- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - prE-pistle #11: Background Stuff Hi and Happy New Year, As promised I finally sorted through all my all floppies and hard drives. Cheers - - - Attached Document 11/1: INTRODUCTION
All Scotch Whisky enthusiasts and afficionados, when pressed, would admit to having their favourite malts. For some it may be one or two, for others with
more eclectic tastes it might be ten to a dozen. When making a decision about favourites many different factors are likely to impact. Some of these will be purely practical, like price and availability, some ephemeral,
dependent on personal taste and some more sentimental. Other issues which need to be considered include consistency. Authorised distillery bottlings can vary slightly from year to year, but the variations in the
official offerings are miniscule compared to the differences between "unofficial bottlings". While many fine and occasionally exceptional malts are marketed by independent bottlers, such as Gordon & McPhail,
William Cadenhead and more recently the Scotch Whisky Association, inconsistency & limited availability virtually prohibit including any malts released by these bottlers in any representative and consumer oriented list of the
best malts. The independents tend to release malts at different ages than the proprietory offerings and they are always limited production runs. In most cases they are only imported into Australia on a one-off basis, so
that even if you find one you particularly like it may be impossible to get any more. Even if we stick to readily available commercial malts is consensus about what constitutes the best desirable and ultimately
possible in such a genuinely subjective area. And in any case what criteria should be addressed. Popularity?, Total Sales? and whose opinion matters in the final analysis. THE QUEST I have tried to assemble a list of malts that have stood the test of time, and have been rated as excellent
by one or more authors and are widely regarded amongst connoisseurs and Malt Tasting Clubs. I have tried to make the list representative of the classic regions, Highlands, Islay, Campbeltown and Lowland and the widely
recognised sub-regions of the Highlands: Speyside, Northern, and Island. THE DATA A fair number of books have been written on the single malts and each author has a different way of alerting the reader to their particular favourites or those they consider to be of the highest quality. Before the 1970's single malts were little known outside the United Kingdom and very little pot-stilled malt whisky was available anywhere. In this period the literature tended to focus on the malt distilleries and their role in the blending industry. It must be remembered that the reputation of Scotch in the world market and the profitability of the industry was built on blended whiskies such as J & B Rare, Johnnie Walker "Red Label", Vat 69, Teachers "Highland Cream", Dewars "White Label", Black & White etc. These particular products are a mixture of grain whisky and lots of different single malts, made to top secret recipes, with the total malt content somewhere in the vicinity of 25-40%.. Before the 1980's, the big companies had little interest in trying to market single malts. World demand for blended Scotch had grown consistently since the end of the Second World War and the major distillers where continuing to expand productive capacity. The world recession in the early 1980's left a lot of the big concerns with an oversupply of malt and a need to try and shift it. Malt whisky is a very valuable commodity and the older it is, the more valuable, however too much capital tied up in stocks can prove financially ruinous, not to mention vulnerable to predatory takeovers. Even today the single malts only represent 6% of total sales of Scotch Whisky and yet because of the predicament of the major suppliers the malts are becoming more affordable all the time. The more recent literature tends to concentrate more on the individual whiskies and not worry so much about production issues. - - - Attached Document 11/2: INTRODUCTION Whether you are a frequent traveller or only get to go overseas once or twice in your life, one of the things you ought to know is what Scotches represent the best
value in Duty Free Stores. While the ubiquitous Glenfiddich is a Single Malt Scotch it is neither the highest quality Scotch nor does it represent particularly good value for money. Because the duty free stores tend to
sell all their single malts at very similar prices, some on offer represent much better value than others. This guide is provided as a service to the traveller in that it indicates the relative merits of the Scotch
from both quality and value perspectives. The Malts and prices are those on offer in July 1994. A quick ring around is highly recommended because the malts on offer do change and availability across outlets should be
confirmed. BEST BUYS: Bowmore 12 yrs.
- Islay Malts often provide the defining character of commercial blends. The malt in Islay whiskies is kilned and dried using peat dug from beds of ancient seaweed. This peat, usually in combination with heavily peated water imparts a smoky, salty and often distinctive medicinal tang to the whiskies. The Islay whiskies range from light & delicate drams, with little obvious peat to huge fire breathing peaty monsters. Bowmore sits squarely between these two extremes in both nose & palate. Colour is an amber brown and the nose is quite complex with some smoke, sweetish sherry and a dusty floral top note. On a rounded, slightly oily palate, the defining iodine and phenol of the classic Islay are apparent but not overwhelming and are very well integrated with good quality sherry wood. The finish is of medium length with lingering sweet smoke and spiciness with peppery notes. A good, relatively mild introduction to Islay malts.
Glenfiddich Special Reserve
- Best selling single malt in the world. This is more a result of brand recognition due to extensive and effective marketing and availabliity rather than the quality in the bottle. Glenfiddich is bottled relatively young at 8 years old and it shows.Very pale straw in colour, it has a light, youthful nose with cereal grain characteristics, a light, slightly sweet palate and a touch of fruitiness. Finish is clean with some astringent notes but little length. By no means a great malt but not a bad introduction to Single Malts and certainly smoother than commercial blends.
Glenlivet 12 yrs.
- Very well known in America and is owned by the Canadian Company, Hiram Walker. This is perhaps the most famous name in single malt Scotches and is certainly a step above the Glenfiddich. The extra time in wood shows on both the nose and the palate. A light, bright gold in colour, The Glenlivet is renowned for the complexity of its nose with traces of many different perfumes, herbs and spices. As preferred in the US market it is definitely at the softer, lighter end on the palate but it is a very smooth, well balanced & integrated whisky. Overall it is soft & smooth, a tad bland and has a clean, if fairly short, finish. Good anytime but best suited as a pre-dinner drink.
Glenmorangie 10 yrs. - Best selling single malt Scotch in Scotland, although the Macallan is catching up. Glenmorangie is a Northern Highland whisky that has definite resonance with and resemblances to the
better and classier Lowland and Campbeltown Malts. The colour is the lightest blonde gold. The nose is of sweet lifted spirit, very clean and fresh and uncomplicated to start which becomes more interesting over time. Clean,
sweetly aromatic (vanilla and citrus) and delicately perfumed : hints of spice, warm cinnamon & cloves with creamy honeyed malt coming through. Very pleasant palate: clean, smooth, creamy and slightly sweet. Light,
clean dry finish, some length. Laphroaig 10 yrs.
- One of the fire breathing peat monsters and the most distinctive of all Islay whiskies. Philip White, the Advertiser wine writer described it as one of the "the pirates' boots, seaweed-and-peat monsters". Colour is a dark amber/reddish brown. The nose is heavily sherried, but is almost buried by full-on iodine and phenol, redolent of hospital corridors and the palate is explosively smokey, with good sherry and a huge finish with a lingering salty tang. Not for the fainthearted but very appetising.
The Macallan 12 yrs.
- Widely regarded as the Rolls-Royce of Scotches, The Macallan is a classic dram, best suited as an after-dinner Malt. The colour is a dark rich amber with a reddish tinge. The nose is redolent of big oloroso sherry, with honeyed malt & mint toffee. Definite hints of "Cherry Ripe" & "Old Gold" chocolate and ripe berry fruit. The palate is very smooth & warm, full and silky with luscious smooth caramel: mouth filling, without being sickly or cloying. Slightly sweet finish. Very well integrated with excellent balance.
- - - Attached Dcument 11/3: Aberlour 10 An Cnoc 12
Balvenie "Founder's Reserve" 10 Glengoyne 12 Glen Ord 12 Lagavulin 16 Talisker 10 Tamdhu - - - Attached Document 11/4: GREAT SHERRIED SPEYSIDES (The quintessential after-dinner malts)
1 - Aberlour 10 SPEYSIDE'S LEADING LIGHTS (Perfumed, light bodied pre-dinner malts) 1 - Knockando 12 VERY BEST OF THE ISLANDS 1 - Highland Park 12 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Subject: Summertime / Bang For Your Buck It's very hot here at the moment - 38.8C and climbing. I like your bang-for-bucks bit on the site. I agree that the Glen Ord 12 is a damn fine drop at a
damn good price. We can get it for less than $45 which I think is about 53 guilders. Can't argue with Lagavulin or Talisker either in the great value stakes. This is a topic close to my heart, coz I can't abide some of the single
malt namedroppers with their references to 30yo Glenfarclas, Bowmore, Springbank etc. If I can't drink it or can't afford it they can keep their boasting/bignoting to themselves.
