Dear Whisky Customers
Well the big news for this month has to do with the whisky magazine. After making the observations about the Independent Bottlers challenge in the last newsletter I wrote an email to the whisky magazine in order to address those concerns and I received back a very positive reply from Rob Allanson, who summed up their commitment to the Challenge thus:
“First of all, I can assure you that the time and effort Whisky Magazine has put in to developing the Independent Bottlers Challenge has only grown over the years, and that we are totally committed to its original idea of being a way of providing an insight in to the independent community for consumers and trade throughout the world”
With regard to my suggestions on the actual layout of the competition winners in the magazine, he said the following:
“In terms of coverage of the Challenge, whilst the key aim of the awards is to identify the companies that have certain style and regional skills, we do think we should find room to show tasting notes for the gold winners as you suggest (our only reticence in the past has been that many of the whiskies are no longer available, however the tasting notes do give a valuable insight). We would therefore like to look at presenting the results in the Tastings Section of the magazine in the September issue, over more pages, starting with the company winners by region and then gold winner tasting notes.”
Now, I’m not saying that my comments have ushered in these potential changes, as, who knows they may have been thinking about these themselves, but either way it’s nice to know that they are fully behind the competition and I hope that all the Independent bottlers will rise to the challenge, so to speak.
The other matter with regard to the magazine is that the 2010 Whisky Icon’s were revealed in the latest issue of the magazine (Issue No86). Now the Global ‘Whisky Retailer of the year – Single Outlet’ was Mejiro Tanakaya (Japan) but in the ‘rest of the world – regional round’ we came second (ie. Highly Commended) to the eventual winner. How cool is that! To say I was shocked was an understatement as I had absolutely no idea that we’d done that well in the competition, or were even entered into it. It’s really warming to know that people in the industry regard us that highly. And so before I come over all Kate Winslet I best push on!
WI has cut out the extensive section on rum & gin..apologies… however this site is dedicated to whisky. The complete newsletter can be viewed on the excellent Gauntleys webiste.
The other big news is the return of Murray McDavid. Not that they had gone away, just sort of dropped off the radar, this was down to the brand moving to a new distributor, again just before Christmas. So armed with a load of samples, I set off to make Andrew Gray, the uk sales director a tad nervous!!! No only kidding! So it was a case of bring on those weird and wonderful wood finishes! Also a number of fantastic new samples from Dewar Rattray arrived on my desk. I said to Frances (please note correct spelling!) that if they continued producing such good bottlings their range would run onto a second shelf! At the end of the day it’s just so hard not to stock good bottlings.
And finally there’s the usual round up as well. So here goes!
Millstone 5 year old Single Malt 40% £51.95
Aged for 2 years in new oak before being racked into older casks.
Soft and strongly aromatic nose of stewed, sweet pears and oily banana skins with pineapple, hints of cereal and the sweet vanilla oak. The oak is not as dominant as you might imagine and it moves into a deep malty territory as bready/ spicy notes duly arrive. It has me very much in mind of an Irish malt.
The palate is lightly oily, kicking off with cooked, sweet pineapple and banana with a sprinkling of nutmeg. There is an almost rye like bite on the middle and it is all set against the lovely, clean vanilla oak. Good bitter/ sweet balance as the oak bitters out the finish leaving a touch of a tannic after taste. I must say I like the flow of this, it starts with an appealing sweetness but the bitterness from the wood never lets it become cloying or flabby.
FOUR NEW ONES FROM Duncan Taylor
Not much to say really apart from four new lovely bottlings from Duncan Taylor. The Black Bull 40 year old is absolutely superb. I wondered as it had that old Glenrothes/Caperdonich character whether they had found another use for their under strength casks, just like they do in the Lonach range. When I spoke to Jacquie and asked her that, it was neither confirmed nor denied. I think the comment was along the lines of “We manage our stock accordingly”. Which is fair enough I suppose. I mean if they have used some the grain has definitely injected a bit of life back into them, either way it’s a stunningly good blend.
