Google Whisky Fun by Serge and Angus, blog, reviews and tasting notes since 2002
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Serge whiskyfun

 

Whiskies 19,743
Other spirits 3,320
Angus 2,017

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Index of whiskyfun


Whisky Tasting

 
Aberfeldy (64)
Aberlour (
143)
Abhainn Dearg (3)
Allt-A-Bhainne (
46)
An Cnoc/Knockdhu (
40)
Ardbeg (
508)
Ardmore (
176)
Arran (
153)
Auchentoshan (1
33)
Auchroisk (
45)
Aultmore (
89)
Balblair (109)
Balmenach (
56)
Balvenie (1
49)
Banff (5
4)
Ben Nevis (
330)
Ben Wyvis
(3)
Benriach (
204)
Benrinnes (
11
4)
Benromach (
98)
Bladnoch (
93)
Blair Athol (
126)
Bowmore (
642)
Braes of Glenlivet (
67)
Brora (1
51)
Bruichladdich (3
52)
Bunnahabhain (
4
53)
Caol Ila (822)
Caperdonich (
115)
Cardhu (4
5)
Clynelish (
529)
Coleburn (2
5)
Convalmore (
30)
Cragganmore (
96)
Craigduff (4)
Craigellachie (
139)
Dailuaine (105)
Dallas Dhu (4
2)
Dalmore (1
44)
Dalwhinnie (
44)
Deanston (
74)
Dufftown (
67)
Edradour (105)
Ladyburn (13)
Lagavulin
(
214)
Laphroaig (
5
75)
Ledaig (1
49)
Linkwood (
239)
Littlemill (1
36)
Loch Lomond (
124)
Lochside (7
3)
Longmorn (2
52)
Longrow (
88)
Macallan (355)
Macduff (9
3)
Malt Mill
(1)
Mannochmore (
66)
Millburn (2
5)
Miltonduff (
103)
Mortlach (2
37)
Mosstowie (2
5)


2024
March 1
February 1 - 2
January 1 - 2

2023
December 1 - 2
November 1 - 2
October 1 - 2
September 1 - 2
August 1 - 2
July 1 - 2
June 1 - 2
May 1 - 2
April 1 - 2
March 1 - 2
February 1 - 2
January 1 - 2

2022
December 1 - 2
November 1 - 2
October 1 - 2
September 1 - 2
August 1 - 2
July 1 - 2
June 1 - 2
May 1 - 2
April 1 - 2
March 1 - 2
February 1 - 2
January 1 - 2

2021
December 1 - 2
November 1 - 2
October 1 - 2
September 1 - 2
August 1 - 2
July 1 - 2
June 1 - 2
May 1 - 2
April 1 - 2
March 1 - 2
February 1 - 2
January 1 - 2

2020
December
1 - 2
November 1 - 2
October 1 - 2
September 1 - 2
August 1 - 2
July 1 - 2
June 1 - 2
May 1 - 2
April 1
- 2
March 1 - 2
February 1 - 2
January 1 - 2

2019
December
1 - 2
November
1 - 2
October
1 - 2
September 1 - 2
August 1 - 2
July 1 - 2
June 1 - 2
May 1 - 2
April 1 - 2
March 1 - 2
February 1 - 2
January 1 - 2

2018
December
1 - 2
November
1 - 2
October
1 - 2
September 1 - 2
August 1 - 2
July 1 - 2
June 1 - 2
May 1 - 2
April 1 - 2
March 1 - 2
February 1 - 2
January 1 - 2

2017
December
1 - 2
November
1 - 2
October
1 - 2
September 1 - 2
August 1 - 2
July 1 - 2
June 1 - 2
May 1 - 2
April 1 - 2
March 1 - 2
February 1 - 2
January 1 - 2

2016
December
1 - 2
November
1 - 2
October
1 - 2
September 1 - 2
August 1 - 2
July 1 - 2
June 1 - 2
May 1 - 2
April 1 - 2
March 1 - 2
February 1 - 2
January 1 - 2

2015
December
1 - 2
November
1 - 2
October
1 - 2
September 1 - 2
August 1 - 2
July 1 - 2
June 1 - 2
May 1 - 2
April 1 - 2
March 1 - 2
February 1 - 2
January 1 - 2

2014
Music Awards
December
1 - 2
November
1 - 2
October
1 - 2
September 1 - 2
August 1 - 2
July 1 - 2
June 1- 2
May 1 - 2
April 1 - 2
March 1 - 2
February 1 - 2
January 1 - 2

2013
Music Awards
December
1 - 2
November
1 - 2
October
1 - 2
September 1 - 2
August 1 - 2
July 1 - 2
June 1 - 2
May 1 - 2
April 1 - 2
March 1 - 2
February 1 - 2
January 1 - 2

2012
December
1 - 2
November
1 - 2
October
1 - 2
September 1 - 2
August 1 - 2
July 1 - 2
June 1 - 2
May 1 - 2
April 1 - 2
March 1 - 2
February 1 - 2
January 1 - 2

2011
Music Awards
December
1 - 2
November
1 - 2
October
1 - 2
September 1 - 2
August 1 - 2
July 1 - 2
June 1 - 2
May 1 - 2
April 1 - 2
March 1 - 2
February 1 - 2
January 1 - 2

2010
Music Awards
December
1 - 2
November
1 - 2
October
1 - 2
September 1 - 2
August 1 - 2
July 1 - 2
June 1 - 2
May 1 - 2
April 1 - 2
March 1 - 2
February 1 - 2
January 1 - 2

2009
December
1 - 2
November
1 - 2
October
1 - 2
September 1 - 2
August 1 - 2
July 1 - 2
June 1 - 2
May 1 - 2
April 1 - 2
March 1 - 2
February 1 - 2
January 1 - 2

2008
Music Awards
December
1 - 2 - 3
November
1 - 2
October
1 - 2
September 1 - 2
August 1 - 2
July 1 - 2
June 1 - 2
May 1 - 2
April 1 - 2
March 1 - 2
February 1 - 2
January 1 - 2

2007
Music Awards
December
1 - 2
November
1 - 2
October
1 - 2
September 1 - 2
August 1 - 2 - 3
July 1 - 2
June 1 - 2
Feis Ile
Special
May 1 - 2
April 1 - 2
March 1 - 2
February 1 - 2
January 1 - 2

2006
Music Awards
December 1 - 2
November
1 - 2
October
1 - 2 - 3
September
1 - 2
August
1 - 2
July
1 - 2
June 1 - 2
Feis Ile
Special
May
1 - 2
April
1 - 2
March
1 - 2
February
1 - 2
January 1
- 2

2005
Music Awards
December 1 - 2
November 1 - 2
October
1- 2
September
1 - 2
August
1 - 2
July
1 - 2
June
1 - 2
Feis Ile
Special
May
1 - 2
April
1 - 2
March
1 - 2
February
1 - 2
January
1 - 2

2004
December 1 - 2
November 1 - 2
October
1 - 2
September
1
August
1
July
1
June
1
May
1
April 1
March 1
February
1
January
1

No archives for 2002-2003



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Disclaimer
 

All the linked files (mp3, video, html) are located on free commercial or non-commercial third party websites. Some pictures are taken from these websites, and are believed to be free of rights, as long as no commercial use is intended.

I always try to write about artists who, I believe, deserve wider recognition, and all links to mp3 files are here to show you evidence of that. Please encourage the artists you like, by buying either their CDs or their downloadable 'legal' tracks.

I always add links to the artists' websites - if any - which should help you know more about their works. I also try to add a new link to any hosting website or weblog which helped me discover new music - check the column on the right.

I almost never upload any mp3 file on my own server, except when dealing with artists I personally know, and who gave me due authorizations, or sometimes when I feel a 'national' artist deserves wider recognition. In that case, the files will remain on-line only for a few days.

I do not encourage heavy consumption of alcoholic beverages, nor dangerous motorbike riding. But life is short anyway...

As they say here: 'L'abus d'alcool est dangeureux pour la santé - à consommer avec modération'

   
       



Copyright Serge Valentin
Angus MacRaild
2002-20
2
4

 


Scotch Legal Announcement


 

 

March 28, 2024


Whiskyfun

A couple of indie Octomore

There really aren't many independent Octomores, as I don't think they've sold many fillings, while PCs do abound. At any rate, we've only got two on the desk today.

The humble author between the Jagger and Richards of
malt whisky, Paris, 2002. (WF Archive)

 

 

Octomore 12 yo 2010/2023 (55.6%, A Few Barrels Company, Uniqueness of The Cask collection, bourbon barrel, cask #4524, 229 bottles)

Octomore 12 yo 2010/2023 (55.6%, A Few Barrels Company, Uniqueness of The Cask collection, bourbon barrel, cask #4524, 229 bottles) Four stars and a half
From some excellent wee Swiss bottler in Lausanne. We've already tried some excellent Wardhead of theirs, for example, they seem to rather like the uncommon. Just like us! Colour: white wine. Nose: pure crystalline peat smoke. Visiting a kiln after having toured a paint factory and had apéritif with one or three glasses of some very tight manzanilla, accompanied by a good hundred large and juicy green olives. Nice feeling. With water: porridge and raw wool, a very typical development. Also, even more olives and mezcal, which is quite spectacular. A tiny hint of chlorine, which definitely doesn't come from my water, I assure you. Mouth (neat): starts quite sharp, but then develops into sour apples and candied lemons to the most beautiful effect. The peat also blends with the varnish and the turpentine, all the while remaining tight and precise like a Swiss cuckoo clock. With water: a few sweeter touches, perhaps from the cask, especially a bit of coconut and orange blossom honey. Finish: long, a tad saltier, but it remains distinctly Octomore in style, quite different from the other major peated whiskies of the island, especially those from the south coast. A hint of Williams pear in the aftertaste. Comments: it's downright excellent, both fierce and tender.
SGP:567 - 89 points.

Octomore 10 yo 2013/2024 (62.4%, Dramfool's, Jim McEwan Signature Collection 8.3, first fill bourbon barrel, cask #1871, 224 bottles)

Octomore 10 yo 2013/2024 (62.4%, Dramfool's Jim McEwan Signature Collection 8.3, first fill bourbon barrel, cask #1871, 224 bottles) Five stars
107ppm phenols here, so not the smokedmost Octomore ever. They regularly release new Bruichladdichs, Port Charlottes and Octomores within this series. Colour: straw. Nose: the beginning is much more marked by the cask here, with a strong presence of vanilla and shortbread, as well as a lot of marzipan, which isn't unusual for some peated whiskies aged in active wood. I think it will take quite a bit of water to rebalance all this, but at 62% ABV, that's normal.

With water: it gets much closer to the 2010, but still with an added roundness. Olives emerge, a few notes of slightly wild pinot noir (where does that come from?), followed by fresh mastic, carbolineum, the infamous tarry ropes... Mouth (neat): huge and very marked by curry and pepper, in addition to the peat. Don't even think about tasting this beast without water. With water: some strong lemony, salty, and oily power. The woodiness has been overcome; it's the massively peated distillate that speaks. A lot of ash, a bit of chili and, always, curry. Segments of pink grapefruit roasted in butter and pine honey. Yum. Finish: long but not eternal, quite sweet in the end. Camphor and eucalyptus at the very end, with menthol cigarettes (is it still okay to mention that?). Comments: quite a journey. If you don't have good water (not too hard, not too soft), forget it. Otherwise…
SGP:657 - 90 points.

More tasting notesCheck the index of all Octomore we've tasted so far

 

March 27, 2024


Whiskyfun

  Happy International Whisk(e)y Day!

Today is International Whisky Day, the original international day of whisky that started right here on Whiskyfun in 2008, following the suggestion of the famous Dutch whisky writer Hans Offringa, who was the first to come up with the idea. Each year, International Whisky Day pays tribute, on his birthday, to the great whisky writer Michael Jackson, who sadly passed away in 2007.

To celebrate this grand day, we wanted to choose one, and only one, whisky that was emblematic of the era of Michael Jackson, known as Emdjay. It's one of the very rare occasions where WF tastes only one whisky, we mere tardigrades who don't even come close to the greatness of 'Emdjay'.

Coleburn 1972/1996 (40%, Gordon & MacPhail, Connoisseurs Choice, old map label) Five stars
One of the many distilleries closed by the predecessors of Diageo in the early 1980s, but not one of the most renowned, even though obsessive enthusiasts have always held it in high regard for its very particular fruity character. At WF, we have only tasted 25 Coleburns to date, and I doubt we'll ever reach 30. Michael Jackson was not a huge fan of Coleburn, as he wrote about the Rare Malts 21 yo at 59.4% that this 'valedictory Rare Malts vintage was as enjoyable as any Coleburn to have been bottled in recent decades.' Before rating it 73/100. He could be tough! Generally, we taste some of his favourite old Macallans to pay tribute to Michael Jackson but for once, we are probably going to dare to contradict him, 30 years later (S., you fool!). Colour: gold. Nose: probably one of the best of this series, if we exclude Brora, Ardbeg, Caol Ila, Port Ellen and a few others. Whiffs of dandelion flowers early in the morning before the bees arrive, ham, a lot of beeswax, a bit of 'added' caramel, mead, old white Burgundy, hints of vanilla fudge, a tiny bit of canned pineapple, some typical metallic notes (old copper)... But by no means can the low alcohol degree be felt on the nose, even after nearly thirty years in the bottle at 40% vol. Mouth: wonderful. Smoky, metallic, resinous, tarry, almost in the territory of an old Coal Ila G&M (before the reconstruction). We continue with an apple tarte covered with vanilla and salted butter caramel ice cream, then onto lapsang souchong, bone marrow broth, and old fino from Jerez. It's splendid like a Van Gogh compared to a Jeff Koons. No, we will not tell you which are the 'Jeff Koons' of the current malt distilleries. Finish: of medium length, certainly, but with a sweet-salty side now unfindable in Scotland. Perhaps it is that which we should seek to rediscover. Comments: we understand why Coleburn was long associated with 'old' Clynelish before the war. A true marvel, cheers to Michael Jackson and Happy International Whisky Day 2024!
SGP:451 - 92 points.

Let's also take a moment to remember another Coleburn from 1972, the 47-year-old released by G&M in 2020 at... 62.4%. It was a true splendour (WF 93), but there won't be many more Coleburns. Except perhaps for new whiskies under the banner of ACEO/Murray McDavid, the current owners of the brand and buildings.

Today, let's raise a glass to Michael Jackson and please help fight Parkinson's Disease!

More tasting notesCheck the index of all Coleburn we've tasted so far

 

March 26, 2024


Whiskyfun

Secret Smokes, Part Two

Because of course we were having more. Secret malts are on the rise while disclosed distilleries are seriously down, apart from Teaninich, Mannochmore, Glenburgie and Miltonduff. Agreed, and a few others, but all of this is becoming a bit tedious, it must be said, and it's not the fault of the independents.

