Liquid Log Entries 000 - 009 (1997) 00 - 30/12/1996 - MY AMAZING DISCOVERY
- The events that lead to my malt madness. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Log Entry # 0 - December 30, 1996
The world is divided in two kinds of people; those who haven't experienced single malt scotch whisky - and those who have! As hard as it is to imagine, I belonged to the former category once. And this very first entry in my 'Liquid
Log' is the perfect opportunity to tell you how I went from one state of affairs to the other. It all started in the year 1991 in a blaze of anger and stupidity. And this is how it all began... Parts of the evening are vague, but I remember the following drinks; - an Amaretto di Saronno (erm... a girly drink, I know. I like it with lots of ice.) Around midnight I developed a sudden urge for fresh air. Perhaps I just had too many intelligent conversations for one
evening... I went outside and just sat there for a while, enjoying the last spasms of summer. After a while, I felt ready to resume my duties and went back in there. The bass line of Bruce Hornsby's "The way It Is" was
overloading the speakers and everything seemed wonderful and laid back. When I reached the bar, the bartender - who knew of my experiment - grinned benevolently and shoved a cognac-glass in my direction. When he reached for a
mysterious green bottle I told him of my boycott, but he assured me my next drink wouldn't be French. He poured me a finger of the unknown drink, pathetically trying to hide the label from my curious eyes. Being of a somewhat
suspicious nature, I feared an attempt to poison me, so I kept bugging the bartender until he finally admitted the amber liquid before me was Scotch. I told him I already had a whisky that evening and that it would be a shame to
spoil my interesting little experiment. I will never forget the flash of wistful contempt that - only for a moment - crossed his fat face. He explained to me that I was about to experience a Single Malt Scotch Whisky; something
completely different from a blended whisky. He argued that single malts were a class of whisky on their own and these bottles shouldn't even be allowed in the same drinks cabinet with a Johnnie Walker Red Label. I sniffed the glass suspiciously and the rest is - as they say - history. That very same night we sampled three other single malts he had on stock (Glenmorangie, Glenfiddich and Bunnahabhain, if memory serves) and the differences in taste and character truly amazed me. The
barkeeper was either extremely drunk or he liked my cocktail recipes very much, because when I finally stumbled to the door to find my bicycle and get some sleep, he put the half-empty bottle of Lagavulin in my trembling hands. Perhaps as a result of those last few drinks, I don't seem to be able to recall the name of the cafe, and now it's gone forever. Since that
fateful night, however, I've become a great fan of Scotch Single Malt Whisky. It was the beginning of my personal 'Holy Grail' mission; the quest for The Perfect Single Malt. So, that's the story on how my disgust for
Jacques Chirac provoked my "Grande Boycotte de la Cognac et Armagnac", thus leading to my amazing discovery of SMSW. The Mission I have been enjoying single malt whiskies since my amazing discovery, over 5 years ago. But since then I've picked up a nasty case of 'malt madness'. Today (December 30, 1996), I have a drinking collection of
almost 40 bottles, most of which are single malts. Over the last 5 years I've tasted more than 100 different single malts; half of them 'by the glass' in restaurants and bars, half of them 'by the bottle' in the comfort of my own
home. Sadly, I never kept any notes on those experiences. All that remains are some vague memories.
I may be mad, but I can also be quite serious when it comes to single malts. Of course, this is no mean feat. I'm sure many livers and credit cards have been destroyed while their owners were trying to achieve this goal. If the third edition of Michael
Jackson's Malt Whisky Companion (a very useful guide through maltland) is anything to go by, there were over 330 different single malts available in 1994. Over the past few years, I've encountered quite a few bottles that are not
mentioned in his book. This proves there are a lot more than 330 single malts available; a conclusion strengthened by the fact that I recently spotted a list of 700 (!) different single malt whiskies on a website. I guess the
growing popularity of this type of whisky plays an important role in more single malts becoming more widely available. Nevertheless, I feel confident. And that's because I've got a strategy. Phase 1 - 'Search & Destroy' Phase 2 - 'Private Investigations' Phase 3 - 'Malt Mayhem' Sounds like a plan, huh? And drinking more is just what I've got in mind! This This system of double
bookkeeping (this Liquid Log and my Black Book) should ensure that the majority of the malts I taste are properly documented. Over the next few weeks, I'll taste all the single malts in my collection (+/- 30) and add them to the
brand new on-line version of my little black book. Let the malt madness begin! - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Log Entry # 1 - January 1, 1997 This is the first real entry in my new
'Liquid Log'. A joyous occasion, so you would think I would pick the oldest and rarest bottles in my collection for tonight's session. Well - I didn't. Instead, I decided to approach my new mission
in a structured fashion. Before I concentrate my sessions on the single malts in my collection, I'll try to 'phase out' some of the
blends and vatted malts that occupy my shelves. Comparing them to single malts
would be a bit like comparing apples and oranges, and I need to create some shelf space for a number of new acquisitions I've got planned anyway. So, tonight's line-up features a couple of 'premium' blends that have been on my bookshelf for a few months now. Musical choice: John Rutter's 'Magnificat'.