NC2 Ben Nevis 1998 (11 year old) Madeira Finish 46% £32.95
The nose opens with the distinct, bold, bready character of the distillery with a pleasant degree of citrus fruit. The Madeira has imparted the usual rich, short bread biscuit note along with some soft spices. Yes it’s big and oily but the granity citrus fruit balances it nicely.
The palate pretty much mirrors the nose. The delightful spices bite on the middle, but the crumbly shortbread rumbles on unabated. Marvelous intensity with creamy malty notes running riot well into the finish. Big and bold but like the nose wonderfully balanced by the granity citrus. The alcohol does dry out the finish a bit though, but really that’s a minor quibble.
Glenlivet 1970 (39 year old) 50.9% £142.95
Cask 2017
Oh hello, it’s another woody old Glenlivet! ….. But…. This old wood has imparted some seriously complex notes of cinnamon, bark, camp-coffee, chicory and sawdust. The fruit is just about discernable and is of the lovely, silky, honeyed variety, accentuated by a faint salty note.
Thankfully there is a load more fruit on the palate. This is a venerable beastie. Succulent dried fruits ramble amongst the vanillins. Quite rum and raisin like, in fact it puts me in mind of a Guyanan rum. Mellow and crystalline in character before the old wood notes seriously kick in. Although placid, the alcohol is pleasantly nippy and cleansing. Finally some gorgeously mature honey joins the party, but the vanillins are still singing. Very long, eventually meandering into a dry, sawdust finish. It has to say that this has been bottled in the nick of time, even so it will only appeal to those that like it a bit woody.
North British 1978 (30 year old) 55.2% £79.95
Cask 38472
Delicate and fragrant aromas of violet scented beeswax, honey and super clean bourbon oak, which imparts a subtle coconut and wood spice note. The fruit becomes slight tropical with time and definitely heads towards the Caribbean.
The palate is much like the nose, delicate and fragrant with the spices taking on an almost oriental character. There is plenty of sweetish honeyed vanillins and cereal, again becomes more tropical as time progresses – banana, coconut, mature apricot. Lovely balance with the alcohol and grains biting pleasantly. Good length, finishing with a slight earthy/ loamy finish.
Black Bull 40 year old Batch 1 40.2% £121.95
American Oak – 70% Malt, 30% Grain
Oily and deep, yet resiliently reserved. Another venerable beastie in the Glenrothes/ Caperdonich mould. It takes some time and persistence. Gently it releases notes of crystallised violets, mature dried fruit along with a touch of sawdust/ grist and gorgeously oily/ perfumed orange fruit. With unhurried adroitness the vanillins arrive adding a stratum of crème caramel delight. The grain can be more sensed than noticed, just nipping at the edges and stopping it from becoming overly vanilla-sweet.
Opening with a gentle explosion of Glenrothes style mature honey, followed by a touch of coffee and deft vanillins. Venerable, old and dusty, however the grain is more noticeable on the palate and keeps it sharp and focused, otherwise you get the impression that it would shuffle off into its favourite worn arm chair and just stare out the window all day!! (Ok enough of the euphemisms!) Lovely and mellow with a leafy/ herbal finish.
MURRAY McDAVID
THE CORE RANGE
Now, firstly I need to state that I don’t dislike finishes. In tasting any spirit, probably the most important criteria for me is balance. I don’t want the spirit to be swamped by the cask whether it is a sherry butt, a Bourbon hoggie or a finishing wine cask. I like to see a gentle merging of the flavours or as in the case of the Springbank Barolo finish feel like I’ve been involved in a car crash. The finishing cask must bring a subtle nuance to the spirit and enhance (to use a term) the original spirit not swamp it with winey fruit. Now one thing you do have to say about Murray McDavid’s bottlings are by and large very classy and quite oak influenced (obviously!) which sometimes mean they have a tendency to be too much cask orientated. But like every tasting I do I approach it with an open mind an no preconceptions.
