Liquid Log Entries 050 - 059 (2000) 50 - 01/09/2000 - TOP 10 TIPPLE
- A look at my ten favourite (commercial) malts - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Log Entry # 50 - September 1, 2000 In the nine years since my amazing discovery of single malts, my senses seem to have been magically enhanced. My sense of taste has developed considerably, and with it my appreciation of Single Malt Scotch Whisky. It's the wonderful variety in character and style that sets "the water of life" apart from other noble drinks like Cognac, Armagnac and Calvados. This wide variety makes it difficult to discuss single malts in terms of "good" or "bad". Like so many things in life, it's a matter of personal preference. That's why I'd like to stress once more that the rantings and ratings on this site just refelect my own personal opinion. For what it's worth, here's my current Top 10;
These are just my TOP 10 'commercial' single malt bottlings (and distilleries). I haven't included independent bottlings by the likes of
Cadenhead and Murray McDavid in my Top 10, because those bottlings are usually hard to find and limited in production numbers by definition. Listing single malts nobody can find would be pointless, eh?
(That being said, my recently added
Well, that's it, really. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Log Entry # 51 - September 7, 2000 11.58 : Phew!
The evening is still young, so allow me to bore you with a few tall tales from the south of France while I pour myself a stiff dram of the... lets see... Laphroaig 15yo. I have found myself a new passion.
However, all of that is forgotten when you're standing on the top of the mountain; strapped in and ready to fly. In the distance,
you can barely see your designated landing point - marked by a foreboding cross. The fact that it's almost a mile below your
starting point and this is your first actual flight doesn't bother you one bit; after all, you've had several helpful theory lessons. And then the instructor starts shouting at you: 'Run! Run! Run!'
... You're flying. I assure you, my first flight was one of the most exhilarating moments of my life (whilst not in bed, that is...) Just flying there,
enjoying the wind in my face and the beautiful scenery of the French Alps. Soaring half a mile over the tip of a little old church I
admired only a few hours ago gave me a whole new perspective on things. And the really amazing thing is that it's just a lot of hot
air that's carrying you. You would think I should be used to that by know, after a career in the Internet business and all... To cut a very long story short - I had to return prematurely.
But what about the Laphroaig 15yo (43%, OB), you ask? Wonderful as ever. Peaty and sweet; with a hint of sherry in the nose.
This is the first time I noticed a certain resemblance with Bowmore 17 and 21. I decided I wasn't tired anymore and have myself a
tasting session. That's one of the advantages of my bachelor's life - I can follow my own rhythm and do whatever I like whenever I
want to. So, while I'm at it - why not play some of the music I have been missing so much over the last few days. I have been
'napstering' frantically over the last month and decided to play some MP3's of a band I've just discovered: Toad The Wet Sprocket.
Spending a week in the fresh mountain air must've been good for my sinuses. I have a very good nose day, so I will have a closer look at two blends that have been eluding me for over a year. The House of Lords 12yo
(40%, blend) is rather filthy - but the bottle was over 5 years old when I got it as a gift. Little beyond the sharpness in the nose. Some nuttiness after 10 minutes. Taste
was bland and watery, yet sharp. If I had to describe it in one single word it would be 'de-appetizing'. Final rating 24 points.
