Caperdonich 17yo (58%, SMWS of Canada, 38.21, 2^nd fill hogshead, 234 Bts., +/-2011) 

The undiluted nose is rich and sweet with some characteristics of Longmorn maltiness (which is always very pleasant), there are also hints of some leather and tobacco (unlit of course) and some what of pipe tobacco, heavily rich with some earthiness backing it up. With some time in the glass the sample opens up considerably and proves to be a sensational collection of aromas; it’s very seductive. Some late arriving citrus only adds to the mix. The taste, without water, is warming, strong and quite different from the nose, it’s very solid, much more of the leather and tobacco is present with hints of dried lemon peel and cocoa powder. With water it looses some of its appeal but is still very good. The finish is a near picture of the taste, some late malt adds to the picture and this only grows with time. The finish is very, very long and very malty. 

A sensational Caperdonich, a pleasure to examine and enjoy. Best without water and if you must then only a little. 

$140 

Score 88 points

Glen Grant 60yo 1952/2012 (42.3%, G&M C#465, 85 Decanters) 

On the nose… quite frankly it’s a delight. Loads of delicate fruit with some slight heather notes in the back ground. Sweetness, sherry and perhaps the tiniest hint of the cask. One would expect that after 60 years the cask would have great influence however this is not the case; the fruit and sweetness are there front and center. The taste is still of the sweet goodness of the sherry along with dried organic apricots, some light pepper notes, hints of slightly over cooked cake (think crispy caramelization rather than burnt) and some good mocha. All in all a sensational taste and very ‘antique’ in a very good way and taste much younger, as in a  30 year old rather than a 60 year old. The finish is a mirror image of the nose and the taste with the sherry notes up front with some good wood notes arriving at the last, perhaps with a little malt for good measure? Very long and not powerful but just right. 

Wonderful. 

£8,000

 Score 92 points 

Many and sincere thanks to Michael Urquhart of Gordon & MacPhail for providing the sample.

McDonald’s Traditional Ben Nevis NAS (46%, 2012) 

A Ben Neviswith some peat smoke; on the nose there is some good fruit with some gentle peat smoke, the two of which combined makes for a very nice nose.  There is also some marmalade and light apricot (more of the fruit) all intertwined with some good vanilla peat smoke. The taste is peaty (but not overly so) with lots of dark chocolate and some of the fruit but very concentrated now (think dried tree fruits) and a slight hint of orange zest and even hints of fruit cake. The finish is long and dry with juniper and some more of the dark chocolate and loads of oak notes and just a tiny bit of bitterness. Finally after a number of minutes some peated malt makes a very late showing. 

There’s some vibrancy of youth but also some age in the mix which has a calming influence. Interesting. 

£70 

Score 85 points

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Isle of Arran 14yo 1996/2011 (56%, OB, Premium Single Cask, Sherry, C#1785, 165 Bts., D. 06/11/96, B. 31/03/11) 

A bottling for the new Premium Single Cask line from Isle of Arran Distillery and this particular bottling was only available in the United States.  On the nose there is Christmas cake, oak spice (black pepper, some light chilies & other assorted wood notes). After some small amount of time in the glass the alcohol clears for some truly excellent first class sherry notes with a hints of coffee in the back ground. This is what people dream of in sherry casks and such quality is certainly not ubiquitous today with the prevalence of so many tainted casks. Some classic and characteristic Isle of Arran malty notes lay lurking just below the sherry layer and add to the aromas very nicely. The taste is of dry sherry that quickly becomes a tussle between the Christmas cake and the oak spice dryness however the Christmas cake wins in the end (with a little help from the oak spice if one is to be honest; they work very well together). It’s a very big taste and there’s the malt hiding in the back ground once again. Sensational! The finish is a mirror image of nose and the taste with a little cold tea notes in the later moments of the finish which is very long and sweet and sour dry after some time.

Only 165 bottles and only available in theUSA? Oh my, those lucky Americans. Many thanks to Robert & Barbara Townsend for the sample.

$105 

Score 91 points

Longmorn 19yo (51.1%, SMWS of Canada, 7.70, refill hogshead, 161 Bts., +/-2011)

“Naughty nectar” The nose reveals light malt and some simply perfect sweetness (think of warm raisins, lychee, vanilla and toffee) and then there is a very light dusting of ground malt and the slightest hint mint. A really sensational collection of aromas and with time in the glass it only improves. With the addition of a little water the sweetness increases but it is tamed by the leather and tobacco notes and the some malt binds everything together. The taste is a good facsimile of the nose (undiluted) with only hints of the leather and tobacco that water reveals however these are present none the less and they compliment the sweetness quite well, a good interplay between the two. With water it is much the same and it doesn’t require a lot; just a splash. The finish is malty and sweet (all in all excellent balance) with a hint of smoke (finally) and then some very, very good vanilla and malt that changes into some late arriving cocoa.

What an excellent dram and don’t over do the water.

$155

Score 90 points

Part four of four examining SMWS of Canada Bottlings….

A note from Chris Goodrum of Gauntleys of Nottingham and the Good Dram Show

Just a quicknote to let you know that Episodes 6 and 7 of the Good Dram Show are now available to watch on our youtube channel. In Episode 6 I’ll be tasting three new single cask bottlings from A.D Rattray, those are the Glenlivet 1977 (34 year old) 48.2%, the Bunnahabhain 1974 (37 year old) 43% and the Dufftown 1976 (35 year old) 58%.

