Whisky Discovery #1647

The Golden Age Blend, 40 Year Old (44.3% abv)
Blended Scotch Whisky
£349.95 70cl

Named for the ‘Golden Age’ of distilling spanning the early ’60s to the mid-'70s, The Golden Age Blend has been named Best Blended Scotch at the World Whiskies Awards 2016.

The Blended Whisky Company are the creators of the award-winning Golden Age Blend and The Lost Distilleries Blend, which was named World’s Best Blended Whisky at the World Whiskies Awards 2014, as well as receiving Gold Outstanding and Master medals from the IWSC and Scotch Whisky Masters respectively.

To create this whisky, The Blended Whisky Company took a selection of the finest venerable malts. All the whiskies used are aged for over 40 years and have been distilled at Macallan, Glenrothes and Tamdhu. Next, additional character and ‘seasoning’ was added in the form of gently peated whisky from Bunnahabhain. Finally, an exceptionally well-aged grain whisky from North British was added to tie the other malts together and form the backbone of the blend, at a ratio of approximately four parts malt to just one part grain.

This superbly rich, intense and full bodied award-winning blended whisky stands as a testament to the extraordinary depth of flavour that can be found in some of the marvellous whiskies distilled during the ‘Golden Age’. Just 210 bottles are available worldwide.

The Golden Age Blend is available from all the very best retailers including Amazon and Master of Malt and has a recommended retail price of £349.95

So What Did I Think?

This was the one of my highlights from Whisky Live London, and I had the time to get to know this before the show opened on Saturday as we were working with Maverick Drinks. It was my 'breakfast' dram, or 'product training' as I like to call it. Fortunately, the thoughtful people at Drinks by the Dram also sent me a wee sample as a thank you for helping out on the day and it was my Easter Monday dram. It was wonderful to revisit it and it gave me the opportunity to write some notes.

This has the colour of oiled teak, a colour I'm very familiar with having spent a number of years building yachts that contained a great deal of it.

On the nose, I was reminded of chocolate brioche initially. Fruit followed with raisins, figs, and dried peel, like a Christmas cake steeped in Sherry. There are hints of dark 'old fashioned' marmalade, Demerara sugar, Cigar box and tobacco, and is simply divine. I didn't consider adding water to my sample. Glorious!

The palate opens with a gentle sweetness before the spices rush on to the tongue. As these settle, the sweetness returns, soft and warming while the spices leave a sherbet tingle. Flavours noted included Chelsea Buns, bitter chocolate, coffee grounds, and raisins. Tobacco notes come a little later with just the faintest smoky note developing towards the long finish. Delicious!

The finish is long, with hints of smoke and tobacco, turning woody, with an earthiness of a forest floor, eventually turning dry as the tannins remain at the very end.

Verdict

I had the pleasure of not only tasting this but, working with The Maverick Drinks stand at Whisky Live London on Saturday, I had the opportunity to share it with appreciative whisky fans, as it was one of our 'under the counter drams'. 

Of course, it's not an affordable whisky for most, but then 40 Year Old whiskies don't tend to be. However, checking prices of other 40-year-old whiskies, this is competitively priced. This is a superbly blended Scotch, and a little piece of history. But don't just take my word for it, it has been named Best Blended Scotch at the World Whiskies Awards 2016.

Huge thanks to Drinks by the Dram for the review sample

Slàinte! Dave

Wemyss Malts Single Cask Releases July 2014

Edinburgh based boutique Spirits Company Wemyss Malts announced the release of their latest parcel of single cask Scotch whiskies at the end of July. The range included a single grain single cask whisky for the first time as well as the most valuable whisky Wemyss has ever released, a 31 years old single cask from Bowmore distillery.

Each cask is a celebration of the unique and contrasting appeals of the different Scotch whisky regions and the latest release covers grain whisky and four of the regions: from Islay, Highlands, Speyside and Campbeltown.  Wemyss whiskies are each named after their natural taste and aroma and the full cask list of this release comprises:

• "Lemon Cheesecake" -  1988 single cask from Invergordon, Single Grain
• "Loch Indaal Catch" - 1982 single cask from Bowmore, Islay
• "Oysters with Lemon Pearls" - 1991 single cask from Bunnahabhain, Islay
• "Aromatic Orange Tobacco" - 1988 single cask from Glenrothes, Speyside
• "Melon Vine" - 1994 single cask from Aberfeldy, Highlands
• "At Anchor in a Cove" - 1991 single cask from Glen Scotia, Campbeltown

Each cask has been selected and named by the Wemyss tasting panel, under the watchful eye of industry aficionado Charlie Maclean.   There are only a few hundred bottles from each cask and the suggested retail prices range from £80 to £700.

Whisky Discovery were delighted to receive samples of three these releases and here is what Dave though of these new Whisky Discoveries:

Whisky Discovery #949

Wemyss Malts 1988 Invergordon 'Lemon Cheesecake' 46% abv

Single Cask Grain Whisky

circa £82.00 70cl

This is the first single grain whisky that Wemyss have ever released, so it was a real honour to be sent a sample of this 25/26 year old to review. Distilled at the Invergordon Distillery and laid to rest in a barrel until bottling this year. Just 220 bottles at 46% abv have been released.