Considering the age of the bottle this probably isn't fair. I won't buy another bottle to appease my sense of justice though. Let's try another blend; Te Bheag NAS (40%, blend). I picked up the YB 'Why Be' NAS
(40%, blend) in France almost two year ago. The nose seems inoffensive at first, but turns rather oily after that. Later sweeter. The taste is not very pleasant, but smooth enough, with a short afterburn. I guess it isn't
completely fair to rate a whisky so long after opening the bottle, but then again it wouldn't have been on my shelves this long if it was a nice whisky. 26 points. It's 03:25. Let's finish the evening in style with a H2H of two bottom shelf vatted malts, Glen Salen and Glen Green 5yo Neither one was a big winner. The Glen Salen NAS
(40%, vatted malt) was a bit malty in the nose, with a hint of sherry and something like cookies. The taste was soft and sweet, with menthol later on. The Glen Green 5yo (40%, vatted malt) smelled and tasted more like a cheap blend. The nose had no real distinguishing features; the taste was sweetish. OK, Now I've gotten these tricky final ratings out of the way I can add them to my new That's it for now, folks. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Log Entry # 52 - September 24, 2000 With the introduction of my new stock system
, every bottle that is emptied causes one or more other bottles to move between shelves. When I decided to finish the bottle of Glenrothes 1985/1997 (43%, OB) on my top shelf (despite my bad nose day) I
knew there would be consequences. Boy - this is a nice nose! Sherried, sweet, spicy, a little nutty, some pipe tobacco - my kind of
malt. The taste is soft and smooth; some menthol this time? Warm and long finish, but just a pinch too bitter to reach 'highly recommendable'
status. Nevertheless, this malt has aged pretty well; the rating of 79 stands. But.... now there's an empty spot on my top shelf... Nose: Soft; a bit oily and spicy at first. Then sweeter, very gentile. But.... now there's an empty spot on my bottom shelf - meaning I have to finalise the rating of one of the less popular malts from middle shelf. I went for the Glentromie 12yo
(40%, OB). If memory serves, this stuff comes from the same distillery as Drumguish 3yo. Nose: A bit spirity. Flat; no depth. Maybe a bit malty. Very disappointing. But.... now there's an empty spot on my middle shelf...
Well - the bottle is a bitch to open. After I finally managed to remove the plastic cork wrapper a smooth plastic cork cap appeared
- much too smooth for my greedy little hands. However - this was soon forgiven when I sniffed the first whiff from the bottle - salty, peaty and sweet - just the way I like it.... This is no Glenfarclas, that's for sure. The nose has a lot to offer - a lot of interesting fragrances apart from the peat. The taste isn't nearly as sweet as the nose and
starts off quite soft. After a few seconds, the peat explodes and slowly dies out in a sweet finish. Very nice, a bit 'greasy'. But... Is it the Lagavulin or the Talisker? Judging from the peat I'd say Lagavulin, but the seaweed in the nose and 'explosion' in the taste could indicate a Talisker. Let's have another glass to make sure.
Nose: Peat. I picked up more chloride. Burnt cookies?
I had my doubts, so I asked the malt oracle from Australia, Craig Daniels, about it. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Log Entry # 53 - October 7, 2000
Wow! Tonight had the most beautiful sunset I've seen in years. Cobalt and violet high up in the sky, yellow and orange above the
horizon, divided by clouds who were backlit by the sun. Some clouds had a deep, reddish hue that reminded me of the Bowmore Darkest. I got inspired, sat down on the balcony and poured myself a dram. After the latest It has to be said that the particular way this malt is bottled can cause major differences between different batches. I guess I just
got stuck with one of the lesser ones. See the interview with David Gilchrist for details. I needed something 'safe' after the unsettling Bowmore Darkest. I still might buy another bottle in the future, though. OK - I feel ready for a final rating. The lucky winner:
Glendronach 9yo 1987/1998 (43%, Signatory Vintage, matured in sherry butt #62, bottle #522 of 580). The nose starts soft (a bit oily), but grows into a very sherried attack. Deep sherry, not much else. So - the 'Dronach moves from my middle to my bottom shelf. This means I can open a fresh bottle from my reserve stock. Although 'Old' Fettercairn 10yo
(40%, OB) doesn't sound particularly fresh, I've been very curious about this one for quite some time.
About ten years ago, a friend gave me a bottle as one of the first single malts I ever tasted. I liked it back then, but I want to find out if it still manages to tickle my (more experienced) fancy. I felt 'jazzy', so I put on a CD of Chet Baker and poured myself a dram of the Tullibardine 10yo (40%, OB). It has been on my
shelves for almost a year and the overwhelming oily character had changed to a more nutty tune. The taste had a oily sweetness
and some toffee, much better than I remembered. Still too oily in the finish. This one has actually improved - it just took a year. Final rating is increased from 59 to 61 points
- and it might even grow further if this change keeps up. As long as we're exploring the nether regions of my shelves, I might as well go for a double check of the Loch Lomond NAS (40%,
OB) I rated not so long ago. It's spirity and malty in the nose; sweet and sharp on the tongue. Sweeter nose later on; some
smokiness? It lacks character, but I can't seem to pin down why I dislike this malt so much. It's rating drops from 58 to 51 points.
The less said the better. Quite a few mid-priced blends and vatted malts are superior; avoid it.
