Whisky Tasting : Top Shelf

 Definitely was looking forward to this one, not a cheap tasting, but an excellent lineup meant our cabal was all in for it. 

Only 7 whiskies, but given the age and rarity, that was more than enough. It was held a couple of weeks after DramFest but eh, who turns this lineup down?

Pittyvaich 28yo Ltd Release 2018 52.1%

• N: lime, green apples, fruit salad, dry, hummus, mint, oak
• P: apples, incr alc., pear, sour, fruit salad
• F: long, massive

8/10. This was lovely, really really good. Came 4th with 8.12

Deanston 25yo Old Particular 1994 51.6% refill hogshead

• N: sweeter citrus, papaya, effervescent, pineapple, vanilla, icing sugar, oaky, ozone, 
• P: icing sugar, sweet smooth, fruity, floral, custard, grain?
• F: med-long

8.5/10 So I've become more of a Deanston fan over the years, and damn this was good. Came 5th with 8.09

James Eadie 15yo Fife blend 56.3% 15yo Fife farm distillery malt with marsala cask finish, 25yo Cameronbridge grain.

• N: spiky, incr alc, golden syrup, sweet, brandy, sherry, coconut
• P: chocolate, odd, oaky, tannic, 
• F: long, hot, sour

7/10 Nice, interesting, fun, and I'd drink more of it. Came 7th with 7.98

Tomintoul 50% Five Decades (casks from 1965, 1975, 1985, 1995, 2005)

• N: cream, cut grass, pine needles, dry, xmas cake ?sulphur, peaches, green apples, star anise
• P: sulphur, decr alc, creamy, sherry, balanced, pears
• F: long, complex

9/10 This was awesome. I want more of it. I can't afford it. Came 3rd with 8.47

Caperdonich 21yo Peated 46% (Glen Grant #2, not gone)

• N: peat, bandages, sweet, smoke, sweet sherry, complex, wounds!
• P: iodine, not much happening
• F: short, empty

6/10 the worst of the line up. Came 6th with 8.00

Craigallechie 11yo Signatory 2012 68.2%

• N: molasses, caramel, smoke, creamy
• P: sherry, wood, spiced, sulphur, huge, 
• F: long, hot, coffee

10/10. Yeah that good. Awesome whisky. 1st, 9.12.

Bruichladdich Octomore 13.2 58.3% 137.3PPM Fernando de Castilla Oloroso Sherry

• N: peat, sulphur, tobacco, salt, iodine, sulphur
• P: sulphur, oily, sherry, peat, oil, iodine
• F: long oil. 

7/10. So this maybe the best Octomore I've had - I'm not a fan - but I liked the sherry base of this and the balance was good. Came 2nd 8.57

Great tasting, definitely prefer these interesting and rare whisky tastings, Might be expensive but how often do we get to drink these?

Whisky Tasting : Are you single?

 Bit late writing up this one, held on the 13th of Feb as a one off tasting. Mix of blends and single malts, hence the title, and a nod to the 14th Feb.

Part focus on the indie bottler Samaroli which we hadn't tried before.

Daftmill 2010 Winter Batch Release 46%

• N: parmesan, marzipan, honeysuckle, marshmallow, oaky, creaming soda
• P: lemon, light, metallic, salty
• F: short, salty, 

6.5/10 Not a fan, lot of bourbon and oak notes, but nothing of note. Came 7th with 6.57

Samaroli Apprentice 2023 Blended Malt 43% 3x refill USA hogs Fortrie 2017 (teaspoon of MacDuff)

• N: lemon, sweet, perfume, coastal slightly, light
• P: martini, watery, banana
• F: nothing. just stopped.

5/10 This was abysmal, very overpriced and delivered nothing. Came last 8th with 6.1

BBR Blended Malt 44.2% Sherry cask

• N: sweaty, salted caramel, tobacco, sulphur, sherry, tiramisu
• P: coffee, caramel, smoke, stonefruit
• F: med, sour

6/10. Not very good, which is rare for a BBR. Nose promised a lot more than the palate delivered. However it came 3rd with 7.63.

