Olaf was again our host and regaled us with more stories of his early membership (he was the first overseas member before moving to the UK and later Edinburgh) and the beginnings of the Society. The selection of whiskies for our delectation was his choice and promised to give us a fresh perspective on some different distilleries’ production. The one thing you soon learn at these events is that the casks that the Society gets bear little relation to the standard shop-bought output from these distilleries.

So, on to the whiskies themselves.

Whisky 1

Cask 37.45 - 22 years old, 56.5%  (230  bottles available)

Colour

Light honey

Nose

Leather, marzipan.

Taste

Initial taste

Front of the tongue. Spicy, intense. The society’s panel mentioned Victory V losenges and I can agree with that. There are also flavours of spicy duck as you’d get in a Chinese restaurant and hints of the dark sauce that’s usually served with crispy duck.

Later taste

No change in character, just a rounding of the flavours

Finish

Long, warming.

After a little water

Sweeter, more light honey, later hints of lemonade.

Conclusion

Very nice. Very interesting, I could definitely enjoy an evening with this. Most of my fellow panelists agreed. Way better than anything I’d tasted from this distillery

Whisky 1a

This was a  surprise bonus from Olaf - same distillery as the first but this time it had spent 15 years in Sherry casks.

Strength was a surprising 60.4% though there was little sense of overpowering spirit. A lovely rich nose that immediately suggested festive celebrations. Tastes of slightly singed Xmas cake; very rich, smoother than the first version despite the additional strength but even more spicy. A touch of Rum coming through.

Rather surprisingly water really draws the strength out of it,  makes it sweeter. Later on it’s still rich.

You probably couldn’t drink much of this at its full strength but you’d enjoy what you did. Definitely a malt for special occasions. Diluted it’s a different dram, still interesting but not with the same character.

Whisky 2

Cask 26.63 - 12 years old, 58.7% (580 bottles)

Colour

Pale

Nose

Nail polish immediately - everyone seemed to agree on that. Hints of Rosemary, something I couldn’t immediately identify but which was probably the Chartreuse mentioned in the society notes, plastic.

Taste

Spicy toffee! Yeah, strange concept isn’t it? The initially puzzling background taste resolved itself into oak wood chips.

Finish

Oily, oaky.

After a little water

Water smooths it off, more pleasant but less character.

Conclusion

This is an odd one. There are aspects that are interesting but it doesn’t really hang together properly for me. There’s too much oiliness and the nose is confusing - it doesn’t seem to match the taste.

(Tasting notes will continue in the next post)

The whisky in question is The Balvenie, a Speyside noted for its smooth taste. Now regular readers will know that I’m not really a Speyside afficionado; generally favouring the wilder and more complex flavours of the west coast, though I do have fond memories of an evening spent drinking Balvenie in the company of the historical novelist Dorothy Dunnett, herself an expert and appreciative malt drinker; but the prospect of a combination with the rich taste of Madeira easily pursuaded me to lay aside my normal preference for smoke and peat.

The Balvenie - Madeira Cask, 17 years old, 43%

Colour

Medium-light honey

Nose

Soft, smooth, a suggestion of honey with a slight hint of cough medicine. The Madeira comes through well. Leaving it for a few minutes produces a vanilla note with the Madeira fading back.

Taste

Initial taste

Warm without being spirity. Front of the tongue tastes predominate, redolent of one of the richer honeys such as Manuka.

Later taste

The honey dies back and a spicier taste appears - very reminicent of Christmas cake with flavours of dark dried fruits and cinnamon.

Finish

Medium length. Not essentially different from the flavours of the second taste, but while in a west coast malt I would find that slightly disappointing, here it is much more appropriate for it to maintain consistency.

After a little water

A touch of water releases some lighter vanilla notes and the taste lightens too, becoming sweeter and finally producing the Madeira cake flavour that I’d been expecting might be present. I seldom prefer watered versions but here it’s a satisfying counterpoint.