Peat
Signed Islay Peat for heating, 2006 (WF/MM Archive)

 

 

Islay Single Malt 2013/2022 (53,0%, Or Sileis, bourbon hogshead, cask #WG771, 200 bottles)

Islay Single Malt 2013/2022 (53,0%, Or Sileis, bourbon hogshead, cask #WG771, 200 bottles) Five stars
Cats always bring us luck! Colour: pale white wine. Nose: tarmac, burnt rubber, tar, seaweed, sea water, liniments, and of course, plenty of smoke. With water: hints of new make spirit, some quite pungent smoke, new rubber boots, and merbromin solution. Mouth (neat): a lot of peat, alongside green apple juice, brine, two olives, and tar. With water: it becomes fruitier, more lemony, while the beautiful peat smoke remains. Finish: long, starting off slightly oily, then becoming increasingly firm. Green apple, lemon, brine, and very smoky fish. Not one thing to discard. Comments: a splendid young Islay. One might think it comes from the south-east, but the one from the very north of the east, in its peated form, often manages to imitate it. So it's hard to say for certain.
SGP:657 - 90 points.

Islay Trilogy III 21 yo 2001/2022 (49.7%, Murray McDavid, Mission Gold, blended malt, PX sherry hogshead finish, 170 bottles)

Islay Trilogy III 21 yo 2001/2022 (49.7%, Murray McDavid, Mission Gold, blended malt, PX sherry hogshead finish, 170 bottles) Four stars and a half
A vatting of Ardbeg, Bowmore and Laphroaig that reminds me of an earlier Trilogy by MMcD, their thrilling 1967/2006 that was sheltering Bowie, Laddie and Bunny, all 1967s (WF 92 back then). Colour: reddish amber. Nose: It starts with a chocolatey note and the dried fruits of the PX, while the peat ascends as if emulating the albatross from Victor Hugo's verse, slowly and almost clumsily. The balance gradually shifts and then becomes significantly smokier, and we're talking about quite distinct types of smoke: cigar, peat, wood, even heavy fuel oil... It just needs time. It's impossible to say which one of the three distilleries prevails over the other two. Mouth: excellent for a mere PX finish. There's some sweet Chinese sauce for dim sum (sadly, I can't recall the names), followed by bitter oranges with tobacco, chocolate, ginger, and horseradish, and finally a thick, powerful, and salty peat intermingled with candied lemon. Finish: long, robust, and full-bodied, very well-balanced even if the PX is somewhat disconcerting. Comments: It truly needs time to be appreciated. Would this blend have been better without the PX finish? Not so sure (yep, Serge speaking)...
SGP:666 - 89 points.

Blimey, we're too high for the start of a session, once again.

Seaweed & Aeons & Digging & Fire & Sherry & Cask Strength 10 yo 'Batch 3' (56.4%, Master of Malt, Islay Single Malt, 1st fill oloroso sherry octave, 1233 bottles, 2022)

Seaweed & Aeons & Digging & Fire & Sherry & Cask Strength 10 yo 'Batch 3' (56.4%, Master of Malt, Islay Single Malt, 1st fill oloroso sherry octave, 1233 bottles, 2022) Three stars and a half
I've heard people say that there's no need to specify sherry + oloroso since oloroso is a sherry. Not at all, junior, oloroso is made in several places, not just in Jerez. Colour: copper gold. Nose: It's funny, the octaves haven't overly influenced the malt but it's still quite dense, with prunes and Corinthian raisins slightly obstructing a more delicate peat than it seems. Water should help. With water: yes, it's better, finer at +/-45% vol. Nice tobacco notes, as often with the oloroso + peat combo. Mouth (neat): very powerful, very full-bodied, very spicy, almost a bit overwhelming. Quite woody, as you'd expect with octaves. With twenty litres of water: the return to civilization, with Indonesian spices, green tea, cumin, and especially a good deal of salinity, seawater, brine... Finish: long, not as peaty as one might think, chocolaty and spicy. Let's say chocolate and olives, a magical combination if you find one that has been well-balanced by a top pastry chef. Comments: very good, quite intriguing, just a bit, let's say tiring. A rascal.
SGP:565 - 84 points.

Secret Islay Distillery 15 yo 2007/2023 (52.3%, Acla Selection, Classic Serie, sherry hogshead, cask #4832)

Secret Islay Distillery 15 yo 2007/2023 (52.3%, Acla Selection, Classic Serie, sherry hogshead, cask #4832) Three stars
This one for Switzerland. I'm just thinking, has anyone ever tried to add a wee glass of peated Islay to a Swiss fondue, instead of kirsch? Colour: gold. Nose: a feeling of used matches at first, perhaps just the sherry + peat combo, a little gas and cabbage – but not too much -  then orange zests, raisins, leather, cigars, pinewood smoke… With water: ashes, truffles. Gets much drier. No hard-boiled eggs. Mouth (neat): rich, spicy, sweet, a tad over-the-top for me. Big ginger and turmeric. With water: oranges, eggplants and peanut butter. I know. Finish: medium, earthier and more mineral. Limestone, gunflints, matches, old walnuts, peat. Comments: not bad at all, but here's one that I find slightly less convincing, following a magnificent series of new Aclas. It's the barrel's fault, isn't it?
SGP:375 - 80 points.

Port Askaig 17 yo (50.5%, Elixir Distillers, 2023 edition, American oak, 9000 bottles)

Port Askaig 17 yo (50.5%, Elixir Distillers, 2023 edition, American oak, 9000 bottles) Four stars and a half
I never tried any 17, but 16, 18 and 19 have all been excellent in my book. Colour: pale white wine. Nose: It's delicate, narrow (in the best sense of the word), and ultra-precise, with notes of fresh almonds, peat smoke, lapsang souchong, oysters, and fresh paint. Let's do this quickly… With water: hints of mastic and kelp. Mouth (neat): actually, there's just nothing to critique, it's perfect. Lemons, peat, seaweed, oysters, shellfish, fresh tar, sea water… With water: and it loves water. Finish: long, lively, lemony, smoky, and salty. Impeccable. Comments: sharply defined and, therefore, very crisp. Which makes it dangerous, between us… Here's another bottle that should probably have a warning label about this very topic.
SGP:466 - 89 points.

Since we're on the subject...

Port Askaig 'Cask Strength' (59.4%, Elixir Distillers, small batch #01, 2023)

Port Askaig 'Cask Strength' (59.4%, Elixir Distillers, small batch #01, 2023) Four stars
Are all NAS necessarily underwhiskies? That's up for debate... In any case, if the age isn't known here, we know it's ¼ toasted bourbon (rejuvenated barrels, I suppose) and ¾ American oak (just regular hogsheads, I suppose). Colour: pale white wine. Nose: honestly, it's very fine, with notes of nail polish, lime, ginger tonic, sourdough, wheat beer, plaster, porridge, and some rather elegant and discreet peat With water: very subtle hints of anise and hops. Mouth (neat): sweet yet tart, very citrusy, but with a slightly fatty woodiness. I think it's close to the official CI Cask Strength, but it's been a while since I've tasted the latter. Do they still make it? With water: nice, but there's always a somewhat thick and fatty aspect to the wood. Finish: long, oily in the mouth. In theory, it's the fresh wood that should do that. Comments: very good, I just have a clear preference for the rather marvellous 17-year-old.
SGP:656 - 85 points.

Smoky Scot 8 yo (54.6%, Murray McDavid, single malt, for Germany, oloroso cask finish, 2022)

Smoky Scot 8 yo (54.6%, Murray McDavid, single malt, for Germany, oloroso cask finish, 2022) Four stars
This one for Germany. So for us as well, as WF HQ is so close to the border. Colour: pale gold. Nose: gentle classic peat, fresh apples, seaweed, coal, then fresh wood, bananas, walnuts and cherry stalk tea. With water: virgin wool and Islay mud after some heavy shower (so, anytime). Mouth (neat): nothing to complain about, at all, even if it's maybe more a whisky for your hipflask (the one with the skull, bones, and Harley-Davidson logo). Touch of varnish, raw peat, bitter zests, green peppercorns, plain black pepper playing with your most delicate lips. With water:  very good, very 'that one opposite the Paps'. Finish: pretty long, ultra-classic. One can say that the oloroso behaved this time. Comments: and lemons, green apples, oysters, etc.
SGP:566 - 85 points.

Yeah, if there's one word that characterises Scotch whisky in recent years, it's 'finish'. I find it a bit disheartening because it suggests that the distillates aren't good enough to stand on their own two legs anymore, but that's just me... Second, NAS, and third, absurd prices. Thankfully, not everywhere...
Right, one last one...

Secret Islay 14 yo 2008/2023 (54.4%, Whisky Nerds, refill sherry hogshead, cask #13C, 172 bottles)

Secret Islay 14 yo 2008/2023 (54.4%, Whisky Nerds, refill sherry hogshead, cask #13C, 172 bottles) Four stars and a half
The label is utterly smart, but we'll say no more. Colour: gold. Nose: this feeling of smoked apple juice, this charcoal, cigar ashes, clams, fresh almonds, smoked oysters, toothpaste, chlorophyl, seaweed… With water: fresh paint, seawater, carbolineum, samphires, old Islay (correct). Mouth (neat): instant limey pleasures, softer smoke, almonds, wakame, oysters and Tabasco… With water: so epitomically pure CI! Finish: medium, with a welcome kind of softer delicate lightness. See what I mean. Saltier, more coastal aftertaste, with perhaps some small flat oysters. Not much to eat but they are the best, IMHO. Comments: love this very elegant and indeed pretty nerdy one.
SGP:456 - 89 points.

We've still got quite a few 30 yo+ secret Islays (so, Laphies) but we'll have them later. See you. No, wait, you're right, we could have at least one. Eenie…

Secret Islay 31 yo 1990/2022 (51.9%, Archives, Fishes of Samoa, refill hogshead, cask #4404337, 257 bottles)

Secret Islay 31 yo 1990/2022 (51.9%, Archives, Fishes of Samoa, refill hogshead, cask #4404337, 257 bottles) Five stars
I get the impression that these esteemed Dutch bottlers have done more for the renown of the Samoa islands, or at least for their multicoloured fish, than the Encyclopædia Britannica. Some say all these are Laphroaigs and we have no personal tasting note to prove, or even suggest, otherwise. The only minor difficulty is that they are generally better than the official releases, a situation not uncommon in Scotland. Diplomatically, this is thus a somewhat tricky situation... Colour: pale gold. Nose: less wood, more character from the distillate, this is really the usual case when comparing IBs to OBs, across all distilleries. Magnificent chalky notes, aged champagnes, mandarins, virgin wool, pistachio and olive oils, and especially an integrally, uh, integrated peat. There's no more peat as just peat. With water: sublime old herbal teas, old fabrics, old wood... A sort of antique shop. Mouth (neat): exquisite, pure, with notes of citrus, chalk, and ripe olives (somewhere between green and black ones). With water: be careful, not too much water! All peated whiskies, especially the old ones, must be diluted carefully as they can suddenly 'snap' or let's say 'detach'. In my opinion... Finish: not too long but absolutely perfect. Lemon, mint, light smoke and lots more. Comments: yes, of course... I often say it but if I were the Laphroaig distillery, I would be extremely proud to have such a bottle bear my name. But indeed, I keep rambling on...
SGP:465 - 91 points.

(Merci, Mike)

 

March 25, 2024


Whiskyfun

First class malt whiskies of the world

Let's take another short journey through some of the whisky world's newer nations, if you're up for it. Once again, we'll start from France to keep the carbon footprint in mind, even if it's only virtual in our case. And we'll focus on the top stuff; we're not always gluttons for punishment.

MaltAge's squad in Switzerland's Canton de Genêve (MaltAge)

Maltage

 

 

Scarlett 2019/2023 (51.9%, Version Française by LMDW, for Whisky Live Paris 2023, 249 bottles)

Scarlett 2019/2023 (51.9%, Version Française by LMDW, for Whisky Live Paris 2023, 249 bottles) Four stars
Ex new oak, a single malt distilled in French Jura from Scarlett Spring barley, a variety developed in Germany for malting and brewing. Probably distilled at Bruno Mangin's Rouget de Lisle Distillery, although it wouldn't say. Colour: gold. Nose: a lot of chocolate, stout, Guinness, then very small touches of beef broth as well as a good espresso. You have the feeling that the malt was deep roasted, but I doubt that was the case. With water: fruitier and a little more herbal, around apple peelings shall we say. Tiny metallic touches (old copper). Mouth (neat): this time it's chocolate, pepper and a rather loud ginger/raisins combination. Touches of leather and bay leaves. With water: its best phase, with more liveliness and even more malty chocolate yet. Switzerland is close, they may have smuggled in a lot of Ovaltine/Ovomaltine and let it all macerate in the mash. Many stranger things have happened at the Swiss-French border, just think proper absinth, ha. But shh… Finish: medium, really very malty and chocolaty. Comments: this one really grows on you. I first thought '80' but we end-up at…
SGP:361 - 85 points.

Did we not mention Switzerland?

Macardo 'Chapter II' (54%, OB, Switzerland, The Life Cycle of a Cask, finished in Port, 980 bottles, 2022)

Macardo 'Chapter II' (54%, OB, Switzerland, The Life Cycle of a Cask, finished in Port, 980 bottles, 2022) Four stars
Not sure the Chapter II of The Life Cycle of a Cask is to finish it in Port – I think it's tawny - but after all only the result counts. The distillery is located in Thurgau, in a lovely location just south of Lake Constance. Colour: rosy amber. Nose: It completely reminds me of those chocolate bars that used to contain sultanas, roasted hazelnuts, honey, rum, and bits of dried red berries. It's actually quite nostalgic but it works really well. It's also very much like a Christmas cake. With water: here come cinnamon, mulled wine (indeed Christmas-y), and a hint of star anise... And lots of raisins courtesy of the Port wine. Mouth (neat): heavy, thick, and rich. The same spectrum of flavours as on the nose, plus enormous amounts of dried goji berries. With water: same, plus the usual orange marmalade and sweet pepper. A bit of paprika. Finish: medium, round, smooth, and with a bit more clove. Comments: It reminds me of some of the pretty wild and adorably excessive new Australian whiskies. In any case, I find this young Macardo excellent.
SGP:651 - 87 points.

Let's stay in Switzerland...