Hope you find something of interest in all the "stuff" I sent you. Regardez Vouz, Craig - - - Reply by Johannes: I think it's pretty daring to have a Glenfarclas in the temperatures you described, shouldn't you try and keep your head cool with a Tamnavulin or Tamdhu? BTW: Do you know the Cadenhead Talisker 18 yrs. C/S? I've had it for the first time in a bar last week (see log entry #20) and it was absolutely fabulous! - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Subject: Sayings That Should Be On Buttons Hi Johannes, I find Tamnavulin a bit too thin and spiritty for me and while Tamdhu is a good distillery, all we get here is the 10 & No Age, which doesn't turn me on and the 10 is too hard to find. The interesting thing about
putting ice in a robust malt like Glenfarclas is that it "thins" and smoothens the taste and for some strange reason boosts the peatiness. I've never thought the Glenfarclas 10 or 12 to be that peaty but I figure
that the ice seems to subdue the spirit and wood slightly allowing the peat to peak through. I've sort advice from seriously obsessed maltsters but haven't got a better explanation yet. Ah the Talisker . It
sounds exactly the same one that I brought back from Edinburgh for another maltster. My delivery fee was a sample. One of the best 3 malts I tasted in 1998. The other 2 were Signatory Bunnahabhain 17 CS and Cadenhead Dailuaine 27
CS. With the Talisker, I was most impressed with the cleanliness of the peat and wood. I suspect 100% bourbon wood too, so no sherry there to muddy the waters. I went malt hunting last night, looking for an
Isle of Jura 10 for a couple in Queensland. Didn't find any (at any price) which was strange as its not that rare. What I did find was 2 bottles of Balvenie 15 Single Barrel for $55 each, which had to be a mistake coz
the normal "Special" price here is $90+ and RRP $108. So I was quite happy that I went out looking for Isle of Jura. Just thought you could do with a laugh, with all those in America and Britain and
Holland freezing their butts off and us in Oz, cooking in the heat. Here's some sayings for buttons.... 1. Well, this day was a total waste of makeup.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Subject: More Buttons & Bumper Stickers There were about 300 bumper stickers on the list. I've whittled them
down to ones that made me chuckle. Its just stuff that floats around in the ether-net, which people who know my sense of humour (satiric and cynical) send me. Mind you too many of the bumper stickers were too obviously
ethno-centric american and those were the ones I deleted. My two favourites in this lot were: 'JESUS LOVES YOU - everyone else thinks you're an asshole' & 'I don't have time to insult you now. Your humiliation is
important to me. Please hold.' Am I some sick and sorry bastard or what?
* Lottery: A tax on people who are bad at math. Keep on chuckling,
Craig - Adelaide - South Australia - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Subject: Now, these are clever! Here's some more: If you don't like getting
this stuff, blame yourselves, not me, as all I need is a sniff of positive feedback. (Cackle, cackle, hack, wheez, wheeeeeeeeeeez). Can't help myself. I was tidying up my mail box and found these gems, sent to me by Mike Padlipsky
in LA. He got 'em from a New York magazine competition where they asked competitors to change one letter in a familiar non-English phrase and redefine it. Harlez-vous francais? (Can you drive a French motorcycle?) - - -
Business Vocabulary: 1. Assmosis: The process by which some people seem to absorb success and advancement by kissing up to the boss. You will all
be measured on this at some point in your career. 2. Blamestorming: Sitting around in a group discussing why a deadline was missed or a project failed and who was responsible. This one will be particularly
valuable to those of you who have projects going right now. 3. Seagull Manager: A manager who flies in, makes a lot of noise, shits all over everything then leaves. Another word for consultant.
4. Salmon Day: The experience of spending an entire day swimming upstream only to die in the end. We've had these before (and will again). 5. Chainsaw Consultant: An outside expert brought in to reduce the
employee headcount, leaving the brass with clean hands. Nope, we do our own dirty work. 6. CLM: Short lingo for 'career limiting move'. Used among microserfs to describe ill-advised activity. Trashing your boss
while she is within earshot is a serious CLM. (Related to CLB, career limiting behavior) 7. Adminisphere: The rarefied organizational layers beginning just above the rank and file. Decisions that fall from the
adminisphere are often profoundly inappropriate or irrelevant to the problems they were designed to solve. 8. Dilberted: To be exploited and oppressed by your boss (not me!). Derived from the experiences of
Dilbert, the geek-in-hell comic strip character. "I've been Dilberted again. The old man revised the specs for the fourth time this week."
9. Flight Risk: Used to describe employees who are suspected of planning to leave the company or department soon. 10. 404: Someone who's clueless. From the World Wide Web error message "404 Not
found", meaning that the requested document could not be located. "Don't bother asking him...he's 404, man."
11. Ohnosecond: That miniscule fraction of time it takes to realize that you've just made a BIG mistake. (See number 6.)
12. Percussive Maintenance: The fine art of whacking the crap out of an electronic device to get it working again. - - -
Variations On Murphy's Law 1. The Law of Common Sense 2. The Law of Reality 3. The Law of Self Sacrifice 4. The Law of Volunteering
5. The Law of Avoiding Oversell
6. The Law of Motivation 7. Boob's Law 8. Wailer's Law 9. Law of Probable Dispersal 10. Law of Volunteer Labor
11. Conway's Law
12. Iron Law of Distribution 13. Law of Cybernetic Entomology 14. Law of Drunkenness 15. Heeler's Law 16. Osborne's Law
17. Main's Law 18. Weinberg's Second Law - - - Never let it be said that Airplane Ground Crews and
Engineers lack a sense of humour!!! Here are some actual maintenance complaints generally known as Squawks or problems submitted recently by Qantas Pilots to Maintenace Engineers to fix prior to the aircraft's next flight. After
attending to the Squawks, the Maintenance Crews are required to log the details of action taken as a Solution to the Pilot's Squawks. The following are some recent Squawks and subsequent responses by Maintenance Crews.
(P) Left inside main tire almost needs replacement - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
prE-pistle #12: EoZ January 1999 Report Card January 27th "Laird's Choice" - Report Card: Glenlivet 12 Aberlour-Glenlivet 20
- One of Bob's left field favourites. Never even glimpsed a sherry barrel, this one is the colour of sauvignon blanc and despite being the third time now we have tasted this particular bottling I'm still not really sure what to make of it. The first time was in April 1992 ("vegetative and dusty wood" (score 6.5), the second, September 1996 ("big oaky nose and palate and gets banana/acetone in the nose" (score 7.0), obviously liking it more) and this time, it had a creamy nose, consistent with the casking, with an underlying over-ripe fruitiness (fujoa/lychees/apples) and the palate was quite rounded and smooth. The mouthfeel was quite good, almost buttery. The faintly off cabbage water was there but not as blatant as in 1992. Unlikely ever to get the chance to try it again. Score 8.0
The Blind – Longmorn 15
- Selected by Bernie Glover and guessed right by Bronte, Bob and me. As Bob has remarked before, the scores we give the blind are probably a closer reflection as to the true worth of a malt. I liked this one. Toffee, cream and a touch of sherry building in the background. Became quite chocolatey over time: robust and distinguished malt. Stayed extremely good in the glass, suggesting reasonable age and good wood. Not as rich as it's 12yo Gordon & MacPhail cousin, but classy nonetheless. Score 8.0
- - - Thoughts on techniques for Picking the Blind This meeting I did something that I haven't done before or at least not declared my hand so publicly. I tried to pick the blind before Bernie read out the list of possibles. A smart-arse act and hubris undoubtedly. Suffice to say I was suitably chastened when the list was read out and my "inspired" choices (Balvenie10 or 12) weren't there. As I was perfectly sober (at this early juncture) and it was such a strong hunch, I'm sure that if Balvenie Doublewood had been on the list that I would've picked it and then "discovered" evidence to support the choice. Then I wondered why Balvenie leapt into my head and pondered if it's not Balvenie then what about it made me think so. The colour (mid amber) and slightly spiritty toffee nose were right and bearing in mind Allan's maxim that "first thoughts are strong thoughts and often not the wrong thoughts" it just had to be a Speyside. OK, I've decide it's a Speyside but which one. Back to the glass for a few more sniffs. As soon as I started getting dark/club chocolate I realised that Balvenie was close but definitely no cigar. Now the whiskies I always get dark/club chocolate in are Old Pulteney, Glenfarclas, Longmorn & Strathisla. I also get it in Macallan and some others but the colour and understated sherry treatment would've ruled it out even if it was on the list. Of the aforementioned group only Longmorn and Glenfarclas were there, so if the train of thought was right thus far it had to be one of them. Now the list had the 'farclas 15 & not the 12. I was pretty sure that it didn't have enough sherry to be the 15 yo so that left the Longmorn 15 as the deductive/reductive choice. - - -
Next Meeting - 24 February 1999 - "Craig's Booty" [Souvenirs from Scotland] Odds & sods lugged (and I mean lugged, I swear my arms were
longer after I got back) all the way back from Scotland for the delight and edification of the Club. When I went to Scotland I went armed with a shopping list which included suggestions from maltsters all over the world as well as
a shortlist of desirable distilleries and bottlings in the back of my mind. I couldn't bring a lot back so some nice malts had to go uncollected. I was very sad to leave two proprietory Laphroaigs (15 & 30yo) on
Islay as I'd already had Cadenheads put two (other) bottles aside. However I managed to bring 7 bottles through customs without telling any porkies. Of these, three were always destined to be the basis of a Club
meeting. The only thing I can promise is that the one I've tasted is good and the other two come highly recommended by malt palates I trust. I didn't bring the blind back with me and I don't won't to give too much away,
suffice to say I did visit the distillery and have photographic evidence. Mind you I did visit 21 distilleries so I don't figure this to be much help. Miltonduff – Glenlivet 23 (Hart Bros)
- A Speyside distillery located just outside of Elgin owned and operated by Allied Distillers and usually marketing a malt at 12 y.o. Sadly, when I visited the distillery I was told that it won't be available as a single any longer. Corporate marketing decisions again, apparently. Often considered to be a feminine whisky, the proprietory offering is typical of the lighter Glenlivet style best represented by Glen Elgin and The Glenlivet. This bottling is at a significantly greater age. Older Glenlivets tend to be refined and aristocratic drams. I suspect the colour indicates 100% bourbon wood. A chance to try something refined and venerable and not likely to be seen again.
