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| Hello, that is certainly one of our (nearly) every day tastings. Santé! |
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November 15, 2024
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Mixtures, wine, and secrets and techniques
You understand what I imply—issues the place you are not fairly positive if it is beef or horse, or cat or rabbit (adapting to the brand new Western governance, as you’ll be able to see). Or whisky or wine…
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Creag Dhu (40.2%, OB, Speyside single malt, oloroso, circa 2022?) 
A whisky from a mysterious Speyside distillery, seemingly geared toward supporting the conservation of Scottish peatlands. Naturally, one can safely assume not a wisp of peat smoke graces this dram. Admittedly, the ‘faux decimals’ pattern can increase eyebrows, a ploy many distilleries make use of to evoke the impression of a cask-strength presentation, although rounding would suffice inside rules. We make an exception for these translating bygone proof measures—80, 90, 100—who’re extra archivists than entrepreneurs. Color: gold. Nostril: overripe apple mingles with a contact of barely rancid butter, malt, and a touch of cider—surprisingly agreeable. Mouth: certainly, relatively nice, with a pleasant malty character, a contact of minerality, and notes of natural infusions and mid-tier English tea (the kind present in travel-exclusive outlets at a premium). End: sure, fairly good; extra overripe apples, orange cordial, and a smattering of sultanas make a return. Feedback: I anticipated one thing lacklustre and uninspiring. Not so.
SGP:451 – 79 factors. |
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Canmore (40%, Charles Edge London, single malt, bourbon & sherry, circa 2023) 
Delightfully harking back to a Eighties bottling, this launch even nods to Malcolm III, King of Scots from 1051 to 1093 (spectacular longevity for the period—will need to have been the uisge beatha). Time to placed on Rondo Veneziano on the Thorens and dive in… Color: straw. Nostril: as anticipated, they’ve chosen effectively—ripe apple, pear cake, orange loaf, and barley syrup make an look. No, it’s not a Brora ’72, but it surely’s pleasant. Mouth: a contact of minerality and a metallic edge, adopted by hay, barley, and extra of these apples. Paying homage to an entry-level Glenlivet, in a captivating approach. End: it turns a bit drying and barely cardboard-like in direction of the top. Feedback: trustworthy and simple, though the end is a bit underwhelming. Right here’s to Malcolm III!
SGP:351 – 76 factors. |
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Enigma 15 yo 2008/2024 (54.8%, Cadenhead, Islay single malt, bourbon hogshead, 1494 bottles) 
Ah, this one guarantees to be intriguing—probably an Ardbeg or a Lagavulin. Let’s discover out… Color: white wine. Nostril: ash, olives, lemon, and tiny berries—all very a lot within the Lagavulin vein. Pure and exact (mercifully untouched by rum, tequila, or some other unorthodox affect on this setting). With water: freshly woven wool and damp chalk. Mouth (neat): what a delight this little quantity is! Sea water, ash, inexperienced pepper, and rowanberry eau-de-vie. With water: that refined candy edge is unmistakable. An impeccable distillate. End: lengthy, lingering notes of ash, inexperienced apples, oysters, and chalk. What extra might one ask for? Feedback: by the best way, have you ever ever tried drizzling pistachio ice cream with a recent, unadulterated peated whisky like this? Do give it a go and report again. Don’t take my phrase for it, however this does lean fairly Lagavulin-esque. Distinctive and an absolute session killer. However we press on…
SGP:467 – 90 factors. |
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Scarabus ‘Sherry Cask Version’ (46%, Hunter Laing, Islay single malt, 2024) 
The label is amusingly cryptic, with phrases like ‘solely those that search shall discover’ and mentions of ‘alchemy’—curiosity piqued. The Viking identify ‘Scarabus’ as soon as belonged to an historical distillery on the shores of Loch Indaal close to Bridgend, with Bowmore as the closest ‘talking’ distillery simply to the south. Not that it means a lot; if I have been Hunter Laing, I’d be tempted to make use of Ardnahoe. Color: white wine. Nostril: pears—all the time a tell-tale signal of youth—adopted by ash, walnuts, a touch of cured ham, bitter almonds, kirsch, oysters, and a contact of iodine tincture. Mouth: fairly approachable, with fruity notes, a contact of mustard, and a chalky edge. Paying homage to frivolously salted farmhouse cider. End: lengthy and more and more saline. The sherry cask has behaved impeccably, subtly built-in with out overwhelming. A medicinal contact reappears within the aftertaste. Feedback: to not play the guessing sport, but it surely’s undoubtedly glorious. Virtually like a desk whisky, excellent for having fun with with smoked fish and even caviar.
