Whisky Intelligence has reproduced (with permission) The Gauntleys Whisky Newsletter for November 2005; a small sample of scotch whisky archeology. The author, Chris Goodrum, has some excellent insights of whisky, which makes for excellent reading on a Sunday. Enjoy!
Dear Whisky Customers
I do love a bit of controversy, so after all the hoo-haw or was it hype of the Bruichladdie flirtation comes the latest whisky to upset the purists and no its not a laddie, it is from John Glasers Compass Box and it is called Spice tree. Also in this edition I have news of what Gordon Wright has been up to since his departure from Bruichladdie/ Murray McDavid, some new bottlings from Duncan Taylor, Scotts Selection/ Private Cellar and Dewar Rattray plus a general round up of what I’ve been tasting, which may tempt you as the festive season is getting nearer. While on the subject of controversy the Ardbeg serendipity has now been put on general release, is it an Ardbeg, is it just hype in a bottle. If you want to find out for yourselves let me know, it’s available for the princely sum of £37.95.
BIG NEWS – ARDBEG
I have managed to get hold of a limited amount of bottles of the legendary ‘1977 Ardbeg’. This is currently selling for £120 to £180 per bottle, if you can get hold of it. So until the end on November you can have one of these bottles for £102.95, thereafter the price will rise to £112.95, which is still a bargain. This is of course while stocks last. This is probably the last chance to acquire this legendary whisky, so it will be first come first served.
SPICE TREE
So what’s the big deal about this new whisky? Firstly John created a vatting of malts from four distilleries and has aged some of it for a short period of time in his custom made casks. So what I hear you say, nothing remarkably new in that. Well the twist is that these are not your average old oak casks. John has had some new inner staves made for him from wine-grade Sessile oak with two levels of toasting. This technique is not particularly revolutionary as the wine industry have been doing this for years, and plenty of whisky companies have been looking into this for a long time, but this is the first of its kind to appear on the market.
Asked if this would be constituted as a ‘finish’ the answer is a definite no. He says “Getting a finish from a cask of Yquem is about adding Yquem to the whisky. It’s about Yquem. This is about oak.” And this is the crux, it is all about the wood, not the whisky, thus the finished article tastes more like a wine than a whisky, so this is definitely not one for the purists. Ah, but is it any good?
Well………(deep breath) er, yes it is, there is no denying the quality of the vatting, it has a pleasant balance, and oodles of spice. It certainly lives up to its name, unlike the Peat Monster, but at the end of the day, it is really not my cup of tea, I really want some whisky in my whisky. I think this is a bold experiment and I am in agreement with Dave Broom, who says “In quality terms I think this is better than most finishes, a sector of the market which has been flooded with poor quality examples very few of which enhance the flavour profile or reputation of Scotch. Most are clumsy attempts to cover up poor-quality, immature whisky. At worst (Islay cask, beer finish) they are absurd contrivances.”
So if you are turned on by all these wood finishes, experiments like his Orangerie then you will love this. If you are like me you’ll be applauding the principle but reaching for the Raw Cask Caol Ila!
Spice Tree 46% £28.95
Clean, youthful, soft and creamy on the nose with vanilla, orange, citrus fruit a touch of earth and an exotic spicy note. Medium-dry, soft alcohol, medium bodied, soft and fruity. This is definitely all about the oak, its very nutty and reminiscent of a big malolactic fermented chardonnay with oodles of soft spice, ginger and cinnamon. Quite sweet with the spicy orange returning on the finish. All very mouthfilling, but there no…..oh you know, you give it a try and let me know!
THE ALCHEMIST
I met Gordon Wright a couple of years ago when I spent a week at Bruichladdie. Apart from being a really nice bloke with a fondness for malt whisky and old rock bands, two of my favourite subjects, he really knew his stuff. So when I heard that after 15 years of working with Springbank and Bruichladdie he had branched out on his own I was curious to know what he was up to.
During his time in the industry he had the good fortune to meet some extraodinary distillers and taste their wonderful creations. He discovered complexities and a sophistication of flavour in their spirits equal to those found in the greatest single malts. So instead of joining the long list of independent scotch whisky bottling companies he decided to try something a bit different.