Signatory Islay (Lagavulin 7)
- Companies like Signatory often get their hands on barrels from popular distilleries, but as the brand owners don't always want the whisky label confirming the origin, the industry often plays twee "nudge nudge" games. I visited the Cairngorm Whisky Centre and Frank Clark let me try the Knockdhu 21 and this one.. Frank challenged me to identify the distillery. The Knockdhu was rich, smooth and very expensive, but the masked malt showed full on peat unmoderated by sherry (more like Ardbeg, Laphroaig or Caol Ila), remarkably clean and not in the wallet crippling category and it was FUN. I thought it probably from Caol Ila, so we'll see if you reckon it has Lagavulin traits. More of a cheery peasant rather than an elegant courtesan a'la Miltonduff.
Dailuaine 1980 (UD F&F OP)
- There are an awful lot of perfectly serviceable (and occasionally great) malts that never get the market exposure they deserve. While this distillery is in the UD stable and they have released proprietory bottlings, UD in their wisdom don't send them to Oz. They'd much rather flog you Cardhu, Glen Ord and the Classic 6 than allow the antipodean aficionado access to more obscure material. Now, the internet is a wondrous thing and when an e-mail acquaintance with good malt credentials (Dr Jeff Daniels of Big Sky Montana) starts raving about the best Speyside he's ever tasted then I listen and act. I strongly suspect this one will be great, because the standard strength F&F 16 y.o. Dailuaine was one of my nicest malt discoveries in Scotland (along with Macallan 10. It's such a shame we don't get it here). The Club is a perfect venue to analyse and dissect any malt, so here it is for your edification and delight.
Blind
- I try to make picking the blind a fair test of the palate. I generally hide the blind in a group of three similar whiskies, with three not so similar and one or two obvious ring-ins. No other hints other than I'll tell you on the night which three (I consider) were the close ones.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - prE-pistle #13: EoZ Februari 1999 Report Card
Greetings fellow Maltsters, I brought the disclosed three back from Scotland with the express intent of putting something different before the Club. Little could I know just how different. These three ran
almost the full gamut of SMS expression. They were an exemplary trio from the point of view of showing the amazing diversity within the SMS world. February 24th "Craig's Booty" - Report Card Miltonduff – Glenlivet 23 (Hart Bros)
– Light & grassy, with a whiff of cream and stripped pine but none of the typical Speyside estery perfume one might have expected. Contrarily this one was very dry in both the nose and palate. Unusually lean, almost austere malt with a disappointingly short but whistle-clean finish.
Signatory Islay (Lagavulin 7)
– Much more accessible than the Miltonduff. Unmistakably Islay with garden bonfire peatiness, parma ham, bacon, smoked almonds and lavender/violets. Something in common with Talisker, especially the 12yo (which, when masked, I have mistaken for a detuned Lagavulin before) and Bowmore. Given the nose the palate was unexpectedly sweet, perhaps too sweet over time. Long smokey aftertaste that persisted mightily. After a longish time the smoke wanes and the nose becomes more medicinal, with the Irish Moss cough lollies, liniment and hospital corridors much beloved of Islay aficionados.
Dailuaine 1980 (UD F&F OP)
– Hooo-eee, here's a rootin, tootin, hootin-annying good time malt. Anymore in-your-face and you'd be scraping it off the back of your skull. Blew a fair percentage of the assembled faithful away: left Messrs O'Flaherty and Roberts mumbling its praises most reverently and more or less coherently. Some were so impressed as to award it 9. Powerful, nay aggressive, eye-watering spirit monster (63%) with a bold sherry treatment and a sinfully dark chocolate spine. Right up there in the stratospheric power stakes with Springbank 12/100 proof, but with even more class. Had the familial polished wood and floor wax that I get (and like) in other Dailuaines, with a meaty, earthy solidity not often expressed in the others. Watered down the nose became very chocolatey indeed. I have conveyed all your thanks to Dr Jeff Daniels of Big Sky, Montana for his most efficacious recommendation. An absolute delight! We'll be reminiscing about this one for a long, long, long time. Score 8.6
Blind - Glenturret 12
– Poor old Glenturret. Much closer in both colour and flavour profile to the Miltonduff, the Glenturret struggled to impress but just didn't make the grade. Outgunned, out-manouevred and overpowered by its immediate predecessor. Wasn't a fair contest really. Mind you a few with their eyes on the ball managed to get it right. Light, creamy with fudge and carob tones: vanillan oak, bourbon influence predominant and a slightly oily palate. Got very mashy with cereal and yeast over time. Can't see where Lamond & Tucek find any sherry wood in this expression. Oh, the two close ones were An Cnoc and Springbank, but an honourable mention goes to anyone who guessed Knockando. The colour and the bourbon treatment were there, but Knockando has heaps more of the classic Speyside esteriness. The ring-ins were Bowmore 12 (floral peat) and Glengoyne 17 (Minty pine resin). Normally like it and rate it more favourably. The company precluded a higher rating. Score 7.6
- - - Next Meeting - 24 March 1999 – [Coastal Malts – "Eau de mer"] I belong to an internet malt list run out of the University of Karlsruhe in Germany and the existence/impossibility of salt in whisky
runs as a slowly bubbling ferment on its pages. While the experts tell you and chemical analysis confirms that you can't possibly detect NaCl in your whisky, but and it's a BIG but, there are some malts that definitely smell
of the seaside, especially with the impression of seaweed and sea-spray. Of the 400 plus different compounds identified in SMS there must be something (probably amongst the phenols, creosols and aldehydes) that tricks the
brain somehow. There is something extremely evocative of the sea in malts from distilleries as diverse as Highland Park, Clynelish, Inchgower, Talisker, Isle of Jura and all seven on Islay. Something intangible and
ozone-like that wafts insouciantly over the taster's olfactory epithelium and whispers insistently of seaspray and sea-shells, rolling breakers and wind swept kelp beds: of mist and melancholia. My god, almost a prose
poem? Hell, I'd better stop this or Mike Padlipsky will accuse me of "moon-walking" and you'll all think worse of me for arty-farty nonsense. Anyway, I've tried to pick malts that fairly represent the
flavour profile I associate with Coastal Malts, especially where the delicate hints of sea air are not swamped by tsunamis of peat. After all, these meetings are supposed to be educational as well as hedonistic
romps. Mind you, the olfactory system is hot-wired to the memory circuits in the brain, so if a whiff of Clynelish transports you back to joyous holidays at Port Elliott when you were a kid, just be thankful and don't
ask too many questions. Bunnahabhain 12
– Seriously good and much underrated dram. Steve Matthews puts it in his top five commercial malts and I prefer it to Highland Park 12. In fact there is little to separate the two except that the Bunnahabhain has slightly deeper sherry notes and a bit rounder mouth feel, while HP 12 has the honey &citrus nose and a long, smoky finish. Most of the things I've written about Bunnahabhain before don't warrant repeating here except for a couple of extracts…. " A lovely, well balanced malt, despite the fact that its flavour profile suggests a coastal highland rather than exhibiting classic Islay traits. Nice toffee notes & touch of salt. The salty toffee was really obvious for me and quality sherrywood was revealed in growing depth of honey & toffee" and the observation that it's a very tricky blind because it's easily the best highland malt made on Islay.
Oban 14 - Another underrated malt and one that manages to get the balance between sweetness and peatiness almost perfect. It's a bugger as a blind, precisely because of this. Another
malt which has a lot in common with Highland Park 12, but with more salt and markedly sweeter. Indeed if you were putting together a trio of malts for the National Championship, the Bunnahabhain 12, Oban 14 and Highland Park
12 would be an utter, utter, utter bastard. For me Oban is almost impossible to tie down. Some days the peat is dominant and it smells and tastes like a Campbeltown or Island malt and on others there's a delicate flaxen
sweetness that screams Speyside to me. I've gone through my comments about Oban and here's some germane ones:
Clynelish 1972 24 (UD Rare Malt 61.3%)
– As I've got no idea what this one tastes like, I can't wax lyrical about it. However, one of the blokes from Baily & Baily at Cumberland Park reckons that this one was the pick of the four or five of the Rare Malts that they lined up and tried few months back. Given that the list included Caol Ila 21 and Glenury-Royal 23, I figure this is nigh on the perfect endorsement. Clynelish and Brora both have top reputations in the malt world. Normal expressions are moderately peated and normally quite dry, again not dissimilar to Highland Park. Maybe I should rename the night - NOT Highland Park. (We get to try 2 Highland Parks next month). If this 24yo OP is as good as I suspect, maybe we'll all stumble out into that dark night singing "Clynelish, Clynelish uber alles, uber alles in der welt".
