EPIC TASTINGS!

@Hewie Torabhaig would have been nice, but sadly unavailable around these parts. I do like how Talisker has had to shift their branding from 'the only' to 'the oldest' distillery on Skye...

Not exactly epic, but I had another fantastic online tasting with my small group of whisky buddies last night. This time Julie sent us 5 blind samples of Scotch whisky (4 single malt and one blended malt) all bottled at 46% +/- 1% ABV. The first task was to assign each one to its correct age bracket. They were up to 7 years (Ardnamurchan AD/01:21.1), 8 – 10 years (Talisker 10), 11 – 12 years (Kilkerran 12), 13 – 15 years (Springbank 15), 16+ years (Douglas Lang Rock Oyster 18). In the first round I had the youngest down as the oldest and the oldest as the youngest!!! I only had one in the correct place. Next she told us the distilleries and in the case of the Rock Oyster what it’s component distilleries are, and we had to assign each sample to the distillery. Lastly the actual bottles used were revealed and we matched them up with our samples - and I finally got them all right!
Obviously, none of these were very old whiskies but we were all amazed just how tough it is to judge their age. One of the key aspects I was using was mouthfeel but that is not conclusive (as my mix-up between the oldest and youngest showed). Spirit in an active cask can take on a lot of cask influence in a short amount of time whereas in a well-used, older cask it may mature for a long time with little obvious cask influence. Other learnings: the Talisker 10 was lovely and why haven’t I bought a bottle for years? The Ardnamurchan punches well above its weight. I would have been disappointed if I had bought that Rock Oyster 18 – it was very spirity and youthful for its age. All in all another fun time was had with plenty of laughter.

@Hewie The best sound in the world is laughter.

Cheers.

@Hewie, blind tastings are a blast! The great equalizer, and humbling. I'm a big fan, some people, not so much.

When my son, now 26, lived with me, I would do 1 or 2 blinds per week. From the 150 open bottles in my cabinet, he would pour 3 or 4. I was given 15 minutes to write down my guesses. It initially began with 1, then 2, and eventually more. He would take delight in my failed guesses. Many times I would correctly identify his selections. It was often an exercise in humility for me. I learned, over time, to trust my instincts. I did hundreds of these, always entertaining, never boring.

@paddockjudge the last two times I have hosted group tastings I have done blind tastings from beginning to (almost) end, not just whiski tasting, everything spirits tasting. I was very pleased to see that the participants loved it, trying to figure out the category of alcohol being served and to try to identify more specific identifiers. The emphasis here is always, "Experience it for yourself and see what you find out!"

Mother of all Epic Tastings

Covid has been hard on us in many ways. One small way is that we have not been able to gather in person to taste whiskies. For over a year and a half we have tried to zoom and FaceTime, but we all recognize that it is not the same.

Finally in November we made it happen. Not up to full capacity, of course, hoping to avoid a superspreader event. Everyone double (or triple) vaxed. But it was a shock to my system. It took me so long to recover I never posted about it. Last night we met again. This time I slept in the next day and decided that this EPIC experience had to be documented for posterity.

Part One - November 6

We met in my home (my children were safely billeted in other homes). First to arrive was @Cricklewood, with whom I tasted the night before. I didn’t write this down but I think we started with OGD 114 then my 2015 Booker’s blend (4 of 6 released blended in). We also had some Glenmorangie Quinta Ruban, and finished off with Octomores 7.3 and 10.1 There may have been something else, but my memory (and my database) cannot recall.

The main event included additionally @Talexander and @paddockjudge, as well as David, introduced to us by @Talexander. There was a brief guest appearance by he who is known as Igor of Scotch.

We warmed up with Springbank 12 YO CS 52.7 %, matured for 6 of those years in an ex-calvados cask. At a previous tasting we never made it to that one and I know @cricklewood had wanted to taste it. We cracked the seal and it did not disappoint. And then we checked it out on wine-searcher… thank goodness we didn’t check first.

