Mirthful's Comestibles

Nose: Cold peat smoke, banana toffee, a hint of liquorice. With water it becomes sweeter and more fruity; apples and vanilla.

Palate: Like chewing a fireplace; smoke, ashes, brick dust. Bitter oakiness.

Comments: I prefer the nose to the palate, but it grows on me.

Score: 6 out of 10

Nose: Grass, sitrus, malty sweetness, boiled sweets.

Palate: An unexpected bitterness, malt, dryness.

Comments: Lovely nose, not too keen on the taste, lacks the lowland sweetness that the nose promises.

Score: 4 out of 10

You know you’re onto something good when you walk in the warehouse at Bruichladdich and see this guy:

Jim McEwan, the Man Himself

One of my languishing samples is a fair drop of a Macallan 1998 that was drawn that lovely, lovely afternoon. Drawn, in fact, by this man:

The Man Himself, Duncan McGillivray

Macallan 1998, finishing on a Petrus cask

Nose: Red berries, tending towards strawberries. Oak. With added water, oranges, milk chocolate and peaches.

Mouth: Oak and alchohol at first. With water the oak stays, but is joined by sweetness, fruit and a bitter note.

Score: 5 out of 10 – not too taken with it, really.

Ah, good times

When we visited Islay this summer, I poured some of my drams into sample bottles, so that I could sit down and write proper tasting notes later. Well, I intended later to be weeks later, not months later, but you know how it goes. Anyway, I sat down last night to see if they’re still drinkable.

Lagavulin 10 years old, cask sample, 55%

Comments from this summer: A bit of pepper on the tongue, actually.

Nose: Peat, peat smoke, something quite sharp.

Palate: Malt, peat smoke, pepper – yes, a little meaty, chocolate, honey.

Comments: Much more rounded on the palate than on the nose.

Score: 7 out of 10, love the taste, not so keen on the nose.

Lagavulin 13 years old, cask sample

Nose: Quite floral and sweet at first, but with a heavy peaty, smokey note at heart.

Palate: Dry, peaty, malty, sweet.

Score: 8 out of 10.

Lagavulin newmake

Nose: Peat and sulfur. Sweetness, something resemblig floral, a hint of oranges.

Palate: Peat, sulfur, sweetness. Something fruity, not quite bananas, but sweet in a similar way.

Comments: It’s not the best newmake I’ve had, but I find it quite drinkable, and though I probably wouldn’t buy a bottle to drink, I’d happily have another dram if you’re offering, thank you very much.

Score: 6ish out of 10

Rosebank 1981 Rare Malt (OB), 22 years, 61.6%

Nose: Butterscotch, green apples, peach, nail varnish remover.

Palate: The first impression is actually campfire! More lowlandish with water added, but still there is a strong note of fireplace.

Comments: Not a mild and timid lowlander, this.

Score: 8.5 out of 10

North Port 1979 Rare Malt (OB), 20 years, 61.2%

Nose: Coastline, apple compote, empty and cold fireplace, pepper.

Palate: Slate, pepper, very Talisker-esque.

Score: 9 out of 10

Glendullan 1978 Rare Malt (OB), 26 years, 56.6%

Nose: Plastic, caramel.

Palate: A little rubber, liquorice, heat, sweetness, caramel.

Comments: Nice, but a little boring.

Score: 7 out of 10

Coleburn 1979 Rare Malt (OB), 21 years, 59.4%

Nose: Sour.

Palate: Babypuke, vanilla, stale marsipan.

Comments: Mostly boring but also slightly unpleasant.

Score: 3 out of 10

Tasted blind as a mystery malt.

Nose: Tart fruits, tinned fruit salad. Vanilla.

Palate: Less fruit, more wood. Something a little cloying. Bitterness.

Comments: Not very taken with this, it seems to die away on the nose after a fairly short while in the glass and the taste is really not making me jump for joy.

Score: Four out of ten, not terrible, but not terribly tempting, either.

Nose: Sea. Fruits, peaches, perhaps, with a hint of dried apricots.

Palate: Warmly spicy. Slight bitterness. Heathery honey.

Finish: Longish, with heather and honey and a slight bitterness.

Comments: When I found that honey, my mind went: “Oh, yes!” Still, on the whole it’s “just” a good dram, not all that exceptional.

Score: 7 out of 10

I have a partially clogged nose and have consumed half a bottle of d***d good riesling. Not the ideal starting point for notes, but I got a request. I’ll revisit this later to “fix”. I have tried it before, though, so I already know I like this.

Nose: Apples, a hint of rubber (which is odd, as I’d normally associate that with ex-sherry casks).

Palate: I know it’s supposed to be unpeated, but I’m getting strong log fire vibes. Not smoke, precisely, just heat and fire and even ashes. Perfectly balanced sweetness. Vanilla. Bitter vanilla on the finish, which works well with the preceding sweetness.

Comments: Ok, my nose is giving in, but I REALLY like this. Really. It pushes all my buttons in perfect harmony. Or something. And you know what? It’s at the perfect strength. I probably should add a splash of water, just to release any “hidden” esters and such, but I’ll save that for a less cold-and-sneezly evening. For just plain enjoyable drinking, though, 46.3 – odd number, that – just does it.

Score: Uhm. I think I might have to go for a 9 out of 10.

Well, I did say I really like it.

This was the selection at the September meeting of NMWL Trondheim. All are Diageo Rare Malts series, and hence OB.

Glen Albyn 1975, 26 yo, 54.8%

Nose: Chemical, pine needle detergent, resin, new wood.

Palate: Resin, malt, sweetness.

Comments: Very leggy. Tastes better than it smells, but overall a great whisky. Nice and smooth on the palate but with a (pleasant) “sting”.

Score: 8 out of 10 

Linkwood 1975, 26 yo, 56.1%

Nose: A little unpleasant just at first, needs to breathe. A bit sharp. Malt and something berry and floral.

Palate: Black currants and black currant bush on the finish. Malt and vanilla.

Comments: Needs to breathe in the glass for a while. Nice, but boring. Not a particularly good Linkwood.

Score: 7.5 out of 10

Blair Athol 1975, 27 yo, 54.8%

Nose: Spice, toffee, red berries.

Palate: Spice cake.

Comments: Very, very pleasant.

Score: 9 out of 10

Dufftown 1975, 21 yo, 54.8%

Nose: Butterscotch, acetone.

Palate: Malt, acetone, then some christmas cake, with ginger (a bit soapy) and cloves rather than cinnamon.

Score: 4.5 out of 10

First an OB(!)

Caperdonich 16 years old, Chivas Brothers Cask Strength Edition, distilled 1988, bottled 2008, batch no. CD 16 001, 55.8%

Nose: Heather and heath. With water: Lemon sherbet, candied orange, malt, hay.

Palate: Spice. Dry, warm wood. Orange marmelade. Dark chocolate. Black pepper.

Comments: Really needs water. Very nice indeed, there’s a bit of a contrast between the fruit sherbety nose and the more spicy, “adult” palate, but they are by no means strangers. I like it.

Score: 8 out of 10

Caperdonich  10 years old heavily peated, The Single Malts of Scotland, distilled 04.05.1998, bottled 01.10.2008, cask ref 1277, 58.5%

Nose: Warm peat smoke, hay and malt. Oatmeal, flour, glue. Water brings out lemony notes and something evergreen, spruce possibly. It also lessens the impact of the peat.

Palate: Peat and banana. Malt, dry wood.With water, a little marmelade and a rich, tangy sort of spice.

Comments: A warm, rich and complex nose which could keep me occupied for a while. A dry, woody finish with a hint of evergreens. Very, very nice.

Score: 9 out of 10