I decided to calibrate my senses with a re-tasting of the Vintage Islay Malt NAS
(40%, bastard bottling, 70cl). The bottlers of this independent label use the product of different distilleries each year, so the quality varies quite a bit from one year to the next. A few years back, they used a 6yo old Lagavulin, and that was an outstanding malt that has been in my top 10 for a long time. And it only cost fl. 30,- guilders - Less that 15 U$ Dollars. It scored 81 points, quite amazing for such a young malt. Now however, they must've used a 3yo Bruichladdich or something. (Although the sherry-overtones might indicate something like a Bunnahabhain...) It's an Islay all right (that's obvious from the first whiff), but the taste is quite a disappointment.
After this (relatively) bad start, things lightened up when I opened the miniature of Chivas Regal 'Royal Salute'
(40%, blend, 70cl) I'd been saving for a few weeks. Marvellous with a capital Mmmmm. I don't usually indulge myself with the overpriced "Premium Blends", but this was a gift and a greatly appreciated one at that. The miniature-bottle looked wonderful. I will have to get myself a large bottle soon. Around
80 points. I can't quite put my finger on what makes it so great, but I think this is my favourite blend. (Well, I haven't "seriously" tasted Johnnie Walker's Blue Label...) I continued with the
Johnnie Walker 12yo Black Label
(40%, blend, 70cl), a blend far superior to it's red labelled younger sibling. Heavy, malty aroma. A hint of oiliness with a candyish sweetness. Pleasant taste, not very pronounced, flows gently to the back of your mouth.
60 points, which makes it one of the better blends I've tasted so far! I finished the tasting session with a Teachers '60' Reserve Stock
(40%, blend, 70cl), a blend containing at least 60% pure malt whiskies, including the Glendronach. I like the ordinary Teacher's a lot (50 points - I often use it as my touchstone blend), but this one is even better. It's a blend, but it has an almost malt-like quality. This one falls in the price-range of cheaper vatted malts, but is actually a lot better than most vatted malts I've tasted thus far. A real pleasure to drink this blend.
56 points. Man - it seems that even the premiumest of blends have a hard time tickling my fancy these days. Ratings around 60 points just mean 'adequate'; it takes at least 75 points ('more than adequate') for
me to get excited these days. Am I getting spoilt by all the great single malts I have been tasting recently? I am afraid so. But hey - I've been only tasting single malts for about 5 years now. Let's see how I feel in another 5
years. I should have made some significant progress in - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Log Entry # 2 - February 5, 1997 Woo-hee, it's my birthday! And what about that collection?
But then again, before my Except for a few nicely priced Ultimate and Vintage
malts, I've never had any 'reputable' independent bottlings in my collection before. I've tasted a few private bottlings in restaurants and bars, but the results hadn't convinced me to look very hard for them. Be that as it may; overwhelming curiosity seems to be one of the symptoms of malt madness. I ignored my misgivings and selected three independent bottlings from single malts I've never tasted before; Allt-A-Bhainne, Glenlochy and Mortlach.
I started the session with the Allt-A-Bhainne 12yo (43%, James McArthur Fine Malt Selection, 75cl). The malt with the strange name (produced at Hmmm. That wasn't spectacular. Let's go for something older. The nose of the Mortlach 1984/1995 Centenary Reserve
(40%, Gordon & MacPhail, produced at Conclusion: The Mortlach was quite nice, but too expensive for such a score. It cost me almost 100 guilders; simply too much for such a rating. Relatively speaking, the other ones did even worse with prices of
well over 100 guilders a piece. I don't have cash flying out of my ass, so I'll probably focus my purchases on the mainstream malts for a little while longer. A good deal of the malts I've tasted over the previous weeks scored well
over 80 points at prices around 70 guilders. For now, that's good enough for me. So, now, before I sign off, I want to share some of my feelings about the old bottles
from my shelves that I nosed and scored during 1996 and the first few weeks of the year 1997. The Aberlour 10yo
(40%, OB, 70cl) has been a favourite low-budget malt for me for a long time. The nose is mighty expressive; a The aroma of the An Cnoc 12yo
(40%, OB, 70cl) is gentle and a little oily. Simple but pleasant. Mild, but with and "aftertingle" in the ceiling of my nose. Taste: More complex and "bolder" than I expected. Some creamy bitterness in it's afterglow. Not a "big" malt, but very nice and easy on the tongue. Good value.
