Malty's very own "Whisky for One"

[Malt-Teaser]

Caol Ila, JWWW 'Scottish castles' series, 15y 58.1%

Nose: Peat and smoke, that famous Yorkshire Dales chimney in Winter.

Palate: Deliciously smooth. Smoke, peat, leaves, moss and kippers.

With water: Even more smoke, getting smoother with a second drop or two.

Overall Impression: Istill say this is my favourite Caol Ila. It has everything I look for and hope for in a CI. In fact, this is the one which first reminded me of my beloved Yorkshire Dales in Winter! Just imagine, walking through the dales from Pen-y-Ghent to Ingleborough. Nothing! Desolation! Then you come over the brow of a hill and see one row of cottages, chimney smoking as they burn wood and peat. That one smell of fresh countryside, smoke and peat is exactly what is in this bottle! I always say that I don't 'Score' whiskies. But if I did, this would get 11 out of 10.

**

[Malt-Teaser]

Laphroaig 12y, 1992, OMC

Nose: Typical Laphroaig, peat, smoke and sea-air. But not in a medicinal way. In fcat, furhter nosing even identifies a little blue cheese.

Palate: Tingling peat and smoke, but less pungent than the OB 10y.

Overall Impression: A good Laphroaig which, as the age suggests, lies in taste between the OB 10y & 15y.

**

[Malt-Teaser]

Talisker 1955, 38y, G&M

Colour: Dark, liquid raisins

Nose: Raisins, prunes, rich old oak and a hint of molasses.

Palate: Wow! This is rich and smooth. It has everything promised by the nose, rich dark fruits like raisins, prunes and currants. It then expands into an unbelievable Christmas Pudding flavour. I want to say it also has nuts and marzipan, but not quite. Those can be delicate flavours but there is nothing delicate about this dram. It is FULL POWER, in your face and totally UN-subtle. If I were given this blind, I would probably never guess it was a Talisker, but I would say it was old, maybe older than the 38y that it is. I have tried the 40y Dalmore and I may suggest this were a similar dram, but even older.

With water: Just a few drops of water in about 2cl brings out more oak on the nose. As for flavour; possibly even more intense, but smoother. It is almost burnt raisins!

Overall Impression: A real experience. Powerful flavour overload which fits the bill if you are not looking for subtlety, gentle floral flavours and delicacy. In fact, when compared to rum, I would liken this to 'Wood's old Navy 100%', it's dark, rich and unbelievably powerful in flavour. A bottle of this would currently cost around €400-€500 and although I have adored tasting this dram, there is no way I would pay that kind of price to enjoy it again. When I bought a bottle of this in 1993-4 the 35cl version was 50 GBP and if it were still available at that price, I may buy one to try again.

**

[Malt-Teaser]

Ardbeg 17y, 40%, OB

Nose: Slightly peated oranges and peaches with a tiny dash of sulphur.

Palate: An initial oily sensation quickly turning spicy (tingly and peppery) then fading back to an oily feel after a burst of citrus.

Finish: Quite long and oily.

Overall Impression: I love the Ardbeg 10 and earlier this year I had the pleasure of trying the 30y. This really does lie somewhere in the middle. The typically pungent peat of the 10y is hardly detectable, although there is a hint of it in the background. The wonderful smooth fruit of the 30y is, maybe, just beginning to develop, but it has much yet to do. As I type this I take another sip and suddenly feel an almost nutty sensation. Somewhere between almonds and chestnuts. Very nice. Meanwhile, these bottles are now collectors' items and sell for around €200. A price I would not wish to pay if I were to open and drink a bottle. But it is nice, I like it, but not to the point of €200.

**

[Malt-Teaser]

Ardbeg Uigeadail, 54.2%

Nose: Peat and slightly smoked rubber wellies with just a hint of manure-coated raspberry. (Sorry Ardbeg, it isn't unpleasant, but that's exactly what my nose tells me.)

Palate: Rich earth and peat. I do detect that slight element I called raspberry in the nose, but on the palate it isn't quite raspberry. Or maybe it is, almost.

With Water: 5 drops of water in almost 5cl begins to open the nose, the peat and smoke are coming through much better now. As for the palate, it's deliciously smooth, but a little more spicy and smokey. Five more drops opens it further and the peaty smoke really comes through now. This is getting more fierce with each addition of water. Although it gets spicier (more peppery) with water, it also gets smoother on the tongue. This is not a complex Ardbeg, but it is a jolly good one.

**

[Malt-Teaser]

Here are my notes for this dram which I consider to be a great!

