Clynelish 14 and Springbank 10 "100 Proof"

Went to check out the sale at a whisky bar/retailer today, and was massively disappointed. The fb event page suggested that the sale was going to be big, with discounts of up to 50% on some brands, like the Old Malt Cask series, which I've liked. So, I was really gutted to realize that the bar had its original prices so marked up, the bottles were still expensive after the 50% discount. A 15 year Clynelish OMC for $180? A 14 year Clynelish from Signatory for $170? And these prices were after a 50% and 35% discount respectively. Ouch. PY and I went down, and walked out without getting anything. I think I can get things of similar age and quality at La Maison for a lower price, before discount.

So, off we went, and what better way to wash away the disappointment than a short walk to Auld Alliance?

Clynelish 14 (OB, 46% abv)

Nose - Fairly big malty nose, supplemented by a healthy dose of smoke, oranges, lemon, and something that smells a little like leather. Did this mature in a refill sherry cask? The balance on this nosing is towards the zesty fruits after the big malty attack fades. A bit spicy as well! Pretty promising!

Palate - This is oily, but a fairly thin texture. The texture doesn't detract from the quality of the whisky though! Big oranges this time, with quite a bit of lemons as well. There is a strong bitter note too. Not sure where that came from, but after a while, it feels a bit like... you know, the white part of the orange? The white fibrous thing between the juicy parts and the skin? Yea, that one. What do you call that?? A bit drying, with suggestions of leather. This does feel suspiciously like a refill sherry cask. A little salty, but this is not as coastal as I thought it would be. Not much honey nor heather either, though it is sweet - vanilla, and something that feels like sherry. Maybe my suspicions about the cask are playing tricks on my tongue. A bit of caramel - colouring?

Finish - Smoke, oranges, and, surprisingly, the bitterness stays with you. Hmm. Not a very long finish, which is, I think, good, considering the bitter notes.

Overall - Good, but not amazing. I prefer Springbank (but you already know that), though this is better than the "modern" entry level whiskies from many other distillers. This is similar in age and region to the Oban 14 - this is better, but not by much. So, onto the Springbank!

Springbank 10 "100 Proof" (OB, 57%)

Nose - PY and I found this nose quite a Jekyll and Hyde, except that both sides are good. Does that make sense? First nosing is salty and very coastal. Sea breeze, salted fish, and umami. Strong mineral presence too. After a while in the glass, there's a lot of lemons and other citrusy stuff. Sweet - honey, I think, and a bit of...flowers? On first nosing, I hardly got the lemony and fruity side to this, but on second nosing, the saltiness wasn't present. Odd. But in a pleasant surprise sort of way. There's also some smoke, and a light touch of peat.

Palate - Big coastal attack - like a beach landing in a war. Just a little less dramatic. Salty, and a touch of seaweed, I think. This turns to oranges and lemons, with quite a bit of smoke and a little bit of peat. It's like the two noses came in different waves and had a rendezvous on the tongue. There's a lot of classic Springbank in this - mineral, slightly oily, and a raw edge that suggests something earthy or rocky. It's not as big as the 12 yo cask strength, but it's a big step up from the standard 10. Pity that it seems that this one was discontinued.

Finish - This one lasts forever. PY had a sip of water, and realized that the finish was still there after the water. Finishes on spices - ginger, cinnamon, pepper, saffron...? Smoke continues, as does hints of lemon.

Overall - This one is good.

Quick notes on two Kilchomans

Kilchoman is the newest distillery on Islay. Apparently, the 'c' is silent. So it's Kil-ho-man, rather than something that sounds like a familiar Japanese soy sauce. Started in 2006, it's yet to have a 10 year old whisky. A really young distillery. But that doesn't stop it from producing good stuff. Kavalan's young too, and they've been winning prizes everywhere. Kilchoman looks promising, from what I've tasted. The two, Machir Bay and the Sanaig were tasted side-by-side at LMDW, who're generous with their tastings. Special thanks to Khai, who graciously poured tasting glasses and made good recommendations. Here are quick notes on the two Kilchomans:

Kilchoman Machir Bay

This is the first standard OB from Kilchoman, and I can see why. It displays strong Islay characteristics, yet also tries to distinguish Kilchoman from the other more established Islay brands like Ardbeg, Laphroaig, Lagavulin, etc.

