Glenlivet 1975 35 YO Signatory Vintage Oloroso Sherry 54.3%

Color: Real dark, beautiful mahogony

Nose: What a monster! Moist brown sugar. Maple sap and pine pitch. Orange blossom honey and old orange liqueurs. Walnut skins. At last, some stewed prunes arrive with a touch of lemon balm. Elvoves further on big, beautiful dark chocolate, and further on raisins and menthol, some cocoa or shea butter and aloe. Coffee, soft cinnamon, apple butter, and a hint of heather. Wood notes growing now on birch bark and bit of sawdust.

Palate: Demerera rum and coffee, cola, gentian, more chocolate, tons of orange pith, birch syrup, orange liqueur, walnut liqueur, every damn root, herbs, woods and spicy english pipe tobacco and the leather pouch it’s held in. It’s lively, too, almost effervescent.

Worth every penny and worth buying several. Love that rich old extracted sherry-monster.

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The Whisky Exchange’s Whisky Show 2011 G&M Timeline Masterclass

I wasn’t in peak condition for doing notes as I was in the process of falling terribly ill, as it appears that drinking and jet-lag evidently is something my body is incapable of handling. Well, here we go:

Benromach 30: Actually good! (I’m not a huge Benromach fan, but I like this a lot) Apricot compote, a thread of smoke, some vanilla, roasted peanuts, a touch of sumac. The sherry is a rather bass note sort without being earthy or too nutty. Raspberries, polished oak, bramble. A bit of plum comes through eventually with some licorice and anise on the finish. Some lemon oil comes late to the party.

G&M Glen Albyn 1975: Very nutty and spicy as hell on the palate. Very strong. Palate is quite bready like cornmeal crused pizza crust (not pizza-y mind you). Toasted corn kernels. Kiwi is suggested and I must say I agree along with a touch of grapefruit and juniper. Very Gin-like actually with very big botanicals. Blackberry seeds develop on the nose.

G&M Strathisla 1963 43% First-fill sherry: Reasonably stick with honey and birch sap, broken branches, some dates, leather, cherry cordial, and chocolates. Gains touches of buttercups and coffee.

G&M Glen Grant 1953 40%: Ahh lovely. Despite feeling hellish this is truly beautiful. Brown sugar, candied orange peel, old rum, virginia tobacco, some char, antique wood, cloves, menthol and some bitter cough syrup.

G&M Glen Livet 1940 70 YO 45.9%: Very unusual, hot nose and funky with earth and mushrooms and beef demi-glass. All such dark notes that have little to do with the fragile, light color of the whisky. Brittle notes of pistachio and almonds, as well as gold rum rise up from the glass. On the palate it’s quite different from the nose. Green notes of eucalyptus leaves, cucumber, pine needles, great icing sugar. The nose develops peach melba, some freshly cut green apples, and orange pulp. The palate is now showing a delicious, mouth-watering bitterness, perfectly in balance and quite fresh. Water shows cherry cordial, some cola, gentian and more apple. A mouthful held is hot and hard at first but develops into syrupy goodness and finishes on hardwoods, walnuts, vanilla, honey, and cinnamon. Whoah.

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More Glenury Royal

Glenury Royal 12 YO OB 40% Pre-diageo, so… late 80’s bottling maybe?

Light nose on banana, dates, fresh bread, pineapple, dried oranges, patchouli, and cream ale. Alright, the cream ale hits first and was a little off-putting but not bad. Some raspberry, bramble, whole wheat, and more beer, though it’s more akin to a saison now. Quite sime pineapple liqueur, and pears. It’s a shame water kills it.

 

G&M Glenury Royal 1972-2002 40%

Opens pretty intensely on pineapple, honey, tangerines, coconut cream, subtle milk chocolate, some aged rum, yellow cake, teak, some light cherry cordial. Water brings out myriad oils, shea butter, cocoa butter, a little paraffin, mineral oil, almond oil, sunflower seed oil, salt, wet dogs, dried hay, and a touch of fruit punch. This malt has pretty much everything that made 1972 a miraculous year in the highlands. I bought 4 of them.

