Whisky Cabal Meeting 2

After the superb kick off, where none of us died, the Cabal assembled for round two. As things turned out, this was essentially an SMWS mix, with only one 'normal' release. I'm sure we made noises about cutting down the number of whiskies tasted, but somehow we ended up with another 7 cask strengths ....

SMWS 2.78 Kissed up by sweet promises 21yo Dist 06/88, refill butt, ex-sherry (Glenlivet) 1 of 512 bottles, 58.4%

Nose: citrus, lime, wine, sweet

Palate: dark chocolate and orange, very sweet, cough lollies   [note: most of this was lost with water]

Finish: med long, sweet, hotter with water.

Remembering our group is quite tough, 7/10 neat, and due to most of the flavour dropping out with water, 6/10 with water.

It's not a bad whisky, especially neat, but we felt it is overpriced, and doesn't deliver what we expected from a 21yo cask. Personally, I felt it lacked complexity and was similar to other Glenlivet's I'd tasted. It's not a brand I like much.

SMWS 121.39 Easy drinking dream Distilled Nov 95, 14yo, refill hogshead, ex-bourbon (Isle of Arran). 54.9% 1 of 350 bottles.

Nose: golden syrup, honey, sweet, toffee   - adding water increase the sweet ginger and 'cakey'-ness

Palate: sweet, thick, ginger, gingersnaps, manuka honey, crunchie/honeycomb

Finish: hot, medium length, ginger

We loved this. 8/10. It's reasonably cheap (45 quid) and its definitely worth picking up a bottle. To the point where I'm very tempted myself.

Edradour OB Decanter 13yo Sherry cask (more details maybe added later).

The LFW link is for the current expression.

Nose: toffee, treacle, leather (ya Gran's funeral - yes, we may have been on the third and getting more eloquent), honey, musty

Palate: sherry, honey, sweet, marzipan

Finish: med-long, honey. water increased the heat.

7/10 from our merry bunch. I'd rate it a little higher myself, but it did suffer a little after the 121.39 which was damn good.

SWMS 9.53 A peppery explosion Dist Apr 91, 19yo, refill ex-bourbon hogshead, 1/256 bottles, 56.% (Glen Grant)

Nose: sweet, banana, new leather

Palate: peppery, very sweet, burns, tangelos

Finish: med-long

I like Glen Grant, so this one was a bit of a disappointment, not much was happening. Addition of water brought out the hidden depths we all wanted. A much stronger fruity lime taste started coming through, which was very nice. 

Neat: 5.5/10  and addition of water 7.5/10

Was interesting how water ruined the first dram, and made this one. good lesson there...drink more.

SMWS 13.43 Mediaeval combat dram 19yo, 59.2%, dist. Oct 88, 1/576 bottles (Dalmore) 

Nose: peanuts, (what the fuck is that smell?), sweet, corked wine, sulphur, marshmallows, new carpet, olives

Palate: eggy toffee, honey, smooth

Finish; very short

7/10. the SMWS description is about right for this one. I'm not sure our intrepid taster actually worked out what the smell was...

We had a second dram of An Artists' Retreat, which was reviewed at the first tasting. And you'll be pleased to know, we still love it.

SMWS 18.30 Hippie dram dist Feb85, 24yo, refill ex-bourbon hogshead, 1/221 bottles, 45.5% (Inchgower)

My notes by this point are getting more illegible, but that's the hits you take as an gonzo journalist.

Nose: honey, custard, white sauce (fish), eggy, brandy sauce (addition of water: bread dough)

Palate: nothing, 

Finish: nothing startling, very short. 

We may have had a few too many by this point, but it only got a 5/10. I reckon it may need more tasting...possibly without the overly strong whiskies before it.

Again, no-one died. So that's another win. Superb line-up of whisky, it's almost a shame putting them up against each other, as they would seriously kick ass against more normal competition.

We are planning a third tasting early January, somewhere in the wilds of Derbyshire. And in the meantime I may yet have a wee dram or two up in Edinburgh. And some over Christmas. 

Slainte!