Nose: Immediately smoky. It's ashy, and doesn't come across as peat immediately. The ash smells like cigar ash, which is nice. Vanilla rises up, as well as a trace of coconut. I'm fairly certain this was matured in bourbon wood. Which makes for a safe first offering from a new distillery.

Palate: Fairly robust, with cigar ash, coconuts, a touch of pineapple...vanilla sweetness adds balance. Though the sweetness does grow - feels a little like marshmallows. But this doesn't get cloying. The strong smoke sees to that.

Finish: Fairly short, on ash/smoke, a trace of coconut, and oaky.

Overall: Pleasant, and retailing at $120 from LMDW, worth a pop.

Kilchoman Sanaig

This is the second time I've tried the Sanaig, but I think I didn't write down anything for the first tasting. The Sanaig is a newer offering.

Nose: The smoke is much more restrained than the Machir Bay, or perhaps, the competing scents tames the smoke a bit. This one was matured in sherry casks, and it tells on the nose. The sherry influence comes across as citrusy red fruits - berries, and maybe black currant. Smoke comes back - cigar ash again, but this feels a little more...vegetal. Perhaps that's the sherry cask's influence on the spirit? Or perhaps it's a touch of rubber, fruit, and cigar ash mixing together.

Palate: I like this. Clean and precise. Sherry sweetness and cigar smoke goes well together, but this isn't very complex. It's got more depth than Machir Bay, for sure. Berries appear to be the main fruit in this, and the piineapple in the Machir Bay isn't really present. Or maybe the citrus just blends well with the berries. The smoke and peat grows. Yes, now that it's a bit more vegetal and less like cigar ash, I think it's easier to identify the peat in this. Some spice on the way down, but nothing too big.

Finish: Smoky finish that doesn't last too long. A little drying, and a light touch of rubber and wood.

Overall: Again, fairly pleasant, but this is not in the same class as the Ardbeg Uigeadail, if you're looking at a sherried Islay. The Lagavulin DE is probably the best sherried Islay I've tasted, and this is far from that. But it knows what is supposed to be, and it does its job well.

Islay Festival - An independent Bunnahabhain and the Springbank 18

Bunnahabhain 27 years 1987/2014 (bottled for the Auld Alliance, 99 bottles only, 49.1% abv)

Nose: Honey, caramel, heather, light smoke, and a little salty. The mix of honey, caramel and saltiness gives this a bit of a toffee smell

Palate: The toffee continues, and is made more complex by the addition of some light leather (is this the faint trace of an old refill sherry cask?) Some flowers, don't ask me which ones. A little fruity, apples and berries. Pretty good! The honey and caramel are less pronounced, making this a whisky that doesn't quite come across as being sweet. For something that's been around for 27 years, there isn't a strong cask influence - or at least, I'm not detecting too much oak, vanilla, or too strong a sherry cask imprint on the whisky.

Finish: Minerals, and smoke right at the back, like a good Bunnahabhain. Not very long, but this is fairly classy. A bit citrusy too, but as with the flowers, I'm not sure what fruit that is.

Overall: Oh, an Islay that is neither peaty nor medicinal! Hurray! This is pretty good! Not very big, but classy. I like that the wood isn't overt and rude. This one worked out to about $40 a glass at the Auld Alliance. Hmm. Not quite value for money, even though it is pretty good. Thanks JE for your tasting notes as reference! Next up...

Springbank 18 (46% abv)

Nose: Leather and a lot of big, malty notes - a really thick porridge. Salty and slightly peaty too. The coastal characteristics are there, but they're balanced off with some berry fruits and a bit of a citrusy, sour touch that reminds me of yoghurt. After a while, Springbank's minerals pokes through - a bit of...wet rock? Calcium? I'll visit a limestone cave one day and try to nail down this scent.