Conclusion

The marriage between smooth Speyside spirit and the rich flavours of Madeiran wine works very well. While Balvenie isn’t as complex a spirit as one from Islay or Skye, its smooth refined palate provides an ideal base for the addition of the rich spiciness provided by the wine casks. Had this approach been applied to a more complicated malt it might well have resulted in a clash, here it blends the respective flavours to produce something that exceeds both. If you like smooth Speysides and especially if you also like rich, spicy fortified wines then I’d recommend that you give this one a try when it’s released in September.

One of Dorothy Dunnett’s books involves the hero’s Scots father owning a plantation on Madeira in the 15th century - it’s a connection that now makes perfect sense.

Old Pulteney - 30 year old, 44%

Colour

Pale gold, lemon or maybe acacia honey

Nose

Sea air, green leaves, light and airy

Taste

Initial taste

After the colour and nose this was unexpectedly warm and rich, redolent of caramel chocolate. Not the false “added caramel” taste you get with some cheaper malts though, rather a luscious but light flavour, and maybe that acacia honey thought wasn’t far off the mark. Darker chocolate notes increase later.

Later taste

A citrus tang  - perhaps bitter Seville orange - creeps in as the whisky warms up. This seems to help it remain relatively light for such a venerable malt.

Finish

Long and delicately rich - light honey predominating

Conclusion

Well balanced and satisfying. Although it’s a 30-year old it retains a freshness more associated with the 12-15s that I usually favour, with none of the over-rich cloying tastes that you sometimes see in older Speysides. The fact that there has been no additional finishing with wine or sherry casks, and plain white bourbon casks have been used throughout, means that the quality of the spirit has been allowed to predominate. Given the fashion for experimental finishes this could be seen as either brave or just very sympathetic to the nature of the whisky. Whichever it was it’s been the right decision and very worthwhile.

Again and again when I’m doing these tastings I’m amazed at how often the whiskies encapsulate the feelings of the places where they are distilled and matured. Even in a blindfold tasting I would know this was a north-east whisky without a shadow of a doubt.

This is a gentle dram, subtle rather than complex, but pure rather than simple. It has an understated but undeniable quality which is refreshing, like the air on the north coast from which it comes.

I would expect it to be a good match for fish, particularly something like the herring which Wick was once so famous for, where the citrus taste would match with the sweetness of the fish. But it would also stand alone as a perfect after dinner dram. This is not a cheap dram but it is a very good one. If you like sound of the descriptions or are already a fan of the northern malts then I can heartily recommend it to anyone with the budget. I’m quite taken with this and I’ll certainly be watching out for some of the other single malts they produce to see if they reflect the same fine qualities.

The first whisky in our tasting was from a distillery in Falkirk that is sadly no more. Mike has long had a soft spot for this one so he’ll be annoyed that he couldn’t make the tasting. Regrettably my original tasting notes disappeared from my Palm Pilot, so these are based on recollections a few days afterwards with hints from the Society’s own notes. Sometimes I agreed with them, sometimes I didn’t…

Cask no 25.47

Described by the Society as A Sunny Flower Meadow Picnic
19 years old, 59.7%

Colour

Pale yellow

Nose

Spirity to begin with, as might be expected from this strength, with floral scents coming through and a hint of what might be a resin.

Taste

first taste

Not really what I’d expected at all - much better than the basic malt that used to be sold in the shops. Softer and more subtle, floral notes - maybe elderflower - but with hints of spice - probably Cinnamon - and wood.

later taste

Rose begins to come through along with a taste that reminds me of the smell of old leather furniture. The Society tasting panel mentioned chocolate and marshmallow although I can’t say I noticed those.

Finish

Some of my fellow tasters thought the finish was long but I found the opposite. What was there was good though.

With a little water

I have to say that I overdid the water a little, and as a result I probably missed the effect somewhat. However there was no sense of the sudden release of aromatics that I’m familiar with from the western distilleries. A little more rose and maybe a touch of pineapple-type citrus. The Society notes mentioned lemon and cut grass and I could see where that might be the case if I’d used a little less water.

Sometimes leaving a whisky for 10 or 15 minutes can bring out more flavours. We checked back on this one later and found that it wasn’t one that benefited from this approach. Personally I’d drink it at cask strength.