73 points. The Auchentoshan 10yo (40%, OB, 70cl) was the very first Lowland whisky I ever tried and I can't say that I liked it very much. The nose was very light with an almost oily or grainy bouquet. A bit sharp and - dare I say - unimaginative. The taste was surprisingly supple; very smooth. It lacked development, though. Perhaps as a result of the triple-distillation? It's clean and smooth but to me it's more like a blend or a grain whisky. If I spend a lot of money on a bottle of single malt whisky I want to really feel something. This one is a fine whisky by itself but for the price you can do much better than just 68 points. The Balvenie 10yo 'Founder's Reserve' (40%, OB, 70cl) comes in a really lovely bottle, just like the 12yo Doublewood. It has a wonderful bouquet. Honey! Minty? Somewhat dry with a hint of old raisins. I wonder how that got in there. The taste was sweet and smooth; it gently flows through your mouth. A very nice malt, but not quite as noble as it's slightly older 'Doublewood' brother that has more sherry in it. 82 points. I really love the Balvenie 12yo 'Doublewood' (40%, OB, Bottled +/- 1995, 70cl). It's affordable and I must admit I just love the beautiful bottle and label. But what's inside the bottle isn't half bad either. The n ore shows much more sherry in than the 10yo. Honey and old fruit? Wonderful complexity, especially after adding some water. The taste: Sherry. Nutty sweetness. Dark chocolate, Peppermint? Complex with great development. Amazing balance. Yeah, this is certainly worth 86 points - highly recommendable. Here are my notes for the Benromach 12yo
(40%, Gordon & MacPhail, Bottled +/- 1995, 70cl) I love Islay malts but I'm no big fan of the Bruichladdich 10yo (40%, OB, Bottled +/- 1994, 70cl). In the end it's too weak to satisfy my need for Islay power. It has a smoky, yet subtle aroma - tingly with some oiliness. Did I imagine that touch of seaweed? The taste was rather soft and a little salty. Not really my cup of tea. Very light - the lightest Islay I ever tasted actually. Score: 77 points. The Caol Ila 11yo 1984/1995 (43%, Ultimate, Distilled 15/2/84, Bottled 4/95, Cask nr. 916; Bottle nr. 76 of 415, 70cl) had a lively aroma with some smokiness. An oily whiff of the sea. Particularly light smell; Pepper, Peat, gentle sea-character. The complex taste-development ends in a warm punch. Not really as peaty as I expected. A soft Islay malt. Score: 78 points. The nose of the Cragganmore 12yo (40%, OB, 70cl) that has been on my shelf for a few years was still amazingly complex. It's a bit hard to describe, but it shows a strange combination of light and heavy with a hint of fruit sweets. The taste showed nice and interesting development. Fresh at first with a clean but very long finish. Not as complex as it's promising aroma, but I gave it 81 points in the end. The Dalmore 12yo
(43%, OB, 100cl) has become a big favourite of mine since I discovered it around three years ago. It's very accessible - and affordable as well. It has an overwhelming bouquet, very round & sweet. The taste disappoints just a bit after the "nostril symphony". A very quick taste-development, peppery bitterness followed by a long, burning warmth. All my bottles so far scored
80 points. I can't say I was too crazy about the Drumguish 3yo
(40%, OB). The nose was a bit of a stinker. Quite dry, light and malty smell with sweet undertones. The taste was undistinguished; rather bland (light and dry, touch of peat) and evaporates quickly. This one isn't much better than your average blend, so I think they should keep this one stocked until the next millennium. One of the worst single malts I ever tasted!
