Christmas 2006
The Fifth Edition of "A Whiff of Peat Smoke...." , Why ? because i can !
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year from all at The Spirit of Islay !
R23 Makes it into The Whisky Bible !
Well just over a year after it's Bottling , Bloodtub R23 has taken us to a new high , to explain i need to take you back to a Balmy Summer Saturday afternoon early this year .........Having spent a splendid Saturday afternoon in the Mansfield Traquair at the Royal Mile Whiskies "Whisky Fringe" we retired , having not had enough to drink ( ?!!*?$!!?), to the pub on the opposite corner joining various waifs and strays from the aforementioned event . We bumped into Darren Leitch from The Whisky Shop and talked about various whiskies , after Ardbegs , Laddies and Bunnies he casually slipped it into the conversation that he'd sent a sample of the Port Charlotte to Jim Murray earlier in the year to see what he'd thought of it .......after a few choice words including a certain four letter anglo-saxon swear word ......we wondered if it would make it into the next Whisky Bible ? Zoom forward in time to Friday 8th December , while surfing the web i notice on Loch Fyne Whiskies site that Richard has the 2007 Whisky Bible , ringing him up , he's most surprised that it's in there , i can't possibly put here what else he was also as Ladies will be reading it but anyway he did get a sale out of it ! So to today ...... it arrived , in all it's glorious technicoloured print and here's what it says.......
Port Charlotte 4 Years Old dist 12th Jun 01 , bott 25th Nov 05 (96)
n (nose) 25 quite possibly the most coastal whisky i have ever nosed :it is as if the peat has only been diluted by seawater. This smells of rotting distilleries and malt kilns . It is unique and unquestionably the most evocative thing i have ever sniffed. I close my eyes and i am on undiscovered Islay, before i ever wrote about the place ; when i could wander around barely-known distilleries alone .No matter how it tastes , it cannot paint a picture so vividly , or bring back such a lost joy as the nose , or even a sense of loss of how things used to be . ......I don't know if you believe this or not, but it has actually brought a lump to my throat and a slight moistened eye . I think i should pause before tasting ......
t(taste) 24 salty, fruity, even-eventually-wild raspberries and banging on the door all the time , massive peat wanting to be let in ;
f (finish) 23 dry despite its age though enough mollased mocha to keep the peat sweet and company;
b (balance) 24 so stupendous - and moving- is the nose that it takes time to focus on what happens palate-wise.Not quite so good, as one might suspect. But still a unique and astonishingly pleasurable take on Islay .
61.4% The Whisky Shop , Gordon Homer's Private Stock , 39 Bottles .
WOAH!!!!!
Needless to say i'm as proud as punch !
Thanks to Darren for sending it in and to everyone else who has had good words to say about it .
More about the Whisky Bible at http://www.whiskybible.com .
Lindisfarne ....The Old Magic (in the air)
Recently on BBC 3 they re-ran an old programme from the Rock Goes to College series in 1979 featuring one of my old favourites Lindisfarne . This brought back loads of memories and got me to thinking how in my youth at this time of the year the excitement used to build up to the annual Christmas shows at the City Hall Newcastle . They were something special , i got interested in Lindisfarne when my older brother came in with the original "Lindifarne Live" album from 1973 , it was recorded at the City Hall in December 1971 (my brother came in with a few albums by groups i got interested in , Queen , Genesis and he also introduced me to Billy Connolly.....) .
The First time i actually saw them live was on the second reunion show on Dec 23rd 1977 for the pricely sum of �3.50 .... We all had such a good time the lads decided to get back together in the following spring ! Over the next 14 years i saw them 30 odd times , bought numerous albums , appeared on television with them (well on the back of the stage during their 1984 Xmas show but i was quite visible at times .....wonder why they've never shown it again ? ) and met them on various occassions . I stopped going in Christmas 1991 , the band had changed , a few of the members had left including Jacka and it wasn't the same in my opinion .
Unfortunately on the 17th of November 1995 the "Benwell Bob Dylan" Alan Hull passed away leaving only a couple of members of the original band , they carried on for a few more years but in 2003 finally called it a day . All thats left now are the vinyl and CD recordings , the memories floating around in my head of Christmas's past and hopefully a video tape that the BBC will show once again of that magical 1984 show .......
For more info on Lindisfarne go to Lindisfarne.de
From a time Long , Long ago..........
Another Islay Trip.....Just......
Well this year we managed to beat the elements....just....and get across to Islay , the weather was worsening as we crossed ( lots of peaks and troughs , spray going past the window.....) , made May 2005's crossing seem like a row around a boating lake ! They pulled the ferries off after we reached Port Askaig so we were very lucky...... The first night was spent in the bar of the Port Charlotte hotel having a nice meal , a few nice drams (white wine for the lady) and an early night after a 4.30am start ! First dram of the day was the recently released PC5 followed by a 12yo Laddie (2nd Edition) , a 12yo Bunnahabhain and a Cadenheads 18yo Laddie .
