Baby Vomit

I haven't experienced "baby vomit" in any whiskies thus far, thankfully! I wonder if you could characterise this in some other way according to more "conventional" tasting wheels, in terms of flavour profile, to give us an idea of what it might also be close to?

For example this wheel which I use: whiskymag.com/media/nosing_course/…

Perhaps "sweaty" in the "feinty" category might be close? What do you think?

I would not be able to explain it myself, but have experienced baby vomit in a Chieftain's bottling of Dalmore 10 Year Old Medoc Finish. Awful, I must say.

Maybe that's why I'm not much of a fan of Dalwhinnie 15. ;-)

Can't say that I find it on HP 12 or PC7.

In his notes on the NOSE for Jura Superstition Serge identified "baby puke," but it doesn't seem to come across as a necessarily bad scent. I couldn't find it there, either. Perhaps it's been too many years since I've encountered that smell.

Yeah, I've come across several several posts online where the baby puke note is mentioned rather indifferently... Like it's neither a positive or negative for/against the whisky.

System down... I guess the most similar comparison from your wheel there would be a mix of cereal and buttermilk. Although I really have to say that baby vomit is the most accurate description.

The only time I've ever encountered it is in a Douglas of Drumlanrig bottling of Caol Ila 25.

There are some very average at best batches of HP12 going about, you might have found one of those? Can't say I have found that note myself.

@Devo Thanks for the futher details, I note that in that particular tasting wheel, "sickly" is listed in the same part as buttermilk etc. which I had missed previously - I bet that's where the "baby sick" (vomit) comes in!

I too wonder where this comes in to the whisky.. this is quite a separate issue from sulphurous whisky I think. Wonder if it's a fermentation or distillation issue - the cask issues seem to be quite distinct and separately characterised by others (don't quote me on that, just a hunch).

@Devo I've heard mr. Patterson of Dalmore use this description too. I think I know what taste he is refering too, but I settle for calling it sour milk. :)

I have an older bottle of Isle of Jura 10 year old that I recently bought, that was marked down and collecting dust on the bottom shelf of a nearby liquor store. It has that "sour dairy" off-note that isn't appealing. I've heard the new version of Jura 10 has lost this "vomit" note and is a big improvement. I also have an bottle of Jura Superstition, and unlike Surge, I got no notes of "baby sick" from it at all. In fact, it's a reasonably balanced whisky, with equal parts fruit, spice and smoke. Very nice!

@Devo ...earlier today I tried a Signatory bottling of Blair Athol 1998 and had what I would equate to be, the 'baby puke' note. I found that it actually worked with the profile of this Highland whisky as I picked up 'earthy' notes that seemed to work with the baby spit. I would describe the note as a sweet cream/milky aroma mixed with a hay-like aroma/texture. A very interesting bottle.