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Subject: Need a laff? Truth is stranger than fiction? Even the sickest standup could'nt come up with these. The following are a sampling of REAL answers received on exams given by the California Department of Transportation's driving school. Anyway I got a good laugh out of these, especially the first one and the third to last one ( I definitely needed chemical assistance driving in Dublin, scariest motoring experience of my life bar none!) so I thought I'd spread the joy! Q; Why do you stop if you see a blind pedestrian crossing the road? - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
prE-pistle #14: EoZ March 1999 Report Card Here's the latest from your's truly. further to the disappointing
Clynelish 24, last night the Streah tried the Glenury Royal 23 in the Rare Malts series. Much, much more impressive, especially as it blew away a Glen Grant 25 from Gordon & MacPhail. Don't know about the older GG's
from G&M, we had the 21 recently and that wasn't anything marvellous either, certainly no better then the glenlivet 15 from G&M.
March 24th "Oh, I do Love to be beside the Seaside.." - Report Card Bunnahabhain 12
– By now everybody knows that I hold this malt in high regard. This particular visit did nothing to detract from my high opinion. Rich and briny nose with very attractive meat & gravy aromas. I'm indebted to Marc Keegan for his "beef stock' descriptor. It improved in the glass with more toffee and peat coming out. Certainly was the peatiest of the four malts, at least to my senses, but I still maintain that as a blind most people don't pick it as an Islay. I like the toffeed malts like this one and Glenury-Royal 12, although the Bunnahabhain wins in the complexity and depth stakes. Score 8.1
Oban 14 - A real chameleon and on this occasion after the meaty richness of the Bunnahabhain, I thought the Speyside characteristics were dominant. Quite malty/yeasty to start like Glenfarclas
& Glen Keith 10 but with salty notes becoming more insistent and more evident, then gets some very Speyside hessian and straw bales in the nose. Quite a sweet palate with a finish reminiscent of the aftertaste of
Columbine caramels: a touch of salty toffee on the lips. Couldn't extract a lot of peat on this occasion, but a smooth mellow dram throughout with more depth than the aforementioned Speysiders. Score 7.8.
Clynelish 1972 24 (UD Rare Malt 61.3%)
– Unfortunately underwhelming & somewhat disappointing, especially after the marvelous (almost sublime) Dailuaine in February, although the three ex- National Malt Champions were kinder (Bob awarding 8.4, Bronte 8.5 and yours truly 8.0) in their assessments than others. While David was a bit savage in the scoring department (6.0), he summed up the mood pretty well in that he remarked that you really couldn't detect the benefit of all that EXPENSIVE time in (probably refill) bourbon barrels. Fighting through the spirit the malt was immediately sweet with a very clean lifted fruity note reminiscent of juicy fruit chewing gum that evolved into melon ala Glenlivet 15. Bob says he gets "peaches" out of a lot of OP malts, so I guess it's an ester of sorts. I for one thought the palate remarkably refined and smooth considering the proof. The finish was long and very slightly metallic tangy with a hint of sea air. I didn't actually detect any peat until I diluted it a little. Then the smoke and vanilla came to the fore, but it still wasn't as peaty as I expected. My tasting notes tend to support the contention that the time in wood (except for the smoothness) hadn't added much over the usual 12yo OP. Just goes to show that age & proof don't guarantee a great malt experience. Score 8.0.
Blind – Longmorn 15 - I know that most people would reckon that anyone who thought they were half way sensible at picking blinds would get it right, especially given that it was the same blind as
January's meeting. Well on this occasion I didn't get it right. The weird thing was my tasting notes weren't that far off the mark, "sweet & spiritty, toffee & roses, bit yeasty – might be a Speyside, but
some salty toffee. But no peat – some floral bite and gets sweeter, bit ratty and disintegrating in the finish". But I didn't think the whisky was as good as the Longmorn we had last. Bad mistake but still
awarded it a moderately decent mark. Score 7.6 - - -
Next Meeting – 28 April 1999 – Old versus New
Despite plenty of apparently sincere efforts and prestige invested by premier malt producers such as Macallan in ensuring that this years release of 18 is as close as humanly possible to the last, is it possible to assert that
malts change over time. My answer is "Yes, Virginia, malts do change over time" and the reasons are quite straightforward. The first reason is illustrated by Aberlour and others where their standard
distillery release went from a solid and moderately heavily sherried 12 yo to the more familiar 10. The 10's released in the late 80's thus probably contained some of the older fillings, simply because they were around.
Remember that the age on the label refers to the youngest malt in the bottle and all producers can and do put older material in their standard releases, however one would expect the Aberlour 10 to become lighter in body and palate
over time as the percentage of older fillings diminished with the shrinking availability of barrels of the 12yo. Thus one would expect to taste slight differences between an Aberlour 10 bottled in 1988 against one bottled in
1998. The second reason also relates to the availability of older fillings. What happens when the bean counters realise that "premium" & "special" releases of older single cask & batch
material (pick any famous distillery) generate far greater profits and that with the expansion of the market that a percentage of cashed up aficionados will pay the asking? I suspect that any employee purists staging a
rearguard action and arguing that it is better as a long term strategy to maintain faith with consumers and produce the best standard commercial releases will lose out. And anyway, everyone knows that in the world of
marketing "the illusion of quality is more important than quality itself". The third and most prosaic reason is wood. I suspect that as sherry barrels get scarcer and concomitantly more expensive
(according to Macallan, first fill sherry barrels are now 8 times more expensive than bourbon) that less of a distillery's make will be matured in sherry barrels, particularly first fill sherry barrels and more an more will be put
into bourbon and re-fill sherry barrels, with the difference in colour patched over by the addition of slightly higher levels of spirit caramel. Technically it isn't lying to call any whisky matured in a 2nd or 3rd re-fill
sherry barrel a Sherry Matured Malt, but don't expect the chocolate and suphury dried apricot you get from "real & proper" sherry wood. Maybe consumers will have to insist on First-Fill Sherry Barrel on the
label in order to get the real thing. On this occasion we have two malts of the same age from both Ord distillery and Highland Park. My bet is that there will be discernible differences, but what do I
know??? I promise not to make it too hard. A & B will be Ord and C & D will be Highland Park. It should be an effective "bullshit" detector: both a lot of fun and a genuine challenge, firstly to
see (1) if you can you pick a difference, (2) which offering is which and (3) which version is better. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Subject: More Fun Hi all, For all the poor schmoes who work (or used to work) for big organisations, these are "just so". A
magazine recently ran a "Dilbert quotes" contest. They were looking for people to submit quotes from their real life Dilbert-type managers. 1. As of tomorrow, employees will only be able to access the building using individual security cards. Pictures will be taken next Wednesday and employees will receive their cards
in two weeks; (This was the winning quote from Fred Dales at Microsoft Corp in Redmond, WA.) - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
prE-pistle #15: EoZ April 1999 Report Card The
April meeting was our Club's third try at tasting various bottlings of commercially released singles of the same age from the same distilleries and bottled some years apart. I think the general consensus was that there were
differences and one version was better than the other, however not many could agree on which were better and which were the older versions. I think John Roberts was the only one to get them exactly right and for his sins,
earns the right to choose the blind for this month's meeting. Mind you, JR's reasoning was interesting, settling on the "old" Glenordie because he recalled it as 'boring'. However the differences within
the pairs were less than between Aberlours in 1997 and the Bowmores in 1998. I think there were some slight differences in colour: it was obvious with the Highland Park but only when they were decanted into identical clear
bottles and placed side by side. The other thing I noticed, which I can't explain, was that the two versions from Ord distillery, didn't differ in colour so much as clarity or brightness. The newer version appeared
brighter, with more sparkling highlights. It tends to suggest that the newer version is 'cleaner', either through a narrower cut or through more thorough chill filtering. If there is anyone out there who can tell me
whether the "old' Glenordie 12 was chill filtered or not, feel free to e-mail me. The other thing that was interesting is that most people liked the newer version of Glen Ord 12 better than the 'old' Glenordie, which
tends to suggest that United Distillers are on a winner here. The differences between the Highland Parks were very minor and they tended to converge over-time, although I thought the nose on the older one much more appealing
early on, while the nose on the more recent offering improved markedly in the glass. I will be most interested to see what the scoring results were when the Laird does the number crunching. Anyway I think most
present thought it was an interesting & worthwhile experience and worth doing again. April 28th 1999 - "Old Vs New" - Report Card Glen Ord 12 (New Version)
- The nose was very even with clean, sweet toffee and malt. It was a bit thin compared to the older version and it got thinner over time. Developed a little floral peat, (smoky lantana) but it also developed some oak splinter woodiness. Smooth palate with quite a soft, fading finish. Palate also thinned out after a while. The kind of malt better for early consumption so it doesn't get a chance to deteriorate. Score 7.3.