Igor had brought a couple of independent bottlings from The Whisky Agency, the first Longmorn 11YO 56.6%. The second was a 17 YO Irish whisky at 48.7%

Then it was time to begin in earnest.

Over the years several special bottles have come to me via @nosebleed. Many of my Connosr friends have benefitted directly or indirectly as well. When he tragically died last year I was gifted some of the bottles from his collection. This being our first in-person tasting I chose a bottle from his collection so that we could toast his memory. I picked Glenlivet Nadurra 16 YO Batch 12/14E (60.2%) because the first and only times I had ever tasted Nadurra 16 were in his home. This was an exceptional batch.

Next:

• @Paddockjudge Blend of Teaninich 20 YO bourbon cask, Glenfiddich 20 YO bourbon cask and Glenelgin 21 YO refill Sherry cask, approx. ABV 51%

• Breizh French whisky 42%

• A “Bourbonne” challenge between North of 7 barrel 16 (74.5%), ECBP Hazmat edition 70.1%, and ECBP batch A120 68.3%

• Paradigm Spirits Heritage collection 19 YO whisky 67.9%

• Glengoyne 15 43%

• SMWS 7.218 (Longmorn) 25 YO 52.1%

• AnCnoc 24 YO 46%

Then we paused to remember another member of our group who died last year. Pam was a lively participant at our tastings. @Talexander shared some Benriach 31 YO virgin American oak 48.8%. Bottle 148 of 171. This had been a gift from her.

We continued with:

• Crown Royal Winter Wheat 45%

• Chivas Brothers The Century of Malts 43%

• Forty Creek Master’s Cut Lot 015 Bottle 4756 48.5%

November 6 became November 7…:

• Amrut Madeira cask Batch 1 Aug. 2018 50%

• Amrut Naarangi 50%

• Milk and Honey Elements Sherry cask 46% - this may be one of my favourite M&H bottlings to date

• Shelter Point Smoke point peated single malt 50% - this was sent by @Bluenote via @Paddockjudge

• Laphroaig Caideas Port and Red wine casks 52%

• Stolen Rum overproof 6 YO from Hampden distillery in Jamaica 61.5%

There were so many more we wanted to get to but could not, so we resolved there would be a next time.

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the next time…

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Part 2 - Dec. 11

Last night featured the same suspects with the exception that there was no guest appearance by Igor of Scotch, and @paddockjudge was prevented from coming by very nasty weather, so he joined for part of our session by Zoom.

We started off with a Johnnie Walker Black from the 1980s that @talexander had won at auction. It was really delicious, one of the best JWs I’ve tasted in my short career.

Then some rums:

• Dillon’s Rum (Cuba) 18 YO 40%

• Leatherback Rum (North of 7 DIstillery) Barrel 35 (57%)

• Four Square Empery blended rum 14 YO 56%

• Valinch and Mallet 12 YO blended pot still rum (“Ester’s delight”) 56.3%

• Plantation Trinidad single cask rum - ex-bourbon cask, finished in Kilchoman cask 45.2%. (licking rum in an ashtray)

• Plantation Fiji Island rum (2009) 11 YO- finished in Kichoman cask

Then back to whisky:

• Antiquary 35 YO Blended Scotch bottle 659 - 46% - Apparently half Girvan grain and half Tomatin malt

• Caol Ila 15 YO unpeated CS 2016 release - 60.5%

• Glen Deveron 20 YO 40% - stunning nose.

• Glendalough 13 YO Irish whisky 46%

• Adelphi 25 YO Mortlach 56.2%

• Mortlach 16 YO OB 2018 release 43.4%

• Glenfarclas 15 YO CS KWM bottling 58.2%

• Dun Bheagan Islay 43%

• Cragganmore 12 YO CS 2019 special release 58.4%

• Port Charlotte Heavily Peated 9 YO 55.1%

• Bruichladdich Octomore 10.1 (5 YO) 59.8%

Even after the Octomore we pressed on:

• ECBP 12 YO Batch 517 (reviewed today by @talexander) 62.1%

• 1792 Full Proof bourbon 62.5%

At the end, as tired as we were, we finished off the evening (early morning) with a freshly opened Laphroaig Cairdeas (2015 release) - Thanks @Cricklewood for opening it - it has been a long time since I tasted it.

