Whisky samples

Whisky samples are a great and cheap way to experience a wide range of malts.  Master Of Malt are one of the larger and more popular (and award winning) online whisky retailers going around and it's no secret that a lot of their success can be attributed to innovations such as mainstreaming whisky sample sales with their "Drinks by the Dram" selection.

I recently stumbled across an Aussie-based specialist whisky retailer, Single Malt Whisky Pty. Ltd. (whilst shopping for some Libbey tasting & nosing glasses) and discovered their impressive range of whisky samples. I don't know whether they were inspired by Master Of Malt (no harm in repeating a successful formula) or decided to sell samples of their own volition, but in either case it's very handy to have a local supplier dedicated to samples - particularly when (as of writing) the shipping on orders over AU $100 is free within Australia.

Currently available sample categories include "At The Bar" - the everyday sample selection; "Japanese" - self explanatory; "18 yrs or Older" - again self explanatory; and the "Rare Auld Collection of Single Cask Single Malts" - a set of whiskies in the Duncan Taylor Rare Auld range of whiskies without chill filtration and bottled at cask strength.

My order arrived - Libbey glasses and a few samples!

Yes, I ordered those Libbey glasses and a few samples while I was there - had been meaning to sample more Japanese whiskies and this was the perfect way to do that, with whiskies I haven't seen anywhere else locally. I have plans for both the glasses and the Japanese whisky which will be revealed in the not too distant future.

If you're in Australia, these guys are worth checking out and I recommend them for their service, their range of very reasonably priced whiskies and great little sample bottles that have been packaged with care AND direct from "fresh" bottles.

A recent mailout suggests that due to the increasing volume of sample sales their sample range will increase and I duly look forward to further taking advantage of their selection to aid in my continuing whisky education.

Review - Glen Scotia 1992 (G&M)

"Dusty Seaside Solvent Factory"


I have a considerable “backlog” of malts from the Single Malt Whisky Club (Australia) who essentially would send me (and bill me for!) a different bottle every month, usually something that you can’t just walk into a bottle shop and pick up. This is one of those, a Glen Scotia 1992 vintage by Gordon & MacPhail from 2009. Opened 2012-02-19, first tasted on day 2.


Nose: Acetone (paint thinner), sweet smoke, apricots, honey, brine and fragrant notes. The acetone appears quite harsh at first nosing, but soothes a little with time in the glass to release more subtle and pleasant aromas. Ignoring the acetone, somewhat reminiscent of Talisker 10 (minus some complexity). Not really as bad as it sounds though. I couldn't help but nose this for quite some time.
With water: Dulls the nose without adding to it.


Taste: A strong, bitter citrus delivery, accompanied by quite distinct "mustiness" in the middle. Like the whisky was aged in a dusty old barrel in a dark, dank warehouse. Oily, mouth-coating, white pepper and citrus-infused brine rounds it out. Strangely fascinating. But where is the malt? Oh well, no matter.. there's enough here to amply distract.
With water: Softens the delivery all round, but seems to emphasise bitterness at the finish


Finish: Initial bitter citrus burst followed by a build up of phenols and smoke. Maritime. Yep, this is a peated whisky. Phenols build and increase over a few seconds and peak with a satisfying crescendo, then falls slowly into a medium-long, dry finish. Subtly sweet malt note finally makes an appearance accompanied by a pinch of vinegar. Bitterness pervades throughout however and detracts slightly from this great finish.


Balance: Nose and taste both lacking in "roundness" - acetone dominates the nose; mustiness and bitterness the palette. Too heavily weighted to bitterness in taste and finish, the lack of malt sweetness to balance leaves one with a sense of one-dimensionality about this whisky.


Score: N19 T19 F22 B16  (76)






Round Two (@ 2 weeks, 2012-03-06)


Nose: ashes, gentle peat smoke, fruit, vanilla, barley sugar, just a whiff of glue stick. There is a real sweet, fruity edge to the nose that really satisfies.


Taste: oily citrus, dusty spices, pepper, solvent, peat and sweet malt, mouth-coating


Finish: citrus gives way to a peaty "punch" with a lingering, warm, dry earthy spice finish


Balance: Amazingly opened up now, the acetone / turps has downgraded to "glue stick" and the sweet development really rounds this dram out. I really like this. A lot. It's not perfect, but the "rough" edges have smoothed since opening which makes it more pleasant but without compromising on character.


