Casual Dram 10

Our favourite John, from Regional, runs an occasional Whisky tasting and this was #10 in his continuing series of a John who'd gone to the booze...

Ardbeg BizarreBQ Double charred casks PX Sherry Casks & BBQ Casks 50.9%

N: salt, bacon, oily, mint, menthol, bbq meat, dry

P: salty, sherry, lovely, iodine, woody

F: long, dry

9/10 this was really good, i know a shocker that Ardbeg bottled their own well !

James Eadie Port Dundas 23yo refill PX Sherry Hogshead Finish 54.7%

N: wood, age, vinyl, PVA glue, brown sugar, too sweet

P: sweet, sickly, very dry

F: medium and dry

6/10 didn't like this, which was frustrating as the potential was great

Glentauchers 'North Star' 2008 / 14yo Oloroso Sherry Butt

N: apple/pear, complex, leather

P: sticky date, 

F: long, very hot

9/10 This was lovely, I want more of it. 

SMWS 30.122 'A Bootful of Brazil Nuts' 9yo, Oloroso Butt/European Oak Refill Puncheon HTMC 67.6%

N: sulphur, complex, charcoal, wood, grilled seafood

P: sulphur, massive, sour nectarines

F: long, massive, lovely

10/10 Why yes, I did rather like this. Amazing. 

Whisky: Blackadder tasting

 I think this is the first of the Regional Wines tastings we've done this year, the first one didn't have a lot of unique things so we skipped it - with the intention of having our own tasting, which we, as usual, failed spectacularly to organise. 

Blackadder are an independent bottler with their USP being they keep some of the soot/wood/crap from the barrel in when they bottle. So each bottle has some floating bits, for that added authenticity. This we learnt makes it very difficult to pour for samples. 

Blair Athol Blackadder 13yo Raw Cask 2009 Hogshead 3049 51.7%

N: sherry, sweet, glaze, acetone, sulphur, tea, apples

P: spicy, liquorice, woody, orange, savoury

F: warm, spicy, long

8/10 Came 3rd with 8.33

I liked this a lot. Interesting whisky.

Inchgower Blackadder 12yo Raw Cask 2009 58%

N: dry, powdery, sherbets, bourbon, phenol, thyme

P: floral, lemonade, peat(ish), mineral, chardonnay, vanilla

F: med-long

8/10 6th with 7.33

Interesting and unusual in its flavours.

Macduff Blackadder 14yo Raw Cask 2007 59.7%

N: sweet, parma violets, hot, phenol

P: dry, vigorous, coconut

F: very dry, med-long, buttery

8/10 7th with 7.04

Starting with three 8s seemed a good indication of the quality of this tasting. 

Linkwood Blackadder 12yo Raw Cask 172 2010 59.2%

N: sweet, sherry, lovely, woody, blue cheese

P: incr alco, big, 

F: prickly, solvents, short

6/10 4th with 8.14 (people are silly)

Promised much on the nose and failed to deliver. Possibly too much alcohol and may have needed mor time in the barrel?

Glen Spey Blackadder 11yo Raw Cask 2010 61.3%

N: light, phenol, sweet, bourbon, fruit, lemon, balsa wood

P: fruit salad, medicinal, lemon

F: medium, bitter, lemon

8.5/10 This came 5th with 7.34

Obviously I liked this far more than others int he tasting, it seemed very balanced to me.

Mystery: Glendronach NS Cask Batch 11 59.6%

N: brown sugar, molasses, sweet, sherry, old leather, varnish, complex, aged?

P: dry, sherry, tannins, cigars

F: long, dry, massive

9/10 Came 1st with 8.98

This was great, as you'd expect from Glendronach, and it's a little embarrasing that the mystery won the tasting, but it didn't for me, so I'm obviously a better person. But seriously, this is great.

Glentauchers Blackadder 10yo 2012 Raw Cask Butt 900472 64.3%

N: sherry, sweet, rich, incr alc, papaya, spiky, fruit

P: amazing, long hot, sherry, spicy

F: long hot dry

9.5-10/10 Came 2nd with 8.86

I ended up pushing for a 10 on this one, and may have a bottle sitting at home now. It's stunning.