I was only given samples of a few bottlings from the range, so let’s crack on! First up the Allt-a-Bhainne. Let’s be honest it’s a Chivas ‘filler’, thus ‘character’ is not a pre-requisite. In pretty much all the bottlings I have tasted of this distilleries output, innocuous is the word that springs to mind! And this one is no exception as it is all about the French oak. In fact I don’t think I have tasted a French oak finished whisky that I have really enjoyed. The closest has to be the Oak Cross from Compass box, and that is a hybrid cask rater than a full on French one.
Next up the Bunnah. It took me a while to really warm to this one, but I did enjoy it. I like the sweetness imparted by the Sauternes cask, and as long as it’s subtly applied, as in this case it’s fine, but not like in the Macallan, where the balance is a bit off. As for the next Macallan, I’m guessing that it’s a Fino or Manzanilla Sherry cask, as it is definitely not dark or leafy enough to be an Oloroso butt. And I must say I did enjoy it. I have often moaned about the lack of character that Macallan can have, and I believe that it needs sherry to give it something, and this is no exception.
Right, now onto the red wine finishes. I often approach these types of whisky with trepidation and I guess you could argue that maybe I am uber-critical, but so many of these bottlings leave me are either sugary/ sticky/ sickly sweet or hard, tannic and bitter. The Arran and Highland Park falls into the former and the Clynelish into the latter. Some are occasionally pleasant though!!
Ok. Now for the Mission Series samples, which were tasted the following day I hasten to add. First up the Glenburgie, which is another of Chivas ‘fillers’ and often can be as innocuous as the Allt-a-Bhainne, although I have tasted some pleasant bottlings of Glenburgie, they are more often than not sherry casked versions. The mission bottling isn’t and lives up to its reputation!
The next pure Bourbon cask sample was Caol Ila, and it’s pretty much spot on, but best drunk neat. I enjoyed the what I imagine is a re-fill sherried Bowmore as it was far more manly than the rather effeminate distillery bottling, well maybe with the exception of the tempest. (once again see the round up for an explanation!)
And finally just what I was waiting for. The car crash moment, and it was a Macallan! Now who would have thought that huh!!!?!
Allt-a-Bhainne 1996 (12 year old) 46%
Bourbon/ French Oak
A very winey nose, dominated completely by the French oak, there’s some hints of straw, manure and white chocolate, but that’s about it.
The palate is soft and begins with a sugary-vanilla start, followed by the French oak (caramel-butter-toffee) putting the boot in to any vague semblance to distillery character. Short and dry with some grassy notes before the vanilla and butter returns.
Bunnahabhain 1997 (12 year old) 46% £39.95
Bourbon/ Chateau Y’quem
Quite a briny and coastal nose with hints of bog myrtle, leaves and linseed oil. Behind the distinctive Islay notes the Yquem cask hunkers down like an impenetrable lump of sweet-ish honey. Given time the American oak duly arrives. All very classy.
The palate opens with the sweet-ish/ honeyed influence of the wine case followed by the hints of peat and bog myrtle. The coastal character arrives to balance the sweetness of the cask. Lush and rounded with a good length, finally a late spice and some fishy notes appear.
Macallan 1995 (14 year old) 46%
Bourbon/ Chateau Y’quem
The nose is clean and somewhat linear – toffee-caramel-brown sugar. Basically the cask holds sway over the malt. It becomes oilier over time and the toffee aromas increase.
The palate pretty much mirrors the nose, although it is a lot more biscuity, reminiscent of a Madeira finish. Again it’s all toffee and buttery, the alcohol attempts to balance out the sweetness but fails as the toffee returns with added sweetness. Somewhat lacking in balance for me.
Macallan 1991 (16 year old) 46% £48.95
Fino or Manzanilla Sherry
Quiet a heavy nose with light-manzanilla note of salted nuts. Like the previous Macallan it is toffee’d and sweet but only slightly this time. The heavy oils continue to roll in adding butter shortbread nuances, but the salty-wine and the spirit balance it well.
Linear yet elegant on the palate, again the cask pervades with a crisp salty nuttiness. The wood and alcohol bite on the middle and dries it out ready for the buttery toffee to attempt to balance, which it tries hard to do but eventually looses out. Good length, leaving a salty residue and an impression of sweetness. I actually quite enjoyed this dram!