40 points. The nose of the Glen Deveron 12yo (40%, OB, 70cl) shows lemons - something you're supposed to find in Lowland whiskies. A bit malty, but not too much. Some sweetness. The taste falls somewhat behind. Pleasant, but it's a short pleasure. Dry. Not a malt I would recommend to anyone; only slightly better than 'Fiddich Special Reserve. My score sticks at 63 points. The Glenfarclas 10yo (40%, OB, 70cl) has been a silent favourite ever since I discovered it, although the nose is very hard to define. There is sherry, but there is more. Overwhelming bouquet with some malty smokiness. The taste starts off quite dry, but develops very nicely into a deep, long lasting sweetness. The last few glasses had little nose left - but the taste was still bloody great. Score: 79 points. I've never been too crazy about the Glenfiddich 'Special Reserve'
(43%, OB, 100cl) for the same reasons I'm not drooling over Auchentoshan 10 or Glen Deveron 12 - not expressive enough for my tastes. I think the
Glenkinchie 10yo (43%, OB, 70cl) is And then there's the 'famous'
Glenlivet 12yo
(OB). I think it must be the biggest seller after Glenfiddich and in this case my own tastes seem more 'in synch' with those of the general public. I remember buying a few big bottles in the 1980's, but I've only tried two different versions since my amazing discovery; a 50cl bottle at 43% (bottled +/- 1990 I guess) that scored
71 points and a 35cl bottle at 40% (bottled +/- 1993 I guess) that scored 73 points. It seems Glenlivet is on the way up. The nose of the Glenmorangie 10yo (43%, OB, 100cl) from the Northern Highlands had a
The Glen Moray 12yo 'Elgin Classic'
(43%, OB, Matured in oak casks, 70cl) displayed a fresh and round aroma. Sweets? The bouquet triggered an overpowering flashback of heather in August. The taste was fresh and spicy, but unfortunately it disappeared too soon. Quite dry. A nice autumn-malt at a very nice price, too. I'd have to go with
75 points for this one. The Highland Park 6yo 1988/1995
(43%, Ultimate, Distilled 12/1988, Bottled 6/1995, Oak cask nr. 1210; Bottle nr. 120 of 480) was one of my very first independent bottlingds. It had a surprisingly light aroma with just a little smoke. Sangria? The fresh bouquet clearly distinguishes it from the 12-year OB. Taste: Wild; slowly drifts away. Less sweet than the ODB 12 yrs. This whisky doesn't really give away its Island character, especially compared to the older, official bottlings. That's too bad, so I went with
75 points. The Highland Park 12yo
(43%, OB, 70cl) was one of my first 'amazing discoveries' after the Lagavulin and I've bought several bottles over the last few years. A 50cl bottle that must have been bottled around 1992 scored 86 points so now I'll have to check if the 70cl botle that was bottled a few years later performs just as well. The nose showed an overwhelming, fruity sweetness. Sherry. Sweets and coffee beans? A hint of peat. More smoky sea-character than younger, private bottlings. The taste was just great: perfectly balanced sweetness, somewhat dry. A pinch of salt and a little peat. Some smoke. It just kept on playing around my tongue and palate. This malt quickly grows on you, but compared to the fabulous Macallan 12 it scores
85 points. The nose of the Isle of Jura 10yo
(43%, OB, 100cl) is round and oily with just a hint of the sea. One dimensional. A bit depressing. Not like any of the other "Island" whiskies I ever tasted. Taste: Unremarkable; hardly woke up my taste-buds. Aftertaste somewhat astringent. Although some of my favourite malts are from the islands, this one scores
59 points - below Glenfiddich Special Reserve, and that should say something. Well, if you've read the story of my amazing discovery you'll know that Lagavulin 16yo
(43%, OB, 100cl) was one of the first single malts I ever tasted and still my number one. The greatest whisky this side of the galaxy. The nose of the Miltonduff 12yo
(43%, OB, 70cl) shows a lot of flowery freshness. Light and clean. It also has a very nice palate with a lot more flavour on the tongue. Toffee? A real mouth-warmer, although it doesn't seem powerful at first. Not very complex either. I arrived at
74 points - just below average. Sometimes I get a distinct association with shellfish when I smell the Oban 14yo
(43%, OB, 100cl). The nose is a little salty, but restrained. A pinch of peat and some short, sweet bursts. More peat later on. The aroma also reminds me of a farm on the shore - couldn't remember what it was. Taste: Smooth, soft start develops into a smoky burn. Good mouth feel. Well balanced with sweet and salty episodes. Sweeter with time. Dry finish. How much I like this really depends on my mood, but the average would be something like
77 points. The Old Fettercairn 10yo
(43%, OB, 75cl) has a funny story attached to it. It was given to me by a friend who I visted in the hospital. I think it was even before I made my amazing discovery. Somehow the bottle ended up in the back of my liquor cabinet and I wasn't opened for years. I think I opened it about 3 years ago and I just finished it about two months ago. My score was
74 points. The Speyburn 10yo (40%, OB, 70cl) shows just a hint of sherry in the nose. The nose of the Springbank 14yo 1979/1994
(46%, OB, Distilled 12/79, Bottled 1/94, 70cl) is rich, yet light and sweet. Somewhat oily as well. The taste is rather salty and dry; it took its time developing around my tongue and kept floating in the back of my mouth. I scored it at
78 points. A bit of a disappointment; given the steep price. There are a lot of different versions of this malt around, but they're not quite at the top of my shopping list. Most of them are heavily overpriced, i.m.h.o.