So What Did I Think?

The nose exudes lovely soft coconut ice notes; a freshly opened pack of McVities Digestive biscuits (other digestive biscuits are available); honey and a woody note that reminds me of sawn coconut wood. There is a faint Bourbonesque note too (made up word relating to American Whiskey and not the biscuits). This is indeed very fragrant and although I've never had a cheesecake under my nose long enough to nose it (read 'gannet') I did note cake mix and custard creams though.

Sweet and spicy is the overall profile of the palate. A creamy mouth coating Bourbon sweetness with some coconut notes open as the spices build with a touch of cardamom alongside cloves and some gentle chilli heat while the fragrant coconut wood notes comes through towards the end, before finishing with a spicy tingle that leaves cloves and cardamom while dessicated coconut lingers to the very end.

I really loved this! At the time of tasting I tweeted that Wemyss Malts should take a bow. Their first ever single grain release is superb, please send me more!

Whisky Discovery #951

Wemyss Malts 1988 Glenrothes 'Aromatic Orange Tobacco' 46% abv

Speyside Single Cask Malt

circa £120.00 70cl

A 25/26 year old Sherry butt matured Glenrothes from 1988, and being a sherry butt the yield was a very healthy 730 bottles at 46% abv, enough for us all! (well 730 of us). So what were you doing in 1988? There's something about an age statement or a vintage that can take you straight back to that period in your life. Fortunately I can still remember although there are quite a few holes due to my mis-spent youth.

So What Did I Think?

My first impressions upon nosing this was Jamaican Ginger cake, lovely rich sticky cakey notes. Later orange oil notes develop followed by some tobacco! Wemyss most definitely have got the name of this release bang on the nail!

Initially this tastes soft and sweet before some tobacco notes develop. The sherry influence then shows its hand with Amontillado flavours before the spices lift the palate with a sherbet tingle, finishing with the sherry/tannin dryness which reminds me of grapefruit pith.

The following morning the empty glass yields rich dark chocolate notes, I really liked this Glenrothes.

Whisky Discovery #955

Wemyss Malts 1982  Bowmore 'Loch Indaal Catch' 46% abv

Islay Single Cask Malt

circa £740.00 70cl

Definitely considered as the star attractuion of this release, and heralded as their most valuable release to date, this 31 Year Old Bowmore  was distilled back in the day when I was half way through my shipbuilding apprenticeship! I was working on Steel hulled, aluminium superstructure fast patrol craft for Egypt and Oman. My hair was down to my waist, I rode fast and loud motorbikes and was a roadie for a local rock band! A teenage rebel without a clue!

So What Did I Think?

Wow this was very fragrant! Floral with a candy sweetness, Parma Violets of course, and talcum powder. Later the maritime notes start to develop, remember its been sleeping for at least 31 years, with a salty sea breeze and some tarred driftwood.

The Parma Violets dominate the palate for me, again very floral and fragrant while drinking. A candy sweetness with a gentle sherbet fizz. For a 30 plus year old whisky it is surprisingly light and fresh on the palate. There is a sandy beach note under the perfume.

The perfumed fragrance remains right through to the very end, perhaps a little too perfumed for me. 'Nice perfume but must you marinate in it?' would be the name of this release if I was allowed to label it! I'm sure this will appeal to more than the 165 bottles available, both my wife and youngest daughter thought it smelt delightful!

The empty glass the following morning loses the heady perfume and gives earthy malty notes which I preferred.

I was very pleased with the three samples received and although the Bowmore is not to my taste (or my budget) I'm sure there are plenty who will love it as experienced at other tastings when this flavour profile come up! The single grain is outstanding in my opinion, I absolutely loved it and it certainly is within my budget. I loved the Glenrothes too, but a little to expensive for me, I still struggle with spending over £100 on a bottle of whisky, but that's down to my disposable income, and to maintain peace and harmony within the household! The other three releases sound equally interesting and would love to taste each of them!

Slàinte!Dave

Wemyss Malts Tweet Tasting 2

After the great success of the first WemyssTT last November we were really pleased to get invited to join the second event that coincided with their launch of six new single cask releases. 

When the samples arrived, two of the whiskies received came from their core blended malts range, both 12 Year Old, and two were from the new single cask release. Realising that I already had a set of these four drams that had been sent to me previously I decided to send a set across to Canadian Whisky blogger @whiskylassie so Johanne could make a surprise guest appearance.

The line up for the evenings Tweet Tasting

I'm sure you know how Tweet Tastings work by now, you can find links to all of the Tweet Tastings we have taken part in on our Tweet Tasting page here:

Whisky Discovery #460

Wemyss Malts Spice King 12 Year Old (40% abv)
Blended Malt Whisky
Circa £35.00 70cl

A blended malt made with sixteen different single malt whiskies, all at least 12 years old, and mainly from the Highlands. Wemyss meticulously hand selects each individual cask, under the expert eye of Charles MacLean who chairs their Nosing Panel

So What Did We think?