Our appetite for conversation exceeded our capacity for drinking whisky, so some bottles were left untouched and we resolved that there would, once again, be a next time…

@Nozinan "Epic" is an understatement for the line ups mentioned.

@Nozinan That’s a Mother all right. Bravo!

@Nozinan as always you re-capped that much more eloquently than I could have.

As I am particularly prone to hermit-like tendencies, which has been exacerbated by a work from home regimen (not complaining I know my luck) and an marked increase in my ADHD, I am grateful for a brief return to the before times.

I missed the company, the whisky was alright too

Thanks to those that hosted and those that put up with me for 2 days. It's been a rough go, for some more than others and it was nice to kick back and get nerdy about booze and tell stories.

So much great stuff tasted over those 2 separate nights, my highlights

Part 1: -The first drams with @Nozinan the night before, I slept like a baby with Octomore on the brain. - Springbank 12 Calvados, you'd be safe in assuming it is awesome but you know sometimes that's just your bias for a distillery you love, this was really nice, all these green fruits and mineral touches. A good thing the Wine Searcher oracle wasn't consulted before.

• Whisky Agency Irish whisky, impossibly bursting with tropical fruits and loads of waxes and resin, the kind of whisky I'd fill the cabinet with if I could.

• @paddockjudge blending skills, 3 great malts made even greater, just an explosion of orchard fruit and spices. -Longmorn being just as great at 11 years as it does at 25, what an underrated distillery.

Part 2:

-80's JWB @talexander thanks for sharing this, just superb, not boastful, malty, a kind of dry peat smoke and richness, if they made blends of this caliber today, we wouldn't be chasing the next big thing nearly as much.

-North of 7 Leatherback rum, wow I've enjoyed their whisky but who knew this scrappy little distillery would also be kick ass at rum.

-Antiquary 35, no words can do it justice, it's an ever-evolving fireworks display, fruits, floral, relentlessly delicious, @fiddich1980 merci

-Head to Head of Mortlach 16 Ob & Adelphi Mortlach 25, just tremendous.

@Nozinan What @ajjarrett said. That is the great, great grandmother of epic tastings.

Not much to add to what @Nozinan and @cricklewood said, except that Antiquary 35yo was for me the highlight whisky of the evening. The real highlight was having everyone over, seeing their faces and having what felt like a normal "before-times" experience.

@BlueNote, your generosity is only surpassed by your keen wit and friendly demeanor on the Connosr boards.

A bottle of Shelter Point Smoke Point Batch 2, 50% abv., malted and un-malted barley, arrived at my door some months ago. It may have been in The Before Times. It was accompanied by a note which read (paraphrase), enjoy with the gang at your next session. That session took FOREVER to happen, 22 months. Twenty-two months is forever when waiting for a whisky tasting. We did pour a round at our Renewal Gathering.

Aged five years in American oak ex-bourbon barrels and finished in previously used ex-Islay casks for 18 months.

Smoke Point is a nice whisky. Malty, bisquity, whisp of smoke and a smudge of peat. The vegetal note gives it some character and plays well with the toffee. I would like to try this same whisky after another five years in the cask. I would be proud of this whisky if I had made it.

@BlueNote, thank you for sharing...I'm having a wee pour now...and will likely take another... great finish, good balance. Those beer makers are doing a great job with that still.

Had a massive EPIC tasting last Thursday. Myself and a few friends combined our collection and basically everyone got to pick several things to try from each others bottles. We'll have to do it again soon because obviously we couldn't try everything. The tasting included an excellent Signatory Cask Strength Mortlach, most of the Pinhook range, an interested cask strength apple brandy, some very old mini's of scotch and bourbon, most of the Bardstown range, and the JD barrel proof rye and the new Coy Hill release, an EH Taylor, Kirk and Sweeney 23YO rum, among others...

One of the old minis.