I discovered the Talisker 10yo
(45,8%, OB, 100cl) quickly after I discovered the Lagavulin 16yo. The nose is very rich and full with a robust smokiness. Peat and an overwhelming salty sea-bouquet. The taste virtually explodes on your tongue and the smoky pepper keeps hanging around in the back of your throat long after your last guzzle. Extremely complex for a malt so relatively young. My latest litre bottling scored
92 points - one point more than the score I gave to a 700ml bottle a few years ago. And that's really all I have to say... - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Log Entry # 3 - April 11, 1997
Adwy, a colleague of me, organised a major dinner & malt tasting event at his house. Two of the seven malts we tasted this evening were completely new to me, so it should have been an interesting evening. Sadly, I was plagued
by a bad nose - again... That's why I didn't rate the malts we tasted tonight. After a nice Gamba-meal we started the tasting with a Longmorn 15yo
(45%, OB, 100cl). Very nice, complex and hard to define. The bottle on my own bookshelf is already half empty, but somehow I still haven't been able to give it a definitive rating yet. I expect it to rate somewhere in the lower 80's. Nobody was particularly impressed with the
Tamdhu NAS (40%, OB, 70cl), especially compared to the other malts we tasted that evening. The good old Macallan 12yo
(43%, OB, 100cl) was great as always, and after the Tamdhu the heavy and unique sherry sweetness seemed even more pronounced. The Tamnavulin 10yo
(40%, OB, 70cl) isn't really my type of whisky, but it really has got a character of it's own. Oily and grassy, I have no other way of describing it. Adwy was very enthusiastic about the "greasy" Knockando 1979
(43%, OB, 35cl), but the rest of those present didn't really subscribe to that opinion. This was also more or less the case with the Dalwhinnie 15yo
(40%, OB, 70cl). I tasted this whisky on several occasions but I just don't like it enough to buy a whole bottle of the stuff (much to the chagrin of some friends, who really seem to like it). A fellow-taster described it as a "sissy whisky" and I couldn't agree more. The highlight of the evening, for me, was the
Glenfiddich 15yo Cask Strength
(51%, OB, 100cl). The "ordinary" Special Reserve is one of my least favourite single malts with a rating of 60 points. Sadly enough it's the biggest selling single malt. Well, I just don't dig it. The 15 years old version however, seemed perfectly OK in my book. Of course, my tongue was pretty numb at the time, but at 51% it still seemed rather smooth. Great complexity in it's aroma; a wonderful example of the benefits of ageing. I'm going to have to buy myself a bottle to explore this one further in the future.
Because I made the unwise decision to have a few more night-caps when I got home (I really needed that after the subway-trip), I'm not quite sure about the order of consumption of the various malts. I am quite sure
about the amount of fun I've had tonight, however - a lot! - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Log Entry # 4 - June 21, 1997
Ah... The humanity of it all... Every now and then I flee the big and hectic city of Amsterdam
to absorb some peace and quiet in the country. My family owns some property in 'De Veluwe', one of the least populated area's of Holland. Once every year, usually at the first full moon of the summer, my brother and I organise a big all-night theme-party in the middle of the woods. The party-place is a clearing, surrounded by old oak trees, the light is provided by a flew globes hanging in the trees and the music is hand-picked by myself. (... and therefor of excellent quality.) Drinks and overheated guests are cooled in a big old bathtub in the centre of the clearing. A lot of people bring their tents (as well as a wide variety of drinkable and smokable substances) and the partying usually continues until the sun rises again.
In 1995, the theme was 'A Midsummer Night's Dream', everybody danced around aimlessly in toga's and big white sheets to the subtle rhythm of new age music. It was a great succes, so we decided to simply pick the same theme for
this year's events. I've been doing a lot of whisky-evangelising among my friends lately, so I decided to add a broad selection of whiskies to the mix. I started by pouring a Scotch single malt, Benriach 10yo
(40%, OB, 70cl). It came alive quite nicely after a disappointing first whiff of "grain". Very soft, but it grows more interesting as you go along. Nutty (?) and flowery sweetness. It just needed some time to breathe, I guess. A rather soft taste with a powerful afterglow. Despite an uninspired start it turned out to be a nice summer-malt. It was quite popular with the guests as well - especially the ones who were used to drinking blends. A well-deserved
71 points. I have to remind myself to shoot the clerk at my neighbourhood Gall & Gall. The Glen Talloch 8yo 'Pure Malt' is a 'vatted malt' - a blend of malt whiskies from different distilleries. A vatted malt doesn't contain any grain
whisky - which seemed like good idea after the Blackbarrel. I'm not sure, but I think this stuff is bottled exclusively for the Dutch market. It has a sweetish nose, very malty. A sweet, deep undercurrent. Softer and more balanced
than the standard Glen Talloch blend, but similar in character. The taste doesn't live up to the very decent nose; soft, uncharacteristic and gone too soon. 48 points. Around 23:00 I figured it was time to leave
Scotland and cross the sea to visit the Bushmills distillery in Northern Ireland. They claim Bushmills is the oldest whisky distillery in the world; founded in 1608. The Bushmills Malt 10yo
is one of the few single malts produced in Ireland. The nose is soft and not very expressive. The taste was soft, dry and a little salty. A bit rough on the palate. The taste lacks development and vanishes quite quickly. Rating:
49 points. Most guests seemed to be more enthusiastic about it than I was. Next up, an By now, we had tasted
a Scotch single malt whisky, an Irish single malt whiskey, a Scotch single grain whisky, a Scotch vatted malt whisky and an Irish blended whiskey tonight. This should prove to anyone that I'm not prejudiced when it comes to alcohol.