Samaroli Architectus 2023 Blended Whisky 45% North British 2012 grain sherry butt Tomintoul 2017 Refill USA hogs

• N: Sulphur, match heads, bergemot, tea
• P: light, watery, hint of smoke, lemons,
• F: short

7/10. This was a bit more interesting, not worth the price, and not the best NB i've had either. Came 5th with 7.37

Samaroli Speyside 2023 Blended Malt 45% 3x refill USA 2013/2015 The Speyside 2013 + Linkwood 2012

• N: hot, bacon, perfume, apple/pear, sweet, sherbet, honey
• P: sweet, hint salt, delicate
• F: medium, salt

6/10. Again nothing great, nice nose, but not much to it. May have lost a bit with the others around it. Came 6th with 6.89

Glentauchers Cadenhead 14yo 46%

• N: pickles, raisins, not pleasant, sulphur?, musty apples
• P: hint salt, dry
• F: med-long

6/10 Looked good in the glass, but nothing to it. Came 2nd with 7.84 

Samaroli Islay 45% Caol Ila 2013 3x refill bourbon hogs

• N: peat, medicinal oily, big, suppurating wound, hint of wine, balanced
• P: salt, bacon, medicinal, oily, dry, tannin
• F: long, hot

7/10 the best of the Samaroli's for me, reasonable if not great, example of a Caol Ila. Came 4th with 7.53

G&M Caol Ila 13yo 45% Sassiciaia cask finish

• N: salt, bacon, lighter, balanced
• P: smoked, red wine, compelx, subtle
• F: med

7.5/10 best of the evening for me, but still not a great Caol Ila. Came first, which isn't saying much in this line up 8.5

It was interesting having the Samaroli bottlings for the first time, they're expensive and this tasting suggests, not worth the money. Oh well, cheaper to learn this way :)

Casual Dram #15

 First tasting of the year, another Casual Dram - lots of people at this one. Sort of theme of varieties of peat, from islands to mainland, with the recognition a lot of peat comes from the same sources :)

Adelphi Ardmore 2016 7y #1051 61.1%

• N: light, coastal, floral (ish), citrus, pears
• P: high alc, pears, prickly, salt. 
• F: long, hot

7.5/10 it improved with a touch of water, but I wasn't getting a lot of subtlety in there. 

Benromach cask strength #3 2014 Vintage 60.6% - bourbon and sherry

• N: tobacco, smooth, sherry, peat
• P: warm, sherry, peat in finish, woody
• F: med, interesting

7/10 a nice quaffing dram? good stuff without being amazing.

Kilkerran 8yo cask strength sherry cask 57.4% oloroso

• N: cucumber, sherry, yeasty, gherkin
• P: aniseed, hot, peaty/salt
• F: long

6/10 yeah didn't really rock my world this one, it did split the group as a number found it their favourite.

Springbank local barley 10yo 55.5% oloroso

• N: medicinal, complex, old?, apple
• P: smooth, light, complex, nothing really distinctive?
• F: medium

7/10 continuing the slightly over rated nature of the local barley releases.

Mystery: Infrequent Flyers Bunnahabain, 

• N: vanilla, sherry, oyster sauce
• P: complex, salty, bacon, coastal
• F: long, interesting

8.5/10 the stand out for me. interesting and complex, would be happy to have this in my collection

beers of 2024 : the competition with Alec

 As any of you who have gone for a beer with me knows, there's BeerAdmin to do. Every pint. It keeps my OCD in check, I guess.

As I'm a cheap bastard, I'm using the free version of untappd, so I don't get any real year data, or your year in beer to put forward. Instead I just compare with Alec's info, and book in for a liver transplant.

Continuing good news, I'm still ahead of Alec in total number of beers, but he's pulling ahead in unique beers, even worse he's got more badges than me. 

But our favourite beers are still similar 

unsurprisingly, mine's the one with Craftwork in there. Mmm Craftwork.

Until the next update, slainte!

Last.fm listening 2024

 The now predictable end of year summary from last.fm on what I've listened to.

I haven't done a best of 2024 yet, but I might...

2024 had me listening to more music than I have since 2014, almost breaking the 20,000 tracks (last time I did that was 2013).

I don't think there's much point commenting on this. Quite predictable, although I did listen to more Hawkwind this year, the result of Record Collector having a special edition on them.