Dave said: This certainly kicks off with a strong malty note then followed by the expected spices; Pepper, Ginger, and a touch of Cinnamon too. Creamy vanilla notes start to appear as the ginger builds. I seemed to be finding a light peat reek too (which I really enjoyed) after leaving the glass covered for a while. This disappears quickly when uncovered. Fruity notes start to evolve later. A very interesting nose and much smokier than I was expecting.

On the palate it's soft and malty initially, spices start to build over the wispy smoke, pepper and ginger and as the spices fade a bitter chocolate note appeared that stayed to the finish along with a touch of licorice. and the gentle peat smoke remains right to the very end 

Kat said: Really delicious aromas of sandalwood, cinnamon, nutmeg and all different types of whole peppers! Creamier vanilla notes followed along with some fruit and nuts; almond & apricot flan and some orange notes, not fresh, more of cooked stewed oranges with a light sugar syrup or a touch of honey. After a little while I could pick up some fennel.

On the palate bitter dark chocolate notes & stewed organise on the first taste. A little bit of a dry mouth feel, and then a bit like the taste of really flat Coke, or flat dandelion & burdock, weird but nice, sort of medicinal. It is however, so smooth. It went on to develope some floral notes; jasmine/orange blossoms and some light smoke/peat. More spices on the finish, reminding me of black cardamoms! 

So what did the others think? 

@KirstyPryde1: Nose: fresh strong notes of pepper, cumin and cardamom moving on to green apples and vanilla and earthy undertones 

@mattveira: Nose: Pepper, cinnamon, quite malty but nice sweet fruitiness (especially orange and coconut). Spicy woodiness 

@chrismiles303: Hits with prickly smoke from burning paper, and new leather initially 

@whiskyrepublic: On the nose - honey, oak, a slight & pleasant acetone sweetness with hints of ginger. 

@AliceLascelles: more mature spice gets unexpectedly more youthful and apply, even fresh

@Whiskylassie: On the palate, quite creamy. Very sweet, tangy vanilla custard. Quite tasty. A bit of burn/dryness on the finish. 

@TheWhiskyWire: A feisty frolicking infusion of ripe stoned fruits, winter spice and a touch of Brasso 

@KirstyChant: I initially got pears and nutmeg. Going back I'm getting sweeter honey and orange with pepper.

Whisky Discovery #461

The Glenrothes 'Ginger Spice' 1988 (46% abv)

Single Cask Malt Whisky
Circa £115.00 70cl
Established by the burn of Rothes in Speyside in 1879, The Glenrothes Distillery has been producing its characteristic Speyside single Malt for over 130 years. This Wemyss bottling comes from a single Sherry Butt yielding 660 bottles at 46% abv

So What Did We think?

Dave said: This had a more fresh ginger note to the nose as opposed to the ginger nuts of Spice King. There's an orange juice note trying to eek it's way out out along with some sawn hardwood, stewed apples and cloves. Again the palate is soft initially, spice building but more ginger powder this time whereas the nose was fresh. There was also an air of Brandy Snaps here

Kat said: Initially I was getting ethanol & sweet wet rotting compost heap (in a good way!) Under-ripe melons. There was more earthy tones of hot mulch and ginger powder, flan crust on its own without any filling. On the palate this came across asa  less sweet Irn Brew. Fruit with grapefruit and cantaloupe melon and developed into mulled apple juice like but cold and refreshing.

So what did the others think?

@SajyBaby: Nose floral with a little chalk dust and a orange ginger tickle then opens up 2 crushed buttercups in the rain

@LRWhisky: Getting a real damp earthiness to this - sort of like damp grass in a thunderstorm

@whiskyrepublic: Trying to narrow down the fruit notes. A mango & pineapple fusion - a mangapple or pineango if you will

@TheWhiskyWire: Picking up some initial grass, ginger & woodspice infused honey on the palate.

@AliceLascelles: Apple juice, apple turnover, warm pastry and clove/ginger - a whole lotta apple

@Whiskylassie: Lots of honey on the front of the palate, ginger snap biscuits hot out of the oven!

@KirstyPryde1: The ginger is a lot less than I expected, picking up burnt sugar, creamy, creme brulee, orange and sultanas

@HMcnee: More ginger, orange zest, citrus, sweet, honey this tastes fantastic

Whisky Discovery #462

Wemyss Malts Peat Chimney 12 Year Old (40% abv)
Blended Malt Whisky
Circa £36.00 70cl

A blended malt, all at least 12 years old, that has a firm emphasis on Islay whiskies giving top notes of sweet smoke, iodine and peat.

So What Did We Think?

