Popping the bottle
So begins my new blog – my first ever blog.
Should I attempt to lay out the scope of the blog (whisky? whiskEy?), or set parameters and policy statement? Aha no, the cog in the machine office worker in me almost got the upper hand, but I think not.
But some sort of direction is needed no?
This blog is intended as a mouthpiece for the writer’s love of whisky and will attempt to document various haphazard tasting impressions, interesting bottlings, and the occasional cat.
Occasional cat:
There is no relation between whisky and cats. In fact I do not even have a cat .. but they’re adorable no?
Dear readers, if you are here, it means you came for the whisky. Without further ado let’s get cracking with something whiskyrific:
Lagavulin 12yo, sampled at Whiskyfest Singapore 2013.
‘Lagavulin’ Whisky just as fine as new milk
Mountain air, moorland peat and moss water direct from the hills..
I believe this is the Carpano import, circa 70s. At this point, allow me to explain that by the time I came round to this gem at Whiskyfest, I found that I had unknowingly allowed myself to attain a fair level of inebriation. A detailed account of it’s virtues were therefore regretfully beyond me. However I do remember that upon first nosing, I was amazed by the complexity of the nose. Not a rise out of the glass and smack you in the nostrils kind of peat beast, but beautifully balanced oily resinous smoke, rich with farmyardy scents. The farmyard has an attached orchard and it’s harvest time. But that can wait, because Uncle Bill’s just got the wood fired BBQ going.
The mouth lives up to the promise, and more… Sweet and peaty, oily, full and long. Much in common with the modern Lagavulins? And thank God for that. How wonderful to think that something classic survives in it’s modern incarnation, dollars and cents of today’s business notwithstanding.
Whiskyrific RSS
- Millburn 36 yo 1969 / 2005 Douglas Laing #DL2152 50% vs Glenburgie 40 yo 1963 / 2003 Signatory #4751 56.4%
- Ben Nevis 23 yo 1996 / 2019 Single Malts of Scotland for the Nectar #536 51.3% vs A Speyside Distillery 32 yo 1989 / 2022 Thompson Bros 51.4%
- Brora 22 yo 1972 / 1995 Rare Malts 61.1% vs Brora 22 yo 1972 / 1995 Rare Malts 58.7%
- Talimburg 19 yo 1986 / 2005 The Whisky Fair #1485 45.9% vs Talisker 20 yo 1981 / 2002 62%
- Caol Ila 12 yo Bulloch Lade for Zenith 43% vs Caol Ila 30 yo 1979 / 2010 Berry Bros #4604/5 55.6%
- Clynelish 29 yo 1965 Whyte & Whyte 52.1%
- Brora 21 yo 1982 / 2003 Signatory #416 58.4% vs Clynelish 27 yo 1982 / 2009 Synch Eli Daily Dram 46%
- Dornoch 5 yo 2017 / 2023 #46 ‘Jasper Broers’ 57.9% vs Shizuoka ‘private cask’ 2017 / 2022 #2017-108 61%
- Clynelish 26 yo 1993 / 2020 Carn Mor #11215 52.7% vs Bowmore 17 yo 2004 /2021 SMWS 3.327 ‘Siren’s Song’ 57.1%
- Talisker 25 yo ‘Bottle TA25 3987’ 45.8% ~ bottle code L0296CM004 bottled 2020 vs Ledaig 11 yo 2008 / 2019 The Swan Song & 1BRD #700104 58.7%
whiskyrific 