Whisky Tasting : Salt & Smoke

 And so the October tasting rolls around, Salt & Smoke. Or, new whiskies that John fancied trying as the tastings are also known... 

Benriach Smoke Season 

• N: salty, increased alc., bacon, hint sherry, gentle peat, medicinal
• P: more peat, salty, custard, spikey, 
• F: sweet, long. peppery at the finish. hint of smoke.

Our mystery whisky for the evening, interesting and not too bad. Came 3rd (8.28), although I gave it 7.5/10

Ledaig 8yo Signatory 2011 wine hogshead finish 46%

• N: dry, peat, black tea, medicinal, banana cake, rubber
• P: dry, hot peat, pepper, astringent, medicinal, metalic
• F: med, bitter, peppery

Not popular, came 7th (6.56), and I gave it a 6/10. Ledaig seem a bit over-rated from the ones I've tried, oh well.

Port Charlotte PAC:01 2011 8yo 56.1%

• N: odd, honey, menthol, cinnamon, soapy
• P: manuka honey, rough, salty
• F: med, burning

6/10 (came 4th with 7.44) This was quite a disappointment for PC which I like. Was this one of the travel exclusives? dunno, but the last one of those was all chocolate and bacon without much subtlety. 

Cladach 2018 57.1% Cask Strength Special Release (Inchgower, Clynelish, Talisker, Oban, Caol Ila, Lavavulin).sweet, long. peppery at the finish. hint of smoke.

• N: minerals, chocolate-coffee, sweet, very light salt, spikey
• P: warm honey, sweet, burnt caramel, caramelised oranges,
• F: med-long, citrussy

I liked this a lot, 8.5/10. Really interesting and well balanced whisky, came 1st= with 8.83. It is however not cheap.

Glenglassaugh Torfa 50% Heavily Peated

• N: rich, peat, bandages, rubber, sherry, sweet, fresh
• P: nothing, bland
• F: short, sweet, hint of stonefruit

5/10 (came 5th= with 6.94) It hasn't improved since I tasted the first bottling, and really Glenglassaugh don't seem to have really come on, which is a shame as I loved the first of the new releases a few years ago. 

Talisker 8yo Special Release 2020 Natural Cask Strength 57.9%

• N: slight, ash, hokey pokey, ozone, chewy, rich
• P: warm, salt, bacon
• F: med-long

8/10 from me, and 5th= (6.94) from the group. I liked this, interesting and strong whisky which seemed well balanced. 

Ardnamurchan Cask Strength AD/02.22 58.7%

• N: hospital, caramel, vanilla, oaky, playdoh
• P: coconut, pineapple, sweet, incr alc., fruit salad, candied peel, smokey, blue cheese
• F:med-long, fruit salad.

8.5/10. I really liked this, as did the group (1st= 8.83) and it's a really good value for money. The Ardnamurchan's we've had recently have all been good / interesting, and a few of them have been brilliant (like this one)....

Next tasting will be best of the best...

-B

Whisky Tasting: Sherry v Bourbon

 The September Regional whisky tasting, Sherry v Bourbon finishes. Eight whiskies, mostly 43-46%, and mostly Signatory (and related) bottlings. 

Mortlach 12 yo Signatory 46% 2009

• n: grass, pineapple, tropical fruit, effervescent, citrus, green apples.
• p: green apples, tropical fruit, pepper, spicy, dry
• f: med-long, sour on finish.

7/10 didn't seem a very typical Mortlach, much lighter than usual. but tasty. Came 7th with an average of 7.27

Caol Ila 9yo Signatory 46% 2012

• n: bacon, smoke, burnt toast, crispy bits, parmesan.
• p: ash, watery
• f: short, boring

5/10. I like Caol Ila, I did not like this. There was very little there, nose was good. After that, err... Came 8th with 6.8, so it appears others didn't like it either.

Ben Nevis 8yo Signatory 46% 2013

• n: fruit salad, banda copy roll fluid, schanppes, mohito, hint of peat
• p: fruity, meaty, sulphurus, peppery, sweet !
• f: med spicy

7.5/10 interesting, i liked it more than the score suggests. Came 4th with 7.78

Glenlossie 15yo Signatory 58.2% 2006

• n: tasty, butterscotch, green apples, custard, chocolate, newsprint
• p: zesty, sweet, green apples, chocolate, citrus, fruit salad, 
• f: med-long

8.5/10 ok so i may have enjoyed the cask strength, but this was also a different class of whisky. I don't thin I've had much Glenlossie before, but would not turn it down again.

Came 2nd with 8.71.

Mystery: Glendronach NAS Cask 

• n: rum, caramel, incr alco, leather, orange, sticky toffee pudding, sugar (dark)
• p: warm, sugar, sweet, creamy, coffee, pepper
• f: long and peppery

8.5/10 yep thats a bit of me. But then again, once we found it was Glendronach, it made more sense. 

3rd, with 8.68

Speyside Distillery Cadenhead 13yo 46%

• n: caramel, toffee, woody, butter, chocolate, leather polish, ash
• p: watery, sugar
• f: short

5.5/10 this was pretty poor after promising much on the nose.

Others disagreed, and this was 5th, 7.44

Signatory Edradour 10yo 46% 2011

• n: rich, cake, sweet, complex, toffee, treacle, molasses.
• p: smokey peat, not pleasant
• f: short

5.5/10 again very disappointing and not what I expected from Edradour.

6th, 7.4

Edradour Straight from the Cask 10yo 2011 58.5%

• n: complex, molasses, citrus, liquorice, vinyl.
• p: sweet, sugar, molasses, complex
• f: long

9/10 yup that's more like it. count me in and much happier with this one.

Came 1st with 9.23

Slainte!