SGP:557 – 87 factors. |
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Parkmore Choice 8 yo (46%, Aceo, Highland single malt, Barolo cask end, circa 2023)
I need to admit, using Barolo casks worries me way over the revival of the forgotten Parkmore identify (which, let’s be trustworthy, solely a handful of us nonetheless bear in mind). Let’s regulate that Nebbiolo affect… Color: purple mirabelles. Nostril: clay and pure sulphur notes, cabbage soup, buttercream, and cherry cake. To this point, it’s holding up moderately effectively. Mouth: not the catastrophe I feared—seatbelts can come off—although there’s loads of inexperienced pepper and bay leaves, making for a considerably difficult journey. A contact of grape stalk and orange zest follows, with a rising presence of inexperienced pepper. Naturally, nobody was anticipating an explosion of ripe purple and black berries, I suppose. End: medium size, with an sudden salty and bitter twist. Some cherries do handle to maintain the ship from sinking. Feedback: not my fashion in any respect—and I do love an excellent Barolo or Barbaresco—however removed from the worst I’ve tasted. In brief, a real winesky, but serviceable.
SGP:461 – 70 factors. |
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We do get pleasure from mixes, however we desire to make them ourselves. Come on, let’s transfer ahead – there’s even wilder stuff to return…
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A Secret Speyside Distillery 13 yo 2010/2023 (51%, HK Whisky, Chinese language Yellow Wine Cask End, cask #2) 
An intriguing experiment, or maybe only a contact of insanity—whisky aged in Hong Kong, that means it not qualifies as Scotch malt. I need to admit, regardless of my travels to China through the years, I’d by no means come throughout Chinese language Yellow Wine, or huangjiu, a conventional rice wine that’s a part of China’s ‘nationwide intangible cultural heritage’. How distinguished! Color: full gold. Nostril: brace yourselves—it is a distinctive expertise. A beguiling array of praline, chestnut cream, squash, and glutinous rice; you would simply think about your self in an genuine dim sum restaurant. Completely pleasant. With water: extra of that fantastic, deeply inviting profile. Mouth (neat): oh, that is excellent! Nonetheless these chestnuts, hints of yeast, a whisper of rice spirit (the type I bear in mind costing $1 a litre throughout my first go to), fermented unique fruits, and pumpkin soup. It is decidedly Chinese language in character—overlook the Speyside roots. End: lengthy, stunningly saline, and fermentation-forward, with a country shochu-like contact and salted preserved lemons. Feedback: nothing in any respect harking back to a basic Speyside malt, however what a rare discover! It’s discoveries like this that make whisky tasting endlessly rewarding.