Stillbrook mini

Coy hill

An interesting and very good cask strength apple brandy

@casualtorture Wow! Just wow!!

@TracerBullet it was quite the day. And it did take all day haha.

@casualtorture CONGRATULATIONS! Yes, that's the way to do it all right.

You have established the template. Next step, "rinse, repeat".

Now the task is to establish a regular periodic pattern of it, then a habit...

FWIW, I love me some of that little inexpensive blended Scotch cutie, Black & White. I finished my bottle, and would love to get more, but locally all the stores have is 1.75 Litre "handles". I can't quite get myself to go there.

As for the apple brandy, I go to my sister's house and she lays out 6 to 9 of them to try. Some people think that apple brandy/Calvados is about to become a very big thing. It is possible. There are some really great ones.

Also, the tasting party lasts "all day" AND/OR "all night". Yeah 12+ hours is not unusual for such affairs. That is fabulous that you have the local group that is ready, willing, and able to participate.

@Victor Yes having a group makes it that much more enjoyable.

@casualtorture Epic is an understatement. I'd be on those two Signatories like a fat kid on a Mars Bar.

Not exactly EPIC, but this is the line-up for Saturday night's tasting...anyone care to take a guess at the theme?

@YakLord, nice line-up! Celebrity whiskies, but only one is a vanity release.

@paddockjudge Yes, Celebrity Owned / Endorsed Whisky. Which one would you classify as a vanity release?

@YakLord, to be honest, Gretzky is eponymous, but any of the labels which carry an endorsement are also displays of vanity.

The original release of Virginia Black carried a disclaimer “not made in Virginia”.

@YakLord The Gretzky for sure. The Dylan, maybe.

@paddockjudge It still says it's not a product of Virginia...

Sometimes a little impromptu dramming can turn epic.

My niece is visiting from Edmonton (there was a family wedding on the weekend) and staying with us. A nephew had brought over the M & H Apex pomegranate wine cask-matured whisky that I purchase in Calgary a couple of months ago. My niece expressed an interest in trying it (she has drammed with me and my late brother in law in the past) so we decided tonight after most of the people had left town would be a good night.

Before we started I realized that she had never tried M&H. So I offered to do a bit of a vertical tasting.

We started with the newmake spirit at 50% ABV. Then the under 3 YO bourbon and STR cask expression "The Last one", 46%. After that the "Classic", with a similar cask profile to the previous one, but 3 YO. Then I poured the Elements series Sherry cask expression, which I like but which she thought was "meh".

I wanted to know if it was the whisky or sherry casks in general that she didn't like (I know she has enjoyed A'Bunadh and Amrut IS before) so we paused the vertical tasting and I offered her some A'Bunadh. But given the scarcity of the A'Bunadh Alba in Canada, I thought it best to pour that for her as well. I passed on that one (batch 4) but I could not pass on the A'Bunadh batch 53. It was better than the last time I poured it. She liked the A'Bunadhs, so it must have been the M7H expression itself.

Then we ended the the Apex Pomegranate wine cask-finished whisky. I have to say it was more fruity and richer tasting then when I cracked the seal 2 days ago. And she said it wqas her favourite dram of the night.

@Nozinan excellent work! It is always great to see more women getting into the love of whisky.

Significant flavour change after even a couple of days of a bottle being freshly opened is not at all uncommon.

I made one big mistake when @bwmccoy tasted with me in 2018: I served him two of my favourites, Smith & Cross Naval Strength Rum and my favourite and most-paid-for bottle of Mezcal ever, from freshly opened bottles. He liked neither of them. And I didn't like either of them at the time, as well. They were the only disappointments of the night, for both of us. Now, four years later, those same opened bottles taste fairly close to the beauties that I had previously experienced and had fervently hoped that @bwmccoy would also get a chance to enjoy. Sorry, Bryan. My mistake. Lesson learned.

The first time I tasted with @CognacFan he made a point of opening up all of his bottles of whisky and brandy which were planned for us to sample 3 weeks prior to the tasting to make sure that they were in full bloom when we first tried them. It worked splendidly.