Glenordie 12 (Old Version)
- Appearance was duller than the new version. Much more closed nose, which took a while to open up. Persistent delving was rewarded with a bit more complexity: deeper burnt toffee notes with dry wood in the background which became a little rough. The palate and mouthfeel were richer, rounder and oilier than the newer version. A solid, maybe even stolid malt. I was one of the few that preferred this one. Score 7.8
Highland Park 12 (Old)
- Ever so slightly, yet discernibly darker than the younger version with the most appealing nose initially of the four on offer. My notes just said "yummy: apricots, honey, beautiful rounded whisky ". Over time the nose developed tobacco leaf and herbs. The palate was initially sweet, but became drier with the trademark hit of smoke in the tail. Started out as a seriously good whisky, but lost a few points, Score 8.1.
Highland Park 12 (New) - Started quite spiritty, with lots of dry wood astringency. Got sweeter over time with smoke building in the background. Much more austere nose early on, but this
one definitely improved in the glass. The Highland Parks converged as the evening went on until the distillery character was dominant and the citrus, honey and strong hint of smoke emerged. Definitely and identifiably
from the same family. Score 8.0 - - -
Next Meeting – 26 May 1999 – Glen Rothes Vertical Another regular "theme" for tasting, except this is a much rarer offering. As a Club we usually tread the tried and true path of familiar commercial malts with much stronger market recognition such as
Macallan, Glenfarclas and Aberlour. All of which threw up a couple of corkers and fondly remembered drams such as the Macallan 1874 and the Aberlour 1964. Glen Rothes is a slightly different and rarer proposition. Glen Rothes distillery was built in 1878 and spirit first ran from the stills in 1879, slap bang in the middle of Speyside and the scotch whisky industry's first big boom. However the distillery remained
relatively obscure until Berry Bros & Rudd started marketing singles from Glen Rothes under the Cutty Sark banner in 1989. This push gathered significant steam in the period 1992-94, with new packaging and
labelling. It is one of life's delicious little ironies that the much vaunted packaging for the latest releases of Glen Rothes won an industry prize in 1994. Nice looking package but the bottle doesn't pour real
well! One questions the wisdom of a marketing strategy that links single malts so closely with blends, no matter how superior they are perceived to be. Seems to send one very strong message: this is an approachable
(read bland and inoffensive) single malt designed for blend drinkers. Me thinks this a tad shortsighted as the blend drinkers probably aren't the target market and sticker shock would be an issue; why would a blend devotee
who's willing to part with $30 for a Cutty Sark suddenly be willing to cough up $60-90 for a 'Cutty Sark" Malt. Seems to me that United Distillers made the right decision when they took all reference to Johnnie Walker
off the Talisker label prior to the launch of the Classic Malts. Doesn't mean I think any less of Glen Rothes the Malt, far from it, just the marketers that decided to hook the single to the blend. Prior to this
the only singles from Glen Rothes were available from independents such as Gordon & MacPhail. Much better known (and revered) within the blending trade where its reputation has stood the test of time being held in
exceedingly high regard over the last thirty years: most of the make ending up in blends like Cutty Sark and Famous Grouse. Pretty little town is Rothes-on-Spey and home to some venerable distilleries too, such as Glen Grant
and Glen Grant No. 2 (otherwise known as Caperdonich) along with even more obscure wee beasties such as Speyburn and Glen Spey of which I know little and care less. I visited Rothes when I was in Scotland but never made it to
any of the distilleries: an oversight I intend to rectify next trip. For this meeting we have the opportunity to try one malt representative of each three of these eras within the recent history of the distillery: an 8yo from
G&M (bottled circa 1986), a 12yo from Berry Bros. & Rudd (bottled in 1989) and proprietary offering in the "new' packaging, bottled in 1997. Glenrothes 8 G&M (bottled circa 1986) - one of
my personal favourites, with a finish to shame many malts of much greater age, this is a lovely medium sherried malt with a lot of depth and character. The Club hasn't sampled it since September 1996 and as there isn't much
if any of this stuff extant anywhere in Oz, I doubt whether we'll ever get another chance. My tasting notes indicate a fruity malt with some burnt nuts and rosewater in the finish. Perfumed, with sherry and a little
peat. Lovely stuff, can't wait to get reacquainted. Glenrothes 12 (bottled 1989)
– one of the 12yo's mentioned in Charlie Maclean's Pocket Whisky Book, this one is also pretty rare. Some found its way to Melbourne where I snaffled a few bottles in June 1998. Must admit I was slightly disappointed when I first tasted it, expecting a bigger, rounder and richer malt. Nevertheless upon frequent revisiting it grew on me and the family 'rosewater perfume' is definitely discernible. This one has some thin metallic notes, a faint hint of pyrethrum daisy, not dissimilar to Tormore. Holds its own amongst other Glenlivet style malts.
Glenrothes 1982 (bottled 1997) - Haven't tasted it so can't comment. The only notes that I can find that relate specifically to the 1982 are in Doug McIvor's Top Single Malts, where he noted
"delicate peatiness with butterscotch, a touch of sherry and spice" although the 1979 17 year old won many fans at a giant whisky "love-in" organised by Daniel Lerner and held at the JUdson Grill, New York City
in 1997. Given that he also liked Highland Park 12, Oban 14, Ardbeg 17 and Bowmore 17 a lot too, I guess we can accord him some credibility. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
prE-pistle #16: EoZ May 1999 Report Card The May meeting was very well attended. It was an interesting night
with the blind causing more than a modicum of controversy, not only by fooling most of those assembled but as to whether it was any good or not. Some very strong (and uncomplimentary) opinions were aired which would be less
than music to the ears of J&G Grant. John Roberts did make the very valuable observation that we should stick an 'old' bottling of Glenfarclas 12 (cream cylinder) up agin the 'new' one in the blue livery at the next
"Old versus New" Night. The three malts from Glen Rothes were interesting too, particularly as there was a perceptible diminution of sherry between the proprietory bottlings. I strongly suspect that a
smaller proportion of the malt in the 15 spent time in sherrywood than in the 12yo. The old 12 (bottled 1989) and the new 15 (bottled 1997) were quite close in colour, nose and palate but the extra time in wood did not bestow any
significant benefits and I for one thought the 15 the lesser of the three. Maybe it was a case of unfulfilled expectations as others, notably David LeCornu, considered the 1982 15yo the pick of the three. Whatever, I
think my flippancy about the latest incarnation of Glen Rothes being aimed at blend drinkers through the marketing connection with Cutty Sark turned out to be not too far off the mark, as it was a dram where dominant characters
were hard to pin down. On reflection I think I punished it in the scoring department for being blander than the others, so I guess for me the lack of readily discernible character in a malt is not a positive trait. May 26th 1999 - "Glen Rothes Vertical" - Report Card Glenrothes 8 G&M (bottled circa 1986) - As stated, one of my personal favourites, but one which I hadn't sampled for a
fair while. Still lovely stuff, and worth getting reacquainted. Less perfumed and much more peaty (especially up against the proprietory offerings) than I remembered, but still with a great sherry treatment. Lots
of fruit and nuts and some burnt toffee grace notes which continue onto the palate. Gets thinner with citronella in the nose and bitter herbs/metal in the finish; gets a bit rougher over time. The slightly
metallic and slightly rough finish are the only thing that hints that it's an 8 yo. Still reckon, if tasted blind, most would think it much older and from a distillery like Aberlour or Caperdonich. Score 8.0
Glenrothes 12 (bottled 1989)
– Very subdued early on being swamped by the nose on the younger cousin. Opened up to display soft toffee, cirtus and a hint of talcum powder. The palate had definite hints of lemon toffee and the citric notes continued into the finish. Stayed remarkably solid in the glass. A malt with few faults and excellent balance. Maybe a little bland considering the younger one, but improved over time. Didn't notice the 'rosewater perfume' or the pyrethrum so much this time, but more than holds its own amongst other Glenlivet style malts. Score 8.1
Glenrothes 1982 (bottled 1997) - Took a long time to detect/extract any definite character. Very similar to the 12yo, but with drier wood and hints of fruit tingles and sherbet that were faint but quite
pleasant. However, developed an astringent woodiness after a while. My notes said "wood not that good". Was a bit thin and sharp in the finish. This one had the metallic tang in the finish. Wasn't bad, but not
quite as good as it should have been. Reserve the right to revisit in different company to see if my opinion changes. Serviceable rather than splendid. Score 7.7 The blind - Glenfarclas 12
(new bottling-blue cylinder) - probably the most controversial blind we've had in the last couple of years. A huge difference in apprehension between those of us that thought it OK to quite nice and those who thought it very ordinary to awful; almost certainly the widest range of scores since the Aberlour 20. I was in the former camp and didn't pick up any of the chemical smells like pickling brine, cellophane and plasticine that the detractors found. My first impressions were of BIG toffee caramel akin to highlands like Dalmore and Glenury Royal. Then I started to get the meaty roasting pan/gravy/brine of Bunnahabhain and coastal malts like Inchgower and Oban 14. Must admit it did become very sweet and yeasty/doughy over time, which is pretty classically Speyside, so why did I pick it as an Oban 14. Although Glenfarclas was my second pick, I was pretty set on the Oban, because half the time Oban smells like a Speyside to me anyway & Oban was the only one of my palate recall possibles on JR's list. JR admitted that if he didn't know what it was he wouldn't have guessed it either. The "Old vs New" match up is definitely warranted Score 7.9
- - -
Next Meeting – 23 June 1999 – Clan Drummond - "Treasures from the Vault" Another regular "theme" for tasting, with some rarities I
have stashed away over the years. While I could sit on these at home and savour them at my leisure, I figure that sharing them is a goodly part of the pleasure. These three are all nigh on unprocurable now. Since 1995,
I have been motoring around the country, both here and interstate, noodling for the rare gems that lie secreted on back shelves of bottleshops and bagging the old and the rare. A lot of them are at surprisingly good prices,
probably because the price sticker put on them in 1990 or thereabouts is the same one when I come along, armed with trusty credit card. However, not all off them were cheap, but worth the extra 10 or 20 bucks precisely
because you can't get them anymore. It's can be a bit pot luck though coz with older bottlings light strike can be a problem; any malt that has been sitting exposed on a shelf for 8-10 years may not be as nice as one kept in
its packaging, hidden away in a nice dark drawer somewhere. I remember an Aberlour 10, from about 3 or 4 years ago just so afflicted. So while I'm willing to share the rewards of my endeavours in industrial archeology,
I also share the risk. Bruichladdich 15
- I admit to a liking for the gentler, more refined Islays and this is a personal favourite. A far better malt than the 10 year old, being richer and rounder but keeping the attractive yo-yo biscuit notes in the nose and palate that make the ten interesting. One of the oldest in my collection, having won a couple of gold medals at an International Wine & Spirit Competition in 1983, looks like it was bottled about 1985.
