17 November 2014
Whisky Cabal XV: Heavyweight challenge: Ginger Ninja v the Beast of Islay
The full cabal assembled, laid out our wares, sorted out glasses and commenced the fifteenth whisky event. Admittedly none of realised that, but y'know it explains the special, almost magical vibe. That or the booze.
Where possible I'm linking to the lovely people at Good Spirits Co in Glasgow. Go spend money with them. We don't even get kick backs to say this!
121.39 SMWS Easy-drinking dram
Nose: xmas cake, ginger, sherry
Palate: warm, ginger, xmas cake, sherry
Finish: ginger, medium
The return of a cabal favourite, great stuff - and don't bother checking with SMWS there's none left. It was such a win when we tried it the first time all of us bought a bottle, and only Dr Death had some left. We've always liked Arran whiskies, but the ginger in this one makes is quite special.
8.5-9 /10
Cu bocan (Sherry Cask finish) 46%
N: rubber, dark chocolate, 'sweaty crotch', 'choc salty calls' Jayne (firefly): 'smells like crotch'
P: chocolate, peat
F: zombie finish. there's nothing there and then it sneaks up
Quaffable session whisky (will go on the now mythical pub list).
7.5 (A) - 8/10 (rest of cabal).
Provenance - Bunnahabhain dist 2001 12yo 46% sherry butt
N: chocolate, sherry, xmas cake
P: musty, sherry, xmas cake
F: med-long, very smooth
We didn't think it was a very complex whisky, but, to quote Dr Death, it was 'imminently chuggable'. I'm going to presume that puts it on our pub list too.
7 (A) - 8 /10 (rest of cabal).
Glendronach 15yo 46% Revival
N: sherry, raisins, molasses, sultanas, treacle, sherry toffee xmas cake
P: sherry, watery, strong, chocolate, long (or hairy, my notes are illegible)
F: medium
Return of the 15yo - we've had it before, and goddamnit, we'll have it again. Very very quaffable. Sadly unlikely to be a pub whisky.
7 (B) - 8/10 (rest of cabal).
Kilchoman Cask Strength 59.2%
N: bacon, crisps, frazzles, peat smoke, rubber.
P: wow, peat, sweet, peat, bacon crisps, peat.
F: lovely as fuck, peat, sweet, bats arse mental.
Fair to say we liked this. It's the first easily available cask strength from Kilchoman and it delivers everything the new spirit I had years ago promised. It is superb.
Further research with Neil over the weekend suggests it's the cask strength version of the Coull Point as we tried the two of them and they're very similar.
Note: do not add water, it kills it something chronic and brings out a strong nose of urine. The effect was summarised as 'a night in chesterfield'.
9 (rest of cabal) - 10 (B) /10
Ardbeg Uigeadail 54.2%
N: peat, smoke, rubber, phenol, medicinal
P: salty, long, sweet
F: long
Very quaffable, this is the sherry finish (kinda) from Ardbeg and therefore doesn't have the usual nut sack ripping qualities of Ardbeg. nice stuff.
7 - 7.5 /10
Carn Mor 17yo 46% 469 bottles, Benrinnes dist 1996 bott 2014.
N: bourbon, sweet
P: bourbon, spicy, meh
F: short-med
Benrinnes is a pretty rare distillery to find a single cask whisky from, and I think this one suffered from being drunk after two Islay monsters. I think we should revisit it, as ratings were:
6 (rest of cabal) - 7 (G) /10
SMWS: 9.68 Plentiful fruit - super charged sweetness 22yo dist 29/08/1990 188 bottles, refill hogshead, ex-bourbon 53.8%
N: mango, fruity, orange, wood glue (PVA)
P: tropical paradise in my mouth, mango
F: long sweet fruity
At the time of writing there are 8 bottles left at SMWS, and as we say to all Glen Grant bottlings from SMWS, you need this.
9/10
No bottles killed, no permanent damage to participants, it's like we're managing this quite well :)
Slainte, B
Where possible I'm linking to the lovely people at Good Spirits Co in Glasgow. Go spend money with them. We don't even get kick backs to say this!
121.39 SMWS Easy-drinking dram
Nose: xmas cake, ginger, sherry
Palate: warm, ginger, xmas cake, sherry
Finish: ginger, medium
The return of a cabal favourite, great stuff - and don't bother checking with SMWS there's none left. It was such a win when we tried it the first time all of us bought a bottle, and only Dr Death had some left. We've always liked Arran whiskies, but the ginger in this one makes is quite special.