MaltAge 2019/2023 (51.5%, OB, Switzerland, vin jaune, sherry and bourbon)

MaltAge 2019/2023 (51.5%, OB, Switzerland, vin jaune, sherry and bourbon) Four stars
A brand new malt, 100% from Geneva. The barley is grown and malted in Geneva while naturally, the rest of the process is done in the Canton, the Distillery being located in Gy. They use a small pot with a short copper column while the cask bill consists in ex- marc de vin jaune, sherry and bourbon bloodtubs. Phew, hope I haven't forgotten anything. Colour: gold. Nose: Nice! The distillate is quite pure, I suspect there's a lot of copper contact during distillation, but there are also fermentative notes that might come from that yellow wine. Green pear as well. With water: mirabelle plums and a few green nuts come through. Mouth (neat): it's good, lively, fruitier yet still fermentative, which I quite like. There are notes of wheat beer, Japanese bean paste, fermenting cherries (for making kirsch), followed by a bit of fudge that rounds everything off. With water: not much change, perhaps a bit of rather sweet white vermouth. Finish: a bit of wood and vanilla come through, but in a very elegant way. Orange juice in the aftertaste. Comments: yes, this Genevan craft whisky is very good, in a style that's quite different from that of the rather massive Thurgovian.
SGP:551 - 86 points.

There are more and more excellent Swiss whiskies; we'll be tasting even more of them soon, that's a promise. But for now...

Kinglake 'American Werewolf in Paris' (56%, OB, Australia, 2023)

Kinglake 'American Werewolf in Paris' (56%, OB, Australia, 2023) Four stars and a half
Aged for 17 months in American oak then for 17 months in some Australian Tawny Port-like cask. So, that's a little less than three years if my math is good. We've tried some excellent young Kinglake from Southern Australia before (they're not far from Melbourne). As for that American werewolf, I have no ideas who that could be. Colour: deep gold. Nose: the chocolateness that we found in the Scarlett is back, the Ovaltine too, the Port is much drier than in the Marcardo – no raisins - while black olives ae starting to come through, which we love of course. Do they do bacterial? Barley vinegar? Awesome nose. With water: gets a little earthier, which happens very commonly. Mouth (neat): thicker, with more sweet Port and more spicy oak too. Pink peppers, bay leaves, perhaps one black olive again and certainly the juice from one small lemon. Some molasses. With water: excellent, sesame nougat, maple syrup, orange liqueur, honey (we won't mention manuka) and the faintest touch of candied ginger. Finish: pretty long, on some kind of spicy and honeyed chocolate. Comments: it's excellent and also quite unusual, which earns it extra points in my book. Not to mention the olives. A very nice distillate, quite thick, you can feel it through the casks.
SGP:652 - 88 points.

Since we're down there…

Morris of Rutherglen 'Smoked Muscat Barrels' (48.5%, OB, Australia, +/-2023)

Morris of Rutherglen 'Smoked Muscat Barrels' (48.5%, OB, Australia, +/-2023) Three stars and a half
Smoked muscat? The end is near! Seriously, no need to say that I'm extremely curious here and now… BTW they seem to have gathered more medals than a Russian vice-admiral. Apparently, they actually 'smoked' the barrels here by 'pushing the boundaries of experimenting with the barrel-charring process'. Oh and they're located in the north-east of the province of Victoria. Let us proceed… Colour: deep gold. Nose: pinewood, sauna oils, charcoal indeed, barbecued fruit brochettes, new wellingtons, bicycle inner tube, natural tar liqueur (pine tar)… There is some tarry/rubbery smokiness indeed, which works on the nose, but let's check the palate. Mouth: weird but extremely interesting. Pineapples, fumes, rubber, muscat indeed, curries, garam masala, cloves (sweetened Kretek cigarettes)… A pile of funny savours. Finish: the finish is a little more difficult, the burnt rubber winning it. Comments: they must have burnt something else than just gas or wood when they charred their woods. Peat? Old rubber boots? Seriously, it's a very crazy whisky. Great fun but I'm not sure I'd buy the double-magnum.
SGP:463 - 83 points.

All right, let's have one of the godfathers of Australian whisky and then call this a tasting session. Remember the Great Outback whisky? A lot of water has flowed under the bridge since...

Hellyers Road 6 yo 2016/2023 'Peated' (70.1%, OB, Australia, LMDW, cask #16315.10)

Hellyers Road 6 yo 2016/2023 'Peated' (70.1%, OB, Australia, LMDW, cask #16315.10) Four stars and a half
We're in Tasmania. The potency of this bottle is probably lethal. My lawyer is clued in (but since he's nearly always on a long weekend from Thursday evening to Tuesday morning, no one's actually at risk). Colour: white wine. Nose: honestly, not much going on, only matchsticks, pine needles, antifreeze, carbon paper... Well, that must be the 70%. And then they taunt us with their extra .1%! With water: do you know which other whiskies from around the world this peated Hellyers Road reminds me of? The Swedish Smögen and the French Kornog. It has the same pristine depth, or the same deep purity, depending on how you look at it. Superb lemon, sweet smoke, seaweed... Mouth (neat): peach liqueur, peat, lemon cream, black pepper, ethanol. Let's not overdo it... With water: this time it brings to mind Japan, especially Chichibu in its 'pure' expressions. Finish: long. Comments: be careful, these little ones are tricky to dilute and they can 'snap' quite quickly, that is, lose their taut side even at high strengths such as, say, 55% vol. These very high bottling strengths can be a double-edged sword; in fact, they should recommend an ideal dilution on the labels, shouldn't they? Surely they don't expect us to drink this amazing stuff at 70.01%?
SGP:556 - 89 points.
 

March 24, 2024


Whiskyfun

  A word of caution
Let me please remind you that my humble assessments of any spirits are done from the point of view of a malt whisky enthusiast who, what's more, is aboslutely not an expert in rum, brandy, tequila, vodka, gin or any other spirits. Thank you – and peace!
 

Only hi-flying French brandies

Danis

At Domaine de Danis in the Gers (Domaine de Danis)

 

We had quite a busy end to last year and a start to 2024 filled with cognac and armagnac tastings, and I must willingly admit that my appreciation for them is growing, perhaps it's my Frenchness shining through a bit. Regardless, today, we felt compelled to sample a few more before dedicating the coming Sundays increasingly to rum, which are becoming ever so prevalent. While the most prominent names in malt whisky, at least among our dear independent friends, are fading away gradually, under the names of their original distilleries. As the saying goes, "You snooze, you lose," so horns up, let's first have an aperitif, please! Always with a thought for our friend Diego, the one who sent us, for instance, the complete Erté collection from Courvoisier to try. What a star!

 

Prunier 'VSOP' (40%, OB, +/-2023)

Prunier 'VSOP' (40%, OB, +/-2023) Four stars
We've sampled a good number of old Pruniers but I don't recall this little VSOP. It's a blend of fins bois and petite champagne. Colour: gold. Nose: It's unusual to find, in a young cognac, such a variety of plums. Large juicy prunes and also ripe mirabelles, followed by those peaches that are almost always present in good cognacs that are pushing the distillate. In short, a very pretty nose, quite jammy, in the best sense of the word. I also detect a very slight musky note. Mouth: extremely fruity, exuberant, still focused on those rather incredible plums. Just a touch of cedarwood, light tobacco, and meadow honey. It's not overly complex but it's very expressive. The low alcohol content is not noticeable. Finish: of medium length, still very fruity. Again a little musky note and quite a few sultanas in the aftertaste. Also a bit of anise, wormwood, and liquorice. Yes, indeed, absinthe. Comments: I find it to be an excellent young cognac that could also bridge to great liqueurs at the end of a meal. And I would have guessed 45% ABV.
SGP:741 - 87 points.

Domaine de Jouatmanou 34 yo 1989/2023 (41.5%, ROW Spirits, bas-armagnac, fût #43, 571 bottles)

Domaine de Jouatmanou 34 yo 1989/2023 (41.5%, ROW Spirits, bas-armagnac, fût #43, 571 bottles) Five stars
The lady on the label looks like my youngest daughter, seriously. Jouatmanou is located in Le Frêche in the Landes and is owned by the Lacave family. This a blend of folle blanche and baco. We might have more from Le Frêche today, timing permit. Colour: full gold. Nose: awesome start with a little petrol, even a touch of smoke, then a little varnish, encaustic and even a tiny touch of acetone, before more civilised aromas would start to come through, sultanas, peaches indeed, surely some butterscotch and some fudge... All that gives this one a wee 'trans-category' feel that we find pretty perfect. Say 85% perfect armagnac, 10% very old grain whisky, 9% old bourbon, and 1% peated Islay. But who-the-hell would do that? Mouth: brilliant and 100% armagnac this time, with this sophisticated rawness, a little varnish again, some beeswax, polishes, peaches, raisins, dried apricots, mead, and wait, 5% old calvados. Here we go again, I feel we'll need to apologize. Finish: long, more on honey and deep-brewed earl grey tea. No, we won't mention any other spirits. Or perhaps a little sloe eau-e-vie? Comments: so, I apologise.

SGP:562 - 90 points.

Vallein Tercinier 53 yo 1967/2021 (47%, OB for Gourmet Pool, grande champagne, 235 bottles)

Vallein Tercinier 53 yo 1967/2021 (47%, Gourmet Pool, grande champagne, 235 bottles) Five stars
The summer of love. This one too should tick all the boxes. Colour: Deep dark gold. Nose: typical. Sauternes, mangos, papayas, crushed bananas, honeysuckle, wisteria, orange blossom, vine peaches. Mouth: total, obvious house style. Rather sweet Jurançon than Sauternes, (manseng), peaches and mangos, guavas, some all-flower honey, touch of maple syrup and green oak honeydew, black tea, hint of varnish, apricot jam, then more spices, cinnamon, cedarwood… Finish: long, more roasted (peanuts), but always with a dazzling freshness. More cracked pepper and clove in the aftertaste.  Comments: these VTs are all incredibly fresh and lively. At no point do they falter in the slightest, to the extent that when tasting them, one completely forgets their age and vintage.
SGP:651 - 91 points.

Back to l'armagnac…

Domaine Del Cassou 35 yo 1987/2022 (48.6%, L'Encantada, bas-armagnac, cask #010, 490 bottles)

Domaine Del Cassou 35 yo 1987/2022 (48.6%, L'Encantada, bas-armagnac, cask #010, 490 bottles) Four stars and a half
From Arthez-d'Armagnac and 100% baco, some just post-phylloxera. I mean, probably from the first clones. Colour: bright amber. Nose: more varnish again, putty, fresh paint, roasted almonds and peanuts, plus cakes of all kinds, especially scones, then well-roasted chestnuts. Some ultra-ripe melon in the background, not too good to eat anymore but the noses can be absolutely flabbergasting, as is the case here. Mouth: a rather raw juice, roasted, with some pancake sauce, caramel, fresh-dried raisins… but it gets gradually fresher and fruitier, which I find uncommon. Greengages, gewurz berries stolen from the vines (oops), some ripe lychees too. Finish: long, roasted, you'd almost believe there was some botrytis (which the makers would hate, I suppose). Earthier aftertaste, with a little incense perhaps, or sandalwood. Comments: well, we keep flying extremely high, but that was to be expected from l'Encantada.
SGP:551 - 89 points.

Castarède 38 yo 1986/2024 (53.4%, Grape of the Art, Ténarèze, 246 bottles)

Castarède 38 yo 1986/2024 (53.4%, Grape of the Art, Ténarèze, 246 bottles) Four stars and a half
They have some awesome folle blanche at Castarède, which is a very traditional and pretty ancient Armagnac house, but this is a blend of ugni blanc and colombard. As for the youngsters at Grape of the Art, they already showed us that they know how to select a cask of 'gnac (the secret being, I've heard, not to get flat drunk before agreeing with the owners on which cask you'll purchase). Colour: deep gold. Nose: another rather roasted/fudgey one, with some vanilla and a touch of coconut, a pack of Mars bars, some cappuccino and macchiato, maple syrup, millionaire shortbread, honey… With water: lovely whiffs of fresh putty, marzipan, and barley syrup. Yes. Mouth (neat): just extremely good, rich yet a little tense, with once more some coconut, vanilla and maple syrup. An armagnac that's rather a little closer to malt whisky indeed, but remember it is a Ténarèze. With water: please add just one drop or some tannicity would spring out. Very good herbal teas, muscovado, tiny touches of fresh rubber, peach skins… Finish: long, rather grassier. Apple peel, grape pips. Comments: very big boy, extremely good, but be careful with water, or just do not add any.
SGP:661 - 88 points.

Right, they were all superlative this far.

Domaine de Danis 1986/2023 (48%, OB, armagnac, pièce, cask #11)

Domaine de Danis 1986/2023 (48%, OB, armagnac, pièce, cask #11) Four stars
100% folle blanche, straight out of Castelnau d'Armagnac. A pièce shelters around 400 litres of spirit. They're located in Ténarèze but the soil is that of some typical Bas-armagnac, which is why they prefer not to write 'Ténarèze' on their labels, which we find very honest. Colour: deep gold. Nose: clearly more rustic, with more earths and leaves, mushrooms, roots, grasses, stewed peaches and pears, fermenting fruits, even a little beer… That's all rather intriguing, we agree. With water: whiffs of camphor and eucalyptus, plus last year's apples resting in the cellar. Mouth (neat): su-perb! All ripe fruits sprinkled with honey and caramel sauce, plus a little mocha. Another sin. With water: same feeling of civilised rusticity, shall we say. I cannot not think of 'pommes tapées', which is something they make in the Loire valley, where they hit apples several times to let them dry. The apples end up being as flat as a flatearther's brain – but much better. It is a very old recipe. Finish: long, rather a little dry and herbal, both elegant and rustic indeed. Comments: water was unnecessary, my bad. Superb armagnac, nonetheless.
SGP:561 - 87 points.

Domaine de Danis 1978/2022 (46%, OB, armagnac, #T6)

Domaine de Danis 1978/2022 (46%, OB, armagnac, #T6) Four stars and a half
Baco and ugni blanc. The estate started to only grow folle blanche in 1982. Colour: deep gold. Nose: really mostly on herbal teas, rosehip, rooibos too, peach leaf tea – you could also make liqueur out of peach leaves, also a few buds and small berries, old pine wood, old furniture in the attic, hives… Mouth: rather like it, with the stewed peaches, honeys, waxes, pears and apples, notes of chardonnay kept in pretty active oak, banana skins… Classic raisins are chiming in too. Finish: rather long, rather grassier, but never drying. The oak is kept at bay. Comments: I'm sure I should like the lovely folle blanche even better, but we're rebels and so we do prefer this baco-ugni by a tiny-wee margin. Greater and even greater.
SGP:561 - 88 points.

We could have two more and then go on next week, no?