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Laphroaig 10 YO – then and then

Laphroaig 10 YO bottled >/= 1968 OB 91.4 US Proof imported through Baltimore

Wow, what a palate! Smoke, peat is more vivid than I’ve ever tasted. gritty damp soil, salt, graphite, wet slate, tar, sea spray, damp coffee grounds, tons of rocks but also a touch of black raisins and prunes. Nose shows vanilla cookies, french herbs, dried flowers, potpourri, iodine, linseed oil.

 

Laphroaig 10 YO bottled </= 1968 OB 91.4 US proof imported through Baltimore.

note: these are from the same collector both purchased upon their US release, but bottled perhaps a year apart as the bottles are slightly different (only in the sense that one has raised lettering on the glass)

Nose starts on chalk, slate, old woolens, salted butter, teak, wood polish, leather, soft white pepper, light creosote, linseed oil, slightly mentholated, nettle tea, vanilla, salt-water toffee, soft tar, talc, turmeric, freshly plucked wild mint, damp coffee grounds. Water brings out tons of dried flowers, hot red rocks, black pepper, brown butter, sweet cream, those same dried french herbs, and light brown sugar.

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A couple ’60s Balblairs

G&M Balblair 1966: Boozy nose with notes of gold rum, grape preserves, papaya, coconut oil, star fruit, vanilla, white oak, and tangerine. Palate starts on white rum and oats, the coconut oil, grain, some macadamia nuts. A retaste of a sample from a fresh bottle yields a more bourbony whisky. Big Caramel and wood, some dried satsuma oranges. Otherwise quite resembling my original notes.

OB Balblair 1965: A great deal of vanilla on this baby with a soft, vegitality (not a real word) underneath. Sweet honey, sticky toffee, white peonies, heather, lavendar and apricots with just a tiny bit of chocolate fudge.

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Bulk Post #4

A Bevy of Bowmores:

A. D. Rattray Bowmore  Sherry Cask ’91-’10 53.5%

Cedar, mushrooms, figs, soap, dust, phenols, gasoline, soil, mint, dried apricots, and purple grapes.

 

Hart Brothers Bowmore 1958

Nose: Super light and tropical: mangoes, nectarines, kumquats, syrupy peaches, lychees, starfruit and coconut with just the faintest prickle of smoke. Palate shows honey, mint, that starfruit, lychees, and kumpquats with a bit of grapefruit. Hardly any wood to it, just a gentle brushing of spice: cardamom, cinnamon, turmeric, and ginger on the finish.

 

Signatory Bowmore 1968 32 YO Cask 1428 46%

Light billowy gray smoke, vanilla cake, cocoa butter, marzapan, linseed oil, then the fruits: banana, lychee cantaloup, honeydew. also some cappuccino. Water brings out more fruit: raspberry, bitter orange, torched orange peel, orange flower water, strawberry, some grapefruit. Also coming out is fennel pollen, peanut brittle, burnt toffee, dried cherries, some peppercorns, bay leaf, loads more strawberries and kirsch.

 

Bowmore 1993 bottled by The Whisky Exchange for The Whisky Show 2011:

killer. huge tropical fruits and big smoke. Amazing.

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Bulk Post #3

Bourbons and Grains:

Buffalo Trace Experimental Collection ’09 (I think)

1997 Double Barrel 45%

Big spice: Dill, fennel. Cider Vinegar, sharp oak, spearmint, soft tannins, roots, light butterscotch, vanilla and cinnamon, cherry jelly.

1993 Double Barrel 45%

Much more traditional. Massive butterscotch pudding, vanilla, dates and a touch of brine.

Willets Pot Still Reserve:

Harsh nose. Some orange marmalade up front with heavy menthol and big wood. Cherry, vanilla, freshly sawn oak, weak and woody, tannic.

Hedonism 10th Anniversary Invergordon 38 YO Single Cask 46% 120 bottles world-wide:

Barrel char, anise, licorice root, musty oak, honey, caramel, pollen, beeswax, honeycomb, turmeric, gentian, thyme, caranne, peaches, vanilla, pecans, golden virginia tobacco.