Palate: Fruit punch on entry - think berry and orange mix. This then turns to salt, and a return of the leather. And big malts again. An oatmeal porridge with salt sprinkled in, like my mum used to have for breakfast. I liked the taste but hated the texture - so having that taste in a whisky is frankly a good compromise. The malt and fruits take a break as some minerals break through - like a siesta, the big flavours take a break to reveal some good, clean mineral water that has flowed over rocks and soil before ending up in this whisky. Some peat, and then pepper.

Finish: black tea and orange peel. This is quite a tannin-ed finish, if there's such a word. But it's not excessively drying, which is good. The oranges, smoke and pepper kept me salivating.

Overall: I've had the Springbank 10, 12 and 15 before this. I think this is more restrained than the other 3. The 10 is clearer and simpler in its delivery, giving a good and straightforward Springbank experience. The 15 was a bit odd, like they could not find the balance between the sherry and boubon casks. The sour notes in the 15 become rather pleasant berry and orange notes in this 18, so that's great. But I wish the 18 had bigger minerality, salinity, waxier and, just more complex. Maybe more years in the casks would impart even more depth. The 18 feels like its on the cusp of greatness - the rawness of the spirit has been tamed, but the cask has not had enough time to enrich it enough. The 12 was great because it was a powerful young Springbank. The 18 does not feel like its old enough yet. Still good, but on the border of greatness looking in.

Perhaps it's a bit sacrilegious to rate a Springbank higher than an Islay during the Islay festival week...but that's what it is. Oops. Sorry.

After the rat, a terrier next - Douglas Laing's Scallywag (46% abv)

Douglas Laing's Scallywag (46% abv)

Colour - Amber

Nose - Sherry, prunes and raisins, followed by quite a lot of nuts - almonds and roasted peanuts. The nuts turn into oak. Fruit, nuts, oak. Almost like the life cycle of a plant? Okok, they're all three different types of plants...Fairly pleasant nosing. A bit of spice sprinkled into the nuts and fruits.

Palate - Fruity, sherry sweetness, which fades to reveal malt, cinnamon spice, oak, and...pencil shavings? Yes, that sounds about right. Pencil shavings. The texture is fairly thick and creamy, but this whisky feels a little young. There's an alcohol tingle in the entire mouth. Oh, and a bit of rubber too. Did that come from the marrying cask, or one of the Speysiders that went into this blend? Mortlach, perhaps?

Finish - Finish lasts pretty long on spices and oak. The pencil shavings make a return at the end. A bit drying too.

Overall - Nothing much to add on this one. Fairly drinkable, and a decent Speyside blend, but not amazing. Similar class as the Timorous Beastie.  I think I preferred the finish on the Timorous Beastie, though this one, on the whole is sweeter and richer.

Timorous Beastie on the streets of Glasgow

Douglas Laing's Timorous Beastie (46.8% abv)

Colour - White wine

Nose - Almost like white wine on initial nosing. After a while, quite a bit of grass and honey. Heather as well. Oranges seems to be the main fruit in this. Perhaps due to the influence of the Dalmore? A faint bit of peat right at the back. Fairly straightforward malt too.

Palate - Sweet entry. A lot of honey and heather. Some grass. And more honey. Then sweet oranges...mandarin oranges, almost. This is malty and slightly yeasty, giving it a mild sour note, but mostly like fresh, soft, white bread. Comforting. A mix of spices - cinnamon, maybe nutmeg? A light peat undertone, but not very noticeable.

Finish - A little bit drying, and a small dash of pepper. Smoke at the back of the throat. The other spices help the finish to last, revealing a touch of oak and peat at the end.

Overall - pleasant and simple. A decent vatted malt that is value for money if you can get it at under $100.

Compass Box Great King Street Glasgow Blend (43% abv)

Colour - light amber. What's the right word for this?

Nose - Alternates between being sherried and peated, as advertised. Vanilla too! Was that from the cask, or from the grain whisky? A few drops of seawater.