Tiffon 'Lot 75' (44.7%, Malternative Belgium, Borderies, Private bottling for The Antelope and Kanpaikai, 2023)

Tiffon 'Lot 75' (44.7%, Malternative Belgium, Borderies, Private bottling for The Antelope and Kanpaikai, 2023) Five stars
Colour: amber. Nose: It's quintessentially classic, with praline, fruit crumbles, various honeys, damp earth, dark nougat, chocolate, and hints of geranium flowers, tomato bud and leaf (their good side)... It's really quite beautiful. Mouth: the woodiness is more pronounced, and that's to be expected. Notes of fir and pine, liquorice, gentian (hurrah), followed by the usual stewed fruits and familiar honeys. Also, candied oranges. The balance is absolutely perfect here. Finish: quite long, honeyed and with a liquorice twist. Remarkable signature notes of very ripe apples. Comments: I'm not quite sure what to say, all this is just... perfect.
SGP:651 - 91 points.

Domaine de Baraillon 1967/2021 (42%, OB, bas-armagnac)

Domaine de Baraillon 1967/2021 (42%, OB, bas-armagnac) Five stars
Glad to have Baraillon on the tasting desk again. Colour: dark amber. Nose: I'm sure Jimi H. was playing while they were distilling this. Abundant fruit compotes, wafts of peonies, ultra-ripe red peaches, morel mushrooms, intriguing notes of sangria – yet without the winy aspect, right – as well as an old pinot noir from around Nuits-St-Georges – again, without the vinous side. Mouth: this time it's totally old-school, with a present yet incredibly well-mannered woodiness, that same pinot noir, blood oranges, ratafia, prunes, aged dried grapes rehydrated in brandy, ripe damsons, cinnamon, then dark chocolate and very old rum (the Navy rum type)... All of this is extremely entertaining and divinely good, I find. And emotionally old-school, indeed. Finish: of medium length and similar character. Comments: Baraillon, still unbelievably profound.
 SGP:661 - 92 points.

Next time we'll have several older ones, including perhaps a V-duo of 1945s and quite a few older ones, nearer to WWI. Au revoir, cheers Diego.

More tasting notesCheck the index of all cognacs and armagnacs we've tasted so far

 

March 23, 2024


Whiskyfun

 

 

 

Diego  

Angus's Corner
From our correspondent and
skilled taster Angus MacRaild in Scotland


Three Glen Grant for Diego

We received some extremely sad and shocking news this week, that we lost Diego Sandrin, a great man and a great friend of Whiskyfun too.

 

 

It is always hard to know what to say in such circumstances, and without wishing to eulogise too much, I would simply say he was a remarkable and extremely talented man. I believe all that knew him would agree upon his generosity. He was someone who always had time for people and prioritised his sense of humour and his sense of fun before what he considered more boring things such as business. He was a person in who's company you always, and very quickly, found yourself laughing.

 

 

He was loyal and enthusiastically supportive as a friend, especially to younger people such as myself, and to Phil and Simon Thompson, with our respective distillery projects which he happily and generously backed. He was also very clearly a complete whisky geek in the truest sense, as evidenced in his remarkable collection and stash of bottles, but also in his eagerness and willingness to open bottles and to taste and share whisky. He persisted with this in the face of silly prices and silly people with his absolutely typical coolness and generosity. Without Diego and his generosity, it is true to say there would be many great drams missing from my tasting experience, and the archives of Whiskyfun would be undoubtedly less populated with notes for fascinating rarities and discoveries.

 

 

The fact that he would create very cool private bottlings by mixing old bottles and samples together, or his notoriously great 'finished Laphroaig' private bottlings (WF93 no less!). Always illustrated the kind of 'precisely no shits given', 'life is about having fun' attitude that he exuded in all that he did.

 

 

His great achievements were really in music though, he was a successful, professional musician and songwriter, which is where he made his mark on this world most profoundly. My fondest memories of Diego are from visiting him in Italy and discussing music and guitar playing every bit as much as we talked whisky.

 

 

He touched many, many lives in our community and he was one of those rare people that everyone seemed to love and have time for. For me, and for a lot of our friends, I know that memories of great trips we took together such as the Islay Odyssey and the Pre-War Whisky Tour are some of the most cherished experiences and memories of our whisky lives. Made that bit more poignant by losing one of the people who was so integral to making these such special adventures. A man that stands in Bowmore visitor centre, belting out Italian opera with a glass of (independently bottled) 1966 Bowmore in one hand is truly the sort of person we all need more of in our lives.

 

 

Our thoughts are with his family, and especially with his young children. And we'll dedicate these few humble notes for some glorious old Glen Grants to his memory.

 

 

Here's to you Diego!

 

 

Glen Grant 1965/2004 (40%, Gordon & MacPhail)
Colour: amber. Nose: a simply gorgeous combinations of nectars, pollens, precious honeys, waxes and soft, detailed earthiness. Fig jam, prunes in Armagnac, sumptuous leathery aromas and feelings of old library books, linseed oil and hessian. The kind of whisky that demands a frankly outrageous measure in a Cognac snifter glass. Mouth: soft, abundant and supply fruitiness. Dark sticky fruits, golden sultanas, moist Guinness cake, treacle, lamp oil and old sweet madeira. Then those lovely honey and mead notes return, along with greener fruits and flower nectars. Sumptuous, gorgeous and completely deadly! Finish: long, rancioed, liquorice, salted caramel and dark chocolate and then more layers of tobaccos, mint, treacle and dark fruits. Comments: almost embarrassingly delicious, a mere 91 points in technical terms but the kind of juice you could guzzle until the stars go out. Old Glen Grants seem to nail this style more often than any other whisky I believe - it's why I just adore them so much.
SGP: 651 - 91 points.

 

 

Glen Grant 20 yo 'Director's Reserve' (75 proof, OB, Giovinetti Import, 1970s)
Colour: gold. Nose: the densest, most superb honey aroma. Pure honeycomb, coconut, acacia, wormwood, ancient yellow Chartreuse and resinous fir and hardwoods. What I adore about these old official/G&M Glen Grants from this era is how they deliver what is in some ways a rather singular profile, but that profile is just utter beauty and poetry in a glass. You could also mention waxes, medical tinctures, citrons and crystallised exotic fruits. Mouth: perfection! Glorious soft threads of dry, herbal peat, interwoven with any number of preserved and crystallised green and exotic fruits you care to mention. Also some marrow, mechanical oils and wee tarry aspects adding body and power. There's also metallic notes, bouillon stock and a more pure and punchy waxiness coming through now. Finish: long, wonderfully resinous, honeyed, herbal, waxy and becoming mentholated and showing wee notes of dried flowers and yellow fruits. Comments: as I have said before, old Glen Grants always were, and remain, steadfastly terrible. That is all.
SGP: 000 -30 points. (ok, ok… 562 - 92 points, whatever!)

 

 

BIG-Diego.jpg

Glen Grant 67 yo 1955/2022 (49.8%, Gordon & MacPhail Private Collection for LMDW, Collection Antipodes, 1st fill sherry butt, cask #839, 100 bottles) 
Colour: deep brownish amber. Nose: stunningly deep and superbly earthy. Riddled with these wonderful mulchy and mushroomy notes that lead into umami seasonings such as Maggi along with sultana, fig and prune on the fruitier side of things. Add to that these damp and deep layers of camphor, tobacco leaf, cigar humidor and musty wine cellar funk. One of these hypnotic old sherried whiskies where the sherry seems to have somehow managed to remain fresh and there's enough fruitiness and complexity in the nose to keep everything balanced. Mouth: pure walnut wine laced with ancient cigars, pipe tobacco, the bitterest and most gorgeous dark chocolate with tiny inflections of sea salt and pure umami. A whisky where the sherry influence has run so deep you cannot help but start to wonder about Amontillado? Oloroso? etc. Then the usual tars, resinous herbal and medicinal aspects and bitter dried mint notes. It's certainly old and certainly has taken up the tannin of the wood but it remains wonderfully alive and these peppery, medicinal qualities that really make you think of some old G&M Taliskers are utterly sublime. Finish: impeccably tarry, rustic, earthy and long. Layered with tobaccos, typically glorious old rancio and balsamic, and also some dark honeys, herbal tinctures, aniseed, fennel and salted liquorice. Remains alive and still showing a glorious balance of bitter herbs, umami, earths and preserved dark fruits right to the end - whenever that may arrive… Comments: priced and boxed up as a rich person's plaything, which is extremely sad because it's actually a rather spellbinding and hauntingly brilliant liquid. An astonishing flavour that only time and the greatest distillate and oak ingredients can yield.

SGP: 562 - 92 points.

 

 

 

 

Diego, my brother

What to say about Diego, an entire book wouldn't be enough, but I want to tell you something about him as I knew him in these 20 years of beautiful friendship. The most important thing was the constant laughter about everything, not just whisky, like the football rivalry between Juventus and Milan (I jokingly gave the kids a Milan football shirt so he could get angry every time he saw it). I don't think I've ever seen him really angry in all these years, and the time spent with him flew by too fast.
As you may know, we bought many whisky collections together and never, and I mean never, had discussions about how to divide them. We invented a method which consisted of dividing them into more or less equal blocks and drawing lots with a BIC lighter.
I remember him as a devourer of sweets and biscuits, and I recall during a car journey (I believe it was to go to D Day) we stopped at a bar and he then bought a pack of 50 Kinder chocolates, and after two hours of travel, I asked for one and he said... there are only 5 left hahaha he had eaten 45 in 2 hours.
A generous, humble, and extremely intelligent person who I miss at every moment and I can't stop thinking about him, and every time I open my phone, I hope to see a message from him on WhatsApp with the laugh of the day.
There are many other things to say, but I am very sad and cannot find the words to express myself. However, I want to share what Diego loved. Diego cherished his family, friends, football, whisky, and collecting. He also had a profound passion for dogs and contributed by being part of an association "SALVAUNCANE" where they have rescued and treated over 1000 dogs. Therefore, I propose in his honour, for those who wish, to make a donation to them: Paypal clodine.nuvola@gmail.com with the note "In Diego's memory".

Massimo 'Max' Righi

 

Diego

Diego is an incredible person. Indeed, I cannot speak of him in the past tense, even though that will inevitably happen one day. He's someone who invades you without you realising it, in the sense that when he's gone, you notice he was actually a part of you. It's a peculiar feeling. A sort of positive Alien, I suppose. That must be what friendship is.

But it's true that Diego has countless facets, as they say in marketing. He's larger than life. First, he's Italian. The French adore the Italians (but please don't tell them, they'll just mock us again). Then, he's a real trendsetter, it seems. For instance, I've always seen him wearing beanies, well before all the hipsters on this planet started copying him. And I've known Diego for nearly twenty years, I believe it was Massimo who introduced us. Additionally, he's an exceptional musician. He came to play his hits for us at my wife's and my hundredth birthday (combined, of course). The audience loved him and I was very proud. I had just lost my father that week and he had greatly lifted my spirits! He also came to our annual D-Day here at WF Towerz. His work in music, after a punk period, including with Elvis's daughter and under his own name, is well-known, but did you know he had also started producing rather experimental jazz records? Anyway, he has very funny anecdotes from his American showbiz days to tell. And I've listened to demos of his new album, sublime. With real strings! I hope it will be released soon. I also recently discovered that we share a passion for a late Italian musician called Lucio Battisti – I recommend 'Amarsi un po'. You're welcome. And then the jokes we all sent each other at the beginning of Covid, remember? Diego's were the funniest, without a doubt. Even his recent sponsorship of a junior football team in Africa with an Ugandan coach, who turned out to be Nigerian and ran off with the cash, made me laugh a lot (but less than him). And of course, whisky and spirits in general. His wonderful collection. And the day he sent me a sample of Macallan 50 years 1928 to see what I thought of it. Could I also taste the Adami, please? After all, he's Italian, Valerio Adami... Or take, for example, the ultra-rare Port Ellen twelve years Samaroli, it was Diego who introduced it to me. Port Ellen, indeed... Incidentally, but just as a fun fact, I remember that after the big merger, many were calling the new entity, 'Diageo', by the name of 'Diego'. It's crazy. Anyway, see you next time, Diego, are you coming to Limburg this year? At any rate, I hope you'll come to our D-Day!

By the way, this week, in the night sky above Port Ellen, under an absolutely clear sky, I saw a shooting star.

 

 

March 22, 2024


Whiskyfun

Diego!

This week, as I was spending unforgettable moments at Port Ellen for the restart of the distillery, a piece of Whiskyfun has gone to the heavens with Diego Sandrin. I'm still at a loss for words. We shall publish something tomorrow with Angus.
- Serge
(Diego at Port Ellen during our Islay Odyssey, February 2015.)

 

March 20, 2024


Whiskyfun

Live from Islay, the first new Port Ellen and the two Geminis

Port Ellen

I will try to write a few lines that aren't too soporific, but it's truly difficult to resist the almost Andalusian weather on the one hand, and the visit to the newly rebuilt Port Ellen distillery with good friends on the other. I'll simply add, quite honestly, regarding the architecture and décor, that everything has been done with absolute tasteful certainty. I found myself plunged into the very fashionable 1960s; all that was missing were the Yardbirds! I love it. As for the equipment, let's just say there are two stills, replicas of the originals, plus two smaller 'experimental' stills, all leading to a capacity of 1.6 million litres of pure alcohol annually, which is roughly five times less than Coal Ila and, I believe, half the capacity of Lagavulin. The idea is clearly to produce haute-couture peated malt. Oh, and it's the first time I've seen what I call a 'column mill' (my own term, they are several mills stacked and operating in series). And the investment, it seems, was £185Mio. Incredible.

 

 

Port Ellen New Make first run (69.6%, OB, 2024)

Port Ellen New Make first run (69.6%, OB, 2024) Four stars and a half
Here is the spirit that made the residents of the surroundings say that Port Ellen was 'speaking again', a very charming, and even moving expression. It's a first batch moderately peated at 35ppm, while we've also had the opportunity to taste some other new makes that are much more peated. Let's do this quickly, it's only new make (yeah right). Colour: white. Nose: quite a pronounced fudge and shortbread aspect, which one would normally associate with barrel maturation. The scent of a new wool jumper is also very present, with a fruity touch more akin to blackcurrant than the more usual strawberry in peated new makes. Also, a lot of charcoal. With water: grilled almonds stand out, as does lapsang souchong tea; it really feels like you could drink it just like that. Mouth (neat): quite superb, very powerful of course, but with a lime twist and very marked ashes. With water: a kind of very smoky pear takes control. Finish: very long and distinctly saltier, even maritime. The loop is closed. Comments: will this spirit be closes in 25 years' time, to the incredible third annual release we tasted the night before at dinner? Frankly, tasting the first new make from such a distillery is moving. Beware, the phenols stick terribly to the glass; you will have to rinse it many times if you plan to use it immediately again.
SGP:648 - (no score) points.