Dave Said: On the nose this has sweet gentle medicinal notes, charcoal right at the back, a little coal tar, some germoline and menthol and bringing a coastal theme to this, drifwood. It has Laphroaig (my first love) written all over it for me. The palate has a glorious gentle smoky sweetness about it, with a touch of white pepper, a little earthy and as some licorice, while the finish is dry and ashy but with a sherbet like feel too

Kat said: Seashore notes, reminds me of walking along the beach; Seafoam, seaweed, wet sand. Ash follows with some leather/rawhide notes coming through. Surprisingly sweet and not as smoky as I was expecting. The chewiness reminding me of BBQ ribs with a dry sugar rub, or BBQ fruit; pineapples w/brown sugar. Sticky toffee notes follow, very smooth like the toffee juice you get in creme caramel.

So what did the others think?

@rodbodtoo: Earthy, peat, rather than smoke from a bonfire. Under that, there's savoury salty notes

@LRWhisky: Scallops and sea food cooked on a BBQ at Port Ellen

@mattveira: Slight medicinal menthol note. Even get some smokey BBQ notes. Definitely reminds me of a certain Islay distillery

@TheWhiskyWire: Smoke infused Millionaire' shortbread on the palate.

@dvdbloke: Peat Chimney Palate - pepper spice, then lighter honied notes again. all the while peat smoke stays the whole development.

@cenbons: Not as peaty as I would have imagined (more on the finish though), chilli and sweet citrus

@KingsbarnWhisky: Oh now I can taste the mellow peat & smoke on the palate, nice and silky, woody & spicy

@Whiskylassie: Once I work my way through the ash, there's a bit of sticky toffee pudding there. Quite nice to find actually.

@BeersIveKnown: Plenty of smoke up front, woody chocolate and cooling menthol grapefruit

@StewartCraigon: Salty seaweed sandwich, with a side order of wet soot

Whisky Discovery #463

Bunnahabhain 'Chocolate Honeycomb' 2001 (46% abv)
Islay Single Cask Malt Whisky
Circa £59.00 70cl

Deriving from the Gaelic for ‘mouth of the river’, Bunnahabhain was founded in 1881 by William Robertson and brothers James and William Greenless. This 2001 vintage was matured in a Puncheon and yielded 812 bottles at 46% abv

So What Did We think?

Dave said: Chocolate Honeycomb? This just screamed 'Crunchie' to me! Wemyss have great fun naming their single casks and get this right everything, often basing the naming on the first nosing but occasionally picking out something from the palate. Malty chocolate  started to developed when aired along with some fresh ginger and white pepper.

The palate opens with a salty sweetness to this at first, runny honey which suddenly turns quite fiery for a short burst  of fresh ginger before settling back and seemly thickening at the same time, coating the mouth. As the ginger fades hot white pepper flashes before leaving a malty warming feeling and slightly salty tang at the very end.

Kat said: Blackened bananas overly ripe, black pepper and peppery extra virgin olive oil. Chocolate and honeycomb follow. There's an oily silky quality to this, with melted dark chocolate & butter mix, simply delicious!

So what did the others think?

@TheWhiskyWire Thank Crunchie it's Friday or should I say "Thank Wemyss it's Wednesday"

@Smokiechops: Intensely sweet milk chocolate & honey. I get a slight nuttiness too 

@chrismiles303 In the mouth: Salted caramel chocolate! An initial salt then a big creamy caramel kick with some bitter chocolate to finish

@Whiskylassie A lot oilier on the palate than I anticipated? Quite smooth though. Very tasty drams indeed! I'm converted!

@dvdbloke Finish. Very creamy finish, drying with honied wood spices and a little dusting of cocoa.

And finally....

Bunnahabhain is quickly becoming a favourite distillery and 'Chocolate Honecomb' aka Crunchie only reaffirms my affection for it. The Peat Chimney was everything I was hoping it would be  and I definitely want a bottle!

Yet another great experience and another highlight of our whisky journey, with four new discoveries for us, Tweet Tastings really are a great way to taste whisky.

A massive THANK YOU to Steve Rush at @TheWhiskyWire and to all the team at @WemyssMalts and of course the tweet tasters who were:

@TheWhiskyWire @WemyssMalts @WemyssJacque @WemyssGinny @KingsbarnWhisky @KirstyChant @AliceLascelles @WhiskyMavericks @rodbodtoo @HMCnee @GeorgeHHutton @SajyBaby @LRWhisky @WhiskyDiscovery @WhiskyRepublic @KirstyPryde1 @WhiskyDiscovKat @theWhiskyReview @dramstats @SmokieChops @MattViera @dvdbloke @chrismiles303 @beersiveknown @cenbons and special guest appearance @Whiskylassie

For more information see: www.thewhiskywire.com and www.wemyssmalts.com

Pearl Dram - Single Malt Whisky Society 30th Anniversary

This summer saw the Single Malt Whisky Society celebrated their 30th anniversary. Very suitably, for their pearl anniversary they collaborated with oyster mixologist, The Mother Shuckers [www.mothershuckers.co.uk] opened a 4 day pop-up whisky and oyster bar in Sevendials, London, calling the event Pearl Dram.

