SMWS 127.1 (Bruichladdich "Port Charlotte" 8 yo 2001/2010)

SMWS 127.1 (Bruichladdich "Port Charlotte" 8 yo 2001/2010)

2010, SMWS
Single malt - Islay
Golden
66.5% ABV
Dram

Nose: Tar, smoke, peat, burning rope, honey, brine, vanilla, cream.
Mouthfeel: Medium body, thickens, slippery, oily.
Tasting: Sweet salty. Chillies, smoke, peat, char siu, brine, honey, hints of pears.
Finish: Long. Smoke, peat, brine, pears.

Comments:

Peaty, meaty, rounded in the mouth. A very appetising dram, though not satisfying. Leaves one wanting more, and more, and more. Not very good for me at the moment, but I did manage to keep myself to one. It was a crime to leave some of the dram on the table though.

Verdict:

I like this a lot.

Royal Brackla 25 yo 1974/2000

Royal Brackla 25 yo 1974/2000

Connoisseur's Choice, Gordon & Macphail
Single malt - Speyside
Golden
43% ABV
Dram

Nose: Peat, lemons, limes, guava, tamarind, hints of smoke.
Mouthfeel: Light body, turns watery, smooth, loosens.
Tasting: Salty sour. Peat, brown paper, limes, guava, tamarind, hints of smoke.
Finish: Short. Salty, peat, lemons, guava.

Comments:

Tart and refreshing, with the tang of the sea mixed in with refreshing tropical fruits. Something of a cross between whisky and a rum daiquiri. Would be excellent on ice.

Verdict:

I like this.

Lochside 17 yo 1981/1998

Lochside 17 yo 1981/1998

Connoisseur's Choice, Gordon & Macphail
Single malt - East Highlands
Light amber
43% ABV
Dram

Nose: Honey, orange peel, molasses, vanilla, butter, milk. With water, more oranges, strawberries, plums begin to appear.
Mouthfeel: Light body, slippery, airy, smooth.
Tasting: Sweet. Orange peel, black tea, molasses, vanilla, pomeloes, milk, hints of chillies. With water, sweeter, fruitier, plums, strawberries.
Finish: Medium. Orange peel, pomeloes, black tea, molasses.

Comments:

Light and tasty, easy drinking with a cool citrus bite. Pomeloes are hard to come by in the UK, and it was a pleasant surprise to taste them in this whisky. It's the closed distilleries that make the tastiest stuff!

Verdict:

I like this a lot.

Pittyvaich 12 yo

Pittyvaich 12 yo

Official bottling, Flora and Fauna
Single malt - Speyside
Amber
43% ABV
Dram

Nose: Oranges, honey, peat, mint, pear, hints of palm sugar.
Mouthfeel: Medium body, slippery, loosens, turns watery.
Tasting: Sweet sour. Oranges, honey, coconuts, mint, chocolate, palm sugar, hints of smoke.
Finish: Short. Bittersweet, chocolate, oranges.

Comments:

Sweet and luscious, with a great mouthfeel. I had this for dessert, and it was wonderful. I don't get to drink whisky often now, and this opportunity wasn't wasted at all! A great dessert whisky.

Verdict:

I like this a lot.

Noah's Mill 15 yo 1987/2002

Noah's Mill 15 yo 1987/2002

Willett
Single bourbon - Kentucky
Amber
57.15% ABV
Sampler

Nose: Banana, magic marker, wet stones, cinnamon, palm sugar, brown paper, hints of soy sauce.
Mouthfeel: Light body, airy, thickens, turns sticky.
Tasting: Bitter sweet. Banana, sandalwood, soy sauce, honey, orange peel, cinnamon, mint.
Finish: Long. Banana, honey, cinnamon, pears, mint.

Comments:

Bittersweet, more so than most bourbons, with a savoury note. Fragrant, fruity and slightly herby. From the supposedly defunct Willett distillery, and very very tasty indeed. I wish my health allowed me to drink more.

Verdict:

I like this a lot.