Arran 1996 (12 year old) 46%
Bourbon/ Chateau Margaux
Lovely nose – Intense and leafy with sweet cherry fruits mingling with the brine and fish notes. There’s a hint of clove and crumbly light peat with the cask adding a redcurrant jelly affect.
It begins with the floral cherry fruit in the ascendancy, and so it goes on. Some brine and fishy notes attempt to assert themselves but they are crushed by the combination of alcohol and dusty woody cask. I did try adding some water but it became homogenous and sugary.
Clynelish 1997 (12 year old) 46%
Bourbon/ Chateau Lafite
Surprisingly coastal on the nose with light honey and hard-edged red berry fruit. There’s some earth, brine, fish and tobacco ash, and that’s about it.
The palate opens with hard berry fruits and is a tad linear as the sweetness builds. Some vanilla pod and coastal notes attempts to break through the wineyness as does some honey, but it’s short lived as the tannins and wood bring the shutters down. A definite wood splinters finish.
Highland Park 1995 (14 year old) 46%
Bourbon/ Chateau Laffite
The nose is dominated by the hard red fruits of the finishing cask. Slightly sickly sweet with more candied-sweets than a sweet shop! The spirit frankly hasn’t a hope in hell and metaphorically rolls over with its legs in the air, giving up a touch of heathery-herbs and sweet malt before expiring!
The palate is a bit vague and watery. Lot’s of winey red fruits and sweet, candied moments. Tart and alcoholic. Like the nose the distillery character attempts to come through on the finish but its all too sweet and sickly. Pass!
MISSION SERIES
Glenburgie 1989 (18 year old) 54%
Bourbon
Clean and fresh with aromas of light apricot and Satsuma followed by botanicals and vanilla oak. Unassuming or elegant (take your pick!) and slightly perfumed.
Gentle and botanical on the palate. Quite fresh with some fleshy apricot fruit and a touch of aniseed. Alcohol and the wood tannins mask the finish with exception of the botanical notes and maybe a slight sweetness hovers in the background.
A drop of water emphasises the oils and oak on the nose and does the same for the palate. It is still quite woody and the fruit is still just an impression or maybe a ghost. The finish has become a great deal more sugary.
Caol Ila 1990 (17 year old) 52.5% £57.95
Bourbon
Quite phenolic and iodiney and blessed with some elegance. Brine, coal dust, rubber, fish and hints of garden fruit are all present and correct. A lovely Caol Ila nose which develops intimations of liniment, bandages and earthy-manure. The oak underpins pleasantly and plays a supporting roll. A very brief orange note appears and then disappears into the Islay morass!
The palate is clean and fresh as it should be with garden fruit, petit pois and a slight phenolity which gradually builds – Brine, fish and light peat smoke along with a touch of citrus fruit. The peat hits the mid palate with a restrained beautiful crumbly texture. Again the oak sits passively in the background. The alcohol although at cask strength is restrained and adds a touch of piquancy. Lovely salt laden finish leaving the mouth coated in an oily peat residue. Very good!
A drop of water bring out some candied orange and parma violets on the nose. Gorgeously fruity now! Whilst it softens the palate, bringing the peat forward, although the overall impression is of insubstantiality. Best drunk neat.
Bowmore 1994 (14 year old) 54% £47.95
Re-Fill Sherry
A deep, leafy, yet elegant Oloroso sherry nose. However there is plenty of distillery character – brine, earth, fish, violets and medicinal peat to withstand the sherry onslaught. Quite perfumed with I think some smoke trapped beneath cask, but it’s a real battle between the two elements.
Dry and woody on the palate, opening with the Oloroso wood notes (hickory and tannins) going toe to toe with the perfumed violety fruit, soot and fish. The alcohol is very intense and its passing releases wave upon wave of soot, peat and smoke, just like breaching a dam! This is more like it the sherry is left behind in a cloud of peaty exhaust fumes! Now, this is real manly Bowmore (unlike the distillery 12yr reviewed last time) Great length, leaving the tongue coated in dry, sooty, slightly marine influenced peat smoke – Now that is definitely more like it!
