Another year of tasting, another Best of the Best. Range was definitely better this year than last, but I'm not sure things are back to pre-Covid variety. Having said that, I doubt anyone would complain with this line-up.
Benriach 10yo Hart Brothers 1st Sherry Butt 57.5%
N: apple, sweet, toffee, redwine, cinnamon, vanilla, hazlenut
P: complex, sweet, chocolate, cinnamon, spicy, sticky
F: long, hot, sulphur on finish, spicy
9/10 hey its a BenRiach, the odds are high it'll be good. Came 4th, 8.76
Aberfeldy 18yo #3080 Exceptional Double Cask sherry finish 52%
N: dry, chocolate, sherry, dusty, apple, aged, tobacco
P: spice, light, dark chocolate, fudge, sour, sticky
F: med-long, salt, sulphur
8/10 Interesting and tasty, nicely aged sherry finish. Came 7th on the night 8.37
N: sweet, sherry, coke, varnish, cedar, marzipan, vanilla, parmesan
P: light, honeycomb
F: med
8/10 good but possibly the worst (?!) of the evening. Came 8th, 8.12
Ben Nevis 25yo Blackadder 1996-2022 Statement 41 Raw Cask 51.9% Oloroso Butt #2203
N: sweet, prunes, chocolate, banda reel
P: grass, phenol, peat, amazing
F: long
9 maybe 10/10 I loved this, hugely complex and interesting. Stunning. Came 1st, 9.34
Glenfarclas 105 60% (circa 2006)
N: disappointing, lemonade
P: salty, honey, cloying
F: med
8/10 so it's not bad, but i felt it was lacking something compared to the others in the line-up. It did better (for me) in the tasting. Came 3rd 8.91
Finlaggan Original Peaty 58% single malt cask strength
N: medicinal, supporting wound, bacon, salt
P: quiet, smoke, salty, chewy,
F: long, dry
8.5/10 this was good, only salty finish of the evening. 6th 8.43
Cardrona 62.7% full flight 2016-2023 Gonzales Byass 7yo Oloroso PX butt #114
N: sulphur, matches, biscuit, cigar, bleach
P: tasty, caramel, wood, ginger, chocolate
F: long and tasty
9.5/10 this was excellent, it's not cheap, but very good. 5th 8.63
Mystery: Tamdhu Batch 5
N: popcorn, caramel, cut wood, vanilla, fruity
P: spicy, salt, dry, toffee, caramel, ginger, vanilla,
F: long hot spicy
9/10. Really nice, and quite reasonably prices. Came 2nd, 8.94
Best of the Best also has haggis, and all the usual stuff addressing the haggis. This year our band of intrepid booze hounds were asked to do the carrying... and we got to drink some very nice booze out back. All win.
Slainte!
