April 2008
The Twentieth Edition of "A Whiff of Peat Smoke...." , Why ? because i can !
It's Summer , the Clocks went forward , perhaps someone should tell the weather ......
A New Committee Bottling
After what seems like years , a new Committee Bottling has appeared , The Ardbeg Corryvreckan , 5000 Bottles at 57.1% . Very nice it sounds too.....
Tasting Notes (theirs !)
Colour Deepest Amber
Aroma Heady, intense and powerful. With the first sniff, encounter the deep and turbulent force of Corryvreckan as it pulls you inwards. Swirl the glass and dip your nose into the torrents of tarry ropes, creosote and linseed oil rising from deep within the vortex. As you succumb to its power, a collision of waxy dark chocolate, warm blackcurrants and muscovado sugar pulls you under its spell with a burst of plump cherries and earthy pine needles leaping from its depths. Swirl water into the glass, and observe the magical collision of whisky and water. As the liquid warms up, the seething cauldron bubbles and bursts, as you edge closer to sniff a pot full of gutsy cayenne-peppered steak and oysters smothered in hot pepper sauce. Salty seasoning brings a briny character with tangy crisp seaweed and smoky bacon swirling on the surface with hints of sweet vanilla, spicy cloves and blueberries. As the whirlpool narrows and quickens moving ever deeper, surrender to its dangerous depths with the heady force of menthol, treacle and chilli sauce.
Taste Plunge into the whirlpool an taste the mysterious depths of Corryvreckan. Torrents of taste well up on the palate; deep, peppery and chewy, bombarding the tongue with its intense tastes and textures. The first plunge brings forth chewy peppered steak soaked in pepper sauce with the tang of crispy seaweed. As you descend deeper, encounter a mouthful of black tarry espresso coffee that coats the palate with rich melted dark fruits (blackcurrants, blueberries and cherries) and bitter almonds. As the taste soaks in deeper, star anise and hickory dry out the palate before a surprise of chalky effervescent violets fizz to the surface.
Finish Long, deep and remaining powerful into the finish with black, tarry coffee, chocolate coated cherries and hot pepper sauce, the lingering memories of your mysterious and daring journey in to Corryvreckan.
Ardbeg Renaissance
I've been allowed to sample the soon to be released , last in the series of the build up to the "New" TEN , The Ardbeg Renaissance.......
ABV - 55.6%
Colour - Straw
Nose - Bags of peat at first , followed by creamy fudge , a wee touch of Cocoa , Also seashore ( seaweed ) and dunnage warehouses (earthy?).
Palate - 24 Carat Ardbeg ! Peat , smoke , Cocoa , Dark chocolate , creamy , very luxurious over the tongue.....
Finish - Very long , creamy fudge and peat .
Comments - The 1998 has come of age ! Beautiful Legs in the glass , extremely well balanced , has everything you could ask for in an Ardbeg , 2 things......(1) Can you please make the Caskstrength 10yo a regular bottling ? (2) I want several Bottles when it comes out !
Newcastle SMWS Tasting 28th March
After what seems like an eternity ( it's been a year since i last attended one !) it was time to visit the Vermont Hotel again for a Society Tasting ! Tonights was special as an old Friend was guest speaker / musician , Mr Robin Laing . There was also a new tasting team hosting it , part of the New Tasting Ambassidors Programme .
First up was 28.14 (Tullibardine , 16yo , 55.7% , outturn 273 bottles , £47 , Highland Southern ) , it was very sweet and peppery , later on Confectioners Sugar , there was a strange balance between the sweetness and pepper . Has not changed my opinion of Tullibardine , Nothing startling . Second up was a Strathisla ( Speyside Deveron , 28yo , 49.3% , 292 Bottles , £77 ) , From a hoggie this was my Favourite of the night , Fruity , grass Meadows , very good for it's age , tasted better without water . I actually managed to win another dram of this in one of the evenings Competitions . At this point we got the usual Cheese and Biscuits .
The 3rd Dram of the night was another Speysider , this time from Glen Grant ( Speyside Spey , 9.35 , 17yo , 53.9% , 518 bottles , £48) , very subdued for a sherry cask , very floral and burnt matches on the palate . At this point Robin done a couple of songs , The Speyside Whisky Song and one about the Glen Grant Pipe i wasn't familiar with . Through out the evening he also told us wee stories about the distilleries we were trying . The next Dram was the perverbial Sherry Monster , 81.11 ( Speyside Deveron , Glen Keith , 32yo , 56.4% , 498 bottles , £78 ) . Dark Cherries , Spices , Dried Fruits , Christmas Cake , Very dry on the palate and with water it got Drier ! It was a very , very heavy Dram .
After a couple more songs from Robin ( Uisquebaugh Baul and We Can't Let Al Qaeda Get Their Hands On This ) we reached the last dram of the night , an Islay , 3.117 (Bowmore , 8yo , 56.2% , 171 bottles , £35) on the nose Smoky , not as floral as other recent Bowmores , Germolene , on the palate it is floral , smells great but not to good on the palate , very disappointing .
A good night , nice to see and hear Robin again , after the tasting we ventured over the road to the Bridge Hotel for another few Drams......
Provisional Feis Ile 2008 Programme
For full datails see the Feis Ile site .....
24 May - Lagavulin Distillery Open Day
25 May - Bruichladdich Distillery open day (to be confirmed)
26 May - Caol Ila Open Day / Port Ellen Maltings guided tours / Whisky Tasting Ceilidh held at The Ramsay Hall. Port Ellen evening
27 May - Laphroaig Distillery open day (to be confirmed) / Ceilidh A dance at Laphroaig Distillery evening
28 May - Bowmore Distillery open day (to be confirmed)
29 May - Kilchoman Distillery open day / Jura Distillery open day (to be confirmed)
30 May - Bunnahabhain Distillery open day
31 May - Ardbeg Distillery open day (to be confirmed)
