Whisky Cabal Meeting 5

Assembling the cabal for another foray into the whisky world proved quite easy, it's Freshers week and we decided drink was the best way to cope.

We adopted a highly technical approach to tasting, left to right. Although in the spirit of reasonableness, we did edit that slightly to put the lower percentage drams first.
As usual, all links go to our favourite whisky retailer, Loch Fyne Whisky.

Glendronach Revival 15yo 46% Oloroso cask
Nose: sultanas, raisins, treacle, toffee, old leather, sweet
Palate: sticky toffee, fudge, sultanas, sweet, honey, brandy (but good)
Finish: warm, long, subtle, fireside dram

8/10. We loved this, and were pathetically grateful that it's owner had managed to save some for the cabal. Basically, you cannot go wrong for £40 with this one.

Glen Moray 16yo 40%
Nose: Fragrant, caramalised sugar, sweet, root ginger, marshmallows,
Palate: weak, sweet, hint of christmas cake, warm
Finish: citrus, oak, short

6/10
Regular readers will know we're fans of Glen Moray, but sadly this one is a good 'diet whisky' (not my description, but wholeheartedly endorsed by all of us). Light, very quaffable, and probably ideal on brekkie cereal.

Scapa 43% dist 2000, b 2011.
Nose: parmesan cheese, sweaty sock, salt, sweet, vanilla, light
Palate: drinkable, salt, seaweed, sweet pancake
Finish: medium, warm
6/10
Generally I like Scapa, and this was very quaffable. Indeed, it was labelled as such by the group.

Oban 14yo 43%
Nose: battenburg cake, sweet, honey
Palate: sweet, salty
Finish: tangy, short
7/10
Oban is good stuff, but difficult to get. The group said this was very drinkable, but not before 11am. So more a followup whisky to numbers 2 and 3. If you see this in a pub, get it. In fact we are thinking of creating a guide to whisky in pubs.

Glenrothes 1994 46% Signatory bottling
Nose: cut grass, ozone, sweet, light malted, teacakes
Palate: sweet, smokey,
Finish: salt, med-long, sweet honey, pepper
7.5/10
We like this, and at less than £35, you will too. I'm getting very addicted to Glenrothes, and this signatory bottling is brilliant value for money and taste.

SMWS "A tropical rainforest"35.43 1/229 bottles, 20yo, ex-bourbon, 1st fill barrell
Nose: cut grass, burnt sugar, bourbon, sweet smell
Palate: green banans  [and some other word I can't read]
Finish: fish, more spikey with additional water, complex
7.5/10
Another Glen Moray, as we are making a habit of collecting them. More is less in our world. Very drinkable, although seemed more 'fighty' than you'd expect from a 20yo.

SMWS "Complex and joyous" 35.32 1/183 bottles, 34yo, refill hogshead, ex bourbon, 55.1%
Nose: god, LHC, higgs boson, smooth, complex, Prof Cox, chocolate
Palate: sweet, complex, christmas cake, salt, raisins, smooth, chocolate
Finish: huge, long, mohaaassiive, honey,
10/10 (Alec: 9.9/10)
This was a retaste to confirm our only 10. It's definitely a 10. Except for Alec, who refuses on principle to give one. So he gets his own special rating.
It is a perfect whisky. Everything works, but then at the price it is, and it's rarity, you'd bloody well hope it was good. Oh yeah, another Glen Moray.

SMWS "An Artists Retreat" 4.131 1/542 bottles, 60%, 20yo, 1st fill sherry butt
Nose: Clears the tubes, sherry, salt, peat, honey, sweet
Palate: Salt, sweet, chocolate, big flavour
Finish: medium-short, sweet, more peppery with additional water
9/10
Another retaste as we wanted to balance it against 35.32. It isn't as good, but it is bloody drinkable. This is a Highland Park whisky, I'm still in two minds over HP but hey when it's in front of me...

Another excellent tasting. Definite quality drams there. Our cunning idea to start a pub drams review section deserves further discussion. And at some stage I'll collate what we've already had, and we can work from there...

Slainte!
B