Whisky Intelligence has reproduced (with permission) The Gauntleys Whisky Newsletter for July 2004; 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. However as you may have noticed we are nearing the end of the series of his excellent newsletters. Enjoy this one !
Dear Whisky Customers
CORRECTION
First off I need to make a correction. In the last newsletter I referred to the peatier of the new Bruichladdich spirits as Octavulin, this of course should have been Octomore. The distillery have also asked me to point out that although the whisky will not be available for some time it can be purchased ‘En Primeur’.
Bruichladdich/ Port Charlotte can be purchased in a number of different formats, these are as follows. Please note all prices are UNDERBOND, excluding duty and vat.
Barrels – 200 Litres
Fresh Bourbon £775
Hogsheads – 250 Litres
Refill Scotch £995
Refill Sherry £1200
Fresh Port £1350
Butts – 500 Litres
Refill Scotch £2000
Fresh Sherry £2395
Octomore is current only available “En Primeur” as 1 x 12 case of 70cl bottle for £250.
For full details please contact the distillery directly on casks@bruichladdich.com or visit their website www.bruichladdich.com
SCOTTS SELECTION & HART BROTHERS
The web site has now been updated with tasting notes of their ranges that we are stocking. I hope they encourage you to try them, as they are superb malts.
BLACKADDER
I was quite happy with the tinkering that I’d embarked upon with regard to the whisky list, until a most extraordinary bottle crossed my path. I tasted it, it being a Blackadder Raw Cask Springbank, and it was incredible, not only did it taste good it had a large proportion of cask floating around in it. Unfiltered it proudly proclaimed, I should think so I thought.
Anyway after a bit of detective work I discovered that Blackadder is Robin Tucek, co-author with John Lamond of the Malt Whisky File.
What he set out to achieve was to select and bottle only individual casks as naturally as possible. Each cask is chosen to represent one of the best examples of its type and age. Their standard bottling strength is 43-45%, but they also bottle a range at natural cask strength, but it is their Raw Cask bottlings that are as Robin told me “Whisky as it used to be, whisky from the old school”. Certainly they are whiskies and then some. Each and every bottle contains its own share of the cask sediments as well as natural oils and fats that might otherwise be left behind. This ensures the maximum possible natural flavour is in each bottle.
So ladies and gentlemen, time to put your underpants on your head, stick two pencils up your nose and say ‘Wibble’, as I introduce which bottlings I have selected for our list.
SPEYSIDE
Auchroisk Raw Cask Distilled 1989 (14 year old) 61.9% £49.95
A deep, rich & complex nose. Sherried yellow/summer fruit, earth, creamy oak. Very intense, very earthy with a touch of peat and smoke. Smooth, rich and spirity on the palate. Initially slightly floral, then oily sherried fruit, earth, honey and a touch of peat. Superb length which finishes dry, yet has a lovely sweet vanilla undertone. A drop of water brings out a vegetal, almost seaweed note on the nose and emphasises the bourbon oak and citrus fruit on the palate.
Strathisla Raw Cask Distilled 1989 (11 year old) 61.3% £47.95
An absolutely stunning bouquet, rich, layered and bursting with extremely rich, sherried fruitcake, a profusion of almond, milk chocolate and oranges when a drop of water is added. A big wow as this whisky passes the lips. Rich and decadently sherried, yet well balanced by the creamy Bourbon oak. First up is a wave of peat, followed by sweet fruits, vanilla and spirit, descending into a rich fruit cake morass. All one can say is that it is a class act.
Tormore Raw Cask Distilled 1990 (12 year old) 65.9% £39.95
Sweet and spirity on the nose with notes of coconuts and apricots and spice. Creamy on the palate, very sweet with gentle peat, chocolate and coconut. Long and sweet yet finishes dry. An excellent pre-dinner dram that is remarkably easy to drink.
HIGHLAND
Clynelish Raw Cask, Sherry Finished Distilled 1989 (13 year old) 59%£51.95
Spirity on the nose, fruity with a touch of chocolate. Mouth filling, creamy and very sexy with peat, burnt chocolate and pepper. Very long, initially quite rich, with oodles of sherried fruit, but again finishes dry.
Pulteney Raw Cask Distilled 1990 (12 year old) 57.7% £45.95
An intense, complex nose. Lively, spirity and full of the essence of peat and maritime air, fish mongers slabs, grass, lemon, creamy Bourbon, earth, and a floral/violet edge. Underneath lurks a background of deliciously sweet chocolate orange. The palate is superb, starting with the luscious, sweet orange and citrus fruit, descending through layers of creamy oak and peppery fruit, cream, nuts and earth, to finish with a maritime twist and smoky bitter chocolate nuances. A drop of water brings out the oak and lemon aromas and the fruit sweetness on the palate.