It must have been around midnight when Richard, one of my best friends, came up to me and told me he had an interesting challenge for me. Because I already had a few cocktails, I was feeling pretty daring. (I think you know the
feeling...) Recklessly I accepted, without knowing what the challenge was. Richard smiled viciously and unveiled a large green chemicals-bottle with a large toxic-sign on it. He told me he put three-quarters of his
favourite single malt in it, and I could have it all if I could determine the content of the mysterious green bottle. So that was a nasty mess I had gotten myself into. Erik, another friend of mine, declared that the challenge obviously wasn't challenge enough. He double-dared me with a new challenge: If I could determine
the distillery as well as the age without a nosing glass, he would get me another bottle of that very same malt. If I failed, he got to drink the rest of the green chemicals bottle. And there I was, faced with a difficult decision.
Well - not difficult at all, really, considering the state I was in. With a benign nod I accepted. After some more serious sniffing and a few guzzles I managed to narrow my options down to a The leaves of the oak trees gently shivered in the wind and it was a true "Midsummer Night's Dream". It could have been one of the highlights of my life. It was at that moment in time, that fate decided to fart in my
face. I don't know if the diet of that evening (a lot of peanuts and a lot of booze) had something to do with it, but I suddenly needed to make an emergency-visit to the toilet. Needless to say, this proved quite a blemish on my
new-found status. When I finally managed to return to the party-place, the bottle was already empty. And I knew I could never again bring up the glorious moment in conversations with my friends, because it would always be linked to
my somewhat less glorious finale and exit. Reality is an illusion that occurs due to lack of alcohol....... - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Log Entry # 5 - July 15, 1997 I've recently discovered Ardbeg
- one of the few Islay distilleries I haven't tried before. Within a few months it has become one of my favourite Islay malts - after Lagavulin, of course. High time for a head-to-head tasting of a few different versions to find out more. The location: My family's 'estatette' on De Veluwe - one of the last remaining 'wild' area's of Holland. It is surrounded by a few acres of private forest.
A few years ago my brother and I created our own open-air boozing lounge there; a clearing in the woods, surrounded by old oak-trees. I've put up some seats there, and we've even hung a few lights from the trees. The effect on a
summer night is pure magic; the lights create an effect of a green, fairy tale cave. Whenever the wind touches the leaves of the oaks, the ceiling and walls of the 'cave' seem to vibrate with the essence of life. Next
to the locale of the traditional midsummer forest-party my brother and I throw every year, it has been the site of many a whiskytasting. I concentrated myself on three different versions of Ardbeg this particular evening, and was
amazed by the differences. The Ardbeg 1974/1995
(40%, G&M Connoisseurs Choice, 70cl) was the only big bottle in the collection. This one needs some warmth to reveal it's complexity. Definitely Islay, but not as overwhelming as Lagavulin. I was amazed once more by the trademark delay in taste-development. Smoky and obviously Islay, with a long and balanced oaky aftertaste. Some "Phroaig" saltiness, but more balanced. Preliminary ratings on previous tastings ranged between 85 and 88 points; tonight I decided on a final rating of
87 points. It got a bit chilly while I waited for the moon to rise, but a miniature of Ardbeg 19yo 1974/1994
(43%, Ultimate, 70cl) succeeded in warming me just fine. It was nr. 525 of a series of 600 miniatures from cask nr. 4395, distilled at 27/9/74 and bottled in June 1994, according to the label. It seemed to have a slightly more distinct Islay character with some more oak and seaweed. More in balance than the 1974; A provisional score of 88 points. This is one of the rare occasions where I've found an 'Ultimate' bottling worth it. They usually fall a bit short.