Palate - Sweet and a bit syrupy on entry, but that quickly gives way to a wine character. Slightly sour, and grapes. Perhaps one other red fruit, but it gets taken over by peat before I manage to identify it. The peat is medicinal and slightly bitter. A little ashy, yet grassy and vegetal at the same time. A little spiced, ginger and cinnamon? Ok, scratch that. The spice grows - pepper...ginger? The sides of my tongue are tasting a rich sherry sweetness, but the middle part says peat. A bit confusing, but in a good way. Lemon zest, and a light kiss by the sea. I mean that there's a little salt in this. A salt-water fish with a dash of lemon? Peat and pepper just before it goes down.

Finish - Peat and a bit of tea tannins. English breakfast that's been steeping in the hot water for too long, I reckon. The spices on the palate hang around quite a bit. Then oak. And right at the back, before the finish ends, a rich red fruit. Ripe, sweet berries? This is a fairly long finish. Gets a bit drying though.

Overall: If I did not know prior to drinking, I may not have realized that this was a blended whisky and may have mistaken it for a blended malt, or even a sherried Islay. There isn't any overt grain whisky flavours - no big vanilla, coconuts, syrup, or stuff like that. Just a good, clean peaty and sherried whisky. A clear goal set, and well-achieved by Compass Box. I quite like this. Like a cheapo version of the Laphroaig 32. Which isn't surprising, as this blend has some Laphroaig in it.

A Really Good One - Craigellachie 31

Craigellachie 31 (52.2% abv)

Colour - Gold. This colour promises much richness.

Nose - Rubber, sulphur, leather. Maybe this is because the bottle was newly opened, but the rubber and sulphur is strong in this one. Perhaps it'll tone down with time. There's a bit of a sour touch to this too - lemons? A citrusy and green fruit lurks too - perhaps...olives? Are olives technically fruits? This smells a little sour.

Nose (with water) - Ooooh. More of the lemon comes out, but it's sweeter too. A touch of smoke, a bit of honey on the nose, but the sulphur, leather and rubber refuse to lie down. This is complex.

Palate - Big sulphury, rubbery and leathery notes. There's a bit of olive oil in there that spikes in acidity and sourness to feel more like lemon, or even vinegar. There's a sherry sweetness too, as if the whisky wanted to remind me that it's a Speyside after all. Not quite rich in dried fruits though. Maybe with a bit more time in the bottle, the dried fruits will develop. There's a persistent malty character as well, which is amazing considering the strength of the sulphurous notes.

Palate (with water) - This is rather good. The lemon builds up slowly, suggesting other citrus fruits in its wake - grapefruit, I think. Sweeter on entry - honey/caramel, the rubber stays, and more sherry fruits come out - cranberries, perhaps? But not rich and bursting. More dry and understated. This is a bit drying with water, oddly. Texture is oily/waxy, and continues to remind me of olive oil. This whisky deserves your time to slowly get to know.

Finish - Loooooooong. Smoke and spices linger. The smoke adds a really nice finishing touch. JE says that pears remain on the insides of his mouth long after he's swallowed the whisky. Maybe Chinese pears. Malty on the finish again.

Finish (with water) - The same, but drags it longer.

Nose (on empty glass) - the sulphur lingers, but the wood and vanilla are finally discernible. Rich raisins, and perhaps a faint suggestion of milk chocolate. This gives me hope that the Craigellachie 31 will open up with a bit more time.

Overall - This is totally an "old style" whisky. It's got none of the well-engineered feel of many whiskies on the market nowadays. Both raw and mature, rough and polished. The fire has not gone out from this - it feels like Paul Gascoigne, compared to the Messi and Ronaldos of the newer whiskies. If that comparison makes sense. Not much wood engineering, though the influence of the cask is plainly evident. Just good spirit, good cask, and the wisdom of the old ways of making whisky. This is good. Made me want to get my hands on an aged Springbank. Maybe the 21 or 25. Hmm. How can I get to try them...

In a way, whiskies of this style have gone out of favour in a market that tries to hit the masses. There's the peaty camp, led by the yearly Ardbeg "new" release (frankly, they all sound like permutations of the same few variables), the sherry camp (yet another Macallan anyone? Maybe we'll name the next one Auburn? Oh, they've gone with "Edition No. 1"??), and the Japanese ones ($300 for a 10 year old Yoichi sounds about right?). This Craigellachie (and the Springbanks I've tried) turn back the clock to an older style of whisky flavours (and production). The results are glorious.

