals and hints of manure and decaying rose petals. The peat aromas are quite subtle. The palate is lightly oily and full of similar to the nose, very cereally with sweet digestive biscuit, clean rose petals and manure. The peat has a lovely loamy moistness to it, reminiscent of potting or gardeners peat. The intense alcohol bites and shortens.
Water adds a lovely sweetness to the barley and cereal aromas, whilst it lightens the palate and possibly sweetens a bit. The peat is much more herbal in character now with heather notes. Some light honey and grass notes can also be discerned.
Bladnoch 17 year old 55% £47.95
Fino Sherry Butt 2609
Distilled 15 July 1992, Bottled 23 July 2009
Quite a floral nose. Juicy apple and apricot combine well with the cask imparting a saline, green nuts and light hickory character. It’s very fresh and there is a suggestion of peat. Over time it becomes quite herbaceous and finally some oak vanillins join in.
The palate definitely needs some water as it is all grape, green nuts, wood tannins and alcohol. As the alcohol fades there are hints of white fruit, herbs and buckets of salt.
A drop of water brings of a faint rubbery/ sulphur note, but the rancio from the cask keeps continuously evolving and some lovely orange fruit with an oily sheen emerges. On the palate, it has allowed some sweetness to come through and balance the saltiness. Now it begins to show some complexity – rose petals, lemon and floral apricot. Still very grippy but that apricot fruit shines beautifully. An attractive finish with spices and rose petal notes returning and a candied after taste.
The Irishman 70 40%
Blended Whisky
A soft, caramel and oaked nose with some botanical grain. The palate is soft and creamy with some caramel, oak and the botanical grain on the middle. A late peppery burst enlivens the otherwise unexciting experience.
The Irishman Single Malt 40%
Soft and slightly coastal. More complex than the blend with apricot, cinnamon and wood notes. Mind you have to sniff really hard to determine these aromas. However some lovely spices cut through the creamy oak. The palate is light, clean and soft. Like the nose slightly coastal, but it’s still fairly bland. Some late oak arrives but the spices have pretty much disappeared. Again fairly unexciting.
General Round UP – Speyside
Balvenie Signature 12 year old 40% £42.95
Batch No. 002
A brilliant, understated nose with a lovely combination of soft floral citrus fruit and sherry wood (dates, walnuts, fruit cake and ginger). Superb complexity with hints of red fruits, liquorice, light honey, tobacco leaf, chocolate malt, Demerara sugar and a late candied orange/ peach note. Superb balance and considerably better than the old double wood.
The palate opens with sweet, sherry laced dried fruit, citrus peel, sugar coated rose petals, walnuts, honey and Demerara sugar. Good grip on the middle as the creamy oak drifts in along with a restrained piquancy from the alcohol. Quite delicate, yet the soft wood tannins and alcohol combine to dry out the finish somewhat. Lovely aftertaste with the dried fruit, liquorice, ginger spices and rose petal perfume lingering.
Tamdhu No Age 40%
A soft, gentle nose of caramel, toffee, youthful cereal, some fruit and hints of spice. The palate although silky is a bit homogenous and quite toffied. Respectable if ultimately unexciting with a touch of peppery spice at the death.
Tormore 12 year old 40%
Two words – Carmel overdose! If you removed all that you are pretty much left with an innocuous Spey. The palate isn’t much better and you can see why most of this distilleries output goes for blending. There is some sweet digestive, creamy butter and a touch of milk chocolate amid the caramel but not much else. Sweet and innocuous!
The Glenlivet 12 year old 40%
An ever so slightly spirity nose, however it settles down to show some lovely crisp honey and barley. Pleasant depth and slightly floral with some orange fruit that tries hard to remain undetected. The palate is caramel-flat, oily and quite spirity, there’s some barley but the finish is hard and a bit harsh.
The Glenlivet 18 year old 43% £41.95
A gentle and mature nose, redolent of luscious orange and dusty spices. The fruit becomes wonderfully sugar coated as the nose moves into mature Bourbon oak territory with a gentle creaminess, butter, toffee and finally into marzipan oiliness.
The palate is soft and flat and a bit disappointing. Sure there is plenty of mature honey and soft, crumbly spices and creamy oak on the finish, but the orange fruit on the middle refusing to come out and lurks beneath the oak. In conclusion it’s all rather straightforward and linear – a distinct lack of excitement!