Click here to view (or paste into your browser) – http://youtu.be/K8jF1anNTM8

And in Episode 7 I’ll be tasting the latest Bruichladdich Octomore release called ‘Comus‘ against a sample of the new make Octomore Spirit.

Click here to view (or paste into your browser) – http://youtu.be/P7Hl-R3pYTE

I’m working on the latest issue of the Newsletter, so hopefully it’ll be with you soon.

Regards
Chris

Clynelish 15yo (59.9%, SMWS of Canada, 26.82, refill sherry butt, 571 Bts., +/-2011)

“Soft light at sunset” How can you possibly taste sunlight? It seems the SMWS tasting panel has cracked it. On the undiluted nose there is some good sherry notes with pine & pot-pourri notes and just a little closed however a little hand warming brings out some meatiness. With water it is still closed, oddly. The undiluted taste is fruity with some surprising smoke (a nice surprise) and then some dried coconut and a little dark unsweetened chocolate. With water there is some better sweetness and some card board and sand paper notes; not a lot but just enough to cause a ripple across the pond. A little sourness and some deep bitterness (oak influence). The finish is malty chewy and quite active, very lip smacking and the malt is much more evident than on the nose and the taste. After a few minutes some green malt notes comes to the fore. The finish continues to be active for quite a while. Black pepper and some smoke very far into the finish.

Curious. Mutli faceted. Perhaps Manfred Mann had it correct all those years ago.

$131

Score 81

Part three of four examining SMWS of Canada Bottlings….

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Glen Scotia 11yo (59.1%, SMWS of Canada, 93.42, Refill Butt, 735 Bts.)

“Explosion in a honey factory” On the nose some very nice sherry notes come through and some good smoke with some maritime brininess along with apricots. With some time in the glass the alcohol is replaced by the afore mentioned aromas and then some (once again) very nice tobacco and leather (sharp and clean) plus smoked grapefruit (whatever the hell that is; but you take the point). Distinctive and very much Glen Scotia. The taste is strong (but not ever whelming) with some good sweetness, the smokey brininess and the leather and tobacco. After a moment or to the smoke suddenly emerges to tie everything together. There is also some really good creaminess one often associates with sherry and then later moments of dryness. Very good so far. The finish is very good and warming with loads of the sherry and the smoke; the two really combine to make for a very good finish which is long and then after a moment or two the malt finally makes an appearance. Then the finish becomes smoke malt and yet is still very distinctively Glen Scotia. After 10 minutes some singularly brilliant dry crunchy peat smoked malt’ like scooping a handful from the storage bin!

An excellent example from this distillery. The interplay between the smoke, malt and sherry is delightful.

$120 (+/-)

89 points

Part two of four examining SMWS of Canada Bottlings….

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Macallan 20yo (55.4%, SMWS of Canada, 24.117, 2nd Fill PX Sherry hogs Head, 196 Bts.)

“Mostarda di Frutta di Cremona” so says the label and Google translation tool says “Fruit Mostarda of Cremona” which is equally unhelpful. Wikipedia says “Mostarda (also called mostarda di frutta) is an Italian condiment made of candied fruit and a mustard flavoured syrup.” At this point all interest was lost and so on the undiluted nose there is Mostarda some spiciness and honey along with air dried tree fruits and a hint of some form of after shave, something like Tabac (a blend of lavender, citrus, and warm florals – remember that cologne??!!). It’s strong and needs some water, a good dollop brings out some for the cologne notes as well as some oak and fruit. The taste (with water) is good; more of the tobacco, a good creaminess, some more of the dried fruit, sherry and some really good lemon sherbet. The finish is a treat and follows closely in the foot steps of the nose and the taste. A late arrival of some fudge really ties the finish together. The finish is long, long and holds together very well. A very, very late malt arrival.

Very good and unrecognizable as a Macallan. Water improves it but don’t over do it.

$ unknown as the sample was kindly provided by Andrew Ferguson of Kensington KWM Calgary.

89 points

Part one of four examining SMWS of Canada Bottlings….

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Kavalan NAS ‘Solist’ (58.3%, OB, C#S060814018, 536 Bts., 08/10/2010)

A Fino sherry cask matured single malt from Kavalan Distillery (King Car Distillery) in Taiwan. ‘Single Cask Strength’ and Non Chill- Filtered and bottled at Natural Strength. It’s a safe bet that this is fairly young whisky since a0 the distillery is not that old and b0 due to the climate the whisky matures at a much faster rate than in Scotland for instance. So actually once all this is taken into account it could have some ‘local’ age to it. None the less on the nose there is sour plums, over ripe fruit, shoe leather (which quickly vanishes) and then some magnificent fruit and sherry backed by green tobacco (some slight ‘green’ notes lurking in the back ground). With water there’s a little more of the sour plums and the over ripe fruit. And malt. The undiluted taste is sherried (but not heavily like from a PX cask) and some really nice malt and chili peppers; slightly eye watering so time for some water. With water things calm down some what and the chlies have taken a back seat to some excellent honeyed notes along with some proper cask influence; both are in balance and it really works. The finish is a jumble (in a good way) of the black pepper, chilies, sherry and malt and it all hangs together rather well with the malt carrying the day towards the ultimate goal line. Rather long too.

All quite good, very vibrant, interesting and some really good sherry/malt moments in there. Well worth seeking out. NEEDS WATER!

$?

Score 86 points