Most tracks from an album is a little silly, when the top album (Leatherbritches) is a 100 track compilation of old americana stuff. Actually most of those albums are compilations, with a number of tracks ... 

For a similar reason I haven't included the decades analysis, as my albums don't always have the release year in them (if it's a reissue, or I don't care...).

 The most listening happens on a Thursday? Well golly, I should mention that to Thurs night music night !

I appeared more dedicated to listening to stuff this year. Especially in Dec when I realised I had the chance to break 20,000. But I failed. 

If I decide to become more focussed in 2025, that would be 55 tracks a day. As of the 8th Jan, I'm slightly ahead of that at 59.3. Everything is looking good! I have yet to fail !

Coming up soon, an untappd what I have I drunk summary with comparisons to Alec, and maybe a top10 albums. Or at least 10 albums I liked in 2024. There is a whisky tasting near the end of the month, which is a maybe...

Toodles!

Casual Dram #14

 Another gathering at Mean Doses for a chilled out Sunday afternoon whisky session. 

Because we all believe in roughing it, we had to put up with an all Signatory tasting. 

 

Benrinnes Signatory cask strength collection 11yo 2012 58.8%

• N - green apples, custard, hay/grass, lemonade, spritzic
• P - custard, apple, creme egg, perfume, 
• F - hot, long

8.5/10 I liked this, tasty, interesting, possibly a bit much bourbon, but still very drinkable

Ardlair Signatory (unpeated) 60.9% 12yo

• N light, butterscotch, sulphur, funky, mozzerella, vanilla
• P tannins, oaky, bitter, funky dry
• F medium

8/10 an interesting dram,  an unpeated Ardmore, i'd drink it again and the funky notes were cool.

Blair Athol 'Signatory' 12yo 2008 54.4%

• N - sherry, xmas, leather, old, photocopy ink
• P - sherry, butter, pepper, not complex
• F - hot ppper, long, 

7/10 the nose promised a lot, but the flavour didn't really deliver much. Ah well, it's not bad...

Deanston (Signatory) 13yo 2008 66.8%

• N- light, grass, bourbon, apples
• P - hot empty, simple
• F - very hot and long

6/10 or 7/10 with water. it's very strong, but not very interesting.

Caol Ila (Signatory) 11yo 2022 57%

• N - salt, bacon, complex, dry
• P - medicinal, salt, bacon, complex, very similar to a Lagavulin 16yo but bigger
• F - long, complex, 

9.5/10 Dram of the afternoon, complexity and sweetness. Great stuff.

 

 

Whisky Tasting : Best of the Best

 And so it comes around again, our yearly what did we like drinking, and let's have more of those session. Obviously it's spiced up a bit with haggis and dinner, dragged back down again by a piper, and confused by the increasingly poorly enunciating ode to the haggis. 

Talisker 11yo special release 2022 55.1%

• N: bacon, dry, salt, sweet, peat, pears, bourbon, lemon, melons
• P: mint, chewing gum, big peaty, smokey, salty, spicy, coastal
• F: med-long, pepper, salt

8/10 for me, it came last with 8.32, which seemed a little unfair. but there we go.

Kavalan Solist NC2 PX 57.1% 

• N: caramel, sherry, Armagnac,  pickled onions, very sweet
• P: big sherry, sweet, xmas cake, chewy, sour cherry, tannic, liquorice
• F: long, big

9/10. well that was a bit good. Came 5th, 8.68

Hazelburn 15yo Sherrywood 55.8% 

 

• N: caramel, sherry, dry, salted caramel, pencil shavings, rubber, butterscotch
  
• P: sulphur, complex, sherry, chewy, syrupy, astringent
  
• F: med

7/10 as a long time fan of hazleburn this wasn't as good as I was hoping. Oh well, it came 6th (8.67)

Glenallachie 14yo Whisky Galore 57.8% 21st anniversary

• N: green apples, musty, sweet, rubber, citrus, brown sugar
  
• P:sherry, big, brown sugar, strong, dry
  
• F: long,huge

9.5/10 when i originally had this I don't think I rated it, but umm, I might have been wrong... came 3rd 8.87

Mystery: Glendronach Batch 11

• N: egg caramel, sherry, silage, bourbon, less sherry on nose, sulphur
  
• P: sulphur, eggs
  
• F: warm, long

10/10. Yes, I liked this, a lot. Came 4th 8.79, but for me had all the complexity, all the sherry, all good. 