General Round Up – Highland
An Cnoc 16 year old 46% £52.95
Lovely aromas of herbal-honey, crisp barley and yet more honey. Just like the 12 year old it displays that lovely granity edge. Some deft spices pass on by as does a developing creamy vanilla oak note and some late orange blossom.
The palate is gently oiled, with a beautiful interplay between the Bourbon oak, barley, honey and soft spices. A touch of light liquorice and toffee appears on the middle as does some delightfully, slightly floral, pure, juicy orange, liberally sprinkled with sugar, before the oak bitters and dries out the finish. And the fun ends there. Oh well, if only!
Glendronach 15 year old ‘Revival’ 46%
Oloroso Cask
Following on from the sale of the distillery to Benriach, the whole range was re-vamped in 2009. The new 15 year old opens with an elegant aroma of leafy sherry, followed by orange, walnut, date and dried fruit, hints of liquorice, wood spices, soya and chocolate. Not exactly a monster although there is not much in the way of distillery character, However for a sherry matured dram it has a degree of elegance.
The palate is gentle and a bit syrupy-sweet. There is a very slight sulphur blemish, but it is submerged by the leafy sherry flavours. The middle has a bit of a hole in it and it drops off sharply as the soft wood tannins hit the palate. All a bit disappointing really.
Old Pulteney 17 year old 46%
(Current release – revamped in 2004)
A very candied-sweet nose of sweet orange, pineapple with hints of toffee and coffee. It has an appealing Sauvignon Blanc freshness to it with hints of dried grass along with a building gentle salinity.
The palate begins with the gentle saline notes and candied fruit. It seems quite younger. My god the tannins kick in quickly. There are splinters on my tongue! However some delightful Sauvignon-esque white fruit and dry grass rescues the palate. The finish is reasonable (especially after all that tannin) with a sherberty finish.
One question – what has happened to its windswept character? Where are these casks stored? Although the distillery has five warehouses which have a total capacity of 24,000 casks, it is possible that some of the older casks maybe stored maybe stored in Aidrie where Inver House Distillers have their main ‘central’ warehouses. This is definitely the case with some of their other distilleries output from Speyburn and Knockdhu. This may well be the reason for the lack of ‘coastal’ character, if you believe that the environment surrounding the casks influences the spirit.
Stronachie 12 year old (2009 Bottling) 43% £29.95
Sherry
A pleasant pure sherry aroma, with dried fruit, a touch of coffee, tangerine/ Satsuma, caramel, herbal honey and bucket fulls of heather. A brief peat note wafts by as does a high toned spirit note. The palate is soft and juicy with firm honey to begin. The sherry comes through on the middle the expected flavours and it finishes with hints of green nuts, leafy herbs, a touch of peat smoke, sweet liquorice and an encore from the firm honey.
Possibly a bit more complex than the 2007 bottling, definitely displaying a greater degree of sherry, but still excellent value for money.
General Round Up – Islands
Talisker 57o North 57% £58.96
A hugely saline nose. I can feel the salt crystallising on my nasal passageways! Big, robust and vanilla’d with some sherry and youthful marc-like notes. Light smoke drifts in as does some delightfully sweet herbal-peat along with the late trademark pepper note. It is moderately oily on the palate. Opening with a big, robust vanilla impact. However there is an excellent interplay between the vanillins, alcohol, light peat, smoke and spice flavours. Finally the coastal spray asserts itself and finishes with that classic peppery bite. Oooh my tongue is tingling with the freshness!
A drop of water brings out a lovely, aromatic orange note along with some honey and light beeswax. On the palate it emphasises the pepper and it has become a bit candied-sweet. The pepper really bites on the middle and the light peat and smoke full in on the finish. Talisker is one of those malts which really reflects its environment perfectly.
General Round Up - USA
Sazerac Rye 75th Anniversary of Prohibition 45% £44.95
Single Cask Bottling
Huge and floral aromas of sweet rye grains, coffee, cocoa and violets. Monstrous amounts of toasted and charred vanilla, yet the youthful grains do balance it out. With time some late cyrstalised orange, earth, toffee and herbs put in an appearance. The palate is surprisingly delicate, given the nose. Opening with the gentle toasted oak, rye and violets. This leads into a candy floss middle but the bitter oak and grains balance the sweetness and dry’s out the finish, which becomes very gritty. It actually feels like there are grains stuck in-between your teeth! Lovely length with the violets hanging in there and joined by spice and botanical notes at the end.