Score: N21 T21 F22 B20  (84)






Round Three (@4 weeks, 2012-03-19)


Nose: gentle smoke, white grape, soft citrus fruits, malt, vanilla, hint of paint thinner, peanut brittle. Had to really work at it, nose seemed to have dulled a little in all departments.


Taste: juicy fruits, brine, intense citrus zest, solvent, pepper, wood shavings, peaty malt developing


Finish: initial zesty burst fades to pleasing bitterness, developing peat, chili, warming smoke, a hint of vinegar and ends with some short-lived spices and dry dust.


Balance: The nose is subtler now - the “in your face” paint thinner is mostly gone with only a hint remaining; the sweet fruits and nutty development brings another twist to this already bizarre dram. The palette takes on a more accessible profile exhibiting better balance at the expense of some character but still delivers. If the finish were a little longer this would be a really great dram.


I don’t think this will really develop any further with time in the bottle.


Score: N20 T21 F21 B21  (83)




Verdict


A confusing but ultimately rewarding dram. This really needs some time to fully appreciate. If tasted blind, I would have said the whisky can't be older than 10 or 12 years given the strength in delivery. Acetone and dust are the memorable themes. I personally don't mind the acetone nose; it is strangely addictive and has grown on me but will certainly not be everyone's cup of tea. Not sure about the mustiness though, jury's still out on that one. The phenolic maritime finish, developing soft fruits and sheer “oddity” makes this one a worthwhile and proud addition to my cabinet however. It's such an unusual whisky - island distiller meets solvent factory in the heart of Campbeltown.


Final (average) score: N20 T20 F22 B19  (81)

Review - Dalmore 12 years

The infamous Dalmore - a compulsory stop along one's single malt journey. It's a bottle from the Single Malt Whisky Club in 2008 that like the Talisker, was sitting at the back of my cabinet for a few years waiting for my undivided attention prior tasting. Opened 2012-02-11.

That colour is amazing. Bottle clearly states that caramel is added ("Mit Farbstoff") which gives it that deep, polished mahogany colour.



Nose:
First whiff is predominantly that of yeasty, cereally, "mealy" character. There's a hint of cabbage water about this too. Not really pleasant and quite unexpected. Not a great first impression. Once past the initial disappointment though, I pick up some winey, waxy and feinty notes under the yeasty surface in equal measure - the best parts being hints of praline, cream and cocoa. Opens up further with time in the glass (over one hour, during which I've had several sips!) to reveal a previously understated caramel sweetness which is quite pleasant. The yeastiness has faded considerably and I'm feeling a lot better about this malt. With water: Much the same, although, do I detect a hint of dried apple now?



Taste: 
Really mellow, soft, non-descript start to this - had to make sure I actually took a sip there. I did indeed. Nothing is apparent at first impact. Not a single thing - it's all wrapped up in some kind of waxy packaging. Oh wait, some soft malty sweetness makes itself known. But where is the alcohol, anyway? Ahh here it comes, finally, arriving several seconds later. How bizarre. The first sip requires quite accentuated "swishing" around the mouth to reveal anything out of the soft haze. I get red wine, chewy bread, some tartness, a soft oak pepper spice finish as I swallow. Subsequent sips don't reveal anything new, but the alcohol comes quicker each time with fairly muted malt and sherry undercurrents throughout. With water: Seems to accentuate the spice on the palate and on the finish, might also be slightly sweeter as well.



Finish:
Menthol and oak spice linger for a very short while in an abbreviated finish. A mere hint of savoury saltiness left on my lips, now where did that come from? Odd. But quite more-ish.



Balance:
The nose itself offers quite some complexity, once the yeastiness is out of the way of course! There's about three layers to the nose which goes some way to explain the "haziness" on the palette, as if components are tightly integrated across the flavour spectrum and one must really concentrate to tease them out. I don't know whether this is a good thing in this particular malt, as for a 12 year old, I would expect vibrancy in the notes and some "character" whereas I'm only getting subdued, rather dull notes instead. Not sure what to make of all that.