SGP:662 – 89 factors. |
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Cream of Sponge 28 yo 1993/2022 (44.7%, Whisky Sponge, Highland single malt, refill hogshead, 263 bottles)
Right here we soar from one excessive to a different, however such is the character of those delightfully odd tasting periods. Color: white wine. Nostril: fairly amusing and relatively unconventional, with hints of hand cream, pale flowers, barely drained natural teas, lanolin, and three-year-old suntan lotion—there’s a sure worn-out high quality to it, however this solely provides to its attraction. A contact of motor oil and a drizzle of mead make an intriguing look. An enchanting nostril that does spark a little bit of concern for what’s to return on the palate… Mouth: fortunately, the palate is livelier than anticipated, although it does present a little bit of age with notes of previous teas. There’s a whisper of shredded coconut and a nod to classic Burgundy Chardonnay from the Eighties (sure, suppose Kim Wilde and Stevie Nicks). A contact of salinity brings a West Coast really feel (Scotland’s, not Burgundy’s). End: medium size with saline nuances, hints of bone marrow, and honey-glazed mushrooms. Feedback: I discover it considerably fragile, teetering on the sting right here and there, however as Gabin as soon as mentioned to an previous actress—I overlook who— ‘you’ve nonetheless obtained one thing left’. Greatest stored out of contemporary conversations, in fact. All in all, a captivating previous malt displaying some put on, maybe in want of a whisky restorer. What’s that, you say they exist already?
SGP:342 – 87 factors. |
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Critically, we have a great deal of these unknown issues. Proper, let’s maintain going…
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Celestial (50%, Compass Field, blended Scotch, 2024)
A mix crafted in homage to the venerable previous White Horse whiskies—splendid information, certainly. Rumoured to incorporate Ardbeg, Caol Ila, Glen Elgin, Previous Pulteney, and a few significantly aged grain whiskies. Whereas age provides a contact of gravitas, let’s not overlook that grain stays grain, for those who catch my drift. That mentioned, to duplicate true White Horse, one may want for Lagavulin, or maybe even Malt Mill, relying on the period… Color: pale gold. Nostril: lacks the sheer drive of an historical White Horse, but they’ve undeniably captured the essence. A metallic whisper, hints of maritime peat, vegetal and mechanical oils (suppose previous engine grease), overly ripe apples, and a contact of mint tea. Spot on, White Horse. With water: candle wax, wax paper, and even a touch of paint thinner. Mouth (neat): sure certainly—smoked fish, crisped bacon, rooster broth, tobacco, and a lick of brine. It hits the mark. With water: exactly so. You may nearly swear there’s a contact of OBE (previous bottle impact, for the uninitiated). End: of medium size, however with a saline and barely oily character. Feedback: effectively finished, actually. This one deserves a spot in a blind tasting alongside White Horse, Logan, and Mackie’s—it will be a grand little bit of enjoyable.
SGP:462 – 87 factors. |
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One final one for as we speak…
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Massive Peat ‘fifteenth Anniversary’ (50%, Douglas Laing, blended malt, purple wine cask end, 2024)
One wonders whether or not there might need been some confusion involving computer systems, because it appears unbelievable that the tremendous people at Douglas Laing would consciously choose to decorate their fifteenth Anniversary Massive Peat in a purple wine end. Maybe an AI was entrusted with this resolution, who is aware of? In any case, one thing’s gone awry. Crimson wine, actually! Color: apricot. Nostril: undeniably well-crafted, displaying notes of rose petals and strawberry cake, clafoutis, fruitwood smoke, pink grapefruit, and Mon Chéri (everybody hates the model, but everybody eats them). Even a contact of cherry beer peeks by means of. It’s remarkably uncommon however admittedly managed. With water: the unique coastal, windswept character stands agency and offers a much-needed anchor. Mouth (neat): no, right here it turns into overbearing, harking back to these early Laphroaigs or Port Ellens that had been flirting with heavy Pomerol casks greater than 20 years in the past—Frankenstein whiskies, if you’ll. Not a triumph, in my humble opinion. With water: not completely discordant, however there’s an overriding sense of superfluousness. One wonders why such therapy was mandatory for a distillate that certainly stood proudly by itself pre-experiment. End: hard-going, a contact arduous, and barely uncomfortable. Feedback: it stays completely drinkable, in fact. Now whereas I can see the benefit of utilizing purple wine casks as a twist to develop a spread—particularly when one has an ocean of comparable whiskies to distinguish—selecting such a route for a fifteenth anniversary celebration? It feels considerably out of step with Douglas Laing’s traditional totally good fashion and strikes. Maybe it is time to swap off the AI. Peace and love.
SGP:465 – 70 factors. |
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