Port Ellen 44 yo 1978/2023 'Gemini Remnant Cask' (53.6%, OB, Remnant cask finish, 274 bottles, 2024)

Ellen 44 yo 1978/2023 'Gemini Original Cask' (54.9%, OB, European oak butts, 274 bottles, 2024) Five stars
PortHere is the unfinished version of the Gemini twin-pack. I promise we won't talk about prices, it would be vulgar, wouldn't it, and that's just not like you! Colour: pure gold. Nose: there are no very obvious sherry traces, rather a kind of communion of aromas that we now find in all very old Port Ellens. Here it ranges from praline to putty, from shellfish (clams, whelks) to seaweed, and from tar to salty liquorice. It's just unstoppable. With water: the most sublime of putties, with fresh paint and just a bit of... apple juice. Mouth (neat): a magnificent mentholated and lemony arrival, with, I swear, notes that were indeed in the new new make, especially the lime. It then unfolds onto seaweed and eucalyptus. With water: yes, it's just masterful, not tired in the least, with a woodiness remaining under control. Finish: quite long, salty, more bitter, with a lot of green tea. Comments: we tasted it a bit quickly, but the trajectory is perfectly clear. Now we just have to wonder how many casks they have left, but of course, they will only answer when there are none left. Fair game.
SGP:566 - 95 points.

Port Ellen 44 yo 1978/2023 'Gemini Remnant Cask' (53.6%, OB, Remnant cask finish, 274 bottles, 2024)

Port Ellen 44 yo 1978/2023 'Gemini Remnant Cask' (53.6%, OB, Remnant cask finish, 274 bottles, 2024) Five stars
These remnant casks are barrels intended to house the tails of the bottling runs. Once full, they are emptied (it seems they discard the contents, I might have other ideas…) and are used again for the next run, and so on. It can be said that a remnant cask will have contained whiskies from all the periods of a distillery. It is told that the Port Ellen remnant cask was saved by Pinkie during the closure in 1983 and repatriated to Lagavulin. In short, he is the guilty party. Colour: deep gold. Nose: it seems that the remnant cask has been boosted (indeed it has been seasoned), there are many more woody notes, but also notes of leaves, tea, pinecones, nuts, dry sherry... All of this is quite intriguing, it's the first time I'm coming across a very old malt that's been finished like this. With water: the cask has clearly made the whisky younger. Green banana is found, and even some touches of porridge. Mouth (neat): again notes of fresh sweet wood, charring, eucalyptus, green banana, rather tight sherry, liquorice... This is clearly not your usual Port Ellen (if we may use the term usual) but this candied side and these touches of ginger work well. With water: touches of candied citron, orange blossom honey... Finish: long, while it becomes sweeter and sweeter. Very pretty candied oranges. Comments: perhaps we should have started with this one. Very excellent more 'innovative' whisky, but I believe in its natural state, we remain in a different league.
SGP:666 - 92 points.

We may come back to these two PEs, we'll see.

More tasting notesCheck the index of all Port Ellen we've tasted so far

 

March 19, 2024


Whiskyfun

A few more Secret Smokes

A few Scottish blends or single malts from the last few months, supposed to be rather peaty, a bit of a tribute to their famous ancestors, Islay Mist and Black Bottle. We won't be tasting them today, as they've changed a lot since their heyday, especially Black Bottle. So let's see what we've got...

Peat
Peat at Glen Ord Maltings, 2006 (WF Archive)

 

 

Seaweed & Aeons & Digging & Fire 10 yo (40%, Master of Malt, Islay Single Malt, +/-2022)

Seaweed & Aeons & Digging & Fire 10 yo (40%, Master of Malt, Islay Single Malt, +/-2022) Three stars and a half
A ¼ of it has been finished in sherry. The name alone screams 'Master of Malt' or 'Atom Brands' or 'use of weird substances' or 'Friday-night-at-the-pub idea'. Colour: straw. Nose: It's clean and highly reminiscent of Caol Ila (as one might expect), giving off plenty of fresh apple and ash, a few seaweeds, and precisely three langoustines (neither two nor four), followed by a hint of sherry's walnut. No issue: the low strength is not noticeable on the nose. Mouth: It's pleasant, light without being weak, more rounded and briny than on the nose, just losing altitude after thirty seconds. It then lingers on ashes with a touch of lemon and green pepper. Finish: rather short, briny, with a fair amount of ash. A subtle sweet note in the finish, possibly from the sherry. Comments: I quite like it; it should make a lovely summer drink, or perhaps replace the gins in cocktails. It's just a tad brief. In fact, it also reminds me a bit of a younger Laphroaig from a batch that's lighter than usual.
SGP:556 - 84 points.

Peatside 6 yo 2015/2022 (50%, Murray McDavid, The Vatting, blended malt, Madeira + Ex Islay Cask finish, 1867 bottles)

Peatside 6 yo 2015/2022 (50%, Murray McDavid, The Vatting, blended malt, Madeira + Ex Islay Cask finish, 1867 bottles) Three stars
Not sure there's some peated distillate in there, could have been only a pretty wet or wetted ex-Islay cask (as, I believe, many are doing these days). Colour: straw. Nose: rather raw, a little musty and mustardy (S.!) with some burnt walnut cake, Madeira indeed, and a very light smokiness. Pretty pleasant so far. With water: hessian, virgin wool, porridge, plaster, grist, all things that we enjoy in our malt whiskies. Mouth (neat): much more 'sweet lemony peat', much more pepper and ginger too. I think you do feel that there are/were several parts. With water: feels much more like 'a peater from the continent'. A little gunpowder, leather, green peppercorns, mustard indeed.. which leads to Madeira. Finish: medium, on similar notes. Leathery aftertaste. Comments: seems that the Madeira managed to keep the upper hand. Fine unusual drop.
SGP:563 - 82 points.

Madeira?...

Kilnaughton 'Secret Islay' (48.5%, The Cooper's Choice, Madeira cask finish, cask #1154, 312 bottles, 2023)

Kilnaughton 'Secret Islay' (48.5%, The Cooper's Choice, Madeira cask finish, cask #1154, 312 bottles, 2023) Four stars
Kilnaughton Bay lies on the road to the Oa, so close to Port Ellen. Closest active distillery would be Laphroaig then, but let's remember Ardbeg have also got a slightly timid expression called 'An Oa'. So, this could well be Lagavulin (smile). Colour: gold with apricot hues. Nose: I would not be surprised. It's a 'sweeter' nose, there are a few strawberries (remember you can sometimes smell strawberries when Port Ellen Maltings are working a full steam), a rather earthy and tarry peat, surely some muesli loaded with a lot of fruits, especially peaches and melons, then a little turmeric and paprika. Sweeter goulash. Mouth: a genuine cocktail. Said Islay malt plus some orange cordial, a hint of sweet mustard, some gentler ginger and some of that turmeric. Finish: rather long, makes you think of some kind of smoked blood orange juice. The peat is back in full form in the aftertaste, together with a little menthol. Comments: I was not sure about that Madeira idea, but the end result is excellent. Some people knowing what they were doing.
SGP:656 - 87 points.

Port Askaig 8 yo (45.8%, Elixir Distillers, 2023)

Port Askaig 8 yo (45.8%, Elixir Distillers, 2023) Four stars
The latest batch of Port Askaig 8 yo. We rather loved 2017's (WF 86). Colour: white wine. Nose: pure fresh apple juice, ashes, seashells and very tiny bits of rubber (new rubber boots). Mouth: excellent sweeter peat, pink pepper, lemons, apples, oysters and just 'young peat smoke', which don't do much sense, we agree. Elementary in the best sense of that word. Finish: of good length, a little sweeter than expected, with hints of coconut that may imply or suggest the use of active American oak. Comments: as good as a young Islayer gets. Only the finish was a tad, say a tiny tad disconcerting.
SGP:655 - 85 points.

Elements of Islay 'Beach Bonfire' (54.5%, Elixir Distillers, blended Islay malt, 2023)

Elements of Islay 'Beach Bonfire' (54.5%, Elixir Distillers, blended Islay malt, 2023) Four stars
Cask bill here is new oak, refill bourbon and sherry casks. Lovely name for an Islay, we use that descriptor often. Colour: deep gold. Nose: you do feel the new oak, with some butterscotch and a bit of wood varnish, then indeed a beach bonfire burning both dried kelp and floated wood. Something medicinal too, saline (sea spray), and chalky. With water: damp tweed jacket (it's raining cats and dogs on Islay) and beach sand and pebbles at low tide. Mouth (neat): very salty arrival but citron liqueur and just limoncello are soon to join the dance. Some fudge and butterscotch again. Very good heat. With water: lemon juice, rhubarb, unripe kiwi, a bit of caramel, plus the expected walnut cake and wine from the sherry. Well, that ought to stem from the sherry. Finish: long, still pleasantly a little hot. Salted butter caramel, walnuts, a little salty and spicy peanut butter. Satay sauce (from the Taj Mahal restaurant in Bowmore, naturally). Comments: very fond of this multifaceted big boy too.
SGP:656 - 86 points.

Highland Peated Malt 19 yo 2004/2023 (55.5%, Milroy's Soho Selection, hogshead, cask #12)

Highland Peated Malt 19 yo 2004/2023 (55.5%, Milroy's Soho Selection, hogshead, cask #12) Four stars
The label wouldn't tell but on the website they say it is Ile of Jura – at time of writing. Milroy's are 60 years old this year, happy anniversary Milroy's! We remember that when we used to go to London in our early days, we used to go to Milroy's, The Vintage House and Berry Bros. before going anywhere else! (Buckingham, Tate, British Museum, Harrods – not Harrods). Colour: white wine. Nose: it is not a very Jura-y Jura, but let's remember that Jura has produced some astounding peaters in the past. I'm finding some crystalised citrus, rather some garden ashes (bonfire), some cigar ashes, then fresh cement, and a little lemon curd. I find it rather bright but indeed I wouldn't claim Jura is instantly recognisable. With water: the usual raw wool, clean mud, plaster and porridge. Oh and grist and a growing feeling of paraffin. Mouth (neat): really punchy, really salty and really leafy. Lots of lemon zests and bits of tart apples (the ones you wouldn't really eat). Cider apples. With water: this one too is really salty and more and more medicinal, with an 'ancient' side (old-school peater), a tiny bit of aniseed and menthol, and  indeed a little horseradish and mustard that do hint at Jura. But it could also be Glenturret (if they were doing peat in 2004, not too sure) or Tobermory/Ledaig. Let's believe the website (not this one mind you). Finish: long, fresh and leafy, with much less salinity than in the Islays, for example. No, there, some saltiness in the aftertaste. Comments: just and excellent variation, with indeed some old-school aspects.
SGP:565 - 87 points.

See you very soon for more.

 

March 18, 2024


Whiskyfun

An umpteenth trio of blends

Either blended Scotch or blended malt (which are Scotch too). No further literature needed, I would suppose (literature, S.?) Let's perhaps set the tone with an oldie…

Late 1970s magazine ad for Ballantine's 30 yo. Not too sure the regular NAS and the usually stunning 30 were indeed close in any ways.

Ballantines

 

 

George Ballantine & Son 30 yo (43%, OB, blend, Spirit SpA, Italy, 900 bottles, bottled 1974)

George Ballantine & Son 30 yo (43%, OB, blend, Spirit SpA, Italy, 900 bottles, bottled 1974) Five stars
Given that almost all distilleries were closed during WWII, this should be a blend of pre-war distillates. Remember these old Ballantines used to be part of the best blends money could buy. Colour: gold with an orange tinge. Nose: an amazing, both soft and firm combination of camphor, tangerine, coal smoke and eucalyptus syrup at first, then we find more dried fruits, moist dried dates, apricots, pears… In summary, the perfect regimen for a mountaineer on the ascent. Take Ben Nevis, for instance (though one needn't be a seasoned climber for that, weather permitting). Mouth: a lot of power, with a medley of fermented fruits (pear, melon, banana), followed by a variety of smoky notes. Smoked fish but also dried and smoked beef. Dried fruits, especially figs and dates, come back like a chorus. Finish: akin to a very good Riesling with hints of salinity and honey in the aftertaste. Comments: splendid, hardly a hint of fatigue.
SGP:553 - 90 points.

Perhaps a new old one by the Sponge (who's driving a Macallan-Gold Bentley Continental these days, I've heard)…

Blended Scotch Whisky 46 yo 1969/2015-2024 (46.6%, Whisky Sponge, Decadent Drinks, blended Scotch, 208 bottles)

Blended Scotch Whisky 46 yo 1969/2015-2024 (46.6%, Whisky Sponge, Decadent Drinks, blended Scotch, 208 bottles) Five stars
A mysterious old Highlands-fuelled blend bottled at natural cask strength a few years back and just released this year. Colour: gold. Nose: believe me or not, this is exactly like a South African chenin blanc I tried only two days ago, Jacaranda Salt from Wellington, a bit heavy on fresh oak but otherwise excellent. Crushed bananas, touch of coconut, vanilla cake, a little encaustic and pure beeswax, toffee apples, a tiny feeling of old bourbon – from some grain, I suppose – a spoonful of cappuccino… In short, it's rather a gentle old blend, with an awesome nose. Whiffs of rose petals and perhaps a little tobacco smoke coming out after two minutes. Something oriental, nargileh smoke… Mouth: quality old bourbon indeed, this is funny. More coconut and vanilla, plus cedarwood and these toffee apples. Also earl grey and, once again believe me or not, quite some rooibos tea. Finish: medium, with a few more earthy touches and a little ginger tonic. Comments: they should pour this one at Starbucks. Oh and it was more grain-driven than Highlands-fuelled, my mistake.  
SGP:641 - 90 points.

Wemyss Malts 25 yo 'A Quarter Passed' (53.6%, Wemyss, blended malt, bourbon barrels, 1500 bottles, 2024)

Wemyss Malts 25 yo 'A Quarter Passed' (53.6%, Wemyss, blended malt, bourbon barrels, 1500 bottles, 2024) Four stars
Colour: pale gold. Nose: a very fresh fruity one, rather on apples and greengages, lemon curd, lemon tarte, meringue, vanilla… With water: archetypical fresh natural malt whisky, with those fruits, some grist, porridge, ale and rather a little less vanilla now, which is good. Gets then a tad tropical (papayas). Mouth (neat): really joyful and fruitful. You would believe someone's blended green apple juice, kiwi juice and rhubarb juice, then added just a dash of ground pepper, a glass of sauvignon blanc, a little vanilla sugar, and has then shaken everything together for a good two minutes. But you mustn't drink it with a straw, right. With water: a little greener, green tea, green apples, peelings and leaves… Finish: medium, clean, fresh, fruity. Also ginger and cinnamon, as expected. Comments: malt whisky as Nature intended, shall we say. The older age doesn't really feel, but I find it pretty perfect and, well, archetypical.
SGP:551 - 87 points.

(Merci, Coldorak)

More tasting notesCheck the index of all blends we've tasted so far

 

March 17, 2024


Whiskyfun

  A word of caution
Let me please remind you that my humble assessments of any spirits are done from the point of view of a malt whisky enthusiast who, what's more, is aboslutely not an expert in rum, brandy, tequila, vodka, gin or any other spirits. Thank you – and peace!

