September 2012

As Autumn approaches we are offering you early access to three (3) new bottlings under the OLD MALT CASK label – three (3) from PROVENANCE together a new release of the 20 cl Regional Flasks – one (1) new outstanding OLD & RARE – two (2) PREMIER BARREL releases, three (3) ADVANCE SAMPLES and two (2) from the DIRECTOR’S CUT selection.

Tasting Notes for OLD MALT CASK follow:

OMC2194 LAPHROAIG 12 YEARS
Nose: Round and oily + really sweet peat &+ late soft tar.
Palate: Smoky tones + camphor drops, honey & an ashy sootiness.
Finish: More ash now – heading to dry spices and drifting smoke. (F)

OMC2146 ARDMORE 16 YEARS
Nose: Distinctly smoked (bacon style) + sweet ashes & barbecued fruit
Palate: Opens sweetly then runs to smoke + burnt spiced orange
Finish: Long, still smoky + sweet ashes & a smooth citric character (J)

OMC2141 LITTLEMILL 20 YEARS
Nose: Clean and fresh – fruity & vanilla’d + a barley sugar style
Palate: Creamy + macerated fruit – runs to sweet spices (ginger?)
Finish: Medium long – still spicy – develops drier to soft cedar wood (J)

The 3 Advance Samples OLD MALT CASK are as follows:

SMC0427 Inchgower Sherry 12 YEARS
SMC0429 Auchentoshan 14 YEARS
SMC0431 Highland Park 14 YEARS

PROVENANCE Tasting Notes:

PRV0783 AULTMORE SHERRY 11 YEARS
Toffee’d, grassy and citric in a clean lemon-y way on the nose. Anticipate palatewise a real vanilla toffee “hit” with peppery freshness and softening late oiliness. The finish is distinctly smoked – subtly spiced – with a sprinkle of caster sugar. (F)

PRV0916 GLENALLACHIE 11 YEARS
Fresh and lightly vanilla’d on the nose it carries a gristy sweet character plus a dried hay quality. The palate is light, extremely sugary sweet and runs to a poached fruit style plus more vanilla. The finish is medium long
with a milk chocolate quality and a semblance of honey. (J)

PRV0935 BLAIR ATHOL SHERRY 12 YEARS
This carries citrus, crushed sugar, light gristiness and a soft floral quality on the nose. The palate is mouthcoatingly sweet, grapey, syrupy, sweet barlayed with honey and more (macerated) fruit flavours – all heading to a finish of vanilla fudge, cough drops and very sweet spices. (F)

PRV0925 20 CLS MIXED REGION FLASKS

BLAIR ATHOL SHERRY 12 YEARS – This carries citrus, crushed sugar, light gristiness and a soft floral quality on the nose. The palate is mouthcoatingly sweet, grapey, syrupy, sweet barlayed with honey and more (macerated) fruit flavours – all heading to a finish of vanilla fudge, cough drops and very sweet spices. (F) –

SPEYBURN SHERRY 7 YEARS – Opens with a fresh, flowery character carrying a sweet home baked style plus honey and vanilla – then ripe fruit and candied lemon appear. The palate is equally sweet, softly spiced with more fruit – now gently fermenting. This all runs to a light but surprisingly long finish with a spicy and crushed sugar style. (J) – BUNNAHABHAIN – YOUNG & FEISTY – Attractively aromatic, lightly spiced, rather gristy – with a bit of brine on the nose. Palatewise, it opens distinctly sweetly – almost honeyed with some interesting toffee and tar flavours appearing – all neatly parcelled into the long, still sweet – camphor carrying finish. (F) –

TOBERMORY SHERRY 6 YEARS – Opens sweetly on the nose carrying a spiced and muscovado sugar style. The palate remains sweet, now oaky plus a spiced tobacco character. The finish is long and warmingly spiced, then
runs drier. (J)

Tasting Notes for OLD & RARE:

OAR0169 PORT ELLEN 30 YEARS
Catch the softly peated – yet still fresh – tones early on the nose – sweet with a damp earth character plus a later warm rock pool brininess. Islay in style for sure – on the palate but with a subtlety: gently ashed, with smoked barley, oily rags, soot and old leather – all leading to a finish carrying all those aforementioned characteristics plus Scottish tablet/fudge (even some chocolate) (F)

Tasting Notes for DIRECTORS CUT:

DIR0026 CAPERDONICH 30 YEARS
Nose: Fresh & spicy – carrying a hard boiled sweets style with macerated oranges, bees wax & polished wood
Palate: Mouth coating – richly spiced character developing to a gentle oak quality with a touch of dry smoke
Finish: Long, still spicy – now running drier – still oaky with dried orange pith and dark chocolate. (J)

DIR0021 GLENLIVET 35 YEARS
Nose: Surprisingly fresh/aromatic/citric – honey’d + a flamed orange zest character
Palate: Sweetly spiced – more citrus fruit (now candied) + barley sugar + crushed sugar
Finish: Medium long – still honied & vanilla’d – now with a malty style (F & J)

PREMIER BARREL Tasting Notes:

PBR0116 HIGHLAND PARK 15 YEARS
A high fallutin’ Highland Park to hail hyperbolically! It provides the protégé a prodigious package of pedigreed purity with a pugnaciously palpable pedigree of providential, potable and pelagic* phenolic fermentation.
*(pelagic – pertaining to the ocean).

PBR0015 ROYAL LOCHNAGAR 15 YEARS
“Befitting a King or Queen” this laudable Lochnagar is chock-a-block with capricious cedar – captivating coffee and capacious citrus …… a most meritorious Malt Mash, Ma’am!

Yours faithfully
Fred Laing