A drop of water lightens the sherry impact and allows the stinky manure, brine and fish to take centre stage. It also brings out the classic sweet-ish parma violet character. The palate is a lot more mellow, less sherry, more peat, but half the fun!
Macallan 1988 (20 year old) 51.9% £78.95
Bourbon/ Amarone
My, this is an unusual Macallan. Big and stinky. A Spey in Islay clothing? Bog myrtle and vegetal-peat notes swim amongst the rich, sweet red fruits, along with hickory and rubber. The wine cask adds a faintly butyric note and it bears a striking resemblance to the mad Springbank Gaia Barolo finish. This is a definite love it or hate it nose. Me? I love it. It’s the whisky equivalent of a Tarantino movie!
The palate is soft and slightly woody to begin with. Very complex with orange, tangerine, redcurrant jelly and rich semi-dried grape notesThe piquant alcohol adds to the intensity. Damn, it’s a real car crash! Good length (once the alcohol has subsided) with a dry, menthol and bog myrtle finish.
Water really ramps up the wine. The grape now holds the spirit in a vice-like grip. Then the rich, sweet orange fruit powers through all the redness. The palate is much the same, except it has gone a bit overly sugary-sweet. So if this sounds like your cup of tea, then drink neat!
NEW BOTTLINGS FROM DEWAR RATTRAY
Well what can I say? Some phenomenally good bottlings once again from Dewar Rattray. Two of the new releases the Craggenmore and Bowmore will not be bottled at cask strength, mainly because the French market prefer their whisky at 46% rather than casks strength. Apparently they can’t take it a bit too hard core!!! What I would like to know is where they keep find these superb casks of Craggenmore. If the distillery bottlings were half as good it would be a world beater! Anyway as I still have stocks of their previous cask strength bottling I will not be getting it in until later in the year, assuming that there is still stock available then..
The Glenrothes is a bargain for less than £50 and the Glen Grant is simply stunning, like I say in my tasting note, it is arguably one of the most entertaining old Glen Grant’s I’ve come across. I was a tad disappointed by the Ben Nevis. As you know I do like the taste of Bourbon casks but it just lacked balance. The Pulteney, although lacking that classic windswept character is an ultra clean sherry butt, for those of you that like those whiskies, and as for the two Islays, well the Bowmore feels like it is still wearing a nappy and as for that Laphroaig, just read the tasting note! These should be available to purchase later this month.
Craggenmore 1997 (12 year old) 46% £34.95
Bourbon Cask 1491 – Sample at 58.4%
Whoa this is a big honey monster.! Big, buttery oak is balanced by crisp citrus fruit and grassy notes. Overtime it adds a tropical flourish. Absolutely gorgeous!
The palate is a tad more subtle than the nose would imply, yet it is still bold and full flavoured. It’s quite grassy and citrusy, and the alcohol subdues the rampant honey. It opens into a lovely malty middle and finishes with a soupcon of tropical fruit.
With a drop of water (approximately what it will be like at 46%)
The nose has become quite winey. Very grassy and Sauvignon Blan-esque. Lovely freshness. The honey now lurks in the background as does the oak. The palate is pretty much like the nose. The fruit has taken on a wonderful sugar topped, crystalline character. Soft and gentle now with the oak adding some delightful spices on the finish.
Ben Nevis 1996 (13 year old) 58.2%
Bourbon Cask 2214
Intensely malty and doughy to begin with before the oak really cranks up a gear or four! Lush and fudgy, caramel topped biscuits. In fact it reminds me of the Duncan Taylor Madiera finish. More toffee, which takes on a bit of a burnt note.
Oily, doughy, malty palate. Again the oak cranks up the caramel, briefly halted by the soft-ish alcohol, but then it rumbles on its way with even more toffee! It finishes with a slightly spirity/ grain note.
Water = Malt fest!!!! There’s so much oak now, with a marmite coating for good measure. The palate is definitely oak madness – caramel and sticky toffee pudding. For me it could do with a bit more balance.