Mosstowie 19 (1975)
- not that old, being bottled in 1995, but being from the lomond stills at Miltonduff, certainly makes it both rare and interesting. Only three distilleries used lomond stills, the others being Glenburgie and Inverleven Nothing like the bourbon wood 12 year old, the club has tried before, this one has a biggish sherry treatment with lovely golden red highlights. Tastes much closer to Caperdonich (apricot/fruit) or Linkwood (fruitcake and cordite) than the normal offerings from Miltonduff, nevertheless a rich and perilously slurpable dram.
Glendronach 26 RW - the RW stands for
Royal Wedding, the nuptials of Andrew and Fergie to be exact and is a vatting of malts distilled in their birth years (1959 & 1960). As I put the program together in January and we didn't even know that Sophie was in the
picture then I'm not claiming prognosticatory ability, just a serendipitous calendrical conjunction as Edward and Sophie tie the knot this week. You don't often get to try malts of this age and venerability and the Glendronach is
only surpassed in quality within the series by the Glen Grant, which alas is just not around any more. In celebrating the perpetuation of hereditary monarchy, us republicans can take comfort in the thought that even the
lowliest pleb can partake of a superior dram and 'dips their lids' to G&M for doing their bit for queen and country. * Lomond stills were an interesting byway in the history of Scottish malt distilling, being
introduced into the Hiram Walker stable of distilleries in the 60's. They have cylindrical still necks rather than the usual tapering inverted cones and can incorporate rectifiers in the column. For a very clear picture of the only
one extant (at Scapa, in use as a wash still) check out the whisky Store web site at http://www.thewhiskystore.com/dist/scapa/scapa.htm. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
prE-pistle #17: EoZ June 1999 Report Card Greetings fellow Maltsters, The June meeting saw some new faces. The
general consensus was that it was a great night with both the Bruichladdich 15 and Glendronach Royal Wedding garnering new fans. I've done something similar over the last three years, and in my opinion as a set these were the
best three I've put on the table, with only the Talisker 12 (June 1997) scoring better than any one of this group. It's one of the joys of club membership to occasionally sample rare and interesting offerings, especially when
the malts are no longer available through mainstream channels and especially when all three were as nice as these. The blind, chosen by Bernie Glover and revealed as the 'new' Balvenie 10 was pleasant if unremarkable and much
less controversial than last months. June 23rd "Clan Drummond - Treasures from the Vault" - Report Card Bruichladdich 15
- This was an eagerly awaited re-acquaintance and the evident class endeared it to the meeting, especially John Rasmussen who, attending his first meeting, was mightily impressed. Started quite mild and malty with a faint hint of brine and an ever so light wafting of sea air & seaweed. Became sweeter in the nose with trademark honey biscuits emerging after 10" or so. Palate was quite soft and rounded with a nice hint of liquorice in the finish, indicating good bourbon wood. Both nose & palate get softer and more enticing over time with more cream in the palate and a nice reprise of seaweed in the tail. Pleasant, well crafted and nicely balanced malt. Old, rare and very nice. Score: 8.3
Mosstowie 19 (1975)
- A most pleasant and gratifying surprise given it was markedly better than I remembered. On previous occasions I have thought it finish a little thin & hard, but on this occasion it was interesting and unexpectedly complex. Started with evident sherry & floor polish in the nose, but on the lighter end of the sherry scale and lacking the base notes of sulphur and cordite you get in bigger sherry treatments. The nose was nicely backed by some sweetish fruitiness, more like apricot fruit bars rather than dried or stewed. Quite a healthy whack of peat in the palate and finish with a very classy creamy reprise - got both bourbon & sherrywood accents but beautifully integrated. Perhaps not classic, but a perfectly serviceable example of an older, lighter speyside. Score: 8.2
Glendronach 26 RW - Well, well, how good was this one? But only for fans of big, beefy & woody malts apparently because some found the woody congeners too much. Although technically not a
speyside but an eastern highland, this one displayed all the classic traits of older Linkwoods, Glenfarclas, Dailuaine and their ilk. Started with lots of sour fruit, roasting pan & chutney and a healthy dash of furniture
polish & beeswax. The palate was smooth and mellow; surprisingly soft with a big splash of dry minty wood expressed through traces of napthalene/camphor in the finish. Very woody throughout with a good, full
mouthfeel. More depths of fruity wood & peat fought through after 20" or so. Then it gets some very, very attractive chocolate and coconut a la Springbank 21. Develops layers of complexity and did not
fade or thin out at all. Quercus robustus indeed! Splendid stuff. Score: 8.7 Blind – Balvenie 10 (new)
- Pretty sure I knew which neighbourhood it hailed from right off the bat and was helped a lot by Bernie's list, as I'd decided early on that it could only be three of the 8 possibles. Mind you it wouldn't have been quite so easy a decision if Tamdhu 10, Aberlour 10 and Glenfarclas 10 had been there as my tasting notes pointed divining rod straight at Speyside. "Started with toffee and yeast and a hint of fruit (apples & pears?). Palate was fruity sweet with estery notes in the tail. Became more yeasty (scone dough & cream) in the nose. A hint of sherry but not overt or obvious at all. Nice mouthfeel, quite soft and pleasant." Thought it might be Benriach 10, but decided on Balvenie 10 as Benriach (to me) has more obvious sherry. (As an aside, this is the easiest way to tell the new Balvenie 10 from the 'old' one in the cognac flask tall bottle, which has a more obvious sherry treatment: more fruit & nuts and orange peel and a .5 better dram for it too!) The new one may be less distinguished but a serviceable & pleasant dram nonetheless. Score 7.8
- - - Next Meeting – 28 July 1999 – "The Big (Peat) Fix - Islay Malts"
It might not exactly be the malt world equivalent of a Heavyweight Championship bout, but LAPHROAIG vs LAGAVULIN is a worthy contest. Given both
are the two commercial exemplars of heavily peated malts readily available and both have their diehard patrons, it comes as a major surprise that this is the first side by side comparison at a club meeting since November
1992. Thus it's a much overdue exercise. Maybe a medieval joust is a more apt simile. Sir Lagavulin and Sir Laphroaig to your steeds and prepare for battle. As a fair maiden between two chivalrous knights we
have the Caol Ila 21, a lighter peated malt, but with an OP kick. Islay whiskies hold a particularly tightly held regard in the malt community, not just in Australia but all over the world. I think (no really
believe) it's because Islay whiskies display the very best and most ebullient (if not strident) characteristics of the very best of Scotch Whisky. Of those of us who admire Islays among the top echelons of malts, we all have
our favourites. Mine include especially nice (yet affordable) bottlings of Bowmore, Caol Ila and Port Ellen, with a special place in the pantheon reserved for David's Laird's Club Bowmore 20. When most of us are
seriously pressed for an opinion it's not altogether a big surprise that most of us consider that Laphroaig 10 comes second to Lagavulin 16, however the exact reasons for that preference are not often exposed to analytical
investigation. This is most unfortunate and a side by side comparison is long overdue, so here is an excellent opportunity to taste the market leading Islays head to head, separated by a moderately low peated (and clean &
classy) Caol Ila which has excellent bourbon wood characteristics. I suspect the preference exists because Lagavulin has the extra complexity delivered through the use of some sherry barrels during maturation and the
length of time in wood. But (and it's a big but), it could just be a matter of the price differential ($12-20) in the local market which hasn't improved over the last three years. The obvious question here is why would
your average malt fancier shell out $77+ for a 10 year old Laphroaig when you can get an older Lagavulin 16 pretty well anywhere for $65 or less. Good question, hey?? Laphroaig 10
- If you believe the marketing hype, this is the peat monster 'par excellence'. I admit to a sneaking fondness for the 10yo, especially when I get some Bowmore like fruitiness and floral bon bons, but place the 15yo in a far higher class. The 15 yo is one of my 'desert island' malts along with Talisker 12, Bowmore 17 & Caol Ila 17. The 'froig 10 tends to be a bit too uni-dimensional to be worthy of the tag of greatness but it is an exemplary individual and honest dram nevertheless. As this is a pre-1992 bottling, one thing to watch for is the occasional appearance of tropical fruit notes along with the peat reek and Irish Moss cough linctus. Find something like guava, mango & fujoa along with a hint of tomato vine, lantana and lavender and you have one of the truly nice 'froig 10's.