Conclusion

While this lowlander wasn’t my usual style of malt it was a satisfying dram, light and subtle with some excellently blended flavours. Because it is no longer made it has rarity value - at the price quoted I probably wouldn’t buy it myself, but for those of you who favour this style I can imagine it being a must-have and I suspect it’ll sell out quickly.

The purpose of the tasting was to sample the latest release of the Society’s bottlings which will be available this week, and it was gratifying to be invited to such company, particularly given the recent hiatus in our postings caused by upheavals in business and personal life for both Mike and me. The five malts concerned will each be accorded individual tasting posts here in the near future - all were very interesting and quite different from each other, and reflected the efforts of the Society’s tasting panel to provide quality for their members. I had a small disaster in that my Palm Pilot decided to ditch the tasting notes I made during the evening due to a battery problem - next time I’ll use old technology and write them down (if I can work out how to read my own writing!). Fortunately the Society provided a selection of their own panel members’ notes so I should be able to reconstruct mine before the memory fades too much.

The tasting group were warmly welcomed by the delightfully enthusiastic Jenny and Stephanie and the tasting was led by Olaf, who described how he had originally become the first overseas member and subsequently become more involved in the activities after moving over here, as well as later regaling us with stories of some of his many distillery visits. My thanks to all of them for an excellent night.

It was fascinating to hear the other bloggers talk about their own recent tastings and to discover how differently we all viewed the diverse tastes that we were presented with. It’s all too easy to concentrate on your own preferences and ignore some of the vast diversity of flavours available in our favourite drink and I’ll certainly be on the lookout for some of the whiskies mentioned during the evening.

Unfortunately Mike wasn’t able to attend, being on a business trip to London - he missed a fine selection of whiskies and a very convivial evening which I hope may be repeated in the future. I’m off to try writing up those tasting notes.

The island of Mull has always been one of my very favourite places, ever since a lovely holiday early in married life. I saw my only “in the wild” otter there and despite twice having car problems have only good memories of the place. However when I first visited, the little distillery in Tobermory was the one downside as it was mothballed and looking a bit down at heel. Thankfully it has since been revived and there are two versions of its output fairly readily available. One uses the modern name of that most picturesque of villages while the other uses the old name. This time round we look at the old one.

Ledaig - 10 years old, 40%

Colour

Pale straw

Nose

Spirity with just a hint of oiliness.

Taste

Initial taste

Soft and fairly dry. There is no particularly over-riding flavour - very little peat or smoke, although a taste of peat ash comes through after a couple of minutes. A mild lemon appears shortly after.

Later taste

Curiously this dram seems to get stronger the longer you leave it. A warmer richer taste replaces the lemon and the nose seems to become sharper. There are some brief notes of what might become floral but these are short-lived. There is also something that reminds me of some herbs but I haven’t been able to identify which ones as yet.

Finish

Medium length.

Conclusion

After having spent the last few months with the heavyweight Islays I’ve had to readjust my expectations. All single malts can’t be in the top 5% or be deep and challenging but that doesn’t make then unworthy of drinking at the right time. I may also have to retune my tastebuds because malts that other people describe as peaty seem to me to be devoid of that taste!

On the strength of this tasting, and I’d like to try it again, Ledaig appears to have little of the complexity of its more celebrated island cousins. This is a much simpler spirit, which in some ways echoes its Tobermory origins, clean, light and relaxing, but with an inate strength that underpins it. If you like the west coast or island style but balk at the salty and/or peaty superstars then this might just be for you.

Glenmorangie - The Lasanta -  46%

no age given other than the Sherry finish is after at least 10 years in Bourbon casks.

Colour

Rich dark-golden honey.

Nose

Warm, spirity, the sherry is quite noticeable but well-blended, hints of black treacle and perhaps a little peatier than expected for a Glenmorangie.

Taste

Initial taste

Rich, dark chocolate, treacle again, walnut, black raisins. The sensation seems to go across the top of the palate and down the back of the mouth.

Later taste

A little of the spirit edge comes off and leaves a lush, warm, enveloping taste. There is a hint of spice and bitter Seville oranges but with the bitterness masked by the sweetness of the sherry, while there is a suggestion that the treacle has changed to almost-licquorice.