For now, this is THE best whisky I've ever tasted, and that's matched by the longest review I've ever written. Pity it's not anywhere near affordable (DW got it at about 400 sterling at Heathrow Airport). Thanks for sharing bro!

We actually drank a few other whiskies that were decent tonight, but they were wimpy compared to this monster. I'll write up some quick notes on the Compass Box Great King Street Glasgow Blend and Douglas Laing's Timorous Beastie in a couple of days.

Quick sip of the Gordon and Macphail Connoisseur's Choice Caol Ila 2001 - 2014

A quick sip of the Caol Ila from the same series as the previous Ledaig. Roughly the same age too. Thanks to PY for this!

Gordon and Macphail Connoisseur's Choice Caol Ila 2001 - 2014

Nose - A little meaty, but not as big as in the Ledaig. That one was a cured meat market. This one feels more like the smell of ham lingering on the plate after the ham's been eaten. Fruity - apple peel, pear peel. Not quite the fruit itself though. This is "greener". A touch of vanilla and coconut - was this matured in a refill bourbon cask? Peat is not very strong in this, but rather smoky. Seems fairly characteristic of a Caol Ila, but perhaps with a bit more intensity. This vintage is better than the OB 12 year old.

Palate - This is smooth. Doesn't have much of an alcohol bite, and it is fairly velvety in texture. A fair amount of pepper, but the pepper doesn't hit hard. More like a low flame than a big blaze. The smoke is assertive, without extinguishing the fruitiness. Again, some apple peel, pear peel, and maybe a bit of coconut, but I'm not sure. Feels like a creamy smoked fruit. Does such a thing exist? Has anyone had smoked durians...? There's some savoury meatiness in there too, which makes it harder to distinguish the fruit. Maybe a guava with a bit of plum salt? The kind that you get at Singapore fruit stalls. Speaking of guava with salt, the best one I've ever tasted was from Taiwan, at the Huayuan Night Market at Tainan.

Finish - The pepper goes out with one last hurrah, leaving a tingling spiciness in its wake. This one lasts long. I had to put out the pepper with water to get a second taste.Anything else on the finish? Hmm. Faint smokiness, pepper...I don't think any of the fruits survived the last pepper blast.

Overall: The Ledaig was more fun and whacky, but this is classier. A good dram that showcases classic Caol Ila, but turns it up a notch. Good for its age! And, considering that PY got this at the same sale where I got the Ledaig, very value for money.

May Day Part 2 - Gordon and Macphail Connoisseur's Choice Ledaig (1999 - 2015)

This was one of the two bottles I picked up for myself from La Maison du Whisky's sale three weekends ago, the other being Compass Box's Great King Street Glasgow Blend. That one remains unopened. The Ledaig was opened last Saturday, when JE and DW came over. Initially, we had the Aberlour 18 at DW's place, but we had made a bet on the Manchester United vs. Leicester City game. If Man U won, we would each have a shot of a Hibiki 12. If Leicester won the match, and the title, we would crack open DW's Craigellachie 31. However, if the match ended in a draw, we would all down a shot of the Crown Royal North Harvest Rye. The match finished 1-1. 

After downing our shot of the "Whisky of the Year" (according to Jim Murray) (JE downed his in one gulp, reasoning that he didn't want to prolong the suffering), we were all dissatisfied. The night should not have ended thus. Result: we came over to my place for a second round of drinks and we had the Hakushu 18, Springbank 12, and this Ledaig.

G&M Connoisseur's Choice Ledaig (apparently pronounced Le-chig) 1999 - 2015 (46% abv)

Colour - Pale, just slightly darker than white wine. Maybe a little like a Moscato?