William Weller 7 year old 45% £29.95
Wheat Bourbon
Wonderfully bold and soft aromas of liquorice coated wheat and vanilla oak, supplemented with herbal spices and hints of violets and demerara. Relatively straightforward but it has a lovely depth. The palate opens with bitter oak followed by hard violet and liquorice encrusted wheat and spices. It settles down on the middle to display a touch of demerara, but the bitter oak theme continues. Quite a dry finish with charred oak and smoke and a pure sugar crystal after taste. Quite pleasant but could have done with a tad more sweetness to balance out the bitter oak.
General Round Up - Japanese
Nikka Yoichi 10 year old 45% £59.95
Batch 18HO2D
A beautiful nose of sugar coated honeydew melon backed by a lovely coastal intensity. It has a touch of Caol Ila freshness along with hints of fish, maple syrup sweet barley, herbal-peat and a demerara maltiness. The honey has a lovely maturity and gives an overall impression of politiness!
The palate open with light fish oils and sugared melon, the coastal apricot intensifies, leading into a briney middle with hints of sugared almonds and bitter chocolate from the wood. It is a lovely journey through the flavours, finishing with fishy notes and a touch of bitterness from the oak to balance the sweetness.
Nikka All Malt 40%
A Vatting of Pot Still and Coffey Still Malt whisky.
A lovely nose of rich honey and dried fruits. There is an abundance of sweet oak vanillins and it has a definite bite to it which puts me in mind of a good rye whisky, along with wood spices and liquorice notes. The palate is soft and oaky – vanilla, coconut, dried fruit and more vanilla. Again that ‘grainy’ nip appears, which I would imagine comes from the Coffey Malt as I made a similar observation when tasting the 12 year old Coffey malt. The finish however lets it down and it is a bit flat, watery and overly saccharine.
General Round Up – Other Spirits
Caorunn Gin 41.8% £26.95
Distilled at the Balmenach Distillery using six traditional botanicals and five Celtic ones – Rowan berry, heather, bog myrtle, dandelion and Coul blush apple. Produced in small batched of around 100 litres, the botanicals are infused in grain spirit, vapourised through a copper berry chamber and blended with local Rasmudin Burn water.
Crisp and dry, with quite a neutral nose. It’s quite London-dry like with hints of citrus peel, juniper along with a light whisky-esque character, a touch of resin and a floral note. The palate is very good. Full and fleshy, quite floral with a lovely complexity of citrus, berries and leafy herbs. A brief sweet note appears on the middle presumably from the Coul blush apple, followed by a soft bitterness. Good length with a distinct peppery finish.
And Finally – Springbank!
My it’s been awhile since I have uttered that phrase! Just to let you know that this years releases from the distillery will include a Springbank 12 year old Claret Cask abv to be confirmed, expected retail price £41.95, Hazelburn 12 year old 46%, expected retail price £48.95 and Kilkerran ‘Work in Progress 2’ 46%, expected retail price £33.95.
I should be getting some samples of them, so hopefully I will be reviewing them in the next newsletter. However if you would like to reserve a bottle of any of them please let me know.
Also over the Christmas period a few of you will have bought a bottle of the Campbeltown Lock 30 year old, and retailing for just under £40, it was a real bargain. As we have unfortunately sold out of all of it the tasting note below is purely for historical interest.
Campbeltown Lock 30 year old 40%
The nose opens with a slight saline character, plus light creosote, barley, light mature honey with the grain just poking its head through. Quite mellow, it takes some time to get going. With time some vanilla-toffee oak appears. It seems younger than 30 years.
The palate is clean, elegant, and like the nose slight saline in character. Again the malt shows its hand first with sweet barley sugar, mature orange, apricot and citrus fruits. The grain kind of hangs around and mooches on the edge of the tongue. A lovely, yet brief burst of creamy oak, toasted caramel explodes out of nowhere and it finishes with the fresh saline notes returning.
Good malt and grain matured in good wood = Lovely blend!
Well I hope this edition of the newsletter has kept you entertained. As usual obsequious praise and comments to the usual place please. Malevolent criticism, keep to yourself!! No only joking. I do like to hear your comments and feedback. Oh and that reminds me. It has come to my attention that my spelling isn’t up to scratch! Yes, I know! English Language at school was never my strong point, and yes I know I have to be careful when using the word quite and quiet!! – Damn spellcheckers!! Ha!
Anyway, until next time
Regards
Chris Goodrum