Glenesk, 26y, Duncan Taylor: Once again thanks to Pit Krause, the Malt maniac, for this super sample, a 26y Glenesk from Duncan taylor. It's rich, dark and obviously heavily sherried. I also think it's somewhere around 54% ABV.

Glass: Spiegelau

Nose: There's something very slightly pungent in the background. Something a little medicinal or phenolic. But that's only hinted at in the distance. In the fore is a wonderfully rich sherried dram. There's Oak, currants, toasted prunes (can you toast them?) and even a slight hint of rubber.

Palate: Initially silky and rich, turning into a slight burn as the alcohol kicks in. The initial flavour is creamy caramel, but this soon opens into almost everything described in the nose, plus hints of nuts and even a slight suggestion of molasses. This is good, creamy, silky, rich and one for my Christmas list if I can find one!

Finish: Loooooooooooooong, very long.

Overall Impression: An excellent sherried dram. These days, when we talk of sherried we often think A'Bunadh, but this one is much more approachable and less in your face than the Aberlour. It's also more rounded and slightly more complex than a Mortlach. I like it! Dear Santa .....................

**

[Malt-Teaser]

So, apart from a few impressionable notes on the Blasda which I left out because they are not real tatsing notes, the catch-up is now complete.
Over 100 notes written so far, but many more tasted without notes being written

I now look forward to continuing this remarkable and enjoyable journey of tasting and discussion.
Let the future and fun begin here!

[Crieftan]

Bloody hell Malty - you've been busy? Brilliant notes.

[Malt-Teaser]

Thanks Criefty, I have now caught up so I can think about some new samples and more notes to come.

[Malt-Teaser]

I have just poured an Almost There into my Spiegelau glass, so here goes:

Ardbeg Almost There

Glass: Spiegelau

Nose: Peat, iodine, salt and a little citrus

Palate: Initially smooth peat with just a hint of Eucalyptus followed by a little more peat and smoke.
The finish is long and smoky in a citrus / Eucalyptus kind of way.

To me this is a more subtle Ardbeg than say the Uigeadail or oogling which are just in yer face peat. This has some finesse amidst its obvious youth.

Overall Impression: I like this whisky. It is far better than the very young and still young. Having also tasted the new 10y I think I may even prefer this one!
Gimme more!

**

[Malt-Teaser]

Blair Atholl, 12y F%F, 43%

Nose: Gentle marzipan wafting over Scottish heather on an Autumn day.

Palate: Initially very smooth and creamy opening into nuts and gentle toffee. This is followed by an after-taste of slightly stronger nuts which lingers delightfully on the palate. In the longer-term after-taste a slightly floral, heather-like presence becomes much more prominent.

Overall Impression: A nice dram, creamy, smooth and albeit not so complex, very pleasant indeed.

**

[Malt-Teaser]

Mortlach, 16y, F&F, 43%

Nose: Sherry, wood, and raisins.

Palate: Sherry and wood come to the fore, but there is also a presence almost of tangerine zest. The finish is short as it quickly fades.

Overall Impression: A flavoursome dram, albeit with a weak and short finish.

**

[Malt-Teaser]

Glenfarclas 1987, Quarter Casks, 46%

Nose: Ahh yes, sherry, leather, musty old books and old wood.

Palate: this is warming. Sherry and wood in a deep-buttoned leather chair, with just a hint of orange.
The finish on this one is long, very long and repetitive.

Overall Impression: This is Christmas Day, after lunch whilst sitting in an English country house study. Delightful.

**

[Malt-Teaser]

Aberlour A'Bunadh Batch #20, 60.5%

Nose: Jolly alcoholic Christmas Pudding without the custard. (Nuts, raisins, sherry & rich fruits)

Palate: Thick, rich and powerful. An army of rich, dark fruits bursts onto the palate whilst laying a carpet of sherry and wood on the tongue. This is a long and hard-wearing carpet which just doesn't want to leave.

Overall Impression: take it in small doses as it's rich and very, very powerful.

**

[Malt-Teaser]

For the forthcoming festive and marriage period I now have 19 different (small) samples.

I won't list them all just yet, but I tasted four for the Christmas tasting, some more will be general ones and I shall select a few for the online Stag tasting.

Watch this space ....

[Malt-Teaser]

For the forthcoming festive and marriage period I now have 19 different (small) samples.

I won't list them all just yet, but I tasted four for the Christmas tasting, some more will be general ones and I shall select a few for the online Stag tasting.

Watch this space ....

So good it posted twice. Sorry, not intentional.