His aim was to introduce all sorts of different wood aged spirits to single malt drinkers who may have not thought about trying these wonderful spirits. Therefore his range currently consists of two malt whiskies, one Calvados and one Armagnac. He has I believe succeeded in demystifying these spirits buy dispensing with the usual age statements VSOP, XO, etc and has presented them in a very contemporary packaging using a labelling style similar to that of single malt whiskies.
So do the spirits live up to the rather superb packaging, well in one word – yes! (tasting notes follow). They all have a wonderful purity and a lovely balance between the spirit and very clean oak. I think Jim McEwan would be proud of his cask selection abilities.
Highland Park 15 year old 46% £37.95
Clean, with pronounced aromas of coastal fresh fruit, toffee, lovely delicate sherry sweetness develops. Dry on the palate, very fruity, crisp, clean and elegant. Medium bodied. The palate opens with gentle smoke and brine followed by vanilla fruit and the smoke returns on the middle with heather and gorse notes. Very long, clean and balanced with the smoke and brine lingering.
Macallan 14 year old 46% £37.95
Clean, very crisp with a pronounced intensity of re-fill sherry fruit, orange, earth, hints of light toffee/coffee, dried fruit and sweet oak. Dry, soft with pronounced rich, silky re-fill sherry fruit and spices. Rounded and mouthfilling with dries fruit notes. Medium bodied, long and tangy with cinnamon notes and a touch of wood smoke.
DUNCAN TAYLOR
My good friends at Duncan Taylor have sent me some samples of their latest bottlings. First up was a youngish bottling of Highland Park, which was rather disappointing. So I moved swiftly on to a 26 year old Glen Albyn which was certainly not disappointing, then a 25 year old Glenlochy which was superb and finally, one of the best whiskies I have tasted in a long time – a 37 year old Glenrothes. If you find one of these in your stocking a Christmas you will certainly be in heaven!
Glenrothes 1968 (37 year old) 57.2% £85.95
Stunning, deep, mature and complex nose with a pronounced intensity of cognac-esque dried citrus fruit, apricot, orange and peach along with sumptuous spicy, cinnamon wood notes, ginger, liquid toffee, a touch of vanilla along with a slight floral top note. The aromas come rolling in waves. Mellow, medium-full bodied opening with the cognac-esque fruits, then lavender, floor polish, tangy honeyed apricot and orange, followed by bucket loads of spice, a touch of smoke, sherry spice, marmalade orange, citrus peel finally descending into a mellow cinnamon and ginger conserve, liquid honey and a touch of black pepper on the finish. Do not under any circumstances add any water to this venerable malt it really kills the intensity. Definitely one for after dinner.
Glen Albyn 1979 (26 year old) 56% £58.95
Clean with a pronounced intensity of light, lowland-esque citrus fruit, light oil, nuts, a touch of wood in the background along with vanilla and floor polish. It develops a lovely, very creamy bourbon oak note. Dry, light bodied with a pronounced intensity of citrus fruit, nuts, vanilla oil and light spices. Tangy alcohol with a long, slightly gin like finish – botanicals and grass. A drop of water brings this malt to life, bringing out a fabulous orange blossom note on the nose and emphasising the creamy oak. On the palate it brings out a sweet orange note, emphasising the spice, nuts and wood tannins.
Glenlochy 1980 (25 year old) 61.2% £64.95
Clean, pronounced mature aromas of beeswax, floor polish, light sherry, orange and peach fruit and sherry wood spices. Lovely sweetness with yummy toffee and liquid honey and a sublime touch of vanilla. Dry on the palate, initially there are lots of dry wood tannins along with orange, honey and tangy spices. It mellows in the mouth into a cognac-esque dried fruit morass with a long elegant, nutty finish. A drop of water brings out the innate fruitiness, but subdues its mature character. On the palate however it makes this malt sing, brining out the luscious liquid honey and beeswax found on the nose along with fresh honeycombe, sherry fruits, sending the wood notes to the back, yet they return in all their glory on the finish. A stunning malt, certainly one to contemplate, but I would recommend sniffing it before adding water.