Friday started off with a trip to the Islay Woolen Mill to pick up a present for me mum , the owner , another Gordon with North-east roots , is a great character though Mel was looking well bored as we chatted about the previous nights Newcastle United game even though i hadn't seen it !!! Next we headed off to a remote part of the Island , Bunnahabhain Distillery , to pick up a bottle of the XVIII . The distillery were just in the process of going into a weeks shut down but we got to talk to the mainman John (Mclellan) , we spent a wee while talking to John and getting a sniff of the recently distilled Peated Bunny (you could smell it coming into the distillery , lovely stuff) , he's a great bloke and for those of you who know him , yes there was a Bruichladdich Joke in the conversation . Next we went off to the Old Kiln for a spot of lunch and to catch up with friends , I must say the Hot Clottie Dumpling with Ardbeg Ice Cream was an absolute dream ! After a natter with Jackie in the O.K. and a chat with Stuart (both are ok and getting along fine ) , we headed back to the Hotel to freshen up and enjoy another evening in the bar , more wine for the lady and a few more drams for me !
So on the Saturday we headed along to Laddie to pick up my bottle of PC5 along with the current Valinch , a 1988 sherry cask , the new 3D3 and a special 15yo for the Duke of Edinburgh Scheme . We did a tour with Joanne and enjoyed a try of the new 12yo , the valinch and a certain strong Laddie distilled not so long ago......
We head back to the hotel to spend a quiet afternoon relaxing , having a bite of lunch and a Laddie BlackerStill . Once again at the night time we hit the Bar having wine and a few drams including a Caol ila Caskstrength , a Laddie Infinity 2nd edition , a Laddie 1986 Scotts Selection , a OMC 15yo Bunnahabhain and a Bunny 25yo O.B.
The last day was spent having a drive around The Rhinns , deer spotting at Kildalton and a spot of lunch at the Bridgend Hotel before catching the Afternoon ferry back to Kennacraig , thankfully this journey was slightly more smoother than the first crossing ! We had a thoroughly enjoyable , very relaxed trip , a nice pre-christmas break ......roll on next May !
St Andrews Night SMWS Tasting
Another SMWS tasting in The Vermont hotel complete with A scottish folk band (who's name escapes me at the moment) and a lovely serving of Haggis Neeps and Tatties , after all it was St Andrews Night !
First up was a lowlander 25.37 (Rosebank , 15yo , 59.5% , 242 bottles , �42)and what a cracking dram to start with ! Pale gold in colour , bags of green fruits and lemon on the nose with green fruits and sherbet on the palate . The finish was the most surprising ....long and very peppery . With water the typical Lowland characteristics came flooding through .this was my second favourite dram of the night , Mel thought it was a fantastic sinus cleaner !
Next up we had a 29yo Glenlivet ( 2.65 , 56.1% , 190 bottles , �73 ), a very good example , Bronze in colour with Vanilla and Cola cubes on the nose . On the palate it had creamy toffee and cola cubes with a long and dry finish . We both agreed that it was very Bunnahabhainish and extremely drinkable !
Third Dram of the night was the killer one , a 40yo Glenfarclas (1.129 , 55.1% , 151 bottles , �118) . A pale Amber in colour my notes include Nose - Woah ! , Taste - Hmmmmm , Finish - heavenly ( and some one added.... just like Mel !) , this someone wrote on her note Woo-Hoo! this is a typical 40yo farclas (take my word on this !) , orangie , cola cubes , smooth as hell and the answer is yes to some peoples question ......
After such a stunning dram it had to happen , an absolute stinker ! I thought it was just me but our full table thought it as well , one which was left (only the 4th SMWS Dram i haven't finished , the others including a Glengoyne and a Jura ) so a 16yo Highland Park has been added to the list (4.106 , 60.5% , 605 bottles , �46) . Amber in colour the nose was overpowered by strong sulphur and burnt matches , the palate was over sherried and the best way to say the finish is Aarghhh! the worst HP ever ....which is a shame ....
Last up we headed over to Islay (what , we've only just come back ! [Wink] ) , A surprising good 7yo Bowmore ( 3.115 , 55.7 , 278 bottles , �33 ) , a very dark Mahogany colour , Dark fruits and smoke flood the nose ( tho Mel got School plimsoles - inners - from where i know not....) . On the Palate it's very smooth , very sherried , smoky and damned good for such a young Pedro Ximenez . The finish is again very sherried and very dry . After some of the stuff i've had from Bowmore lately this one is exceptional ....Very exceptional !
A great tasting just a shame about the Highland Park ! Details of other SMWS tastings incl notes /bottle details can be found HERE , for the SMWS site go to HERE .
