Whisky Tasting 18-Oct-2008
The participants Date Level Type The whiskies
18-Oct-08 Introductory Horizontal Whisky Region Type Legend
Cousha Scapa 14 Orkney SMSW SMSW Single malt Scotch whisky
Alfie Island Core Expressions Highland Park 12 Orkney SMSW VAT Vatted malt (aka Blended malt)
Graeme Arran NAS Isle of Arran SMSW IB Irish blended
Dian Jura 10 Isle of Jura SMSW SB Blended Scotch
Evan Talisker 10 Skye SMSW SGSW Single grain Scotch whisky
Micka Caol Ila 12 Islay SMSW IPPS Irish pure pot still whisky
Whisky Tasting #2
FEINTY SULPHURY WOODY WINEY
Plastic Vegetative New wood Sherried
Plastic mac Brackish Resinous Chardonnay
Plastic Bucket Cabbage water Cigar boxes Sauternes
Plastic rope Turnips Sandalwood Fino
Oilskin Stagnant Ginger Oloroso
Scorched plastic Marsh gas Pepper Armagnac
Allspice Madeira
Nutmeg Port
Sweaty Coal-Gas Old wood Nutty
Buttermilk Carbide Musty Walnuts
Cheese Cordite Bung cloth Hazelnuts
Yeast Spent fireworks Cardboard Opraline
Sickly Spent matches Cellars Almonds
Old gym shoes Matchbox Pencils Marzipan
Shoe polish Cork
Ink
Metallic
Camphor
Tobacco Rubbery Vanilla Chocolate
Drie tea Pencil eraser Custard Cream
Teapots New rubber tyres Creme caramel Butter
Fresh tobacco Bakelite Meringues Milk chocolate
Green tobacco Electric cables Sponge Cocoa
Tobacco ash burnt rubber Madeira Cake Bitter chocolate
Toffee
Leathery Sandy Toasted Oily
Leather upholstery Fresh Laundry Rice pudding Linseed oil
Libraries Starch Burnt toast Candlewax
New cowhide Linen Coffee grounds Suntan oil
Mealy Sandy beach Fennel Almond oil
Digestive biscuits Hot sand Aniseed
Elemental sulphur Liquorice
Honey
Clover honey
Pouring honey
Heathr honey
Mead
Beeswax
Polish
CEREAL FRUITY FLORAL PEATY
Cooked Mash Citric Fragrant Medicinal
Porridge Oranges Perfume Creosote
Draff Tangerine Fabric softener TCP
Weetabx Zest Barber's shop Iodine
Cooked Maize Kiwi Carnation Carbolic
Hen's mas Nectarins Coconut Hospitals
Love Hearts Lavender Lint
Lemons Tar
Diesel oil
Seaweed
Cooked Veg Fresh fruit Greenhouse Smokey
Mashed potato Apples Geraniums Lapsang suchong
Potato Scones Pears Green tomatoes Incense
Sweetcorn Pear drops Parma violets Peat-reek
Cooked Swed Peaches Florist's shop Bonfires
Apricots Burnt Sticks
Fruit salad
Soft fruit
Malt extract Cooked fruit Leafy Kippery
Maltd milk Stewed apples Green leaves Sea-shells
Horlicks Marmalade Lawn clippings Dried shellfish
Marmite Jam Gren sticks Smoked oysters
Bran Barley sugar Pea pods Smoked salmon
Cattle cake Candid fruits Fir trees Anchovies
Rum toft Pine nuts
Husky Dried fruit Hay-like Mossy
Chaf-like Raisins Mown hay Moss water
Dried hops Figs Dry hay Birchy
Mousey Apricots Barns Bog-myrtle
Pot-ale Prunes Heather flowers Earthy
iron tonic Mixed peel Herbal Turf
Fruit cake Sage Hemp ropes
Mince Pies Mulch Fishing nets
Solvent
Nail varnish remover
Bubble gum
Brylcreem
Acid drops
Turps
Paint
Scapa 14
By Nose Palate Finish Comments
Jim Murray Hints of honey and kumquats Relays of mouthwatering barley sprinting Toasty; a subtle bitterness blends well The tongue works overtime trying to
between the shards of honey with the lingering barley/honey; some work out the multi-layered structure of a
caramel flies in from somewhere to beat superb malt from a distillery at last being
down an important degree of complexity recognised for its excellence
Serge Valentin fresh, light and grassy. Lavender. Hints of surprisingly bold. Some farmy notes, Rather long, fruity finish. Nice presence
fruits (pineapple, green pear). Whiffs of hints of tobacco and some nice fruit: at 40%!