When the moon was finally up, I finished the evening with the tiny flask of the Ardbeg 1972 Cask Strength (?%, Cadenhead's, +/- 10 cl) that a friend sent over from Scotland. Definitely the winner of the
evening, Despite the more salty character reminding of Laphroaig, it was even more balanced than the others - with an even greater complexity. This one would fit right in my top three list with a preliminary rating of 92 points. A night well spent... - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Log Entry # 6 - August 30, 1997 I like a good hangover as much as the next guy, but
last night (or rather, this morning) I've discovered my limits. I'd invited four rugby-mates over to introduce them to
the wonderful world of single malts. Big mistake.... We started the evening off with a Macallan 12yo
(43%, OB, 100cl), a single malt everybody seems to like - and rightly so, in my opinion. Strangely enough, none of them seemed to enjoy it very much. They liked it, but I didn't get the enthusiastic response I usually get when I introduce a novice to the Macallan. When one of my guests described it as "sharp" I started to worry a bit - Macallan is one of the smoothest and most balanced malts I know - perfect for 'beginners'.
The next malt, a Bowmore 6 yrs 1989/1996
(43%, Ultimate, 70cl) went down quite well altogether, but three of them (all "forward" players, incidentally) didn't notice any difference with the previous malt. Hmmmm... The only similarity I could find was a rather pronounced sweetness. The Bowmore 6 is nothing like the Bowmore 12 and "Surf"; it's fresher, it's got a sweeter and oilier bouquet, it's lighter, It's got a drier aftertaste.... It's completely different.
Well, now I was beginning to worry quite a bit. When I invited them to pick their next bottle themselves they went for an old bottle of Cardhu 12yo
(40%, OB, 70cl) that was nearly empty. When I asked them why they picked it, they told me they thought it was the prettiest bottle. Phew... To me the nose was a little sharp and grainy, but it has something I've always found easy to recognize - those little yellow chemical banana-candy things. The nose developed quite nicely and slowly, but my rugby-mates finished their glasses within a minute so how would they ever notice?
After their display of ignorance I decided the "good stuff" was completely wasted on these philistines and we switched over to the three-quarters of MacAllister 8yo 'Pure Malt'
(40%, vatted malt, 70cl) that had been in my cupboard for ages because it's absolute crap. One of my guests actually preferred it over the Macallan. Go figure. I sort of gave up on them when one of the barbarians
spotted a fresh bottle of Southern Comfort in my drinks cabinet and stated that it was the nicest whisky he ever had. We emptied the bottle and the rest of the evening is somewhat hazy. I do remember a vague discussion on how it is
that women rarely seem to like whisky, and a new drinking-song we wrote within an hour, titled "Per Ardua Ad Nauseam". Which once again proves that alcohol is the perfect lubricant for creative processes. On the other
hand, I completely forgot to give scores tonight. Ah, well - I managed to protect all bottles of single malt from emptiness, so I'll have another chance soon. To quote Frank Sinatra: 'I feel sorry for people who don't
drink. When they wake up in the morning, that's as good as they are going to feel all day.' - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Log Entry # 7 - October 18, 1997 I bought my brother a set of 5 different Glenmorangie
miniatures (10, 18, Madeira, Port, Sherry) for his birthday and he was kind enough to include me in the tasting-ritual. I've heard a lot of people aren't too enthusiastic about the "special wood finish" series of Glenmorangie, but I found most of them quite pleasing and "easy on the tongue".
For reference-purposes we started off with the Glenmorangie 10yo
(43%, OB, 5cl) - the most widely available variety. Very subtle and complex, but not quite easy on the tongue. An old favourite of mine, It's the only one of the five versions I'd tasted before. My score of 82 points
stands, but my brother begged to differ - He thought is was worth only 81 points. It took him several slaps around the head to realise I was right after all. The first thing that came to mind when sampling the
Glenmorangie 18yo
(43%, OB, 5cl) was oranges. Pepper again clearly distinguishable. The taste is overwhelming and much more "woody" than the 10yo Very nice indeed. Still, at first sight we couldn't find a justification for the huge price-difference. Although miles apart in character, 18yo got a temporary score of 84; which isn't too much considering the long wait of the 8 extra years. My brother sensibly agreed with my conclusions.
We continued with the Glenmorangie Madeira Wood Finish (43%, OB, 5cl). Very special and characteristic. I haven't tasted any malt that even comes near this one, character wise. A faint oiliness in it's aroma,
along with a slight whiff of citrus and some smokiness. Nuts? The taste starts off on a fruity note, develops in a "summer fruit" sweetness and ends in a pleasant bitterness, along with the pepper-character of the 10yo
This one might end up even higher on my hitlist than the 10yo Temporary score 83 points, definitely worth investigating. Then we went for the Glenmorangie Port Wood Finish
(43%, OB, 5cl). Remarkable sweetness, as unique as the Madeira. The aroma reminds of that of a fine Tawny Port. A very supple taste with a definite woody port-character. This whisky has an almost Cognac-like quality; one can almost taste the grapes! After adding water the familiar "spicy" character of the other versions becomes more pronounced. It also revealed something toffeeish ...or was it?