Not only did they come up with a witty name during their planning sessions, they cleverly planned the event to coincide with the start of the British oyster season.

The beautifully decorated pop-up shop on Monmouth Street, Seven Dials

A brief history of the society; it was created in 1983 by Phillip “Pip” Hills, after the syndicate that he started with a group of friends to buy their own single cask whiskies grew too big for the lobby in his house. Fuelled by his love of single malts, an entrepreneurial spirit, and from what I felt from reading a section of his book 'Scots on Scotch', the novelty of hosting drunken friends wore thin, the old wine merchant building in Leith known as The Vaults was purchased. This was to become the syndicate’s new central hub. At the time drinking single casks whiskies was bucking the trend, where the majority of whiskies being drunk were blends.

Today the society offers its members a wide selection from over 120 distilleries from cask they select and bottle themselves; keeping true to its roots. Members can enjoy the society’s unique drams in the private members bars worldwide and chat to knowledgeable staff that will be able to give advice on what to try, as the selection can be over whelming at times and hard to know where to start. 

We have been members since 2012, and one of our favourite places to stop by at the start or end of each journey into London is the member’s room that’s a short walk from Farringdon station. We often refer to this as our ‘waiting room’ as it’s on our train route home. 

Which dram to what pearl?

I sat down to sample the full works, titled ‘The Maiden Voyage’ which consisted of 6 whiskies paired with 6 different oysters. I tasted all of these whiskies with water on the recommendation that the diluted drams will help bring out more of the flavours in the oysters.

Getting ready for the start of my ‘Maiden Voyage’

Dram#1 SMWS 73.58 'Simple & Seductive'
paired with the Dunchy Native Oyster.

SMWS 73.58 is a Speyside. It’s a 21 year old an ex-refill bourbon hogshead, distilled on 9th of July 1991. Bottled at 57% abv, price at £69.10 for 70 cl. Showing on SMWS website as available.

So what did I think?

Nose: Very fresh and floral with creamy notes, aromatic vanilla pods, lemon blossoms, and some spices. 

Taste: The freshness comes through in the form of a brief minty mouthwash quality that quickly turns into a lemon drizzle cake, sweetness and creaminess from caramel and sweeten condensed milk, with spices dancing its way to the front towards the end. Spices are a mixed of cloves, cinnamon, and floral notes of coriander seeds. 

Finish: Sweet and spicy. 

Dunchy native has a chewy texture but with some creamy quality. Taste wise it’s about the same sweetness as saltiness, and a metallic kick at the end. This brought out more of the sweetness in the whisky, while the whisky cuts through the nutty salt flavours and balances out the metal notes. 

Dram#2 SMWS 30.77 'This Is Nuts'
paired with the Colchester Rock Oyster. 

SMWS 30.77 is another Speyside whisky. It’s a 16 year old refilled ex-sherry butt, distilled on 17th of April 1997. Bottled at 57.7 % abv and priced at £55.80 for 70 cl. Showing on SMWS as no longer available. 

So what did I think?

Nose: Big sherry hit with lots of dried fruits (figs, dates, raisins, sultanas), and waxed paper. 

Taste: This reflects the nose, bursting with the dried fruits (again figs, dates, raisins, sultanas) with an addition of some dark chocolate towards the end. 

Finish: Fruity with some lingering fresh Jalapeno chilli heat. 

Colchester rock is noticeably more briny than the Dunchy, fewer minerals with no metallic taste, and nice addition of a seaweed note with a creamy texture which tasted like white bread. This oyster brought out white pepper notes in the whisky, while the whisky brought out more of the mineral notes of the oyster. 

Dram#3 SMWS 77.32 'Salivating Sweetness; Savour Whisper'

paired with Lock Ryan Rock Oyster. 

SMWS 77.32 is a Highland whisky. It’s a 25 year old, refilled ex-bourbon hogshead, distilled on 13th of August 1987. Bottled at 58.2 % abv and priced at £82.90 for 70 cl. Showing on SMWS as no longer available.

So what did I think?

Nose: Noticeably dryer than the 30.77 with more woody notes, spicy sweet cinnamon, new buck leather, and the smell of sun cream. 

Taste: Begins with a satisfying woody oak note developing into sweet sticky dates, and spicy cinnamon.

Finish: Starts with sticky sweet dates which lingers, some of the woody oak notes returning, with cinnamon spice leading to the end. 

Loch Ryan rock oyster is very creamy, much more delicate than previous two, and sweeter with only hints of salt and minerals. This brings out more of the fruitier notes of the whisky, specifically more figs, and changes the finish to a stronger wood flavour. 

Dram#4 SMWS 4.179 'Compartments of Complexity'
paired with Dorset Rock Oyster. 

SMWS 4.179 is a 22 years old Highland whisky from a refilled ex-bourbon hogshead, distilled on 31st of May 1991. Bottled at 54.2 % abv and priced at £85 for 70 cl. Showing on SMWS as no longer available.

Four down and no pearls found yet

So what did I think?