Lagavulin 16
- All been said before. Universally admired as one of 'the Great Malts' from Amsterdam to Los Angeles and all points North and South. Mind you I suspect that the very latest are not quite so redolent of garden bonfires as the ones that most of us cut our malt teeth on, so it will be interesting to see whether it holds its own in the 'peat monster' stakes. I have struck some detuned Lagavulins lately, but I hope this is not one. I have also heard rumours that United Distillers plan to use only refill casks for Lagavulin, which, if true, is a damn shame as I believe Lagavulin owes its pre-eminence amongst Islay malts almost entirely to the judicious and intelligent use of 1st and 2nd fill sherry wood.
Caol Ila 21 (1975)
- I have tried this one recently and liked the immaculate bourbon treatment with vanilla and stripped pine dominant over the expected Islay phenols and creosols, except in the finish where the smoke really explodes. I scored it high but had to concede to the more level-headed critics who insisted that it lacked the complexity & depth that 20+ years in bourbon oak should have produced. Given that wood quality hasn't always shone through in most of the Rare Malt Collection that both our club and the Streah have sampled I suspect that the barrels may have been chosen purely for age rather than excellence. Having said that (and awaiting the protests from UD or fellow travellers) this is a very, very nice malt, and if the industry was handing out gongs for cleanliness this one would win a prize. A beautiful example of a mid-peated 100% bourbon wood Islay malt, but not as good as it should have been. Classy but not classic.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - prE-pistle #18: EoZ July 1999 Report Card Yeah, gidday, Turned me grey matter to the newsletter and got a touch of the banjos. lord have mercy on my eternal soul. anyway august is OP month and for our sins we are going to try Glenfiddich 15 (which as the doggerel
suggests is much better than the name would indicate), Aultmore 21 which should be nice and fruity mellow and Springbank 12/100 a cult malt with more than the average amount of grunt - all dark wood and leaf indeed!
Read, enjoy and critique - I'm thinking of applying for an Australia Council grant (NOT) Cheers and happy dramming... Earls of Zetland Malt Tasting Club Monthly Roundup July was a
GREAT night with the precious jewels of Islay lined up for our instruction and delectation. (I thought I'd better come up with something different to my stock phrase of 'edification and delight' as word processing makes self
plagiarism just too easy). Having three of the little darlings lined up reminds you just why we love Islays and not withstanding the company the Laphroaig managed to hold its own. Mind you I've managed to have it three
times in different company very recently and I seem to detect some significant bottle variation, as the one I had at the Earls Tavern as part of the Islay Inspirational Night to welcome Bob Reid was a little better. John Roberts
brought the blind and managed to fool everyone with the Highland Park 12 except Tom Perry and Alex Keegan. Well done to them both. Tom is on one helluva roll. I reckon over the last two years he has been our most
successful 'guesser', but I'll leave it to Bob to do the data crunching. July 28th 1999 - The Big (Peat) Fix - Report Card
Laphroaig 10
- Biting the 'frog is a rather endearing PLOWEDism for tasting the froig. I must admit that after not having exposed the Laphroaig 10 to the rigours of serious analysis for a goodly while, that I found it both tasty and interesting. Initially I found it bright and woody-sweet, with geraniums and dusty lantana with the trademark burnt notes only really obvious in the palate. It was quite peppery on the lips, like Talisker and Port Ellen. The smoky notes developed in the nose over time and the more typical rubber and burnt toast came to the fore. Then I started to get old rope, salt and vinegar chips and cough linctus, which while not sounding all that enticing are my descriptors for good Islay, so I guess that means it must be a good Islay. Good but not great. Score: 8.1
Lagavulin 16
- Some of the recent bottlings of this one have appeared somewhat detuned so it was gratifying to find this one kicking goals from the outset and not leaving one feeling cheated. Mind you there is not much more one can add about Lagavulin and my tasting notes were so brief as to be almost insulting, but it wasn't intended. 'Sherry wood, leather, warm tar and vegemite' was all I wrote, yet I still think it one of the truly great malts and indubitably a benchmark Islay. Score: 8.5
Caol Ila 21 1975 - Between the Streah and the Earls I've managed to try a few of the United Distillers Rare Malt Cask Strength series, ranging from good to great and this one is lodged in the upper
echelon. Significantly better than the Clynelish and while very different, almost in the same class as the sublime Glenury-Royal. The nose opens to immediately reveal typical vanilla and stripped pine of an immaculate bourbon
treatment with the peat notes very timid early on. The alcohol is pretty obvious but not as insistent as the proof would suggest. The palate is big but smooth and the smoke really comes back in a big way in the finish. Very nice
and whistle clean. A good example of an aged 100% bourbon wood Islay malt. Lacked the earthiness of the other two. Score: 8.4 Blind – Highland Park 12
- As much as I hate to admit it, I didn't really get close to guessing this one. Didn't find anywhere near enough peat, but in amongst Laphroaig and Lagavulin I guess the olfactory sensors were taking a fair battering in that department and not finding peat was understandable. To me the dominant characteristics were a soft perfumed nose with rose water and toffee early and after 20'', lots and lots of honey and toffee. Didn't find any overt sherry or citrus and while I got some woody phenols in the finish (burnt toast & nuts), both the palate and finish said highland peat rather than islay or island. I guessed it as Strathisla 8 and would have put Oban 14 and Bruichladdich 10 in front of HP12. To me the woody phenols and rosewater said highland/speyside and not island/islay. The whisky also had some rough edges that I don't remember in Highland Park 12. Don't think this bottling was as good as some we've had before. I suspect that there was less sherry wood in this one than earlier instantiations. Another great malt on the slide? Score 7.8
- - - Next Meeting – 25 August 1999 – "OP Night" For those of you who haven't been around the club that long, you may not be aware that our
illustrious Laird has a more than passing fondness for the especially spirituous amongst the malt fraternity. To humour him we always programme an overproof night. This one is it for 1999. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - prE-pistle #19: EoZ August 1999 Report Card Here's the latest from yours
truly. the October meeting has been moved to an earlier date. Please come along if you can. these are increasingly rare malts being bottlings either from defunct distilleries or good expressions diminishing in availability. Report Cards - August 25th Overproofs (OP Night) Glenfiddich 15
- I've tried this malt a few times now and think it OK but not worth going out of your way for. Better than the young and ubiquitous one by at least one whole point, especially in the first few minutes after it has been poured. Nose starts fresh with some obvious sherry, but without a lot of depth. Exhibits straw and a light floral perfume initially, then becomes typically speyside yeasty over time. Palate was pleasant with drying wood in the finish. Developed some scone dough yeastiness in the palate and finish as well. Got typically soapy after 20 minutes or so. On this occasion I just couldn't get enthused. Solid but ultimately stolid too. Score: 7.5
Springbank 12 100 proof
- This is a whisky to come back to and frequently. Wafting this under the snozz was 'bliss'. Big sherry, herbs and moss with floor wax and earthy forest floor undertones early on. Nose settles down with lovely vanillan cream, a big dollop of caramel mint toffee and an intriguing hint of eucalyptus/menthol. The palate is very long with lots of woody herbs and sherry in the finish. Maybe it was the company but I liked it a quantum better than when we had it in 1997, when I thought it unsubtle. Maybe my olfactory gear is in decline, but I found lots of nuances and better balance this time around. The coconut and vanilla from the bourbon wood dovetail with the mint toffee of the sherry beautifully. A malt that ensures Springbank a deservedly good name. Score: 8.6
Hillside 25 - Another in the UD Rare Malt series and one to suffer ever so slightly from a general malaise evident in a lot of them: long time in fairly ordinary bourbon wood. The resultant malts
are dominated by vanilla and stripped pine aromas without much of anything else especially when the malt is very lightly peated. My tasting notes show a better than average nose; minty, piney resin, clean and alpine like
Mosstowie 12 with some unexpected and unusual (almost Islay) sterile gauze bandages. The palate was a bit on the raw side considering the age and had a bitter, almost hopsy edge. Watered down the woody notes became
darker and more earthy. Both the palate and finish were inferior to the nose. The Hillside was similar to the Clynelish and Caol Ila's that we have tried from the series but not as underwhelming as the Clynelish.