The Glenmorangie Sherry Wood Finish
(43%, OB, 5cl) makes painfully obvious why Glenmorangie ages it's whiskies in Bourbon casks. This one was a disappointment after the previous experiences. The sherry overwhelms the trademark 'Morangie complexity, and adding water doesn't help a bit. Unbalanced. My brother described it well when he said the different aroma- and taste-components seemed antagonistic. We agreed on a temporary 75 points - and that was just because we were feeling generous.
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Log Entry # 8 - November 7, 1997 Major tasting at the beautiful home of Reinier Schaper, a colleague. As the
result of a slight case of sinusitis I was temporarily 'nasally challenged', which broke my heart when I saw the wonderful collection of malts over the host's fireplace. We started off with a Mortlach 16yo
(40%, Gordon & MacPhail, 70cl) which had a truly wonderful aroma that reminded of rum. Perhaps a little too much sherry for my taste, definitely too dry. Adding water is a mistake. The wonderful complexity deserved a preliminary score of 81 points - almost as good as the Gordon & MacPhail 1969 bottling I tasted for my birthday this year (see
In my weakened condition I wasn't fully able to enjoy the subtleties of the Macallan 18yo
(43%, OB, 70cl). The overwhelming sweetness was unmistakable though. A very long aftertaste that keeps fooling around with your tongue. Oaky with hints of currants? Very "round" and a fine structure; perfect balance. Very different in character from the 10 and 12 year old versions I've tasted before. Sadly, I forgot to check the vintage. I'll give it 89 or 90 provisional points, which would put it at nr. 3 or 4 in my personal hitlist. Of course, such matters can't be decided in a whim, so I suppose I'll have to sell a kidney or something so buy myself a big bottle.
After a Chinese meal we continued with a large helping of the Bowmore 12yo
(43%, OB, 70cl) I brought. Although it recently dropped off my Top 10, I still like it a lot and consider it an old friend. The Bowmore 12 is very distinctive; it's the most sherried Islay I know. The fine balance between Islay roughness and sherry sweetness (just a little) make this one of the most accessible Islays. The Frank Zappa album the host was playing at that point of the evening didn't really enhance the tasting-experience.
Next on our list was the Chivas "100" Century of Malts. Absolutely the best vatted malt I ever tasted, containing 100 different single malts (according to the label, that is...). Very nice and a
provisional score of 72. The bottle comes with a little booklet detailing the 100 malts. I tasted only about a quarter of them, and to be honest I didn't recognise any of them in the blend.
After a glass of my other contribution, Bunnahabhain 12yo (40%, OB, 50cl) we finished with the Glenmorangie Port Wood Finish
(43%, OB, 70cl), which lost a point and deserved a definite rating of 84 points. It was a shame we didn't get to the Glengoyne 12yo straight from the distillery that Adwy, the host of Nevertheless, I think this has been one of the best tastings of my life so far, pointwise. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Log Entry # 9 - December 15, 1997 Nice and quiet tasting at home with just me, myself and I (and Steely Dan's 'Aja' in the background). Because of my expected Christmas bonus I needed some shelf-space, so I decided to finish
some nearly empty bottles. I started with the last glass from a bottle of Jameson 12yo (40%, Next up was a Suntory Kakubin NAS (40%, Japanese blend, 70cl). I decided to turn my attention to
Three bottles empty, two more to go. (And the soft notes of Donald Fagen's 'The Nightfly' help in the digestive process.) The Strathglen 12yo, (40%, vatted malt, 70cl) only carries some complexity in its nose when you add a
big gulp of water. The taste isn't very interesting; rather bland actually. Sharp, short aftertaste. 39 points; a real disappointment when you consider the age. The lesser said the better.
The last glass from the last bottle was the absolute winner of the evening; Laphroaig 10yo
(43%, OB, 70cl) This was my third bottle and I'm quite sure before long there will be a fourth one to fill it's place in my 'steady stock'. The overpowering aroma of iodine gives this malt an unique quality. A 'medicinal' smell mixed with just a hint of sourness. It's also remarkable because of it's fondness of water - every drop changes the aroma, very subtle when you go beyond the initial blast in your face. The taste is very dry and salty; more "Islay" than Islay itself. I'm usually pretty sure about my scores after I drank a bottle of a certain single malt (Never an entire bottle in one single tasting, mind you!), but this one keeps me in constant doubt. One day I think the score on my hitlist (
84 points) was too gracious, the next I think it should be in my top five. Everybody should try this one at least once in their lives; it's one of the most extreme malts I know. O.K. - it's now almost one year after I started my mission. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - (Click HERE for an overview of all log entries)
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