Nose: Damp forest floors, earthy moss covered logs, little hints of Band-Aids plasters, and smoky peat notes comes through lasts. 

Taste: Begins with burst of sweetness and taste of lemon drizzle cake then heavy smoky peat notes follows, providing a half and half balance of these two flavours. Then right at the end a sprinkling of white pepper. 

Finish: Relatively short with lingering of lemon drizzle cake and, surprisingly, instead of the smoky notes, the earthy characters that I picked up in the nose returned. 

Dorset rock oyster is another oyster with heavy briny mineral flavours. Texture wise is a mix of creamy (this time more like ricotta in texture) and some meaty bits. This brings outs vanilla notes in the palate of this dram.

Dram#5 SMWS 3.186 'Mermaids At Play In Lochindaal'
paired with Jersey Rock Oyster. 

SMWS 3.186 is a 16 years old Islay whisky from refilled ex-bourbon hogshead, distilled in April 1995 (no specific date given). Bottled at 57.9 % abv and priced at £65.50 for 70 cl. Showing on SMWS as no longer available.

So what did I think?

Nose: First get sweet vanillas and spices, mainly of cinnamon sticks punching through, then a strong aroma of an old medicine cabinet hits you, and more peat can be picked up here than the previous dram. 

Taste: Started with a vegetable like quality that’s similar to pea shoots (was a lovely surprise and so delicate), a good bit of peat, and has a heavier and creamier mouth feel than the previous dram. 

Finish: The pea shoots flavour comes back which is replaced by a touch of wood charcoal, with some sweetness still lingering in the background. 

The Jersey Rock oyster has a clean fresh taste compared with all the others, similar to cucumber but with more brine. This brings out more stoned fruits and vanilla notes in the dram. Interestingly the peat note takes a step back, becoming less prominent. I'm glad it didn't take too many steps back as it complimented the other flavours so well still being part of the main line-up.

Dram#6 SMWS 53.190 'A Fishing Village Up Whisky Cove'
paired with Loch Ryan Native Oyster. 

SMWS 53.190 is a 17 year old Islay whisky from a refill ex-bourbon hogshead, distilled on 24th of August 1995. Bottled at 56.7 % abv and priced at £63.70 for 70 cl. Showing on SMWS website as no longer available.

So what did I think?

Nose: Heady peat aromas, the most peated out of all 6 drams. There’s also dried logs and a touch of liquorice sticks. Definitely a distinct woody and bark like element here. 

Taste: Very smoky and mirroring the nose, the woody element continues here. Black cardamoms in big volumes, some cinnamon and cloves, but instead of the whole spices, due to the smokiness these, they are more like powered spices to me with its dry dusty feel. However doesn’t leave the mouth feeling dry. 

Finish: Begins with the smoky black cardamoms then moving to black pepper which lingers for a good while. 

The Loch Ryan native oyster has an all over meatier texture with minimal creaminess. Found it to be balanced of the brine, metallic notes, and a mineral cucumber note. The whisky had brought out more mineral notes of the oyster, and gave it an earthy finish.

Verdict

Out of all 6 pairings, my favourite combo was pairing No. 3, SWMS 77.32 with Loch Ryan rock oyster. I just felt the pairing brought out the most complimentary flavours in each other, and it has some of my favourite aromas and flavours. 

On a side note, by pure coincidence saw me celebrating a total of three 30th anniversaries, as two other friends were also celebrating their big birthdays on the same day I went to Pearl Dram. I did ponder the next day and as I write this, if it was an omen. So far there has been neither major heart ache nor major good fortunes. Still, can’t help but feel a little superstitious. 

For further information on the Single Malt Whisky Society please visit www.smws.co.uk, and The Mother Shuckers can be found on www.mothershuckers.co.uk.

Lastly for more information on oysters, I came across this interesting info sheet online from the Shellfish Association of Great Britain which explains the different types of oysters available in the UK, and provide more detailed tasting notes for each of these oysters. This can be found here:

Slàinte! Kat

Glenrothes Vintages Tweet Tasting

Three generous vintages from The Glenrothes arrived at Whisky Discovery HQ

Tweet tastings seem to be very popular these days, and we were delighted to be invited to this Glenrothes Vintage event hosted by Berry Bros & Rudd and The Great Whisky Company just before the Easter Weekend

We've been fortunate in having tasted a number of The Glenrothes Vintages towards the end of last year, starting with their core expressions and working through a flight of five whiskies right back to 1978. That was a wonderful way to spend a cold and wet November afternoon!

When the samples arrived we quickly noted we had tasted two of these previously, but the 1988 Vintage would be a new discovery. For purposes of the tweet tasting we decided we would ignore our previous notes and tweet exactly as we found them at the time, so our notes for the 1998 and 1995 vintage may differ between each session, but that's the wonder of the senses, changing depending upon so many variables!

We were amongst some very established whisky reviewers and were excited to be part of this event as we kicked proceedings off with the youngest of the three, the twelve year old distilled in 1998, the year we all settled in the UK.