Glenrothes 1990 (19 year old) 56.3% £46.95
Bourbon cask 5984
Powerful and prickly aromas of orange fruit and spice. Stunning purity with hints of chocolate. The spices are gorgeous and crumbly, and the wood notes build adding woody/ cassia bark notes. Lovely maturity with a generous dollop of honey, yet it still retains a lovely fresh edge to it. The wood vanillins finally impose themselves with some buttery marzipan notes.
Quiet woody, as in the spices rather than the wood splinters! – bark, cinnamon, nutmeg clove and curry leafy(?). Yes this is definitely one way ticket to spice city! The alcohol masks the finish but some gorgeous herbal honey pokes its head out. The finish is a touch tannic.
With some water it emphasises the oak aromas. However some youthful lemon appears, the mature honey is relegated to the background as this more youthful element takes hold. On the palate it tames the rampant alcohol allowing the full beauty of the soft, mature honey to shine. Awesome length now and just like on the nose a fresher/ youthful element is more prominent. A real bargain for less than £50.
Glen Grant 1985 (24 year old) 55.8% £66.95
Bourbon cask 12364
Damn this has a complex nose, and arguably one of the most entertaining old Glen Grant’s I’ve come across. So relax and enjoy the ride! – The nose opens with the lovely brittle edged honey. It has an almost honeycombed purity, then the age becomes apparent with hints of beeswax, dusty oak, violets, potpourri followed by the laid back creamy oak. Oooh this is good, it’s becoming very creamy now, with a clotted cream like character but the sawdust and old library notes hang on in there. But we’re not finished yet, some juicy, gorgeously perfumed orange notes appear as if by magic. Sensational, now the honey is coming back a la lehua or wild flower and finally, yes finally it moves into herbal territory.
Soft and oily on the palate. Like the nose it opens with brittle edged, granity honey with a hint of perfumed white flowers and violets. The intense alcohol intervenes briefly and then the gorgeous liquid orange fruit is off to the races as it liberally cascades over the tongue. Yes, it’s that good! Amazingly mouth filling as the oak kicks in adding sawdust, pure vanilla pod and custard cream. Luxurious and stunning, exiting with a herbal flourish
It doesn’t really need water, even though it’s over 50%, which is a surprise for it’s age, however if you do put a drop in it makes very little difference to the nose, whereas on the palate the creamy oak is brought more to the fore and the gorgeous herbal-honeyed orange fruit fills the mouth.
Pulteney 1982 (27 year old) 53.5% £68.95
Sherry But 504
A big, herbal Sherry cask. All pervasive and enigmatic. Woody orange fruit mingles with a myriad of wood spices and dried raisins, figs. If it wasn’t for the subtle coastal element pushing its way through it would be a dead ringer for an old sherried Glen grant. Venerable but dripping in sherry infused honey. Some perfumed violet notes emerge as does some earthy dark chocolate, light menthol and bog myrtle.
The palate pretty much mirrors the nose, opening with the big, herbal orange fruit. Mature and dripping in sherry spices and supple tannins. There’s dried fruit aplenty with raisins, figs and prunes. Lush honey coated with spicy/ woody sprinkles! But where has the coastal character disappeared to?
A drop of water makes no difference to the nose, but it makes the palate a tad watery and it fells like it is starting to fall apart. This is definitely a dram for sherry cask lovers and best drunk neat.
Bowmore 1996 (13 year old) 46% £39.95
Bourbon Cask 960028 – sample at 60.4%
Gigantic, rubbery, briny and alcoholic! The peat emanates from the glass with Atlantic power. Now this cask could be appropriately called tempestuous! (see the general round up with regard to that comment!) Pretty heavily peated, with the peat being of the crumbly and slightly medicinal variety. No, scrub that it’s very medicinal and stinky, encroaching into Laphroaig-esque territory!