SMWS Inchmurin 32 YO 56%

Strawberry, putty, big artificial strawberries like Laffy Taffy. Mouth is hot but yummy. Not overly sweet but a bit – on strawberry jam, strawberry ic ecream, but also a few pretty big grassy notes.

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Bulk Post #2

A few blends:

Whyte & Mackay 22 YO: Some sort of crappy asain food, lemons, sherry, sesame, and caramel.

 

Whyte & Mackay 30 YO: Much! nicer. Bigger, more lovely caramel, beautiful citrus of myriad varieties. Some heather, butter, eucalyptus, popcorn. Very drying.

 

A.D.Rattray 19 YO blend 55.8% (Auchentoshan ’91, Balblair ’90, Benriach ’89, Bowmore ’91)

Starts on honey and apricots, some birch syrup, a touch of gentian and fennel along the lines of a rye whiskey. Some burnt wood notes that are quite ashy. Develops pears and some resinous/pine notes. Water brings apples, some soap, a touch of wintergreen, and some very bitter orange oils.

 

Compass Box Great King Street: Very good. Balanced sweet, fruity, and honeyed. Simple but enjoyable.

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Lets try some bulk posts (Edition 1)

Unpublished notes on assorted Port Ellens:

PE3 (Bottled by The Whisky Exchange in their Elements of Islay line)

First come faint wisps of smokey bacon underneath a heady ozone, making for an ethereal boozy quality to the nose. Digging into it delivers salt and oils, maple cream, chesnuts, sesame oil, meyer lemon. I’m afraid to add water to this, it’s too light and ethereal. I’ll wait it out: Wintergreen, toasted sunflower seeds, finally some light sherry notes (grape kool-aid) now plastic, light caramel, green olives, smokeless peat moss.

 

McGibbon’s Provenance Port Ellen 23 YO 46%

Closed nose, just smokey/ashey with rubber, and harsh chemicals. Opens with water and time to reveal big lychee, honey, oranges, thyme, mint, salt, butter, a bit of talc, chamomile and corn. Not… particularly good, though the lychee note is quite nice.

Scott’s Port Ellen 1976-1998 22 YO 57%

no heat at this proof, just smooth butterscotch custard, with vanilla and orange marmelade. Just hints of charcoal, charred meat, and a dash of worcestershire. Some bitter oak arises, bringing lovely chili’s. Water brings out Bing cherries, gooseberries, mint, seaweed, and seabreeze. Sour oak comes to the fore now with oysters. More water brings red sandstone, and autumn leaves, and a touch of strawberry icing sugar before it’s carried away on a wave of peat reek. Finishes on an odd note of yeasty, cheddary notes.

Port Ellen 7th Release: 28 YO 53.8%

Lovely birch, mint, wintergreen, sasparilla, all holding a high, heady note with some meyer lemon aroma rising above all that. Bass notes include tar, salt, a gritty mocha note, mud, subtle black raspberries, raspberry eau de vie, black peppercorns, some under-ripe peaches, and light floral notes.

Provenance Port Ellen 24 YO

Good smoke presence up front with those unmistakable creamy, salty, vanilla notes that identify the distillery. Big notes of spent grains, some spearmint, peat moss, hot coals, eucalyptus, ash, smoked oranges, a little telicherry peppercorn, and some nice white pork.

Port Ellen 1983 bottled by The Whisky Exchange in London for The Whisky Show 2011

Big & Dirty, charred burnt camp-firey peat. Quite astonishing for a Port Ellen. Note quite complimentary sherry is very big as well but winey, caramelly and poorly integrated.

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Glenfarclas 40 YO OB 2010

Subtle yellow curry jumps out at first, the entry is drying but with none of the bitterness associated with too much oak. Sherry and caramel marry beautifully into the most lovely sweetness. Coriander, white peppercorns; very nutty with crushed pecans hazelnuts and marzipan. Crazy combination of drying and mouth-watering simultaneously. Incredibly juicy sherry, light maple syrup, crumbly nougat, and pretzels. Very chewy. Strawberries and cream, dried hay, poppy seeds, sesame oil, red currants, caraway seeds and fennel pollen, and persimmons.

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