Overall, this is not bad. It has its moments and the nose is really the winner here (after the aforementioned yeastiness has dissipated). A testament to how hard I've been working (haha!) it's now been 1 hour and 50 minutes since I poured my dram and my initial disappointment has abated; I'm actually looking forward to my next pour from this bottle to see if there's any discernible improvement.



Score: N20 T19 F20 B19  (78)




Round two (@ 1 week, 2012-02-18)


Nose:
Slight yeastiness gives way to mint chocolate, leafy herbs, karinto (Japanese fried brown sugar coated snack), dark rum. Wow, this has really opened up now.


Taste:
Delivery now has bite and character. The meek, waxy delivery parcel has been torn away. Sweet demerara sugared malt accompanied by a good helping of woody spices and developing chili now kick in. Mouth-filling, engaging and robust delivery.


Finish:
Sherry-influenced spices trail off leaving dry, sweet malt, menthol and dark rum flavours in a short-medium finish. Very nice.


Balance:
That nose has increased in complexity and with dramatically scaled back yeastiness is now very agreeable indeed. Palette balance markedly improved with good malty hit and liberal spices to balance out the sweetness. Dalmore, take a bow. For an entry-level malt, this is great stuff.


Score: N22 T21 F21 B22  (86)





Round three (@ 1 month, 2012-03-12)



Nose:
Cookie dough, butter cream, brandy, golden syrup, dark chocolate, sultanas, pudding, rose petals. Slight yeastiness remains on first contact but dissipates as creamy sweet notes develop. Gorgeous nose. A hint of honeydew melon arrives later. There’s so much going on here, I’m nosing this “blind” but I think this is definitely better than it was previously. Top shelf nose. With water: Grass, menthol, mint and other greenery.



Taste:
Softly sweet, mellow oak, mouth coating smoothness, nutty oils, dark rum, bitter chocolate, toasted malt, spices. With water: Drowns the oils and brings out more bitterness - better without.



Finish:
Bitter dark chocolate accompanied by dry sherry, nutmeg and clove spices in a short but very enjoyable finish.



Balance:
Nothing out of place. No off notes besides slight yeastiness remaining in the nose upon first contact. A cozy, elegant sweetness on nose and palette - not severe vanilla or toffee but Christmas cake or pudding out of the oven.



Score: N23 T22 F22 B23  (90)





Round four (@ 3 months, 2012-05-11)

Nose:
The signature yeasty / bready note is still evident, but toned down and now inter-mingling effortlessly with smooth and sweet sherry notes as to make for a pleasant nose. I'm getting hints of chocolate cake, raisins, dark brown sugar, fudge, choc biscuits, coffee beans, leather and some tropical fruit note that I can't quite work out. Glorious - I could nose this for hours. It just gets sweeter with time in the glass, too.

Taste:
Interestingly the oak hits the palette first, riding on a wave of "spirity" malt, it's quite chewy and rich with sherry and chocolate present, there's a good helping of spices and just some tartness and tannins rounding it out. Some rough edges to this now - is it oxidation? It doesn't carry the telltale "fuzziness" I get with oxidised whiskies, so it could just be natural evolution - it's certainly not bad at all, quite good actually!  On the evidence it's holding up quite nicely.

Finish:
Drying, tannic, bitter sweet (in a good way) as aforementioned flavours linger and pop out occasionally to say "g'day!". As per the palette, a little less elegant than memory serves but nonetheless provides a warming and lingering tasty finish.
Balance:The dry sherry cuts through the sweetness of the nose and makes for a great dry/sweet combination. Palette is rich and robust and although less memorable than the nose it still delivers - the initial oak spice doesn't run away on the palette and is rather complemented adequately by sweet, tannic chewy malt and a nice tart "edge".

Score: N23 T21 F21 B22  (87)



Verdict

I'll simply repeat what I wrote after the first week - Dalmore, take a bow. For an entry-level malt, this is great stuff!

Final (average) score: N23 T21 F21 B22  (87) *


* Excluding initial "outlying" score to give more representative view of this whisky.

Review - Suntory Hibiki 17 years

Review of a 18cl (180ml) bottle circa 2005 bottling, tasted 2012-01-01. My first Japanese whisky experience.