Whisky Discovery #230

The Glenrothes 1998 (43% abv, OB, D 17/12/98, Bottled 2010)
Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Circa £42.00 70cl

We first tasted this last November and you can read what we thought about it then, here. 

The notes below were taken directly from our tweets:

Kat: On the nose it started with stone fruits, dates, and honey salted cashew nuts. After a little while cereal notes started to come through and a cake mixture type note and sweet gorse blossom. On the palate there was caramel, zingy orange zest with a hit of bitters that's nice here. Short finish but tingles left for a while.

Dave: The nose opened with sherried fruits, vanilla cream, and a touch of salt. It was quite gentle on the palate, there was a struck match element, a slight orange tinge to the creamy vanilla notes along with some white pepper and stewed plums too. After tasting for the first time the nose seemed much sweeter. The finish was quite short.

So what did the others think?

@EdinburghWhisky: A real mix of stuff here-marzipan, vanilla and tropical fruits. Reminds me of birthday parties when I was a kid
@TheWhiskyBoys: NOSE: Sweet sugar syrup, concentrated vanilla, marzipan, sun drenched passion fruits
@KirstyChant: I'm getting vanilla, pineapple and marzipan on the nose
@WorldWhiskyDay: Palate: with water more peardrops and tutti-frutti sweets. More sherry in finish with water
@DramWhiskyMark: Light butterscotch, white pepper & salted almonds. caramel held together with vanilla & tannin. Linseed & liquorice

Whisky Discovery #231

The Glenrothes 1995 (43% abv, OB, D 26/10/95, Bottled 2011)
Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Circa £45.00 70cl

We first tasted this last November and you can read what we thought about it then, here.

Kat: Nose: Chocolate covered coffee beans, dried leaves, dried figs/dates, powdered ginger, green apples, white pepper and matzo crackers. On the palate spicy white pepper, and notes of black coffee, dark chocolate, and damp oak. I much preferred the 1995 to the 1998, giving more robust flavours for me.

Dave: The nose opened with soft rosy apples, honey and there was a pinch of cardamom too, more toffee notes appeared after a short while and the orange creams from the '98 too. This appeared more more malty and I really enjoyed how the nose developed with much richer notes. After tasting I returned to nose it again and found a little heather.

On the palate I got a lovely sweet liquorice note at first, there was a little white pepper too. This was smooth and very creamy. On my second sip I noticed a 'struck match' note again, but by no means detrimental, as I really enjoy this flavour.

The finish is quite dry, with coffee grounds, and there is a touch of salt too within the sweetness

So what did the others think?

@DramWhiskyMark: Artist oil paint, glaziers putty, honeysuckle,
@WorldWhiskyDay: Getting a lot of linseed oil on the nose with this. And a bit of burnt toast
@EdinburghWhisky: Nose: Stewed apples, lime zest, cooked pastry and fresh cereals
@TheWhiskyLounge: Nose (without water) big stewed fruit, perhaps plums, lovely cinnamon, slight orange peel. Mouth-watering!
@TheWhiskyBoys: TASTE Dundee marmalade jelly, finish is a bitter sweet joy, thick & creamy with a bitter choc mouth feel
@mynameisgone: Palate toffee, that peppery spicy heat again, a touch of orange in there, and a great mouthfeel

Whisky Discovery #373

The Glenrothes 1988 (43% abv, OB, D 16/12/88, Bottled 2009)
Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Circa £45.00 70cl

Kat: Nose: Heather honey, hint of greenness similar to spring greens or raw kale, nubuck leather, red desert apples, and a hint of talcum powder. 

Taste: Sweet, crisp initially of green apples, heather honey comes through, dry oak/timber, slightly roasted quality, hint of all dried allspice berries, and some oily citrus note. 

Finish:  Zesty and sweet, dark bitter coco cuts through this nicely bringing back some balance, and prickly heat and taste of a Jalapeno chili at the end. Med to long finish for me. 

Dave: The nose on this is much richer than the previous two vintages, the orange note is there yet again (house style?) though more of a candied orange now. There's book leather and baked cherry too. returning to nose after the first tasting I got a green banana note that I never noticed earlier, being masked by the cherry

On the palate it is rich and smooth, with fruit cake notes, more cherry, stewed plums, a dusting of pepper. Again the finish appears quite short, drying but more nutty this time, and still getting a slight saltiness alongside the sweetness

So what did the others think?

@DramWhiskyMark: Nose-victorian varnish on hot radiator, suede, green tea, dundee cake & apricot jam. old canvas oil paint, waxy and leathery with a spill of diesel oil
@MasterOfMalt: Massive Fruit on the nose. Absolutely delicious. Apricots, Cherry Compote, Red Apple,
@TheWhiskyBoys: Nose: A sweet fresh cigar lounge, cloves, butterscotch, peaches and apricots, dessert wine
@kristy_kristy: Mmmmm... It's a super smooth mouthfeel, definitely curry bits and bobs and also banana yumminess. Very exotic
@BBRrob: Unsalted plantain chips and hardback-books handed down from a maiden aunt
@mynameisgone: Palate now that's the ticket, syrupy mouthfeel, some wood again oranges, and that sweetness toffee/butterscotch

As with usual Tweet Tastings there was a great deal of tweeting going on and to see what happened search on the #GlenrothesVintages hashtag on twitter for the full story!