[Malt-Teaser]

Teaninich 10y, F&F, 43%

Glass: Spiegelau

Nose: This is where it gets difficult. I detect a complex mixture of Savlon & Germolene (for those who don't knwo, these are antiseptic skin creams), with hints of hazelnuts and popcorn smothering a fresh alpine meadow.

Palate: The initial experience was one of slight sourness with some fresh herbal notes. Strange, very strange. This is quite tart and, to borrow a para-phrase from a well-known Galactical hitch-hiker 'it almost completely fails to arouse the senses'.

Overall impression: A total disappointment. As I have tasted this before and enjyoed it, I expected more and will have to go back to the original bottle to see if my sample was somehow corrupted.

**

[Malt-Teaser]

That's better, I'm washing away that nasty experience with some wonderful Batch #20, well watered so it is really alive.

Ahhhhh, it even tastes like Christmas now

[Malt-Teaser]

Yesterday evening I revisited that Teaninich and it really wasn't so bad this time around. There must have been something wrong with me, or my palate, on the previous tasting.
I still wouldn't describe it as fantastic or a 'great', but it was pleasant enough and left a better impression.

[Malt-Teaser]

Yesterday I also tried the new Bruichladdich peat.

I didn't make full notes as I will do this over the next days, but it was a very pleasant dram. It still exhibited that typical 'laddie flavour profile of passion fruit and bilge pump, but with a gentle over-riding peatiness.

Obviously I want to compare this to the previous '3D' releases and find it quite similar to the Norrie Campbell 3D3.
It is not so much 'in yer face' as the first two and that gentleness, where the peat almost sneaks up on you, is a pleasant sensation, just like the 3D3 was.

I will add full tasting notes shortly.

**

[Malt-Teaser]

After sorting my samples I can happily say that I have the following drams to try over the Festive Period:

Bruichladdich Peat (The only Peaty one this time around)
AA Batch #20
Glenfarclas QC 1987
Blair Atholl 16y F&F
Mortlach 16y F&F
Bowmore Dusk
HP18
Adelphi HP 12y
Macallan 1985 Speymalt
Macallan 18y 1979
Glen Ord 10y, Decanter
Glenlivet 15y French Oak
Glenlivet 18y
Glenlivet NAD CS
Dallas Dhu 23y 1978
Clynelish 32y 1971
Old Pulteney 21y
Cragganmore 29y



Tasting notes will be written.

[Malt-Teaser]

Glen ord, 12y OB, Decanter version

Nose: Hints of aniseed over very faint hazelnuts

Palate: Slightly thin and watery with plenty of spice / pepper and a lingering cross between nuts and raisins on the back of the tongue.

Overall Impression: it is spicy, it has a long finish, but it's not one of my favourites.

**

[Malt-Teaser]

Glenlivet 18y, 43%

Nose: Malt, just a touch of wine and fresh oak.

Palate: Smooth and gentle, slightly perfumed with only a slight tingle on the front of the tongue. Maybe my previous dram has overpowered this a little as I really can't detect too much of the character, other than the fact it is smooth and pleasant with a gentle perfumed after taste.

[Malt-Teaser]

For my third dram I need something with a little more ooomph, so after cleaning my palate with water, I'm reaching for ...........

Highland Park 12y, Adelphi, 60.9%

Nose: Raw spirit and alcoholic power with a fresh mintiness.

Palate: Initially smooth with a touch of liquorice and Scottish moor, then the alcoholic burn comes along to remind you it's just over 60%.

With Water: 5 Drops in about 2cl release more heathery and meadow-like notes to the nose. On tha palate it's still smooth, but the burn doesn't kick in so much and a previously missing floral element soon makes itself known. With a further 5 drops the floweriness is enhanced, especially in the after taste which remains long and very pleasant.

Overall Impression: At just over 60% ABV this is a strong HP and lives up to the quality I have come to expect from Adelphi. Be sure to add water, it needs it and will reward accordingly.

**

[Malt-Teaser]

Bruichladdich Peat, 46%

Nose: Typical Bruichladdich bilge pump and engine room with a hint of burnt rubber and smoke.
No, this is not unpleasant, but that is just how it noses!

Palate: The house style of Bruichladdich is a fruity base, possibly passion fruit and this dram is no exception to that, but it also has hints of slightly burnt rubber and a ship's engine room. The 'peat' gives a further dimension of smoke as if the engine has just burst into flames and is smoking the place out.

Overall Impression: I actually like this dram. Irt has that typical 'laddie style with a gentle peaty smoke which creeps up gradually as if trying to surprise.

**