Light and winey to begin with before the monstrous level of alcohol slams into the palate! Peat, peat and more peat follows. The mid palate displays a touch of youthful ‘off the still’ cereal, giving it an impression that it is younger than its age statement would suggest. Very phenolic and intense with a bog myrtle leafiness which again puts it well and truly in the Laphraig camp. The alcohol masks the finish somewhat but the finish is pure, young peat!
With a drop of water (approximately what it will be like at 46%)
Its youthfulness is emphasised with the oily ‘off the still’ cereal notes coming to the fore. Raw and unfettered it feels like it is only half its age. The palate is a lot softer now, quiet violety with citrus lemon, cereal and sugar water. Water doesn’t diminish the peat one iota. Ok maybe you could argue that it’s a bit of a one trick pony, but there’s no denying the purity of the sooty/ charcoal peat smoke. It finally blows its self out leaving a veritable oily, wet, coastal peat coating to the tongue. In many respects it reminds me of the Ardbeg Very Young – and that’s praise!
Laphroaig 1998 (11 year old) 61.6% £56.95
Bourbon Cask 80044
A classic nose – briny and phenolic with rubber tar, immense medicinal peat, bog myrtle, hints of coffee and no shortage of alcohol! Oooh pummel my nose with all things Islay! It’s incredibly rubbery – one for the latex fetish lovers!
Oily and youthful, there’s a touch of ‘off the still’ cereal notes, then its heads down for one hell of an Islay rollercoaster! Medicinal peat, iodine and alcohol slam into the palate followed by briny fish and more rubber than Susan Wayland’s wardrobe! Absolutely peated to hell and back, raw, sadistic and a veritable monster! If this was a woman you’d be definitely calling her mistress!
A drop of water sort of calms things down a bit and allows some light coastal fruit; hickory and charcoal to emerge from the rubbery, peaty madness. On the palate it’s still pretty raw and intense; I mean its young Laphraoig for heavens sake what more do you expect? – peat, rubber, fish and oils! Although after all that it does finish with a winey, grassy Sauvignon Blanc esque note!
GENERAL ROUND UP
Glenmorangie Astar 57.1% £63.95
The nose opens with the oak, bringing sweet vanillins to the table followed by and an unsweetened doughy/ spiciness with hints of pine, fern and menthol, finally some caramel-minty-honey notes become apparent. A lovely mix of oak and barley.
Like the nose the palate wallows in oak, but a big sugar and barley bit lessens and softens the vanillins. Lovely depth it has to be said but the oak comes fighting back and becomes very bitter and leaves with some delightful spicy nuances.
With water the nose becomes a touch perfumed but ramps up the oak vanillins. Whilst on the palate it is not so bitter now and the barley comes out to play. Interesting! So this is the essence of Glenmorangie huh? It’s fine if you like oak (which I do), and I have to agree with Jim Murray when he says that the nose initially feels like all the sweet bits have been removed from the gristy/ doughy mix. Worth trying for the experience!
Bushmills 10 year old 40% £32.95
An austere nose of hard candy, crisp barley and oily toffee followed by some subtle sherry notes. Over time it becomes quite aromatic and has some delightful fruity moments. Still very oily with hints of dried fruit.
The palate starts with the subtle, soft sherry before the hard barley and toffee takes over. There is a lovely, short spice burst on the middle and a touch of menthol freshness. The finish is somewhat austere and a soupcon of bitter oaks dries it out, adding to the overwhelming sensation of sternness. However it leaves a hint of mocha and a lovely wood spice after taste. Very enjoyable and classy.
Bruichladdich Port Charlotte PC8 60.5% £72.95
Bourbon
A huge, phenolic beastie of a nose! Rampaging and windswept with salt, medicinal bog myrtle and iodine-peat. The coastal astringency roars above the beautiful orange/ tangerine/ lemon fruit. The nose continues evolving with oily rubber, a touch of tar and slightly charred wood joining the complexity of peat notes, and then the wonderfully sweet malt emerges followed by the pure, creamy American oak. As Jim would say an ‘olfactory journey!’