DEWAR RATTRAY
I introduced this bottling companies whiskies in my last newsletter, and they like Duncan Taylor sent me some samples of their new bottlings. First up was a 15 year old Craigellachie which was ok, soft sherberty but a touch overdone in the oak department, then a 15 year old Glenrothes which was extremely gin like with quite a nice nose but a bit simple on the palate.
Now came the good stuff, a delightful 20 year old Longmorn which has a very delightful nose and the most unusual/ bizarre bottling of Highland Park I have ever tasted. Imaging a vatting of laphroig, Bowmore and Highland Park and you’ll get the idea. Oh and by the way it’s pretty good!
Longmorn 1984 (20 years old) 54% £64.95
Clean, pronounced aromas of rich toffee fudge cake, light spices, slightly oily but with a nice delicacy. It develops a floral, citrus note along with a whiff of vanilla oil and white chocolate. Dry with pronounced, light, clean oily, white chocolate flavours. Light but with a great depth of nutty, citrus fruit, walnut fudge and wood notes on the finish. Water emphasises the vanilla oils on the nose, bringing forward the white chocolate along with light caramel notes. On the palate it brings out a huge amount of spices before the wood notes return.
Highland Park 1981 (24 year old) 52.3% £68.95
Clean, menthol/ eucalyptus dominated nose, then comes delicate medicinal peat, iodine, tcp and surgical wards, is this Laphroig?. The aromas keep coming then theirs plasters, more iodine and underneath lurks some lovely rich creamy citrus fruit. Dry, clean with pronounced iodine, Laphroig-esque peat, menthol, coal tar, and then in drifts the smoky Bowmore finally finishing with the heather notes of Highland Park. Intriguing, I wasn’t expecting this. Enjoy this dram without the need for water.
PRIVATE CELLAR/ SCOTTS SELECTION
As you may or may not know the whisky magazine held a big tasting of independent bottling companies whiskies for their 50th edition. The judges included Dave Broom and Martine Nouet who regularly write for the magazine along with the editor Dominic Roskrow. Forbes, Ross and Co, the company behind the Scotts selection and private cellar bottlings scooped the award for best independent bottler of the year in the Mainland (Non Speyside) Category, so congratulations to them. Also their Private Cellar 1983 (20 year old) bottling of Milburn scooped the gold in the 19 years plus category and their Scotts Selection 1989 bottling of Fettercain scooped silver in the 13-18 year old category.
Yes, that’s correct a bottling of Fettercain (or Fetid Cairn as it’s affectionately known) won an award! The reason for my surprise is that if you have read Jim Murrays whisky bible then you will be familiar with the depth that this whisky sometimes sinks to, and I quote “Connoisseurs Choice Fettercain 1992 (61 points) Sulphury, burning car tyres on the nose and a cloying sweetness on the palate with a dirty finish. Business as usual at fettercain then. James McArthur Fettercain 1992 (63 points) Ah pure Fettercain!”
Although he rated and enjoyed the Stillmans Dram 26 years old (88 points) I still approached it with trepidation………………
Scotts Selection 1989 Fettercain 59.9% £48.95
Clean, pronounced, light, crisp, nutty aromas of perfumed orange blossom, dried apricots and earthy notes with a spitity prickle – no burning car tyres here. Dry on the palate with an oily mouthfeel, a pronounced intensity of slightly smoky, crisp, nutty, winey white fruits. A nice delicate spicy middle and a long nutty finish. Tangy alcohol with a floral/ botanical note on the finish. This is incredibly oily it really coats the mouth. A drop of water subdues its earthy character and emphasises the orange fruit note. On the palate it softens and again brings out the juicy orange/ tangerine/ satsuma flavours along with a spicyness plus a hint of smoke.
Private Cellar 1983 Milburn 46%£48.95
Clean, pronounced mature showy aromas of very creamy sherried fruits and vanilla oak. Very big and aromatic with rich, oily orange fruit and an underlying earthy spirit with a developing smokiness. Off-dry, soft, mouthfilling and very fruity with sherry wood, vanilla and dried mature fruit notes.A very smoky middle with a fleeting violet note and a long intensely coal dust finish leaving an impression of licking out a coal scuttle! – a lovely dram.