Glentauchers 10yo 64.3% Blackadder raw cask 2012

• N: caramel egg cremes, creamy, sherry, rubber, sweet, bakewell tart,
  
• P: citrus lemon, big bourbon, caramel, sweet, liquorice
  
• F: long, big

9.5/10 again, this ticked a fair number of boxes for me. And apparently for everyone else, came 1st, 9.16

Caol Ila 11yo Blackadder 58.1% 23.8.2012-10.2023 sherry finish

• N: sweet, salt, bacon, coastal, medicinal iodine
  
• P: salty bacon, smoky, well balanced between dry and sweet
  
• F:v long, rubber, salt, liquorice

9/10. I may already have a bottle of this. Came 2nd, 9.14

 As you'd expect from a Best of the Best, fair number of high scoring drams there. And any tasting where we have two Blackadder's can't be bad. 

Slainte!

 

 

 

 

Whisky Tasting : Blackadder

 More Blackadder you say? Well go on then ... 

Strathmill 11yo 2013 Bourbon Hogshead 61.2%

N: perfumy; pine; citrus; tannins; vanilla; wood glue

P: sweet; apples; citrus; fizzy; spice; pineapple;

F: long; hot; dark chocolate

8.5/10 very very tasty. I'd drink more. Came 3rd with 8.18

Glen Moray 10yo 2013 Bourbon Hogshead Virgin 63.4%

N: sweeter (at least I think that's what I wrote); green apple; tannins; sugary; yummy; 

P: sweet, dry, oaky wood; tannic, sulphur

F: hot, spicy

8/10. Again another GM I liked from an independent bottler, came 7th with 7.3 so although the others liked it, it didn't do as well as it could have.

St Killian 4yo Virgin Chestnut Cask 60%

N: sour beer, lambic, cherries, blackberries, molasses, dry

P: liquorice, effervescent; mushrooms, kirch, sour beer

F: short, bitter

9/10. Look, it was weird as fuck, smelt and tasted like a lambic, a colour reflecting the chestnuts, and if it had a been a little cheaper I'd have bought a bottle. Utterly nuts, and far more complex than a 4yo had any right to be. Came 4th, 8.02

Shizuoka 5yo 2018 first fill bourbon 63.8%

N: salt, coconut, bourbon, antiseptic, apricots, chocolate

P: grain, very sweet, fruit salad

F: med-long

8/10. Interesting without being notable? came 5th 7.82

Mystery: Talisker Special Reserve Wild Expedition

N: salt, bacon, pineapple, asphalt, dark chocolate, raisins

P: cigar smoke, oily, bacon, sweet

F: med-long, peppery, hot

9/10. Yummy, and finally a Talisker which is only slightly expensive I like :) Came 2nd 8.62

Ardmore 12yo 2011 Bourbon Barrel 57.5%

N: salt, bacon, chocolate, short, light, bourbon, vanilla

P: sweet, bourbon, oily

F: shot, oily, hot

6/10 did not like this. Wasn't overly popular coming 6th with 7.54

Caol Ila 11yo 2012 Sherry Butt Finish 58.1%

N: peaty, caramel, butterscotch, sherry,, burnt matches (I guess, my writing looks like witches)

P: salt, coastal, bacon

F: long hot, not as oily as the nose

8.5/10 Tasty, and continuing my love of Caol Ila. Came 1st with 9.06

Hey it was Blackadder, it's not like it was going to be a bad tasting. And the sheer stupidity of the chestnut cask, oh yussss.

Next up, best of the best.

Casual Dram 12

 More John ! More Mean Doses ! More Whisky ! two thirds of the Cabal !

Glen Scotia 11yo Festival Release 2023 54.7%

• N: sherry, oak, woody, sweet perfume
• P: peated, sherry, spicy, sweet, 
• F: long, hot

8/10 I liked this, which is encouraging as I've got a bottle (unopened) at home. I think I won it, but on the strength of this tasting it's likely to be opened soon. Huzzah !