 

Rums of all styles and from all origins
(For Haiti)

Clairin

Transporting sugarcanes in Haiti to make clairin (Globe >Reporters)

 

After quite a few Sundays doing cognacs and armagnacs, let's do rum at random again. Starting, as usual you might say, with some apéritif…And then try to find some Haitian clairin.

 

 

Dictador 18 yo 2004/2022 'Pàrrafo I Borbon' (46%, OB, Colombia, cask # ExB-5269, 315 bottles)

Dictador 18 yo 2004/2022 'Pàrrafo I Borbon' (46%, OB, Colombia, cask # ExB-5269, 315 bottles) Two stars
Let's be honest, we've been procrastinating a little bit with this one… It's been aged in ex-bourbon. Some Dictadors have been pretty good in my book, especially Cadenhead's, but that's been much less the case with most ultra-sweet OBs. And frankly, at the moment, we are rather tired of dictators, are we not. Colour: dark amber. Nose: this is curaçao flavoured with vanillin and coffee liqueur. Whiffs of sage and perhaps marjoram coming out from the background. Other than that, it's very, very, extremely, totally about 'coffee – orange'. Mouth: sameish, I would say. Very sweet but perhaps a little less cloying than expected, with more coffee liqueur, more triple-sec, and a curious salty touch that feels a bit out of place here. Finish: medium, on the same notes plus some rather heavy molasses. Comments: rather in the style of Zacapa and compadres. I'm not totally against it.
SGP:730 - 72 points.

Thailand 5 yo (40%, Cane Island, +/-2022)

Thailand 5 yo (40%, Cane Island, +/-2022)
From a secret distillery in the Pathum Thani province of Thailand, probably ThaiBev's Sura Bangyikhan Distillery, where they are making the rather challenging, err, Mekhong whisky (WF 25). But you never know… Colour: gold. Nose: syrup, icing sugar, vanilla extracts, coconut extracts, a few herbal teas, a little pineapple syrup… Well, TBH, it's not too ugly, it's even kind of nice(ish) if you think Bumbu or Don Papa. Among the blind, the one-eyed is king. Mouth: very sweet, you can't quite swallow it at room temperature, it needs a lot of ice or just a good fridge that goes to eleven. Other than that, I find it okayish if really sugary… Finish: short, a tad bitter this time (green tea). Comments: it's probably meant for Thai cocktails. Isn't that what you call Mai Tais? (tells you how much I know about cocktails).
SGP:720 - 60 points.

Clément 'V.S.O.P' (40%, OB, Martinique, agricole, +/-2022)

Clément 'V.S.O.P' (40%, OB, Martinique, agricole, +/-2022) Three stars and a half
I don't think rum has to adhere to the categories defined for cognac in terms of VS, VSOP, XO, XXO, etc. but I'm not too sure. We should ask rum experts. Colour: gold. Nose: it's quite superior. Through a simple contrast effect, you're catapulted into an aromatic Olympus, with honeysuckle, very ripe bananas, ylang-ylang, and hibiscus, a flurry of tangerines, a very mild curry, oranges... A rather magnificent nose, with the effect of age but without any overt wood notes per se. Mouth: yes, it's excellent even if it's less 'obvious' on the palate, with cedarwood, sandalwood, cinnamon, banana, and even a very light smokiness. These little Cléments are very easy to find in France, but that does not detract from their quality. Finish: it loses a bit of freshness, becomes more earthy and spicier, but there's also fresh cane that stands out more. Hints of lavender in the aftertaste. Comments: very good for an expression that is, after all, quite common.
SGP:551 - 83 points.

Worthy Park '109' (54.5%, OB, Jamaica, +/-2023)

Worthy Park '109' (54.5%, OB, Jamaica, +/-2023) Three stars
This is the first time I've come across this expression; I must make a point of visiting a rum festival one day (I actually did once, a long time ago). They say it all on the label, 'Jamaican owned', single estate distilled to bottled, 100% copper pot sill, zero colouri… hold on, no they don't say that. Colour: dark red amber. Huh… Nose: still awesome, perhaps smokier here, but we do have the esters, the olives, the compost notes, the brighter maritime ones, this cedarwood, this little tar… With water: herbs, paraffin, shoe polish, Portuguese anchovies in brine… Mouth (neat): a bit sweet, curiously floral (orange blossom water, violet liqueur), you'd almost believe it is some cream de Jamaican rum on the palate. Or old boosted 'navy' rum. With water: the Portuguese anchovies are saving it, together with some pastis perhaps. Less sweetish when reduced to, say 45% ABV (very roughly). Finish: rather long, a little salty-sweet. Comments: very good drop, it's just pretty different. Love the brighter WPs!
SGP:652 - 82 points.

Jamaican Rum 6 yo (54%, SecretCask, bourbon, +/-2023)

Jamaican Rum 6 yo (54%, SecretCask, bourbon, +/-2023) Five stars
Shh... Well, obviously they couldn't resist the urge to mention the distillery's founding year somewhere, but don't count on me to spill the beans, alright. Colour: light gold. Nose: immediate, obvious, uncontrollable, dominant. Crushed bananas, shoe polish, brake dust, olives, a touch of vinegar, sand and cement, pineapples starting to, well, to rot… With water: a little varnish, the expected acetone, glue, even ammonia… How great is this? Mouth (neat): natural, untampered-with Ardbeg. I mean, that kind of Ardbeg from Jamaica. Amazing petroly, olive-y saltiness. With water: same. Perfect balance, it's like a jazz trio that's been playing together for forty years. Finish: long, salty. More olives, some rubber, polishes, feeling of petrol, etc. Comments: that's 1753. Before Glenturret, before Bowmore and even before Madonna.
SGP:653 - 91 points.

Utopia 'TDL 2008 & Belize 2007' (59%, Vagabond Spirits, ex-bourbon, +/-2023)

Utopia 'TDL 2008 & Belize 2007' (59%, Vagabond Spirits, ex-bourbon, +/-2023) Four stars
Some kind of double-single if you will, reminding me of John Glaser's efforts or of Douglas Laing's 'double barrel' malt whiskies. In theory, the Trinidadian should have the upper hand. Colour: deep gold. Nose: it's very powerful and rather dominated by the scent of slightly burnt green tea cake, unusual aromas for 'single' rums. It appears that the TDL might have been a heavier version from the distillery, possibly with a high ester count. It needs water... With water: it becomes balanced, with roasted peanuts but also wafts of new plastic, new trainers (at least EU size 45). Mouth (neat): a lot of glue and varnish, salt, finger lime, pine needles and other rather intense flavours. Once again, water seems essential. With water: there, we land, but it remains salty and marked by an oily aspect. It wasn't one of those TDLs that are heavy on exotic fruits. Finish: long, with a return of green tea, hints of varnish, the skins of very ripe bananas and a bit of rubber in the aftertaste. Comments: a real battle in your glass. I get the feeling that the Trinidad must have been quite a beast. Truth be told, it's quite fascinating to follow, this type of blending must be very fun to do. Just between us, I think the bottler must have had almost as much fun as this taster.
SGP:363 - 86 points.

Cuba 31 yo 1992/2024 (50.7%, Wu Dram Clan, ex-bourbon, 231 bottles)

Cuba 31 yo 1992/2024 (50.7%, Wu Dram Clan, ex-bourbon, 231 bottles) Four stars and a half
Aged 20 years in Cuba and 11 years in Europe. We know that such batches can be splendid, don't we? We don't know what it is exactly, but in terms of style, one can't help but be reminded of Santiago de Cuba. Incidentally, the new Santiago 8 years is starting to flood our French supermarkets, so we'll taste it soon (I just have to make the ultimate effort to go to a supermarket). Colour: dark amber red. Something like that. Nose: yes, of course. A lot of flint at the start, then cedarwood, charcoal, followed by a deluge of banana jam. Sometimes there's an impression of smelling charcoal. With water: gunpowder, chocolate and mint (thin mints), cinchona, Campari... In short, it's quite talkative. Mouth (neat): a real sin. All the best aspects of fermented coconut milk, grilled meat, grilled corn, charcoal again, with a bit of overly-brewed black tea, Iberian ham, charcoal (I insist), heavy and thick molasses... With water: it's tamed, but then you get notes of fish, canned sardine, all still with molasses. Finish: long and much more on oranges, marmalade, Seville oranges, chocolate... Comments: if you think all Cuban rums are light and harmless, try this one and let's talk again. I can't quite see what a Cuban brand could have done with this cask, other than drown it in a very, very large batch. So a slightly mad Cuban... We love it.
SGP:462 - 89 points.

Diamond 12 yo 'Savalle Still ICBU' (53.9%, The Boutique-y Rum Company for LMDW, New Vibrations, 2023)

Diamond 12 yo 'Savalle Still ICBU' (53.9%, The Boutique-y Rum Company for LMDW, New Vibrations, 2023) Two stars and a half
ICBU, that's the marque here. It's Uitvlugt's four-column Savalle still that's been used at Diamond, but it seems that there are other marques for this still's output. Why make it simple. Colour: white wine. Nose: a little paint thinner at first, some acetone, then white chocolate, vanilla and coconut. A very light style it seems, it screams for water. With water: mown lawn, coconut, peanut oil. It's truly a light Uitvlugt. Mouth (neat): between two worlds, varnish on the one side, vanilla and oranges on the other side. Probably one of the lightest Uitvlugts I've tried, indeed. With water: a little more texture. Say one drop of olive oil. Finish: rather short, grassy. A little white sugar in the aftertaste. Comments: it's rather Uitvlugt Ultralight, you'd have almost believed it was some Bacardi C/S of some sort. Still pretty good – and enlightening.
SGP:531 - 78 points.

Epris 2011/2023 (53.1%, L'Esprit, Brazil, cask #BB 101, 234 bottles)

Epris 2011/2023 (53.1%, L'Esprit, Brazil, cask #BB 101, 234 bottles) Four stars
We don't often taste rums from Brazil; you'll tell me we taste even fewer cachaças. L'Esprit is an excellent French bottler, just less noisy than others, shall we say. Ha, love them anyway. Colour: gold. Nose: a very astonishing nose that starts with ammonia and wood glue, freshly cut plywood, then moves to small berries, holly, rowan, service tree, even mistletoe (not very fragrant but there), sour cherry... In reality, it then becomes deeper, focusing on orange wine, yeast, asparagus... This little Brazilian is very surprising. With water: little change. Mouth (neat): completely different, even difficult, bitter, chemical in a way, with more wood glue, even on the palate. Cider apples and jujubes start to balance all this out, but it will need water. With water: it remains very unusual but once again, the spirits of small berries come into play. Frankly, it's like holly brandy aged in coniferous casks, or something of that sort. Finish: long, with similar notes. Comments: a slightly mad Brazilian, rather austere and quite intellectual. We'd buy it, if only for its great originality. And because we adore holly spirit (ha - there must be fifteen of us on this wee planet).
SGP:261 - 85 points.

Let's conclude with a small tribute to Haiti, where terrible things are happening. I remember having dinner with some Haitian distillers a few years ago, absolutely charming people! Hats off to them, they make some of the best spirits in the world…

Clairin Vieux Sajous 5 yo 2018/2023 (57.5%, La Maison et Velier)

Clairin Vieux Sajous 5 yo 2018/2023 (57.5%, La Maison et Velier) Four stars and a half
Aged in former casks of Bielle, Caroni, and Benriach (seemingly). It's surely excellent but one might wonder why such a pre-mix of spirits, and why not maintain the purity of the clairin by using less idiosyncratic casks. I agree, a pointless question, it could have been worse, they could have used cognac. Colour: gold. Nose: well, there you have it, diesel oil, liquorice, brand new rubber boots, and olives. Is it the clairin? The Caroni? The Bielle? Yes, we agree, it can't be the poor Benriach (poor in this context, naturally). With water: a bit more acetic, more on the solvent side. Mouth (neat): just superb, in fact. Salty liquorice, varnish, rubber, olives, and the same question. All that's missing are former Hampden casks. Or perhaps Ardbeg. With water: a bit more rounded. Maybe the Scottish malt? Finish: quite long, salty, oily but within certain limits. The aftertaste is rounder. Comments: I like the white Sajous just as much, but this is completely on point, organoleptically speaking. Philosophically, I'm not so sure, but that's me... Aside from that, poor Haiti!
SGP:563 - 88 points.

See you soon for many more rums... We have plenty.

More tasting notesCheck the index of all rums we've tasted so far

 

March 16, 2024


Whiskyfun

A few Irish whiskies for St. Patrick, one day early

We don't do this every year, but we do have some Irish to taste and why not do this on St. Patrick's Day? Well, on the day before St. Patrick's Day, since we reserve Sundays for malternatives. Let's see what we have… (picture AI)

St Pat

 

 

Teeling 'Crystal Malt' (46%, OB, single malt, American Virgin Oak, +/-2023)

Teeling 'Crystal Malt' (46%, OB, single malt, American Virgin Oak, +/-2023) Four stars
This little NAS was partly distilled from 'Crystal' malt, a method that entails somewhat crystallizing the sugars of the malted barley by heating it more intensively, akin to a roasting that will caramelize the sugars to varying degrees. It seems that this technique was discovered by chance but it also seems to be much used in the world of brewing (thank you, Conor). Colour: golden. Nose: I am quite taken with this simple yet very expressive nose, abundant in softness, exotic fruit, lemon tart, meringue, then lemon balm and wormwood. However, it's quite difficult to pinpoint what comes from the virgin oak and what comes from the crystal malt. Not a big issue... Mouth: the same profile, with an abundance of acidic and fairly sharp citrus enveloped in vanilla and lemon tree honey. Also present are acidic apples, a touch of nougat and toffee, and herbal teas... It's really quite pleasing, albeit young and a bit... let's say precocious? Finish: medium length, almost identical profile. Green apple and fresh wood in the aftertaste. Comments: a great deal of simplicity in this very charming young and spirited Teeling.
SGP:651 - 85 points.

Dingle 'Single Pot Still Batch 5 Cask Strength' (59.5%, OB, single pot still, bourbon, 1000 bottles, 2022)

Dingle 'Single Pot Still Batch 5 Cask Strength' (59.5%, OB, single pot still, bourbon, 1000 bottles, 2022) Four stars
The low-strength (well, 46.5%) 6th batch had been excellent in January (WF 85) despite an immoderate use of Tawny Port. Now this one's pure bourbon… Colour: vin blanc. Nose: Incredible, we're not far off the Teeling even if it's not quite the same Irish style, which would tend to prove that the Teeling's style mainly came from the use of very active American oak. Ah, there's nothing like empirical discoveries, is there? Anyway, we have lots of lemon, grapefruit, and green apple again, not forgetting rhubarb. With water: much smoother, with white chocolate, shortbreads, Italian lemon biscuits, a little thyme tea... Mouth (neat): exactly the same ultra-fruity side dominated by citrus and green apples. Cream eggs, ready for Easter. With water: it softens again, with the arrival of a bit of coconut milk, marshmallows, and Haribo sweets, chamomile... Finish: quite long, lemony, fresh, very pleasant. Comments: It really does seem like a twin brother to Teeling's Crystal. Very nice.
SGP:651 - 85 points.