A GENERAL ROUND UP OF TASTINGS
John MacDougall – Bladnoch 1988 (17 year old) 55% £45.95
Clean and crisp with a pronounced aromas of grassy/ earthy apricot, orange, lemon and lime fruit with lashings of delicious creamy oak. Dry, medium bodied, quite weighty for a Lowland. Smooth, creamy and fruity with a grassy/ earthy note. Very long with a soft creaminess and a hint of spice. A touch of water makes the palate stunning, emphasising the oak and bringing out straw, perfumed oriental spice and white peach notes.
John McDougall – Springbank 1992 (13 year old) 55% £75.95
Clean, pronounced, very youthful aromas of saline fruit, smoke, fishing trawlers, netting and sowesters! – incredibly clean and complex. Clean and youthful and quite sweet on the palate with fresh brine, seaweed and fruits of the sea. A lovely smoky mid palate and a long complex tangy alcohol finish. A drop of water brings out the clean oak and citrus fruit along with a beguiling spiciness.
Speyside Distillers Private Cellar – Auchroisk 1989 43% £36.95
A clean, crisp, youthful nose of re-fill sherry fruit, spices, light oil, dried fruit, creamy vanilla oak and tangy orange fruit with earthy notes. Dry, medium-full bodied, opening with a short, intense burst of sherry, citrus fruitcake and vanilla. Soft yet tangy alcohol. Nice intensity on the middle. Long finish with the sherry and wood returning and an after taste reminiscent of chocolate coated coffee creams – Superb!
Gordon & Macphails 30 year old 40% £60.95
Clean, smooth, with a remarkably young and spirity nose. The sherry aromas are quite pronounced with hints of marzipan. The palate is like the nose, youthful, yet soft and smooth with mature edges. Very fruit and tangy with spice and marzipan notes. Good length with a touch of salt in the finish.
Gordon & Macphails 40 year old 40% £93.95
A deeper more intense, mellow and complex nose with a touch of vanilla, oloroso sherry, moist fruitcake, dried fruit and spices. The palate is superb. Rich, complex and deep with dried fruit, sherry, hints of white fruit (especially on the middle) and honey. Very long, soft and smooth with hints of coffee on the finish.
Gordon & Macphail – Mosstowie 1979 40%£59.95
A rare malt produced at the Miltoduff-Glenlivet distillery in Lomond stills that have now been dismantled. Clean, mature dried xmas cake, a touch of vanilla oak, raisins, figs and a lovely sweetness of citrus fruit (oranges, nectarines) plus a touch of sherry. Medium sweet, medium bodied with mature dried fruit, figs, deep oloroso notes, and oatmeal biscuits. Long and very complex finish with soft syrup notes and a touch of wood.
Glenfarclas 10 year old 40% £26.95
Clean, pronounced aromas of dark malt and rich Oloroso sherry. Very deep with a balancing citrus sharpness. Dry, medium-full bodied, its all about the rich malt and the sherry casks with nuts, fudge and dried fruit. Lovely tangy middle, long, complex finish with a dark bitter liquorice/ dried fruit note.
Glenfarclas 15 year old 40% £34.95
Clean, deeper nose than the 10, this is more like it. It’s more about the spirit than the wood. Lovely pronounced complexity of orange citrus fruit, ferns, minerals and vegetal notes. Dry, cleaner, crisper with apricot, slightly oily/ creamy citrus fruit, ferns/ bracken with wood tannins very evident on the finish. Quite firm with a good length and a touch of smoke on the finish.
Glenfarclas 105 60% £33.95
Great nose. Pronounced aromas of dark malt, vanilla fudge, Assam tea and dried fruit set against a background of clean sherry. Dry, medium bodied full of oily apricot, rich malt, coffee, dried fruit, wood tannins, Assam tea leaves, integrated clean sherry and a long complex finish. A drop of water brings out a custard cream note plus a touch of gun flint and floor polish. It softens the palate bringing out the rich fruitcake flavours, yet the tannins and tea leaves remain. Glorious!
As this is the last newsletter before the festive season, may I wish you a happy Christmas and I hope you find something interesting and wet in your stockings!
Sincerely
Chris Goodrum
Visit Gauntleys at http://www.gauntley-wine.co.uk/