Good grief it’s sooty! It’s like chewing on pure peat briquettes! Oily and dry the peat flavours are incredibly complex, beginning with bog myrtle, bracken, menthol and moving into woody/ loamy pastures. My this is intense, the palate feels like it is being pummelled by the Atlantic ocean as the peat moves into a sooty dénouement. The intensity is of Stagg-esque proportions, and just like the Stagg, you really have to experience this neat. However it’s not all about peat and alcohol, there is a beautiful bedrock of demarara sprinkled maritime fruit and oak.
With the addition of water the nose becomes calmer and gentler. No longer ‘in yer face’. Now the oak shines and is brought forward adding a lovely, sweet butterscotch and dry barley nuance and the fruit takes on a juicy sheen. It does pretty much the same thing on the palate, although the intensity is no longer at 11, the beauty and complexity of the peat journey can be really appreciated. It starts off with a homage to Laphroaig, all medicinal and bog myrtly, becoming more tarry and sooty towards the finish, and boy does that finish last.
Oban 14 year old 43% £43.95
The nose has a definite sense of maturity, well at least more maturity than I remember it to have. It’s also less sweet and seems richer and oilier. It also has a lovely, almost coastal freshness along with some herbal nuances. It is still a bit sweet, with the sweetness having a more candied character, akin to the Penderyn sherrywood bottling.
The palate is soft and juicy, opening with some herbal-honey and light malt, followed by that candied sweetness and a touch of coffee. Like the nose it has a lovely freshness on the mid palate and seems older and weightier than I remember, in fact it reminds me of a heavy pot still Irish whiskey.
Isle of Jura ‘Prophecy’ 46% £57.95
I would imagine it’s a vatting of first and re-fill Sherry casks (judging by the colour)
Quite a subtle nose. Gently phenolic, with some quite old spirit in the mix (I assume). Deep with a re-fill sherry leafiness, dried fruit, cinnamon/ nutmeg and dry earthy-peat. I also detect a youthful element at work here too and some late salinity. There is not much distillery character in evidence, well, maybe a soupcon of herbal honey. On the back label it proclaims itself to be ‘profoundly peaty’. The dictionary definition of profound is extreme and although I would exactly say it’s extremely peated, by jura standards it probably is.
The palate displays a greater degree of crumbly, dry, earthy-peat along with coal dust, fish and rubber notes. The sherry fruit and tannins hit the mid palate depositing peppery-cinnamon notes. Good intensity, if a bit short (due to the woodiness). A pleasant coal dust and coffee finish with a suggestion of youthful spirit at the death.
I don’t usually add water to 46% whiskies, but I wondered if adding some water might make a difference, and the result was mixed. The nose had a slight cardboardy note but loads of coffee, hickory and burnt wood/ peat. The sherry influence is a tad muted now and the maturity of the spirit is even more evident. The palate has fallen over though and gone a bit watery and cardboardy. So it would probably be best to drink neat.
Bowmore 10 year old ‘Tempest’ 55.3% £49.95
Bourbon
A delicate, marine infused nose, developing citrus, orange blossom, candied vanilla oak and burnt toffee. The nose like the 12 year old – all very civilized. With time the fruit takes on an almost tropical character and gets sweeter and more candied as the buttery oak pushes forward.
The palate is soft and has that candied sweetness, opening with light citrus followed by the creamy oak, brine and a touch of honey. Then the peat smoke hits the mid palate in all its menthol/ eucalyptus glory. Ah so now it’s beginning to live up to its name. Once the intense alcohol passes it leaves behind a rubbery/ bracken, tar and soot finish. This is more like it – an almost ‘old skool’ Bowmore which leaves the tongue coated in a sooty/ peaty/ smoky residue.
With water the nose show’s considerably more orange fruit, although it becomes a bit light weight – less of a tempest and more of a slight squall. The palate is similarly light weight, maybe there is more of a coastal influence, yet there’s no muting of the sooty/ coal dust element.
A definite step up from the 12 year old, which neat shows a great deal more of the wild and smoky character that first got me into Bowmore!
That’s it for now. I hope you enjoyed the read.
Regards
Chris Goodrum
Visit Gauntleys at http://www.gauntley-wine.co.uk/