Nose - This dram assaults the nose powerfully. Wasabi, pepper, and then a lot of bacon and ham - proscuitto? Parma? Sweet cured meat, as advertised on the bottle. This is very salty too. The saltiest I've every nosed. Some lemon and lime, and apple rind. Rather unique in both its intensity and nose profile. JE says that this was very "fun". Such a vague word.

Palate - Lots of salt. Pepper, cigar ash, green bananas. Apple, from the part of the fruit just surrounding the core of a green apple. Still very meaty. Vanilla. Some riper apples after a while. Apple stewed in cinnamon?

Finish - cigar ash, vegetal peat. It is still a bit salty. This saltiness seems to be the hallmark of this vintage.

With water:

Nose - it develops an additional note that smells somewhere between baby's puke, and an oatmeal porridge (both of which don't rank high in my list of favourites). The rest of it remains more or less the same, with the pepper and ham toned down, but a little more smoke and peat. The salt remains.

Palate - Water makes this a bit more acidic, so a bit sharper, and a bit more sour. The sour-ness feels like the type of sour you get when biting into a berry. With water, the palate is sweeter and less salty.

Finish - the ash and smoke fade away, while the pepper lingers longer.

Overall - This is different. Not as amazing as the Springbank 12 we had just before it, but pretty good and quite unique. The meatiness in this when drunk neat is quite something to behold. I feel that it's better without water.

JE said that he would be willing to pay up to $180 for this, while DW said that he's maybe willing to pay $150. I bought this for under $80. Yay. Long live LMDW's sale!

May Day May Day! (Part 1) - A beer, and the Aberlour 18

A long weekend, and one too many drinks. Beer with WT and PY on Friday night, whisky with LT on Saturday, and whisky again on Sunday with DW and JE. A couple of new things, a few old things, something exciting, and something slightly revolting (maybe that's wording it too strongly).

First up, the beer.

I've never been much of a beer person. Something about the fizz in beer gets me feeling bloated and light-headed quite quickly compared to whisky. But the craft beers that PY has been introducing are very good indeed. Special mention goes to the EvilTwin Yin Imperial Stout.

It's the first stout that I'll say that I like. My past experiences with stouts and dark beers haven't gone too well. I either find them too yeasty, or too dark, too burnt. This one however, is perfect. A nose that's filled with lychee, especially if you get a good head of foam. On the palate, there are rich notes of dark chocolate and a double shot espresso. It's also fairly creamy. At 10% alcohol, this is a strong stout. And a really good one too.

Honourable mentions go to Brewdog's 5AM Saint. Hoppy and fruity. A really fun brewery!

Next, the whiskies!

Aberlour 18 (43% abv)

JE bought this from the DFS on my recommendation. We've been wanting to open this for a while. Aberlour is one of the distilleries that carry the banner for sherried speysides. Let's see how this goes.

Colour - Amber. A really nice colour!

Packaging - This one was a tough one to open. The rubber/wax sealing thing that they do to the cap made it difficult to open as there wasn't a string that we could pull to break the seal. Resorted to a knife and a lot of fingernail leverage. This better be worth the work.

Nose - This smells like a richly sherried whisky alright. Rich, succulent sherry, backed by a solid wall of spices - I got cinnamon and maybe nutmeg. Some suggestions of chocolate, and a bit of rum soaked raisins. Not as intense as the Kavalan Solist Sherry Cask, but this smells inviting.

Palate - Mmm. A little bit of a let down after the nose promised so much. Creamy, but the flavours are a lot more subdued. Some raisins, a little bit of leather. The chocolate doesn't really get off the ground. Vanilla, and some oak and spice to balance out the sweetness. This is close to honey but not quite. A good nose, but a little tame on the palate. Hmm.

Finish - Tastes like there's a bit of artificial colouring in this, with a drying feel that isn't quite tannins, but closer to the chemical caramel colouring. Raisins remain, as does some spices.

Overall - pleasant, but not enough richness and kick on the palate. Maybe this needs some time in the bottle to open up. Will probably give it a shot again a few weeks later.

That's Part 1 of this happy long weekend! Part 2 will be up in a couple of days, and it will review the Gordon and Macphail Connoisseur's Choice Ledaig 1999 - 2015. So exciting!