Cooley 8 yo (58.5%, The Whisky Blues, single malt, batch #3A, 390 bottles, 2022)

Cooley 8 yo (58.5%, The Whisky Blues, single malt, batch #3A, 390 bottles, 2022) Three stars and a half
Funny label, possibly a tribute to the good Douanier Rousseau. Colour: pale white wine. Nose: totally on bonbons. A family pack of Haribo's jellybeans, babies, crocodiles and fruits. Oranges, raspberries, pineapples, lemons etc. plus more and more rose petals and lychees. This is almost becoming some gewurztraminer. With water: back on barley syrup and apple juice. Some fresh banana. Mouth (neat): marc de gewurztraminer blended with limoncello. I'm serious. With water: all-vitamin fruit juice plus quite some raspberry liqueur. And gewurz, rose jelly, Turkish delights and all that. Finish: same. Comments: more a fruit bomb than most fruit bombs. Pretty insane in that respect. Perhaps not my preferred style but excellent for sure.
SGP:741 - 83 points.

Cooley 8 yo (54%, The Whisky Blues, single malt, 1st fill bourbon barrel, batch Ref.TWB01, 181 bottles, 2023)

Cooley 8 yo (54%, The Whisky Blues, single malt, 1st fill bourbon barrel, batch Ref.TWB01, 181 bottles, 2023) Four stars
Will this be the same? Colour: gold. Nose: more on teas, small herbs, woodruff for example, sage, marjoram, also oils (colza), also meadows honey, then more fresh fruits, melons, peaches, apples… But we're nowhere near the utterly crazy #3A as far as fruit go. With water: some sweet barley, lemon cake, carrot peelings, other sweet roots... Mouth (neat): oh yes, very good, very fruity but balanced, more in the style of 'B.' Pineapple, pear, candied sugar, apple... A very pleasant sensation on the palate. With water: the same, very good, a little sweet but not overly so this time. Acacia honey and those very sweet clover flowers we used to suck on as kids. Finish: soft, of medium length. On honey and flower nectar, which is pretty much the same thing, we agree. Comments: this young Cooley is quite magnificent. Beauty after the fruity beast.
SGP:651 - 87 points.

Cooley 21 yo 2002/2023 (56.5%, Spirits Hunter for HNWS Taiwan, single malt, barrel, cask #2229, 210 bottles)

Cooley 21 yo 2002/2023 (56.5%, Spirits Hunter for HNWS Taiwan, single malt, barrel, cask #2229, 210 bottles) Four stars and a half
Whenever there's some kind of golden dragon on a label, you can be sure it's not a bottling for Liechtenstein. Colour: light gold. Nose: the beauty of good age, with more flowers, less straight fruit, anything barley coming to the surface, pastry, oils, ointments… Love these wee whiffs of violets, we've currently got a lot in WF's garden by the way. That's why we can tell, ha. With water: a little fresh mint, lovage, rosemary… That's perfect. Mouth (neat): more proof that age matters, friends. Sure it's still some kind of fruit bomb (pink grapefruits, passion fruit) but these various honeys, dried fruits and soft oils just do wonders. Some pink pepper coming through too, together with the expected cinnamon and even tiny sprinkles of saffron and turmeric. With water: a wee earthy side now, lovely. A little mango chutney perhaps, or slightly salted mangos… Finish: long and spicier. Not a fruit bomb at all anymore. Comments: more age, more complexity, more points (in most cases, because indeed there are exceptions).
SGP:651 - 89 points.

Just to make sure…

Cooley 21 yo 2001/2023 (55.8%, The Whisky Fair, single malt, amarone cask)

Cooley 21 yo 2001/2023 (55.8%, The Whisky Fair, single malt, amarone cask) Four stars
Of course, the fact that it's an Amarone cask is quite worrying (why did our friends do this? Did they sell these bottles to pizzerias?) but on the other hand, I don't see any rosy colour here, so the treatment may be anecdotal. Colour: straw (h.u.r.r.a.y.) Nose: no crushed strawberry or raspberry liqueur, rather exotic fruits, banana, fresh croissants, mango, dragon fruit, rosehip and hawthorn tea and a hint of cherry beer (Kriek). Every time I tell my Belgian friends I like Kriek, they make fun of me, the rascals. With water: again, back to barley and malt – and even hops. Very nice. Mouth (neat): well, I think this Amarone story was a joke. Here indeed is a fruit bomb, but we remain balanced, with fresh fruit salad, honey, fresh herbs (coriander), pink grapefruit… With water: the same, it's very good, very fruity, fresh and lifted, on grapefruit and cherry, with honeyed notes. Finish: same. Nice length. Comments: I preferred the 2002 a little, it was a tad purer, but this 2001 is also great. Despite the Amarone.
SGP:651 - 87 points.

PS: nothing against Amarone as such, naturally, and yes we go to pizzerias.

Irish 18 yo 2002/2021 'Saudade' (50.2%, malt grain & cane, single malt, bourbon barrel, 265 bottles)

Irish 18 yo 2002/2021 'Saudade' (50.2%, malt grain & cane, single malt, bourbon barrel, 265 bottles) Five stars
Awesome artwork. The distinguished Singaporean bottlers are quoting Portuguese writer Francisco Manuel de Melo, who once mentioned 'A pleasure you suffer, an ailment you enjoy'. That, indeed, reminds me of quite a few spirits we tried over the years. Colour: white wine. Nose: utter barley-y purity. Fresh apples, greengages, sunflower oil, grist, fresh baguette. It's down to the millimetre, as old Napoléon would have said. With water: apples of all kinds. Isn't there an Irish saying about apples and doctors? Mouth (neat): are we totally sure it isn't rather a coastal Scottish malt? Very high class. With water: fresh fruits coming out, but with much distinction. Precious peaches and wild strawberries. Finish: medium, delicate, fruity but without excess. Could be B. indeed but they also make such styles at Midleton, if I'm not mistaken. Could be Cooley too. Comments: my favourite this far. And I'm also very pleased to have discovered Francisco Manuel de Melo! That's whisky for us, it broadens our horizons (we agree, not all whiskies do). So, B.?
SGP:651 - 90 points.

The Cedar Tree 21 yo 2002/2023 (52.8%, The Whisky Cask Company, single malt, Tree of Life Serie, Demerara rum cask, 305 bottles)

The Cedar Tree 21 yo 2002/2023 (52.8%, The Whisky Cask Company, single malt, Tree of Life Serie, Demerara rum cask, 305 bottles) Five stars
Just more poetry, as it appears. Colour: pale gold. Nose: it's beautiful, it's pure, it's close to the previous one, the rum seems to behave well (frankly it was scary), we find fresh bark, peach skins, blood orange, some hints of roses, apricots and melons, prickly pears, and frankly, a Bushmills aspect. With water: no, wait, there's now a basaltic side, petrol, varnish... That's the rum. Mouth (neat): the rum becomes very present, we enter the 'trans' spirits territory, neither whiskey nor rum, or maybe both. Philosophically, I'm not too keen, but I must admit that the rum, which is increasingly dominating here, was undoubtedly of high quality. A Versailles? Pine resin, lemon, cherry stems, blood oranges... Well, I'm afraid this might be excellent. Maybe they've found something... With water: getting better and better. Bananas dipped in engine oil, oranges infused in olive oil, mangoes covered in tar... In short, we're having fun. Finish: finally, here's that famous cedar wood. The rest is top-notch, with oranges and diesel fuel. Well, I imagine. Comments: a madcap blend, very clever and well-executed. The question is 'could they produce a few thousand identical bottles at The Whisky Cask Company?' I'm a bit ashamed to give such a score to such an improbable blend. Of course not!
SGP:652 - 90 points.

Well, it's not the eve of St. Pat's every day, let's continue…

The Pine Tree 21 yo 2002/2023 (53.4%, The Whisky Cask Company, single malt, Tree of Life Serie, PX sherry cask, 360 bottles)

The Pine Tree 21 yo 2002/2023 (53.4%, The Whisky Cask Company, single malt, Tree of Life Serie, PX sherry cask, 360 bottles) Four stars and a half
PX? I'm not sure I don't prefer the Demerara, all things considered... Colour: dark amber. Nose: walnut cake and marmalade, with hints of gunpowder and chicken broth. With water: it goes towards bay leaf and, wait, dried seaweed? Mouth (neat): by Zeus, it reminds me of old officials. I'm talking about B. Caramel, mustard sauce, butterscotch, treacle toffee, crushed pepper, coffee-kirsch, candied chestnuts, more pepper, a lot of clove, metallic touches, copper, old silver cutlery... With water: it's rounded out, on currants and dried figs. Finish: long, on Alsatian beerawecka and spices. Comments: frankly, these two Irish whiskeys by our Swiss friends at The Whisky Cask Company are extremely vexing. Hoppla, excusez…
SGP:651 - 89 points.

Do we have room for one more? But of course…

Great Northern 5 yo (58.2%, The Whisky Blues, single malt, batch ref #TW802, 1,266 bottles, 2023)

Great Northern 5 yo (58.2%, The Whisky Blues, single malt, batch ref #TW802, 1,266 bottles, 2023) Four stars
A very pretty label, even if it might not be the most jovial of all. We're in Dundalk, at the new, or rather, newish distillery of John Teeling. Colour: white wine. Nose: a fresh and immaculate Irish with fresh bread, fresh bananas, a bit of paper and unleavened bread, apples, plums... In short, it's a very 'natural' malt. With water: bubblegum! And all sorts of cakes... Mouth (neat): fruity yet full-bodied, like a pear and lemon cake. It's not complex but it's excellent. With water: just very good. Ripe pear and a small glass of Red Bull. Sorry for mentioning this absolute horror of the modern world, we'll try not to do it again. Finish: good length, very fruity but balanced. Comments: not a very obvious personality, but it's very good, it seems that the Irish are now definitely preempting the very fruity style in the realm of single malts.
SGP:651 – 86 points.

It seems that the Irish pure/single pot still whiskeys are on the verge of being overshadowed by single malts, don't you think? I hope Midleton is doing well. We'll try to sample a few before St. Patrick's Day 2025.

 

Anyway, Angus has been kind enough to add two very interesting tasting notes to this little Irish session...

 

 

 

Shimmering Silk 11 yo (50%, Scotch Malt Whisky Society, 1st fill bourbon barrels and 1st fill PX hogsheads)

Shimmering Silk 11 yo (50%, Scotch Malt Whisky Society, 1st fill bourbon barrels and 1st fill PX hogsheads)
Colour: coppery orange. Nose: maybe it's the colour, but I find it quite orangey and marmaladey. Some chunky wood spices as well and then some rather nice notes of tinned peaches and flower nectars. I even find it goes a little towards tropical things like guava jam with a little time. Very nice, although we do feel the oak threatening a little… with water: wee hints of cocoa and freshly brewed coffee, also some herbal teas. Mouth: indeed, very spicy, but I actually find the jammy fruits all rather juicy and easy, which keeps the oak well enough in check. More tinned peaches, some impressions of youthful cognac and some pine wood. With water: again a tension between spices and fruit. Quite a bite more dried and crystallised fruits now, including some lemon rind and sweet cereals. Finish: on the shorter side, but still nicely on marmalade and a glimmer of tropical fruits. Comments: very easy, and the scariness of the wood never quite materialises as feared, in fact the fruitiness is a nice surprise. Just the finish is a tad lacking.
SGP: 641 - 84 points.

 

 

Teeling 28 yo (46.6%, OB, cask #6756, sherry, 2019)

Teeling 28 yo (46.6%, OB, cask #6756, sherry, 2019)
Some of these old Irish can work extremely well in the right sherry cask in my experience… Colour:  pale amber. Nose: gorgeous tropicality! Really precisely on guavas, mango, passion fruit and papaya, a nose that recalls old 1960s Longmorns and Bowmores. Also helped by this very mineral and pure, quite old-style sherry profile that also involves a saline edge and nicely leathery and hessian touches. Mouth: a little more about the sherry cask here, but there's no quibbles when it's such a clean and excellent old school type of sherry. All on roasted coffee beans, pickled walnuts, bitter dark chocolate and these wee gamey and balsamic touches. Still some nice hessian notes and some fruits but rather more dark fruits such as prunes in armagnac this time. If I had one complaint, I would say we're missing some of those lovely exotic qualities from the nose. Evolves with some wonderful notes of lemon, verbena, dried mint and treacle - perhaps in time it does become a tad more tropical once again, with crystallised tropical fruits. Finish: medium and nicely earthy, chocolatey, a little peppery and with some dark and exotic fruit notes (dried mango!) in the aftertaste. Comments: the nose was totally luminous, and the palate only just dangerously excellent. But the holistic pleasure factor is extremely high! To deploy a Sergism, if you don't mind, I would say this is highly 'süffig'…
SGP: 751 - 91 points.

 

 

 

More tasting notesCheck the index of all Irish whiskies we've tasted so far

 

March 15, 2024


Whiskyfun

WF's little Duos, two 10 yo Glen Spey

Among the lesser-known distilleries that we adore tasting is Glen Spey, which used to belong to the Gilbey's firm, and whose barrels, most more or less young, pop up here and there from time to time at some independent bottlers. We hope to reach 100 Glen Spey before the end of this decade – we're currently at 78. We should make it…

Glen Spey
(Colin Smith, geograph.org.uk)

 

 

Glen Spey 10 yo 2013/2023 (50.2%, Dalgety, Super Porto and refill ruby Port, casks #802485 + 802030)

Glen Spey 10 yo 2013/2023 (50.2%, Dalgety, Super Porto and refill ruby Port, casks #802485 + 802030) Three stars
Let's remember that Glen Spey is meant to produce a light malt, thanks to purifiers that increase the reflux. I believe it is, indeed, the main malt of J&B, one of the epitomes of light Scotch whiskies. Now it seems that this youngster is as much about Port as it is about malt whisky, which can be fun, especially since I get the impression that independent bottlers are getting better and better at balancing these kinds of acrobatic flavourings... Colour: rosé from Provence or partridge eye. Ha. Nose: very focused on bell pepper and blackcurrant bud, as well as tomato leaves, fig leaves and peach leaves. Raspberry butter cream comes in at a later stage. With water: still a lot of leaves, with the addition of bay leaves and freshly cut grass. Mouth (neat): there's really a kind of blend between three elements, on one hand the red fruits, on the other all kinds of peppers and bell peppers, and finally malted brioche. With water: morello cherries come to the fore, this is the stage where it's closest to a very fruity Port. Finish: medium length, on raspberry and cherry muffins. Even more red fruits in the aftertaste. Comments: we're venturing outside the realm of 'pure' whisky, as the colour already suggested. In the end, it's certainly not quite to my taste, but I won't deny that the exercise has been carried out with seriousness and I think that this Portuguese Glen Spey should really please fans of rather winey malts.
SGP:661 - 81 points.