smoke. Nice! apricot, quince jelly, melon fresh
almonds. Very nice!
Martine Nouet Spicy and fruity. Half dried apricots in Round and sweet. Fruit gives way to a Rather short. Cinnamon lingers on Good integration of wood and malt. A
cinnamon. Hazelnuts nutty spiciness. very decent dram.
Dave Broom Heathery. Oak, light peat, damson jam. Sweet and honeyed with balancing oak Tablet and a tickle of smoke. Fantastic balance. One for sweet-toothed
Lavender honey dripping off hot and a long unctuous feel. Leather and drinkers
buttered toast. Water brings out sweet caramelised notes
almond, orange and cumin
Distillery Profile: Apples Lemons Vanilla Grassy Coffee Liquorice Caramel Smoke Maritime Wax Pears
Scapa 14
Highland Park 12
By Nose Palate Finish Comments
Serge Valentin extremely typical, heathery, honeyed sure it’s not too bold and maybe even a a rather short but fresh and clean finish A perfect everyday dram I think, a little
and with the merest hint of smoke. Not little weakish at the attack but the profile on honey and tinned pineapples better than batches from the early
bold but playful, getting more and more is flawless. Hints of smoke, oranges, 2000’s and certainly not an under-18 yo
flowery (hints of lilac besides the tangerines, apples, light honey, toasted anymore
heather), with also fresh butter, apple brioche, touches of pepper
juice and even hints of fresh pineapple
and ginger. Extremely pleasant
scotchmaltwhisky.co.uk Heather-honey sweetness; peaty Rounded smoky sweetness; full malt Teasing, heathery, delicious
smokiness. delivery.
Sublime; the peat is almost hand- Moderately weighty mouth arrival, sweet Long, spicy, some earthy heather and It defies belief that an international
sprinkled in exact measures; honey and yet enough oak to offer some bitter more oak than usual. Excellent cocoa brand can maintain this quality, more or
vague molasses guaranteeing sweetness; complexity. This fabulous bitter-sweet hangs about with the peat less, year in year out. Few drams are as
salt, old leather and apples in there too balance pans out in favour of the honey silkily enveloped as this gem
though tere is enough peat around to
add extra weight
Jim Murray
Distillery Profile: Honey Caramel Oranges Pepper Apples Smoke Fruity Heather Tea Liquorice
Highland Park 12
Arran 10
By Nose Palate Finish Comments
Serge Valentin quite vibrant, maybe not as gentle as ho-ho, this one is truly restless and not yes, long, still very malty, cereally, Score 84
expected, starting very honeyed and really smooth. Strong despite the 43%, candied and nutty… Good powerful
fruity (lots of white peaches). A delicate caramelized, very malty and nutty, whisky, probably one to pour your
wood smokiness in the background. Also toasted… Heavy notes of natural vanilla friends who’d like to move up from
lots of vanilla, pollen, flowers and nectar and chicory, strong honey, cake… And blended whisky
as well as notes of apple juice. Rounded still a little smokiness. Really punchy
but not as soft as anticipated although maybe a little too much on the
malty side
Dave Broom Drying grass, lawnmower box with light Real malty sweetness with soft fruits in A little short. Seems young, but has Have this before lunch and maybe chilled
cereal and a sherbert like citric lift. Hints the centre and balancing oak decent balance. Good down
of green walnut and tangerine.