Glen Keith 14 yo 1993/2007

Glen Keith 14 yo 1993/2007

Connoisseur's Choice, Gordon & Macphail
Single malt - Speyside
Pale gold
46% ABV
Sampler

Nose: Raisins, custard, honey, vanilla, orange peel, cream.
Mouthfeel: Medium body, thickens, sticky, mouth coating.
Tasting: Sweet. Vanilla, raisins, honey, sponge cake, cream, orange peel.
Finish: Medium. Walnuts, honey, vanilla, hints of apples.

Comments:

Wow, with around 3 weeks off from drinking whisky, it's a real pleasure to hold the glass in my hand and inhale the fumes again. I chose a nice easy Speyside, and it tasted very good initially. However, on reflection it's a bit too mild, and there aren't many interesting flavours in there. Very pleasurable none the less.

Verdict:

I like this.

All good things come to an end...

... but not drinking whisky. Instead, this hobby will have to diminish, and not so much take a back seat as get relegated to the attic.

After 3 solid years of drinking plenty of good, great and incredible whisky, I've had to slow down quite a lot. Doctor's advice, apparently my poor liver wasn't quite up to it. Mrs Red Hare and Little Red Hare are quite keen for me to stay healthy, and they come first, of course.

So this means several things for this blog and my whisky drinking life:

• Fewer tasting notes each month. Very many fewer.
  
• More selective choices of whiskies. Eventually anyway - I have an existing sample collection to work through.
• Dramming sessions with friends will become (no, stay!) rare. Truth be told, since Little Red Hare arrived, I've been able to dram my way through precisely one evening. But what an evening it was!
• More than ever, I appreciate that whisky is a luxury, and life's too short to waste on bad or mediocre stuff. Henceforth if a dram or bottle doesn't meet the pleasure standard, it goes into the bin (or the kitchen shelf for cooking).

Hopefully, with these measures, I'll be able to extend enjoyment of this great hobby for a few more years. If you're reading this blog regularly (yes, all 3 of you), please be patient - I'll put up some tasting notes every month, if not quite as often as before.

Highland Park 16 yo

Highland Park 16 yo

Official bottling
Single malt - Islands
Straw
40% ABV
Sampler

Nose: Smoke, custard, honey, peat, orange peel, chocolate, hints of guava.
Mouthfeel: Light body, static, warm, airy.
Tasting: Bitter sweet. Smoke, peat, orange peel, guava, honey, melon, hints of chocolate.
Finish: Short. Lemon juice, peat, orange peel, honey.

Comments:

A wonderful whisky. This is only available at travel retail, and is very much like the great 18 yo official bottling. However, it is less heavy on the tongue, and also less salty. It hits all the right spots though, with lots of honey, tropical fruit, smoke and peat.

Verdict:

I like this a lot.

Hankey Bannister Blended Scotch

Hankey Bannister Blended Scotch

Official bottling
Blended malt
Dark gold
43% ABV
Dram

Nose: Vanilla, lemon juice, peaches, peat, strawberries, brass polish, hints of mushrooms.
Mouthfeel: Light body, watery, loose.
Tasting: Sour. Lemon juice, orange juice, vanilla, peat, toffee, hints of mushrooms.
Finish: Medium. Lemon juice, vanilla, orange juice, peat.

Comments:

Interestingly tart, with dark whiffs of fungi. Some fruit is present in this whisky, but it's sour citrusy fruits. Quite an unusual blend, although quite tasty, and great with ice.

Verdict:

I like this.

Johnnie Walker Red Label

Johnnie Walker Red Label

Official bottling
Blended malt
Orange
40% ABV
Dram

Nose: Vanilla, egg custard, raisins, diesel exhaust, toffee, new plastic, peanuts, hints of lemon juice.
Mouthfeel: Medium body, tingly, slippery, mouth coating.
Tasting: Bitter sweet. Vanilla, egg custard, peat, leather, raisins, new plastic, hints of lemon juice.
Finish: Medium. Walnut skins, diesel exhaust, raisins.

Comments:

I suppose that the hint of smoke in the nose and the taste is done on purpose, with the idea of making a sweeter version of Black Label. Unfortunately it deteriorates somewhat into diesel exhaust and new plastic. Drinkable.

Verdict:

Not bad.