8.5-9 /10
Cu bocan (Sherry Cask finish) 46%
N: rubber, dark chocolate, 'sweaty crotch', 'choc salty calls' Jayne (firefly): 'smells like crotch'
P: chocolate, peat
F: zombie finish. there's nothing there and then it sneaks up
Quaffable session whisky (will go on the now mythical pub list).
7.5 (A) - 8/10 (rest of cabal).
Provenance - Bunnahabhain dist 2001 12yo 46% sherry butt
N: chocolate, sherry, xmas cake
P: musty, sherry, xmas cake
F: med-long, very smooth
We didn't think it was a very complex whisky, but, to quote Dr Death, it was 'imminently chuggable'. I'm going to presume that puts it on our pub list too.
7 (A) - 8 /10 (rest of cabal).
Glendronach 15yo 46% Revival
N: sherry, raisins, molasses, sultanas, treacle, sherry toffee xmas cake
P: sherry, watery, strong, chocolate, long (or hairy, my notes are illegible)
F: medium
Return of the 15yo - we've had it before, and goddamnit, we'll have it again. Very very quaffable. Sadly unlikely to be a pub whisky.
7 (B) - 8/10 (rest of cabal).
Kilchoman Cask Strength 59.2%
N: bacon, crisps, frazzles, peat smoke, rubber.
P: wow, peat, sweet, peat, bacon crisps, peat.
F: lovely as fuck, peat, sweet, bats arse mental.
Fair to say we liked this. It's the first easily available cask strength from Kilchoman and it delivers everything the new spirit I had years ago promised. It is superb.
Further research with Neil over the weekend suggests it's the cask strength version of the Coull Point as we tried the two of them and they're very similar.
Note: do not add water, it kills it something chronic and brings out a strong nose of urine. The effect was summarised as 'a night in chesterfield'.
9 (rest of cabal) - 10 (B) /10
Ardbeg Uigeadail 54.2%
N: peat, smoke, rubber, phenol, medicinal
P: salty, long, sweet
F: long
Very quaffable, this is the sherry finish (kinda) from Ardbeg and therefore doesn't have the usual nut sack ripping qualities of Ardbeg. nice stuff.
7 - 7.5 /10
Carn Mor 17yo 46% 469 bottles, Benrinnes dist 1996 bott 2014.
N: bourbon, sweet
P: bourbon, spicy, meh
F: short-med
Benrinnes is a pretty rare distillery to find a single cask whisky from, and I think this one suffered from being drunk after two Islay monsters. I think we should revisit it, as ratings were:
6 (rest of cabal) - 7 (G) /10
SMWS: 9.68 Plentiful fruit - super charged sweetness 22yo dist 29/08/1990 188 bottles, refill hogshead, ex-bourbon 53.8%
N: mango, fruity, orange, wood glue (PVA)
P: tropical paradise in my mouth, mango
F: long sweet fruity
At the time of writing there are 8 bottles left at SMWS, and as we say to all Glen Grant bottlings from SMWS, you need this.
9/10
No bottles killed, no permanent damage to participants, it's like we're managing this quite well :)
Slainte, B
2 November 2014
Cooking with Bruce : Ginger Loaf
For the strange people out there, this one is gluten and dairy free. For the rest of us, it tastes great with cream and butter :)
Ingredients
250gm honey
50ml plain tasting oil
3 eggs
[small amount stout would work well here too]
300gm stem ginger (chopped)
3cm fresh ginger, grated
4t ground ginger
1t cinnamon
1 - 2 c gluten free flour
2t baking powder
Ingredients
250gm honey
50ml plain tasting oil
3 eggs
[small amount stout would work well here too]
300gm stem ginger (chopped)
3cm fresh ginger, grated
4t ground ginger
1t cinnamon
1 - 2 c gluten free flour
2t baking powder
- Heat oven to 170C /gas 3, line loaf tin
- Whisk eggs, honey, oil and stout (if using).
- Stir in everything else, as different gluten free flours vary in binding ability, you'll need to judge the mixture until it's thick (mine was about 1 3/4c flour).
- Bake for 60-70 mins.
Eat.
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