ISLAY
Bowmore Raw Cask Distilled 1989 (14 year old) 60.2% £51.95
Straight-ahead fragrant peat smoke with touches of coal tar, vanilla, shaved wood, butter and green plum . Clean, sprightly, mouth-filling, and oily with a good Bowmore character – reedy, smoky, sandy, salty, lots of tar and very peppery at the front of the tongue . A long finish with a late peppery dryness. Rounded, gentle and possibly slightly lighter than distillery bottlings.
Bruichladdich Raw Cask Distilled 1991 (10 year old) 56.1% £41.95
A light, soft and lightly malted nose, with a perfumed note to the delicate peat. Medium bodied, quite rich with a delicately peated floral note. A lovely cask of Laddie, long, elegant and youthful with a darkly soft peat note on the finish.
Caol Ila Raw Cask Distilled 1990 (13 year old) 60.9% £36.95
Aromatic and dry nose. Medicinal, vanilla pod, garden herbs, smoke, butterscotch and orange blossom , and the smell of tar that goes with boats in the harbour – great complexity. The palate is superb, reminiscent of Japanese seaweed crackers with cereal notes tinged with mint. Sweet, chewy, and full of glycerine and a pepperiness that fills the mouth . Water releases exotic fruity notes (juicy pineapple) and peat reek. Light, delicate, easy going and vibrant.
Smoking Islay 55% £37.95
This is a mystery single cask bottling. Technically it is a vatted malt from an Islay distillery and quite interesting it is too. Quite intense earthy-peat bouquet with smoke, candied orange, clean oak, barley sugar & a slight floral violet note. On the palate there is a depth of smoky bourbon oak, cerealy fruit, reminiscent of ‘off the still’ Bruichladdich and a return of the smoke and peat on the middle. A drop of water smoothes out the spirit and brings forth sweet citrus fruit, apricot, barley, malt and spices. Lovely length and tangy finish.
MULL
Ledaig Natural Strength Distilled 1992 (8 year old) £36.95
Fresh, strong and oily, with quite a bit of peat smoke to keep you peatophiles happy. The palate is clean and youthfull. With water it becomes sweeter and rather easy to drink. Lots of maritime character, flavourful and a dryish finish and continuing peat smoke.
ARRAN
Lochranza Arran Raw Cask Distilled 1996 (7 year old) £38.95
Crisp, malty and nutty with a light, earthy note. Smooth and sweet to start, then develops a interesting fibrous dryness. Obviously young, but has a delicate charm. Finishes with lemon, then butter. Young, attractive and definitely worth trying.
RARE MOTHBALLED/ CLOSED DISTILLERIES
Glenury Royal Raw Cask Distilled 1973 (30 year old) 50.7% £84.95
Was built in 1836 by the then MP for Kincardine, Captain Robert Barclay, a prominent landowner and renowned long distance athlete. Apparently in 1808 he became the first man to walk 1,000 miles in 1,000 successive hours. He also had a friend at court (whom he referred to as ‘Mrs Windsor’), through whose influence he was permitted to suffix ‘Royal’ to his whisky. Glenury was finally closed in 1985 and the site sold for residential development in 1992.
The nose is aromatic with a trace of sherry and some peat smoke. On the palate it has less sweetness than the nose suggest. Dry, rich and complex, with mature malt, spice and floral notes. The finish is remarkably long.
Pittyvaich Distilled 1976 (24 year old) 43% £?54.95
Built in 1974 as part of Bell’s huge extension programme, close to the older, more traditional Dufftown distillery. In actual fact it was almost an exact copy, with its four stills being exact replicas, and similar storage and vatting facilities. It was eventually closed in 1993.
Sweet, fruity, estery nose, with the faintest traces of aniseed and pepper. Medium bodied, quite sweet tasting with oodles of delicious creamy oak flavours. Smooth and well balanced with a fresh, dry, spicy finish.
We would welcome any comments you would like to make about this newsletter, any of our products, or how we can improve our service. Please note that any comments in this newsletter are attributed to the author and not necessarily the views of Gauntleys of Nottingham. Please feel free to contact us on rhone@gauntleywine.com
Sincerely
Chris Goodrum