Registering just the one new ‘discovery’ this time, but great to revisit two recent discoveries. A massive THANK YOU to Amanda and her team at The Great Whisky Co. @GreatWhisky who organised it all and of course Rob & Adrian from @BerryBrosRudd

As far as I could ascertain this events tweet tasters were:

@EdinburghWhisky @MasterOfMalt @TheWhiskyLounge @TheWhiskyBoys @ifotou @jasonbstanding @kristy_kristy @TwlAmanda @KirstyChant @WorldWhiskyDay @greatwhisky @DramWhiskyMark @MaltMad @BBRrob @mynameisgone @PresleyKa @RichardHerring2 @Rockyajl @TWLJoe @justboy1984 @WhiskyTasting

For more information see: www.greatwhisky.co.uk and www.theglenrothes.com for information about Berry Bros & Rudd visit: www.bbr.com

Whisky Discovery #265-6

It's not often I get the chance to spend time at the SMWS London HQ, but a business meeting early one Wednesday allowed me to pop to catch up with Joe McGirr, grab a spot of lunch and enjoy a couple of drams while doing so.

The glowing fireplace was a welcome sight

The London HQ is a fabulous venue within 'welly throwing' distance of Farringdon Station, which is on the mainline to home in Bedfordshire, so really quite easy for me to get to. It's just a question of time. I really would like to be more involved with the SMWS but work commitments preclude that at present. 

The fireplace was a welcome site, glowing on a chilly November afternoon and with free wi-fi it allowed me to keep in touch with the office and catch up with some work. The members lounge is situated over The Bleeding Heart Restaurant  and a handy arrangement allows one to order food from their menu and have it brought up to the lounge. 

However before lunch arrived I sneaked in an aperitif:

Whisky Discovery #265

SMWS 30.74 'Sweet, fruity and rich 11 Years Old (60.3% abv)

Single Cask Speyside Spey Malt Whisky

Circa £44.00 70cl

The label read: We found plentiful fruit on the nose (sherry-soaked raisins in fruit cake, strawberry jam, dried cherries, bananas, toffee apples) candy floss, crème brûlée, nut brittle, syrup-drenched pancakes, honey, sawdust, crushed pepper and Muscat wine. The delightful palate had plum jam on scones, almond cake, treacle, peaches, apricots, syrupy figs, Peshwari naan bread, sherbet, Armagnac and a faint whisper of struck match. The reduced nose seemed slightly woodier, with balsamico, macadamias, Fruit and Nut chocolate and Turkish Delight. The palate now offered buttered fruit loaf, raspberry tart and date slice; sweet, fruity and rich. This Rothes distillery is named after the town.

This 11 Year Old form The Glenrothes was distilled on 27th March 2001 and matured in a Refill Port Pipe, yielding  767 bottles at 60.3% abv

So What Did I Think?

The bottle notes were spot on, a real fruity dram with plum jam and fruit cake - I had very little to add to my notes agreeing with the tasting panel notes almost in their entirety

After lunch I thought it would be only fitting to have a digestif before heading back home so chose one from Islay, I needed some peat.

Whisky Discovery #266

SMWS 3.188 'The Camping Trip' 14 Years Old (58.8% abv)

Single Cask Islay Malt Whisky

Circa £61.10 70cl

The label read: Remember the last time you were camping? The smell of the dew touched grass in the morning a distant memory as the sweat, deep heat and old tent pierce your nostrils. An oily smoked fish caught earlier in the day mixes with the aroma of roasting marshmallows and ash. The barbecued green peppers, mushrooms and lemon dressing on the palate make way for heat and lavender. When the water is added, the campfire smoke intensifies, the petrol used to light the fire maybe wasn’t such a good idea as it catches the nose, but that won’t retract from the comforting beach aromas and the budget chocolate bar you’ve been sitting on all day.

This 14 Year Old Bowmore was distilled on 25th September 1997 and matured in a Refill Sherry butt, yielding  616 bottles at 58.8% abv

So What Did I Think?

Again the bottle notes were pretty darn close to what I was thinking. One thing that I wanted to add was that  I was really enjoying a Swan Vesta's matchbox note, as though I was sniffing the gritty strike pad after it had been used a few times - just glorious.

One of the reasons for popping into the SMWS members lounge was to pick up a bottle of Longmorn that I had tasted at the recent Whisky Exchange Whisky Show. I had my heart set on 7.78, but was given a bottle of 7.79 accidentally. I was going to change it to what I had originally came for but after a small nip of each I decided to keep the 7.79 and took that home with me.

I also took home a few cask samples to review, you'll be hearing about them very soon.