Roseisle 12yo Special Release 2023 56.5%

• N:floral, bourbon, fruity, heather / honey
  
• P: bourbon, fruity, heather / honey, quite delicate
  
• F: medium-long

8/10 also rather tasty, quite different to the Glen Scotia, but very drinkable

Glenglassaugh 9yo 2012 Cask 522 58.9%

• N: water, light, butterscotch
  
• P: salt, peaty, sweet, bacon, butterscotch, creamy
  
• F: long / sherry

9/10. I had some of the very early Glenglassaugh's just after Billy Walker had taken them over, and they tasted incredible. As did the old stock they had (30? 35yo). However the Evolution and the Torfu were ok, but not great. This is a different kettle of wort. Great stuff.

SMWS GlenTurrent (Distillery 16) which had been aged in Laphroaig casks

• N: light, sherry, salty
  
• P: peat, bacon, sweet, salt
  
• F: medium-sweet. 

8/10 I did make a note that not a lot was happening in the finish, but it's a nice whisky. Possibly lost a bit compared to the others in the line-up.

SMWS 29.282 (Laphroaig) 9yo Massive Aniseed Heat and Searing Peat 62.3%

• N: medicinal, peat, bacon, salt
  
• P: supporating wound! not subtle.
  
• F: long-hot

9/10. If I'm after a big smokey peat monster, I want a big smokey peat monster. This is one. It's not doing subtle in any form. Great stuff.

Definitely recommend John's tastings, relaxed and interesting line-ups. More info here: https://www.drinkscreative.com/

 

 

 

 

Whisky Tasting : Old Malt Cask

Another indie bottler tasting, and traditionally a great one. Just two of our lot this time, but an excellent way to spend Friday night.

OMC Glen Moray 16yo 50% refill barrel hl 18663 05.2005-05.2021.

• N: lemon, dry, spritzic, vanilla, white wine, tannins, copy paper
• P: tannin, sour lollies, dark chocolate, spicy, lemon
• F: sticky, sour apples, medium, spicy

9/10 for me, I liked it a lot. I do like indie bottlings of Glen Moray. But I was in the minority with it coming 7th, 7.34. No matter, I have a bottle of it now.

 OMC Aultmore 11yo 5% refill butt HL 18988 07.2010-02.2022

• N: apples, very sweet, lemon, oily, prickly, minerals, peaches
  
• P: very sweet, herbal, salami, bland
  
• F: short, peppery

6/10, not a fan of this one disappointing on the palate/finish. Came 5th, 7.79

OMC Dailuaine 24yo 50% refill hogshead HL18760 10.1996-06.2021

• N: bourbon, apples, dry, perfume/musk, soapy
  
• P: apple, pears, dry, refreshing
  
• F:medium, chewy, dry, incr heat

8.5/10 Tasty, well balanced, interesting, and showing its age nicely. Came 3rd= 7.88

OMC Auchroisk 20yo 50% refill hogshead HL18755 06.2000-06.2021

• N: sweet, light, perfume, caramel, integrated, new tires, marzipan
  
• P:sweet, coconut, peardrops, fizzy, candyfloss
  
• F:medium, peppery

8/10 another good dram, light and interesting. But not loved by the group, 6th 7.59

OMC Pulteney 19yo 50% bourbon barrel HL18987 09.2002-02.2022

• N: light, parmesan, hint of salt?
  
• P:peat, sweet, soap, mushrooms
  
• F: short

6/10 yeah not a fan, not much happening although it did come 2nd 8.19

OMC Speyburn 50% Sherry butt HL18986 03.2007-02.2022

• N: sulphur, caramel, hint sherry, egg lollies, strong, wisteria
  
• P:warm, complex, tobacco, sugary
  
• F: med-short, chilli

8/10 tasty ! and for once, we all agreed, came 1st 8.4

OMC Jura 50% 13yo sherry butt HL18994

• N: apple, spun candy, cedarwood, banoffee, tannins
  
• P:fruity, woody, not much flavour
  
• F:short

7/10 for some reason I bumped it up from a 6, but not great. It came 3= with 7.88

 All very light coloured drams, and an interesting lineup. One thing I liked was the delicate approach to flavour, and keeping everything at 50% allowed for better comparisons. It did seem this time I was very not aligned with the group, huzzah !