Wednesday 14 March 2012

Islay Tasting Feb 2012

Last months tasting was Islay. It's been about a year or so since we did this small island off the coast of Scotland. So we had some new bottles to play with. I'm sure this was the running order for the night - although I may have swapped 1 and 2 around. Sadly I didn't get to keep a sample of all of them to double check.

1. Bruichladdich Laddie Ten
2. Bunnahabhain Macphail's dist. 2001 btl. 2011
3. Laphroaig Triple Wood
4. Ardbeg Corryvreckan
5. Kilchoman 5YO.
6. Caol Ila  G&M 1997 Hermitage Finish.

So everything was fairly new - ok the Triple Wood Laphroaig has been available as a Friends of Laphroaig and in Duty Free for a bit. The Bruichladdich is from the new distilling regime. Numbers 2, 5 and the freebie that was number 6 are 2011 bottles. Leaving just Corryvreckan as something that's been kicking around a little longer.

Bruichladdich Laddie 10

Spicy to kick off. The impression of peat but it's all spice and rugged. Dry fruit, slight chocolate bar - Cadbury's Twirl. It's the Cadbury's Caramel Bunny. Chunky, dependant and reliable. It's a nose that's assured and directional. Seductive. Lovely chunky fruit. It follows on with the palate. Large. Lego bricks. Chunk, chunk, chunk. It's oh-so lovely and balanced. No rough edges, no gambles. There's nothing here to disappoint. It's a cuddle. It's a hug. Chocolate and malt on the finish. Take it easy Mr Beaver.



Bunnahabhain 2001 MacPhails.

No sample but you can have a look at the Adelphi review as a comparison. It;s not that far off. Except this would be a bit cheaper. In the meantime here's a picture...


Enjoy that yeah?


Laphroaig Triple Wood.

I've had this a couple of times and I'm not sure about it. It ticks all the right boxes, it's really well made. Yes it's the Quarter Cask finished for a bit longer in a Sherry Butt. I know they say it's the most complex version yet. It's undoubtably Laphroaig. It's just that the sharpness, that direct attack that defines Laphroaig is masked by the cask. Don't get me wrong maybe this is a good thing. When I first heard the Streets "Original Pirate Material" i didn't "get it". I knew it was of value but I couldn't get my head round it.  And so with this. But when I actually sat down and listened to the Streets - gave it some time and considered it on it's own then I got to work it out. It's going to have to be the same with this. I'm sure.



Ardbeg Corryvreckan

Nowhere near the peat you expect. Subtle. You can smell the sweetness. Lilacs in the bonfire. Flowers.  And then it slowly marches on. That persistent peat drum. And now here it arrives. How do they do that? A Kings' fanfare. Unfolds and reveals. Char-grilled Lamb. Aubergine. Turksh meze. Tar, grit, asphalt. Burnt rubber.  Heady Dark Chocolate. American cinnamon. Power and grace. The complexity follows in the palate along with that regular Ardbeg electric spark. It rises, peaks, plateau and descends homeward. It reminds me of watching the boating lights from the headland of East Runton, superfluous cigarettes and sleeping in a tent. That barely safe from the elements, but actually safe from the elements kind of feeling.



Kilchoman 2006

I had a cask sample of the 5YO at the Whisky Exchange Show months back. This though is the official  release released at 46%. It's the most upfront. It says peat. It says Islay. There's the obvious smoke but it's custard cream as well. Kind of youthful in a playful way; young as opposed to immature. Again direct and assured but without overbearing force. It's not as try hard, show-and-tell as the Ardbeg. It's the custard and vanilla that keep it fresh without labouring the point. So the Ardbeg, in comparison looks a little prog rock. This is that Pete, Bjorn and John "Whistling Song". Don't get me wrong - it's got bollox, it's got legs. But it knows it's own path. It might not be as chunky as the Bruichladdich but they seem to be siblings in a spiritual way. In the same way that the Ardbeg and the Lahproaig have a connection so does the 10YO Bruichladdich and the 5YO Kilchoman. Is it any wonder???




Caol Ila Gordon and MacPhail
Hermitage Wood Finish 1997.

Wow this is a weird little beasty. It's the colour of rose wine (no wonder as it's finished in a Hermitage cask - that's Rhone and that means Syrah, mainly). Or maybe some proper nasty West Country cider. Deep. But on the nose it's all Islay. Peat reek, smoke, and stacks of chocolate chip cookie. Weird. Yep there's them wine notes you'd be expecting too. Full and round. Proper horsey ride as it kicks on the palate. The lagtime makes you think "Where is..." before swamping the mouth, smashing it about, a bit of a rag, raising the spice and the smoke in tandem with that kind of chocolate meets, and it is there, syrah. I kind of wish I had this blind - just to see whether I would have got the cask. There's two very opposing elements going on here - and it feels like the Caol Ila itself is a bit more potent and pokey than usual. The "bonfire on a beach" and that slightly lightness, oiliness that you associate are a bit on the back burn. It's a lot more intense, like they've rushed it through the still. It's almost got a chilli hotness that you would look at from Talisker but with none of the electricity. The thunder without the lightning. Then battling away at the other end is the strawberry and cream flavours that are layered in between. And perhaps some candy floss. These all appear on the finish as the heat of the peat dies down and the fruit appears like a beautiful sunset coda. I think because both elements are so opposed that it actually works. I've had the Springbank wine finishes and they seem to be more integrated but at the same time don't always seem to work. This is almost the same - it's like walking between two rooms, both playing different types of music. Standing between them both it sounds like a complete mess but now and then both musics fit together and create something bizarre, unique and harmonious. It's fleeting but it makes you want to return to see if you can recapture a moment like it again. If Heston Blumenthal had decided to make a whisky i reckon it would be a bit like this...






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