Let's get closer to the distillate…

Glen Spey 10 yo 2008/2019 (55.9%, Mossburn, hogshead, batch #10.0408.27)

Glen Spey 10 yo 2008/2019 (55.9%, Mossburn, hogshead, batch #10.0408.27) Three stars and a half
Colour: white wine. Nose: It's quite fresh, not overly demonstrative, with vanilla, freshly cut grass, brioche dough, grist, fresh barley... In short, a very honest and unpretentious Glen Spey. With water: it stays on the same track. There's also porridge (with a nip of whisky, as it should be). Mouth (neat): I like it, there's a bit of varnish, not entirely ripe cherries, and more simply kirsch. You would swear that you can taste the cherries' stones, as in any good kirsch. With water: the fruitiness really comes out, with orange liqueur this time, but some cherry liqueur is not far behind. Not a malt that tries to dominate you, and that's just fine. Finish: medium length, balanced, with a very nice slightly herbaceous fruitiness. And guess what in the aftertaste? Cherry and kirsch. Comments: let's not overdo it, this isn't Brora 1972, but this Glen Spey is completely loyal, honest, and merchandisable, as they used to say (were they?)
SGP:541 - 84 points.

I'm not sure if the owners are still producing the Flora & Fauna; I'll check that out for next time…

More tasting notesCheck the index of all Glen Spey we've tasted so far

 

March 14, 2024


Whiskyfun

WF's Little Duos, today two perpetual Glenfiddich

There's this rather recent series at Glenfiddich, the 'Perpetual Collection', with some bottles featuring age statements and others not. It appears to be a concept quite similar to the 'faux solera' systems (this isn't a value judgment), with unique 'VAT' numbers for each batch. Well, we only have two from this series on the tasting table, not exactly something to show off about...

("A great whisky doesn't encourage overconsumption". Magazine advert for Glenfiddich Pure Malt Scotch Whisky, France, 1982. I believe it is one of the earliest press ads with the general theme 'drink better, drink less'.)

Glenfiddich

 

 

Glenfiddich 'Perpetual Collection Vat 02 Rich & Dark' (43%, OB, 2022)

Glenfiddich 'Perpetual Collection Vat 02 Rich & Dark' (43%, OB, 2022) Three stars
Colour: gold. Nose: typical muscovado-y nose, with also toffee apples, a box of English chocolates, the expected walnut cake and a whiff of lavender. Nice post-prandial nose (right, a little digestif). Mouth: I find this good, malty, with some caramel, cherry cake or clafoutis, cinnamon roll, coffee-toffee, then apple compote and perhaps even a drop of calva. Finish: medium, more on chocolate, candied cherry and black raisin. Some caramel in the aftertaste. Comments: it's nice, consistent, pleasant, beautifully malty; a whisky that no one would refuse when it comes to digestifs, not even your friends who are die-hard whisky enthusiasts – unless they know here you hide the Brora.
SGP:541 - 82 points.

Glenfiddich 15 yo 'Perpetual Collection Vat 03' (50.2%, OB, 2022)

Glenfiddich 15 yo 'Perpetual Collection Vat 03' (50.2%, OB, 2022) Three stars and a half
Does it replace the 'Solera Vat No 3' from a few years back? There's new oak, bourbon and European oak sherry inside. Colour: gold. Nose: feels bourbony at first, with even a little putty and light varnish, as well as marzipan, before it would become all a matter of apples (and a few pears), something that I've always found epitomically Glenfiddichian. Fresh, stewed, a juice, as compote, even as jam, even as eau-de-vie (some varietals do work, others remain bland). With water: the largest bag of ripe and overripe apples ever, plus a little maraschino and marzipan. Mouth (neat): really sweet. Apple compote with some honey and a cinnamon/nutmeg spice combo. Feels a touch fizzy, like good cider. No problems. With water: water brings a soapiness onto the palate (saponification), a soapiness that takes its time before it would leave us alone. The good news is that after around ten minutes, we're left with more wonderful apples and rather notes of Turkish delights. Finish: long, on apples, marzipan and amaretti. And perhaps an ultra-tiny soapiness remaining in a corner (nope, haven't changed water). Pears in the aftertaste, which makes it even more Glenfiddichian. Comments: very good cuvée but be careful with water.
SGP:551 - 84 points.

More tasting notesCheck the index of all Glenfiddich we've tasted so far

 

March 13, 2024


Whiskyfun

Some Glenfarclas for the end of winter

Glenfarclas

Wintry magazine ad, mid-2000s.

 

For I've always felt that Glenfarclas was a winter malt, but we agree, that hardly makes sense. Let's instead move straight to practical work, beginning with a small trio introduced in Taiwan a few years ago which was supposed to highlight the differences brought by age, specifically one more year each time. Which, we agree, isn't much at all.

 

Glenfarclas 15 yo 'Trio Selection – Red' (46.3%, OB, 1800 bottles, Taiwan, sherry cask, 2016)

Glenfarclas 13 yo 'Trio Selection – Red' (46.3%, OB, Taiwan, sherry cask, 1800 bottles, 2016) Three stars and a half
Colour: gold. Nose: It's a curiously malty sherry with notes of Ovaltine, chicory coffee, dark beer, followed by the expected roasted nuts, but also a thin slice of tarte tatin, and finally hints of bitter almonds, toffee, and slightly burnt caramel. Even a few whiffs of burnt tyre. All of this is not bad at all, this dark beer side without the intervention of dark beer is amusing. There is also more ripe pear after a few minutes. Mouth: I like it, this time it starts directly with the pears, a few green nuts, quite a few bitter almonds, chocolate not any less bitter... In fact, it then becomes increasingly dry and undoubtedly a bit tannic, but we stay within reasonable limits. Finish: long, a bit bitter and woody, even mentholated. Comments: in fact, it's a bit rough, a bit as if they had taken it out of the casks a bit too early for a single purpose... let's say an educational one. It's true that between education and marketing, there's sometimes not much more than a cigarette paper, as they say.
SGP:361 - 84 points.

Glenfarclas 13 yo 'Trio Selection – Blue' (46.3%, OB, Taiwan, sherry cask, 1800 bottles, 2016)

Glenfarclas 14 yo 'Trio Selection – Blue' (46.3%, OB, 1800 bottles, Taiwan, sherry cask, 2016) Four stars
Colour: gold. Nose: It is much more polished than the 'Green', with a nod to cakes and brioche, indeed tarte tatin, a roasted aspect again but better integrated, nougat, dried grapes, kougelhopf with its obligatory toasted almonds... It reminds me a bit, if I'm not mistaken, of the very good 25-year-old from the regular range (though it has been a good five years since we last tasted it). A few notes of chicken broth, which is very nice. Mouth: curiously fruitier than the 13, also fuller once more, with cakes, hazelnuts and roasted peanuts, caramel, then marmalade and, once again, a few menthol hints. A return of the Ovaltine follows. Finish: rather long, slightly bitter without excess, with pear and peach skins in the aftertaste, as well as black pepper. Comments: let's be honest, I don't think a single additional year of ageing in a similar cask can make such a difference by itself. Even humans don't change that much in a single year, do they?
SGP:561 - 86 points.

Glenfarclas 14 yo 'Trio Selection – Green' (46.3%, OB, 1800 bottles, Taiwan, sherry cask, 2016)

Glenfarclas 15 yo 'Trio Selection – Green' (46.3%, OB, 1800 bottles, Taiwan, sherry cask, 2016) Four stars
Colour: dark gold. Nose: this time there's a greater presence of fermentation notes, cake batter, chestnut purée, very fresh panettone, a tiny bit of old wood, banana cake, walnut wine, and just a hint of camphor... It's quite beautiful and the strength is just perfect, it's powerful but not at all spirity. And above all, it's very much 'Glenfarclas'. Mouth: a drier style again, with black tea, dark tobacco, freshly ground black pepper, coffee beans, very dark chocolate, then liquorice wood and a few waxy notes. Shoe polish (indeed, we've accidentally eaten some in the army, it was even quite a popular joke among the troops). Finish: long, spicier, with cumin, black pepper and clove. Dark chocolate in the aftertaste. Comments: Very good dark chocolate, but my favourite remains the 14-year-old.
SGP:461 - 85 points.

Let's taste some of the older ones, if you agree…

Glenfarclas 1995/2023 (49.2%, OB, Family Casks for Royal Mile Whiskies, sherry hogshead, cask #2296, 288 bottles)

Glenfarclas 1995/2023 (49.2%, OB, Family Casks for Royal Mile Whiskies, sherry hogshead, cask #2296, 288 bottles) Five stars
Colour: full gold. Nose: a rapid development but very characteristic of Glenfarclas, let me explain. Alright, there's a mineral, basalt-like aspect, almost a bit sulphurous (no worries, we're not talking about cabbage soup here), then cooked fruits of all kinds, apricots, damsons, dried grapes of course, and finally everything more towards molasses, strong-flavoured honey, Middle-Eastern fig wine, pipe tobacco, citrus maceration… Mouth: similar, it's a three-stage malt, first leather and tobacco, then candied or jammy fruits (figs continue to play a major role), and finally chestnut honey and maple syrup. One would swear they've also added a few pitchers of old Demerara rum, maybe to make it a Navy Whisky (S., yeah right…) Finish: long, perfect, spicy, and of course very 'sherry', with lots of nuts and again that mineral side that suggests sulphur but isn't. An asset within this context. Comments: a marvellous cask, absolutely classic. Who is the king of Speyside at the moment? That's up for debate...
SGP:562 - 90 points.

Let's finish with an old Australian Glenfarclas...

Glenfarclas 1973/2003 (59.6%, The Gillies Club, Australia, cask #7988)

Glenfarclas 1973/2003 (59.6%, The Gillies Club, Australia, cask #7988) Five stars
The Gillies Club is one of the oldest clubs for slightly fanatical whisky enthusiasts (like you and me, right?) in the world. In fact, our Australian friend and Malt Maniac Craig has always spoken highly of it. So, this is a Glenfarclas that comes straight from Down Under. Colour: gold. Nose: it really resembles one of those old official Glenfarclas bottles with the square shape from the 1970s, which says a lot. There's a lot more chalk, beeswax and other waxes, honeys, great sweet wines (especially German but also Alsatian of course – who said they are similar, who?) and white flowers. Even at such a degree, there is a lot of sweetness. With water: it's the chalk, white flowers, and honey that stand out. This time it's a bit like a superb old white Graves, a bit in the style of Laville/Mission. Please, take a bow. Mouth (neat): magnificent! The same comments apply regarding those old official square bottles. Meads and honeys, small aromatic herbs, flowers, candied citrus fruits, old herbal liqueurs… All of this is quite sublime, even at close to 60% ABV. Perhaps has it lost a few watts since 2003? No complaints, it's a marvellous 'old-school' GF. With water: there it is, it reminds me a bit of the 21 years for Giaccone, especially the versions at a higher degree. Absolute splendours. Finish: long, dazzlingly clear, with superior citrus. Very amusing hints of ham in the aftertaste, but that may be the start of an OBE. Comments: well, how do we go about emigrating to Downunda foreva? I may ask my mates.
SGP:561 - 93 points.

Thanks to The Antelope for having helped us with the age statements in Chinese that we were having wrong.

(Thank you, Deni!)

More tasting notesCheck the index of all Glenfarclas we've tasted so far

 

March 12, 2024


Whiskyfun

WF's Little Duos, today Isle of Jura
OB vs. IB

Another name we try to taste as often as we can, even if it's only during short sessions like the one we're about to have. On this note, I'd like to point out that the wines of the Jura region in France are only getting better, and if a few years ago it was just a handful of star winemakers propelling the entire region, today the leap in quality seems to be widespread, at least among the true winemakers, from the north to the south of the region. When it comes to chardonnay, the haughty Burgundy should better watch out! But let's return to the Isle of Jura in Scotland…


Jura's typical sense of humour, 2000s (WF Archive)

 

 

Jura 'Islanders Expression No2' (40%, OB, 2023)

Jura 'Islanders Expression No2' (40%, OB, 2023) Three stars
Alas, only 40%, NAS and tampered with (I mean finished) in a pale ale cask. We're still waiting for an Irn Bru cask finish! In short, the pedigree doesn't inspire much hope, but you never know, especially since the label is pretty. And we do love the place where this baby is distilled... Colour: gold. Nose: well it's not bad at all, it's quite round, pastry-like, and especially with a variety of oils, notably sesame oil and peanut oil. And even, pushing things a little bit, touches of sweet olive oil made with very ripe olives. Some mini-notes of burlap and mustard to remind us that this is a Jura. Mouth: it gets a bit worse but it's still not bad, a bit flavoured indeed, slightly chocolatey, certainly malty enough, becoming more and more 'Jura'. Leather, mustard, salt, bitter oranges. The low strength works quite well, it seems to bring freshness. Finish: medium length, still a bit salty. Some wood and chocolate in the aftertaste, with a very slightly smoky side. Comments: it's frankly rather well done, even if the concept is frightening at the start. As long as they also keep making the 21-year-old, I'm happy.
SGP:552 - 81 points.

Jura 14 yo 2008/2022 (48.4%, Douglas Laing, Old Particular, refill hogshead, cask #DL15584, 319 bottles)

Jura 14 yo 2008/2022 (48.4%, Douglas Laing, Old Particular, refill hogshead, cask #DL15584, 319 bottles) Four stars
Colour: white wine. Nose: this is proof that Jura can also be pure and pretty crystalline, this time almost entirely on granny smith apples for at least twenty seconds, before more fermentative notes appear, then pepper, then mustard, a bit of curry and ginger, then orange peels, then tobacco and leather, then some... ale. It was well worth organising this little session, huh. Mouth: this time it's pure Jura right away. In no particular order, there's mustard and pepper, lime and apple, leather and foliage, yeast and beer, candied oranges, a simultaneously earthy and salty side, maybe a few discreet exotic fruits... Finish: the same combination, with a nice length. It ends on white peach with amusing hints of tequila and 'funky' rum. Comments: what is admirable here is that this is a pure expression of Jura as the distillers themselves don't quite offer (it seems to me). And this is why we love the indies.
SGP:562 - 85 points.

More tasting notesCheck the index of all Glen Spey we've tasted so far



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