Not a single single malt (huhuh - geddit?) managed to break the 80-points barrier tonight. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Log Entry # 54 - October 15, 2000 The bottle of Glegoyne 12yo
(43%, OB) has been almost empty for quite a while now.
OK - What bottle moves from my middle shelf to my bottom shelf?
And while I'm in top tasting form, why not have another look at a malt that has been puzzling me for about six months now; the Caol Ila 21yo 1975/1997
(61.3%, UD Rare Malts). I thought I had finally figured it out with a final rating of 87 points, but recent
dramming indicated that it should score even higher. When I poured myself a dram I was surprised once more by the light colour of
this cask strength malt. Almost yellow. The nose has the obviously Islay peat, but there's just so much more to it. Like a fresh sea
breeze. Wonderful complexity; the character changes with the minute. The taste (undiluted) is sweet and peaty, understandably
strong. Some water revealed some fainter elements in the nose and peppermint on the palate, but broke up the finish. I am still in doubt, but for now the rating of 87 points
stands. It won't get into my Top 10, because this isn't a 'commercial' bottling - in the sense that it can't easily be replaced.
Oh yeah, let's not forget I got to open another bottle from my reserve stock. At first sight, it's hard to imagine why they made this one of the 'classic malts' - but then again, I have my doubts about other
choices in that particular selection as well. In fact, my personal selection of 'classic malts' might look something like: Islay - Laphroaig 10 But then again - would I pick these regions? Would I base my selection on regions at all? After all, I find the Highland Park 12 (an
Island whisky) closer in style to the Macallan 12 (a Speyside malt) than to its fellow Islander Talisker 10. I might have to write a log entry on this topic some time. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Log Entry # 55 - October 20, 2000
The bottle of Balvenie 15yo 1980/1996 'Single Barrel' (50.4%, OB) may very well have been on my shelves for over three years now, and oxidation is finally beginning to take its toll. I decided to empty the bottle. Peppery nose with lots of nuances and
character; smooth taste after dilution. See previous tasting reports for more detailed tasting notes. Still a very good dram with a very good cask strength burn. The original rating of 85 points
stands, because I feel anything that happens after, say, one year doesn't really count. The Rosebank 8yo 1983/1992 (43%, OB) I picked up about seven months ago was bottled in 1992, so it must've been kept in
storage for quite some time. The distillery has been closed in 1993, so this will probably be the youngest Rosebank I'll ever taste. Oh joy! The Rosebank left an empty spot on my middle shelf. I get to fill it with a bottle from my reserve stock. I had promised myself to open the Lagavulin 14yo 1984/1999 (46%, Murray McDavid) on a special occasion, so I declared October 20 'Bogus Day' - a new holiday celebrating the fact that the longest night of the year is only almost two more months away. This is actually my very first Murray McDavid bottling, and I'm very happy about the amount of information on the bottle. According to the label, this malt is distilled in December 1984, has aged for 14 years in bourbon casks and was bottled in February 1999 at 46%, without chill filtering or caramel colouring. Just so you know... Nose: Restrained and not very complex, compared to the standard 16yo. More peaty later on, with a hint of smoke and some salt. A whiff of pickles? Becomes smokier and smokier over time. Taste: Wow! Lagavulin peaty power and an overwhelming sweetness. The sweetness dissipates after a few minutes, leaving only dry and salty peat. This is perfect with some cold, smoked meat like 'Serrano' ham - or maybe salmon. Preliminary rating: Upper 80's. 'The Summertime Lagavulin'. Not at all what I've expected. More like Caol Ila than Lagavulin at first sight, but still a worthy addition to my Islay pantheon. Lovely stuff!