Pretty...but young
Arthur Motley Pear, lemon, crab apples and a raspberry A little hot without water, but settles into A short, tingling nutmeg A satisfying everyday malt. I can’t think
coulis a light plum sauce, dark chocolate and of a time when you wouldn’t want one of
apples. Mouthfilling, these. Populist.
Distillery Profile: Apple Spirity Vanilla Fruity Grainy Pear Clean Cereals Cake Strawberry
Arran 10
Jura 10
By Nose Palate Finish Comments
Serge Valentin Grainy and caramelly, with notes of very grainy and, to be honest, too light. very short, grainy and a little nutty not much happening in there
roasted nuts and light honey. Hints of Sugared tea?
dried oranges… Lots of malt as well,
cereals
Michael Jackson Oily, lightly piney, earthy, salty, dry Sweetish, soft, malty, oily, slowly A little malty sweetness and some A lovely aperitif.
developing a slight island dryness and saltiness
saltiness
Distillery Profile: Caramel White fruits Liquorice Oranges Mashy Cereals Malty Porridge
Jura 10
Talisker 10
By Nose Palate Finish Comments
Serge Valentin rather maritime right at first nosing, with it starts much more peppery this time, long, extremely peppery and very, very
the usual mix of peat smoke, wet hay, with lots of spices and quite some oak. dry, with a lot of persistence. No
oysters and pepper (not an extreme Maybe it’s a little harsher, less rounded smoothness at all in this very austere
pepper here). It gets then rather waxy, that some earlier versions, and it gets version for big boys, that’s sharp like a
with also quite some beer (quite extremely herbal after a moment blade – but again, I like this kind of rather
mashy!), porridge, boiled cereals and (parsley, mustard seeds) with also quite extreme profile a lot
fermented barley some iodine, salt, getting frankly
‘seawatery’. Almost no fruits and no
sweetness except, maybe, hints of dried
pears.
Dave Broom Fishboxes, pier heads, light smoke. Fresh. Marine notes. Immediate smoke, Vibrant, prickly. Turfy Elemental. Another classic...
Somewhat reminiscent of a manzanilla leading to a sweet, lightly oily centre.
pasada: green olive and saltiness (oh yes White pepper
there is) albeit with smoke. Yeasty,
vibrant, heathery, fresh
Martine Nouet Beeswax. Old furniture. Black pepper. Sweet at start then slightly bitter. Wood Sweet and spicy. Dry Less peppery than in my memory. As if
Boat rope. Wet sand. Touch of seaweed. comes quickly through. Smoked meat. the spicy outburst on mid palate has
Crisp bacon. Gooseberry Smoked almonds been tamed. A bit harsh too. Seems to
have lost its volcanic temper
Distillery Profile: Peat Pepper Lemons Apples Liquorice Maritime Oysters Austere Salt
Talisker 10
Caol Ila 12
By Nose Palate Finish Comments
Dave Broom Crisp. Hot-smoked salmon, wet seaweed, Soft and clean. The smoke teases you at Blackberry leaf. Beach bonfire. Smoky Better balance than the CS. The peat is at
smoked paprika. New aromas of parma the front, then erupts in middle and same level, but a greater range of
violet, liquorice, wet canvas shoes back. What is most noticeable is how the aromatics has been brought out.
middle has fleshed out Complexity emerges.
Martine Nouet Lively. Marine. Morning sea-breeze. Wet Round, mellow. A full bite of sea-shore. Spicy, lingering, dry on cold ashes. A balanced expression of peat in this
rocks. Phenolic. Warm tar. Cough Hint of scallop. Smoked mackerel. Salty. Smoked oysters version. A lot of intricate aromas in this
medicine. Burning seaweeds Smokiness comes in the back. dram
Serge Valentin fresh, a little milky, pleasantly sour smokier, peatier, with a slight woodiness Bolder than ‘just 40%
(yoghurt) and very clean. Smoky but not and a little liquorice. And a little salt
too much, with also quite some apple
juice, lemon and kiwi
Distillery Profile: Peat Fresh Apple Smoke Liquorice Tea Lemon Grassy Pepper Salt
Caol Ila 12