Finish

Long, smooth and rich. Very relaxing. It’s hard to resist another glass!

Conclusion

In some ways quite unlike the standard Glenmorangie which is much lighter, this is a rich concoction suited to long evening discussions surrounded by wood panelling and a warm fire. However in other regards you can still detect the essential nature, which I’ve seen described as “soft and gentle”, providing the base for the darker richer layers which the sherry finish provides. Their advertising uses the “Glen of Tranquility” translation prominently and that is a perfect description of this excellent combination of Highlander and Spaniard.

Such is the case with Bruichladdich, and this new book looks at the background to its purchase, reopening, and subsequent success. There are many people behind the revival of this famous old distillery, and author Stuart Rivans is careful to ensure they are all well credited, but two men stand out - Mark Reynier and Jim McEwan. The former has the vision of a wider range of the highest quality malt whiskies for every occasion - born out of his deep knowledge of the wine trade and changing tastes - and the business drive to pull off impossible deals, while the latter has the consummate knowledge of the art of whisky distilling, of the men who help produce it and how to motivate them, and is natural communicator to the public. Along with their entire staff they have a passion for what they’re doing.

Without these two it’s doubtful if Bruichladdich could have been revived, but what comes through strongly is that it could probably only have succeeded on Islay; because of the strong community spirit, the generous help freely given by the local population, and the native ability to repair just about anything with minimum resources. The delightful little mention of the scones and pancakes left anonymously at the distillery door after yet another late night had been worked gives just a hint of the nature of the people there.

As Reynier said, it’s not really his or his shareholders’ distillery, it’s theirs, it’s part of the soul of the island, and the boost to moral which the reopening has produced is testament to it. The further project of rebuilding and reopening Port Charlotte is an even bolder step which promises further benefits for the island and its people as well a new flavours for malt enthusiasts to savour.

For the first few chapters I confess I was a little concerned about the writing style. It seemed to repeat and have false starts and I wondered if it needed editing. However after a while I began to realise that it was a by-product of the author’s enthusiasm for the tale being told and affection for the people and place being described, and by the end I was wishing the book was longer and wondering about signing up for the Whisky Academy which was so lovingly described.

If you’re a whisky enthusiast (and why else would you be reading this blog!) then you’ll want to read this story; to feel some of the atmosphere of Islay, to confirm that the little guy really can survive and prosper against the conglomerates, and to rejoice in the prospects of even more interesting single malts becoming available in the near future. And of course you’ll want a bottle of one of Bruichladdich’s highly individual products by your armchair as you do so!

Slainte!

Whisky Dreams: Waking a Giant
by Stuart Rivans
Published by Birlinn
Paperback
ISBN-13: 9781841586816
Price: £9.99

Bowmore 12 year old, 40%

Colour

Amber.

Nose

Peaty, warm soft smoke.

Taste

Initial taste
Again warm and smoky, an enveloping taste that seductively wraps itself around your tongue, leaving a comfortable feeling like the memories evoked by the still-warm remains of a peat fire.

Later taste
An unexpected sweetness briefly appears and then recedes again, replaced by hints of liquorice - but not too much. The alcohol tastes stronger than its rating, maintain the warmth. Some oak coming through the smoke. There is none of the saltiness of Bunnahabhain but it would be wrong to think of it as being one-dimensional as the peat smoke is a subtle thing, changing wraith-like in your senses and never quite allowing you to pin it down.

Finish

The intensity isn’t as long as you might expect - as the alcohol dies back it seems to take the main tastes with it - but the remnant background flavour remains in place for rather longer to remind you that another sip is waiting.

Conclusion

While very different from its neighbours it has a distinctive feel of its own. Perhaps not as complex as Lagavulin or Laphroaig nor as clean as Bruichladdich or Caol Ila, this is nevertheless a quality dram. Ideal for escaping a cold winter’s night. I know from experience that the 15 year-old is even better but that is for another tasting note. In my own preferences in this raft of tastings I’d say it is above Laphroaig and possibly Bunnahabhain, but below Caol Ila and Lagavulin. There would be times I’d prefer Ardbeg and others where I might prefer this Bowmore.