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Log Entry # 56 - October 21, 2000 Here are some assorted notes on the latest events in my little malt universe; Note 1:
Note 2: 94 pts -> 95 pts - Lagavulin 16yo Note 3:
- - - mAddendum 56A - KPN Bonus
Today I discovered I had received an unexpected bonus from my previous employer and decided to immediately spend it on single malts. I've been buying
my malts mostly from 'Favourite Liquorist #1' (Ton Overmars, Amsterdam) lately, so I decided to check out 'Favourite Liquorist #2' (Menno Boorsma,
Ferdinand Bolstraat, Amsterdam) for the first time in nine months. As it transpired, he has expanded his collection to over 200 single malts. Sadly enough,
he had also expanded a lot of his prices, but there were still plenty of good deals to be found. I got myself these 7 bottles for less than 600 guilders ( = around 225 U$):
Why did I choose these bottles, you may ask? And three Macallan's, no less. With all the unfamiliar new bottlings I've been acquiring over the last few months - and 20 more on their way - I felt the need to buy myself a few old favourites and a 'safe bet' as well. The new bottling of Macallan 12 has more info on the label than the previous one. It has been matured in Jerez Sherry Oak. The 10yo, 40% version is one I haven't tasted yet - but if it's anything like the older distillery bottlings it's an absolute steal. Comparing the prices of the 'ordinary' 10 years old and the 100 Proof cask strength version you realise that you have to pay almost 100% more for only 17% extra alcohol. This may seem extravagant but after the latest international tasting I think Klaus from Hamburg would agree that it's worth it - especially because this bottling is becoming rarer and rarer. This particular bottle seems to have found his way to Holland via Japan - which may account for the relatively steep price. So did I replace the empty bottle of Singleton 1981 on my top shelf with the fresh one? No, I didn't! I decided I wanted to save that bottle for a rainy day and put the litre of Macallan 12 up there instead. All the other bottles went straight into my reserve stock that's growing fast. I'll worry about storing the
'liquid payment' of 20 bottles for building a site for 'Favourite Liquorist #1' (due in a few weeks) later. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Log Entry # 57 - October 23, 2000 After the heavy traffic between different shelves in my collection over the last few months, I decided to limit myself to bottles from
my middle shelf (= unrated malts) this time around. The Tomintoul 12yo (43%, OB) comes in one of the strangest bottles I've ever seen. You have to see it to believe it. Almost Art
Deco - or Art Nouveau, I forget. Winner of the 'Largest Plastic Screwtop In The World Award'. The 'H.K.D.N.P.' seal at the bottom shows this bottle came from Hong Kong.
The Dallas Dhu 10yo (40%, Gordon & MacPhail) is a relatively rare bottling.
I've been enjoying the Rare Malts Caol Ila 1975 Cask Strength so much over the last few months that the bottle is 3/4 empty. The Caol Ila 1981/1995
(40%, G&M Connoisseurs Choice) was purchased at the same time, but I've only tasted two or three little drams over the last seven months. Let's investigate.
From a 'technical' point of view I'm no advocate of eating during a tasting session, but the fact that I missed dinner (a
consequence of my 'workaholic nerd' lifestyle) made my knees wobbly and my head woozy after three generous drams. Time to
retreat into the kitchen to prepare some 'Carpaccio al Giovanni'; the 'Giovanni' part being old Gouda cheese flints, capers and my
Special Dressing #8 (Olive oil, vinegar, pepper, mustard, garlic and lime). After a smooth digestion process and a rerun of 'Blackadder' on TV I felt ready to resume my search for the perfect single malt.
Now I forgot what's so special about the Lochside 10yo (40%, MacNab, 75cl). Let's check Michael Jackson's malt Whisky
Companion. Ah, yes, of course. This particular bottling seems to be very hard to find outside Spain. Well, I managed to get one. Lucky me.... Let's finish the evening on an ambiguous note. I've been getting mixed reports about the Tobermory NAS (40%, OB); some people
like it, others despise it. Let's find out more.
That's tonight's tasting over with. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Log Entry # 58 - October 25, 2000 My brother Franc (who knows how to enjoy the occasional malt) joined me for a session.
We had to soak our palates before the real tasting started; I poured myself a dram of the familiar Glen Keith 1983 from my bottom shelf and submitted Franc to a blind tasting of the Arran NAS
(43%, OB) at the same time. He never tasted it before, so this was just my way of getting a completely unbiased second opinion about this malt that has pleasantly surprised me. Franc did his best to
determine the region, but failed - not surprisingly. His best guess was 'either Campbeltown, Midlands or Lowlands'. Considering the
location of the island where this malt is produced he wasn't far off. He said it reminded him of a bit of a young Springbank - and I
can see his point. Franc gave it 60 points, but I would have rated it higher. Very refined for a malt this young. I'll have myself a proper tasting session soon. And the Glen Keith 1983
(43%, OB). Citrus and chocolate in the nose. Sweet and warm taste. Very nice. Still pretty good, but not quite as good as I remembered. The rating of 76 might have to be decreased in the future - just a notch, mind you. Will have
another tasting soon to empty the bottle. After treating him to such an unfair blind test, I rewarded Franc (and myself) with a dram of the intriguing Lagavulin 14yo 1984/1999
(46%, Murray McDavid). It's only a little younger than the official 16yo distillery bottling. But what a difference! Very
light in colour, as a result of the bourbon wood ageing. Good bite at 46% with a dry finish. We sniffed the Lagavulin 16yo from my
top shelf next to it, which appeared very sweet in comparison. Franc detected a Laphroaig likeness I didn't and rated it at 80 points; I would have given it a preliminary rating of **** (Mid 80's) right now.
