June 2013 Outturn Offerings 

Glowing embers on the tongue 

Cask No. 53.173                      $125

Islay

Typical sooty, briny and oily fish scents initially with citric, herbal and medicinal background notes but there were also shout outs for ‘wet fish boxes’, ‘peppered roast carrots’, ‘light honey on brown toast’, and ‘tart berries’. To taste the Panel agreed it had a very ashy texture – hot ash, ‘like glowing embers’ said one – but the vanilla and honey helped counterbalance the salty, smoky and sweet medicinal characters. The addition of water brought out harbourside notes with drying kelp, dried fish, and rock pools; less of an impact to taste but very refreshing nonetheless. This distillery was completely rebuilt in 1972.

Drinking tip: When you want to THINK of a long walk along the beach

Colour: Pale yellow                                              Date distilled: August 1995

Cask: Refill Sherry butt                                        Alcohol: 59.8%

Age: 16 years                                         USA allocation: 120 bottles 

Wedding cake and jelly babies 

Cask No. 50.51                       $155

Lowland

The nose offered juicy fruits (green apples, pineapple, vanilla, orange) framed in wood – walnut shells, hazelnuts, shelf of leather books; one panellist said ‘dunnage warehouses’, another said ‘church pulpits’ – would combining the two result in drams instead of psalms? The palate was big and tasty, with woody, adult sweetness – buttered gingerbread, marrons glacés, Snickers, vanilla, honey, orange creams and chewed pencils. Fruitier with water, the nose had apple pie, wedding cake, pineapple cubes and bags of jelly babies, while the palate found watermelon, coconut, crystallised ginger and perhaps even Elven Lembas. Whisky from the far south of Middle Earth.

Drinking tip: A winter evening, by the fire, reading Tolkein

Colour: ‘One ring to bind them all’                                  Date distilled: January 1990

Cask: Refill barrel                                                Alcohol: 55.8%

Age: 22 years                                         USA allocation: 90 bottles 

A promise of sophisticated desserts 

Cask No. 72.24                       $85

Speyside, Lossie

The nose was fabulously rich and evocative – loads of nuts, especially walnuts (coffee and walnut ice-cream, walnut whip), mocha, balsamico, five-spice, canvas and a pomander with orange and clove. The palate was richly rounded, deep and unusual with great character for its age – treacle, cola cubes, roasted hazelnuts and coffee-flavoured dark chocolate. The reduced nose offered dark, sticky honey cake with crushed nuts, chocolate cherries, Black Forest gateau and Toffee Crisp. The palate now promised sophisticated desserts – tiramisu, crème brûlée, sticky dates and golden meringues – sweet but very grown up – the finish ultra-dry. The distillery had connections with Pluscarden Priory.

Drinking tip: After dinner; with dessert, before dessert, even instead of dessert

Colour: Bright polished oak                                  Date distilled: September 2004

Cask: White wine hogshead                                   Alcohol: 60.9%

Age: 8 years                                           USA allocation: 90 bottles 

Bitter marmalade and boozy prunes 

Cask No. 121.55                      $110

Highland, Island

Initial nose impressions included gym shoes, candles and faint struck match – soon replaced by treacle toffee, light sherry and slightly over-done fruit cake – then vanilla, rhubarb and ginger crumble, peanut brittle and trifle with strawberry and coconut. With water the nose found cough lozenges, scallop shells, Bakelite and brine. The unreduced palate tasted of fruit cake, hard toffee, bitter marmalade, burnt plums and boozy prunes. Water improved it, taking away the bitter and the burnt elements – now soft toffee, liquorice allsorts, Oddfellows (spicy sweets), chocolate, glazed donuts, Aberdeen butteries and hints of mint. This Lochranza distillery was completed in 1995.

Drinking tip: Would go with food – or a tasty wee dram for early evening after work

Colour: Light rose gold                                        Date distilled: January 2000

Cask: Refill hogshead                                           Alcohol: 56.1%

Age: 12 years                                         USA allocation: 114 bottles

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