Got extra points for reminding me of Mosstowie 12 & a squeaky clean nose. Score: 8.2 Blind – Glenkinchie 10
- Like July, I didn't get close to guessing this one either. Thought it was Glengoyne 12 mainly because while I got some woody phenols I didn't find any peat. Plus I got syruppy sherry and sour cream which said Southern highland to me. Oh well more practice needed. I didn't score it as high as I usually score Glenkinchie but thought it serviceable none-the-less. Score 7.6
- - - Next Meeting: 13 October 1999 While the proliferation of independent malt whisky bottlers over
the last decade is an edifying example of resource allocation under capitalism the purpose of this meeting is to salute one of the pioneers in the field. Of the two that have been around the longest, Gordon & Macphail
have produced the most consistent high quality range in their Connoisseurs Choice. The other main reason that malt lovers should raise a glass in honour of the independents is that they are often the only source of malts from
distilleries where the proprietor has decided not to market a single. This was especially true in earlier times (around 1981) when less than 60 distilleries had a single on retail shelves. It is also interesting to note that
of the sixty or so that quite a few were not bottled by the proprietors but under license by Gordon & MacPhail. For example "offical" bottlings of Balblair, Scapa, Mortlach and Old Pulteney up until the very
recent past were only by G&M. One other reason, which was quite unforeseeable at the time, is that the independents are now almost the only source of malt whiskies from distilleries taken out of production during the
recession in the 1980's. One of the more lamentable occurrences in the industry was when United Distillers shut down 15 distilleries between 1983 and 1986, quite a few with no hope of reprieve. As luck would have it, we
have examples from two of these rarities for this meeting, Port Ellen and Glenlochy. I don't remember the Glenlochy at all and don't even know whether we've had this expression before, but Michael Jackson's words are
encouraging "a good example of a peaty, firm bodied western highland malt" The Edradour we have had before and I distinctly remember that the club liked it a whole lot more than the proprietary 10 year old.
The port ellen should prove to be the star as we've had it before and found it more than acceptable. Bob perry managed to slip one of thes in as a blind last year and I thought it was Talisker. So I guess that if you
want to know what I think of Port Ellen, its very good, because I love Talisker, especially the 12 year old.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Message forwarded by Johannes - Subject: [Fwd: The water of life]
Hiya, Craig, I thought you might be interested in this message, because it refers to your "Public Warning" about Sullivan's Cove. David Crosswell wrote: Hello there, Thought you might be
interested in visiting www.tasmanianwhisky.com.au, the website for the Small Concern Whisky Distillery in Tasmania, Australia. Our Cradle Mountain Single Malt Whisky is made from Franklin barley, a superb strain of barley, and
water taken from a remote mountain stream. The quality raw materials, coupled with the determination and skill of our team and triple distillation results in one of the smoothest whiskies you'll ever taste. The whisky
has a pale straw colour with a faintly honeyish nose. It has a smooth palate and is clean tasting with a lingering afterglow. Our Antipodean Double Malt is an extraordinary blend of two distinctly different single malt
whiskies, originating from opposite corners of the globe. Springbank Single Malt from Campbelltown, Scotland has been combined with Cradle Mountain Tasmanian Single Malt to create a unique blend with a full malt flavour, just
a hint of peat, and a subtle honey afternote. We hope that you will try this fine product and be among those who have had the chance to appreciate our whisky. P.S. We are a small distillery that is in no way connected with
Sullivan's Cove. I thought your review on your worst whisky page was rather apt. It is disgusting and has tarnished Tasmania's reputation. That venture was run by several sleazy entreprenuers in for a quick
buck. Ours is run by people who love whisky foremost and simply want to make a delicious single malt. Kind regards, David Crosswell - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Subject: Sullivan's Cove
Johannes, Thanks for that. Ulf Buxrud is very keen to get his hands on some Cradle Mountain and I'd like to talk to David about getting a sample for my two malt clubs and maybe leveraging some rare malts from Ulf
in exchange for a bottle of CM. Interesting to see David's comments. I suspect that the distillery owner has been in trouble with the authorities ( the Australian Consumer and Competition Commission) for
mislabelling some of his blended product as SMW. Sounds like David's assessment of them as "quick buck merchants" is pretty spot on.
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prE-pistle #20: EoZ October 1999 Report Card Here's the latest musings. With any luck i'll be getting my hands on
some Cradle mountain and their vatted malt called Antipodean (vatting of Springbank and CM) soon, so i can let you all know if I think they are any good. An excellent showing for the October meeting, and the roll up
was gratifying as well. The "Last of 1995" were a great group of malts: lots of individual variation, lots of development over time equating to lots of interest and appreciation. October 13th "Last of Club Stocks from 1995"
Port Ellen 16 1979 (G&M)
–. Early on the nose had a forward hint of acetone and a whack of dry peat, along with the classic ointment and bandages smell of good medium peated Islays. The attack was sweet and smoky with a long and sweetish reprise. The sterile bandages and ointment stay solid with a strong sensation of burning leaves in the finish. Medium bodied with a good mouthfeel. Some thin metallic notes developed after a long time, but overall stayed pretty solid in the glass. A nice Islay malt. Score 8.0
Glenlochy 13 (1974)
– In the absence of any preconceptions or memory of this one, it was a very pleasant surprise. Nice friendly nose with moss and a hint of mint toffee. The nose stays lovely and clean with herbs and pine woodiness emergent. The palate was clean and herby without any obvious peat; maybe a hint in the finish. Woody notes get stronger throughout the nose and palate and the mint/menthol notes develop a typically highland sour edge. Reminded me most of the 8 and 15 year old Glen Mhor but not quite as soft in the mouth. Very solid malt. Score 7.8
Edradour 13 (1973) - Almost a mirror image of the Glenlochy, the Edradour started a bit flat and sour, but improved in leaps and bounds after 10". The nose gets fruitier and friendlier.
The palate was noticeably nutty with hazelnut and marzipan. The nose developed the roasting pan aroma and becomes very obviously sherried with deep fruit chutney notes and a hint of woody herbs (rosemary and thyme).
Good sherry wood is evident throughout. Was a bit too "all over the shop" to be called great, but hell, a roller coaster ride can be a lot of fun. Score 7.8 Blind - Cragganmore 12
– Finally got one right. Was beginning to think that I was losing it after not even getting within a bull's roar of the last two blinds. On this occasion I was pretty sure it was a Speyside from the first waft, so that narrowed it down to four fairly sharply (I left the Oban 14 in there as an "honorary" Speyside and didn't discard it as a possibility until much later). Upon repeated cogitation I didn't think it was quite fruity sweet or yeasty enough to be Balvenie, so that left An Cnoc and Cragganmore. Now while I didn't find the giveaway Cragganmore markers of acetone and japanese paint stick, it didn't have the rough edges and faintly astringent wood that I find in the An Cnoc. I did find some aniseed & liquorice which probably nudged me toward An Cnoc, but in the end I just thought it too good, smooth and refined to be the An Cnoc so settled on the Cragganmore. Some early correct decisions led to a good guess. I also liked its refinement and ability to last in the glass. Score 8.0
- - -
Next Meeting - 24 November 1999 – Xmas Show 'Seasonal Spirits Smorgasbord' The Christmas show this year will be a little different, having a less
formal ring to it than the previous three years. There will be 10 different spirits including 7 malts to choose from accompanied by a selection of up market finger food courtesy of Pat and Dooley's restaurant.
MENU: Glengoyne 10 It's going to be a great night. Where else can you sit down to a choice of 10 different spirits and a decent feed for $35. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
prE-pistle #21: Highland Park 18 Hi everyone, Had my first encounter with Highland Park 18 43%
today. Us poor schmucks in the far flung corners of the erstwhile empire seem to get the decent stuff 10-14 months after the rest of the world. Thought it very good, if a tad dry for my taste. The main things I
noticed about it were that the nose took along time to settle down, being dominated by an astringent woodiness and spirit prickle before the honey and tobacco leaf started to emerge. The best thing about it was the
mouthfeel. Lovely and round and velvet smooth. The finish was dry with something like green olives and more (slightly bitter) tobacco leaf. I didn't detect much overt peat, probably not as much as the 12 yo, where
smokiness really clobbers you in the reprise. Didn't rate it as wasn't benchmarked against anything known. Probably would've scored 8.3-8.6. Has enough complexity to keep me interested but once again, can't really
equate this with a MJ score of 92. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Also available: Craig's prE-pistles from
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