I sent Franc out of the room and poured him another blind; the Laphroaig 15yo (43%, OB).
'Surely, this is no Islay?' he bellowed. Yes, it was! Now he detected a soft hint of the iodine in Laphroaig 10, but he still didn't
recognise it. After a few more minutes of guessing I gave him the answer. He then told me he thought of Macallan 12 first because of the strong sweetness of the malt, absent in Laphroaig 10. OK....
Time for some music (Al Stewart's 'Year of the Cat') and a blind test for me.
Glen Scotia 14? No - not salty enough
This left me with two choices. The round sweetness in the nose suggested Glen Garioch, but the dry twang in the taste could
indicate a Cragganmore. I thought it to be just too sweet for the Cragganmore, so I guessed wrong: Glen Garioch 15yo. It actually was the Cragganmore 12yo
(43%, OB). OK - Let's forget all these blind shenanigans and do some serious nosing and tasting. But right now, I will have to empty a bottle from my bottom shelf to make room. And then we got to open a fresh bottle from my reserve stock. Time to call it a night. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Log Entry # 59 - October 28, 2000 Last week, my new bottle of Macallan 12yo (43%, OB, 100cl) went straight onto my top shelf without being opened. Let's check if this bottle is as good as the previous ones. Ah! The famous sherried sweetness filled the room after I poured myself a generous dram. Nose: Very complex. Sherry sweetness; peanuts later on. Taste: A very dry finish. Maybe slightly less balance on the tongue than previous bottlings - but no more than a point's worth at best. The bottle may have to break in. Will have to see how it develops in the future.
So now I'm thinking: Will the Macallan 12 drop from 86 to 85 points? Let's have a dram of the wonderful Highland Park 12yo (43%,
OB, 100cl, score 85 points) to compare impressions. This is an old favourite; a steady factor on my top shelf for years. I've sampled
at least a dozen bottles over the last 10 years. With all the tasting of new malts lately I tend to forget that there's always plenty of familiar 'liquid friends' around to make me feel comfortable. My nose, palate and memory are now 'in synch'. I feel ready for a final rating.
Like with all other final ratings, the newly rated bottle pushes another bottle from either my top or bottom shelf. For those of you not familiar with my The bottle of Glen Grant 10yo
(40%, OB) can easily be replaced at low cost, so after tasting a last dram I used the remainder of the bottle for one of my 'special blends'. I've found that this is a great value malt that can be used as an affordable base for my
'vatted malts'. Oops - let's not forget I get to open a bottle from my reserve stock. I decided to pick one of the two Glenfiddichs. Let's go for the Glenfiddich 15yo Solera Reserve (40%, OB). I've had some very pleasurable (but 'unofficial') encounters with the 15 Cask
Strength, so I decided to keep that one stocked for a rainy day.
Preliminary rating: *** (Mid 70's); a lot better than the 'Special Reserve' without an age statement. Incidentally, this last bottling
seems to be in the process of being replaced by a 'Special Reserve' with a 12yo age statement in the Dutch market. Have to try
that one sometime soon. Based on the name (Solera) I had subconsciously expected a very sherried malt, but this isn't the case. The name 'Solera' indicates the particular production system of this malt.
So - now you know... - - - mAddendum 59A - Replenishing The Shelves Yesterday, I picked up three bottles at Menno Boorsma. I wasn't bargain hunting this time, so I forgot my usual fl. 100,- limit ( +/- 40 U$ dollars right now) for just this once. I got myself:
I'd like to try them, but all three bottles go into my - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - <<< Previous 10 entries - Next 10 entries >>> (Or check out the overview of all log entries) - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - |
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