First reaction, from nosing of bottle immediately after cap removal is distinctly and umistakably, of plum wine. A wonderful thing to experience for the first time! I left the bottle alone for 15 minutes before pouring a dram for nosing and tasting and followed up the tasting the next day, these are combined notes with my final score.


Nose:
Plum wine prominent, a little "feinty" (for a 17 year old whisky?), caramelised sugar. Caramel intensifies over time and comes to dominate. Not much else in there, except maybe a floral hint.


Taste:
Pepper first, followed by red wine (is that some sherry)? Light mouthfeel. A little "bitey". Pepper mellows to something vaguely reminiscent of radish while sherry dissipates, some citrus comes on too. Soft grain sweetness develops. Interesting bitter turn upon swallowing.


Finish:
Starts bitter. Dry. Citrus makes an appearance briefly. Quite long and warming! Bitterness dissipates. Left with some soft cereal notes and what might be a hint of that plum.


Balance: 
Not as "harmonious" (as the translation of Hibiki implies), I find that although certain elements in this whisky work well, they do not combine in such a way as to elevate the overall experience, such as a very good whisky can do.


The caramel somewhat overshadows the exquisite plum in the nose, the sherry notes (and whatever else might have been there to taste) seem to have been "muted" by the grain and there is a discord between nose and taste. Bitterness, whilst tolerable, is not beneficial and tends to be overly prominent during tasting and finishing.


Overall: A good whisky, interesting, but all I'm really left with is "caramel and plum wine" and some mild annoyance at the bitterness. Not as smooth as I'd hoped for. Still a damned good blend, however!


Score: N20 T20 F21 B19  (80)




Second tasting (@ 2 days, 2012-01-03)


Had a follow-up dram again tonight. I usually do not add water to whiskies at 40-43% ABV, but I thought I'd give it a go and was pleasantly surprised!


With the addition of water, the nose becomes floral and fruity, with an added hint of peat smoke, improving its balance noticeably as the caramel recedes from the forefront. Sadly though, the plum recedes also and is barely noticeable - but given the new found balance in the nose, it's not a major loss.


The taste becomes more well rounded and balanced; now with butter and a touch of aniseed. Bitterness is reduced and finally develops into spice and wine notes. The finish is shortened, but leaves a very nice mouthfeel with a buttery finish.


Wow. This is honestly the first blended whisky I like better with water. I would rate this a little higher (anything up to 85/100) except I believe a whisky should be rated at its bottled strength (unless cask strength), so will let the original verdict stand.


In closing - hidden subtlety and complexity here, definitely try it with water!




Third tasting (@ 4 weeks, 2012-01-28)


Four weeks after initial tasting, with water, detected new candied lime and butter shortbread on the nose. Sweetness is softer, like demerara sugar. That deserves a couple of extra points for complexity and refinement. Lime continues on the palate intermingling beautifully with the other components. Great mouthfeel. This has definitely improved given a few weeks to breathe.


Score: N22 T22 F21 B21  (86)

Verdict

A very good, bordering on great blended whisky that needs some time and a little water to really open up and reveal its true character. A good demonstration of why I taste whisky two or three times in the first month of opening.

Final (average) score: N21 T21 F21 B20  (83)




Note: Original review posted at Connosr prior to blog creation: 
http://www.connosr.com/reviews/suntory-hibiki/suntory-hibiki-17-years-old/plum-wine-and-caramel/

Review - Glenlivet 12 years

Yes, another Glenlivet 12 review. Why, you might ask? Good question. The answer is in three parts as follows:


1) pure self-interest (more on this in a minute);
2) to see if I can't remind myself and others about the "reference" malt;
3) to compare seemingly unfavourable reviews of recent bottlings against an older bottling


I hadn't tried this in a couple of years and I thought I'd give myself a refresher. It's Australian summer at the moment and although it's been quite mild by normal standards, things will heat up again as we pass through the storm season (but without the devastating flooding of early 2011, hopefully). This happens to be a good summery malt, by all reports - a clean, fruity, malty, oaky, very approachable medium-bodied Speyside malt without so much as a whiff of peat or other "unpleasantness" for the un-initiated. It is "THE" reference malt according to many.


To expand on my selfish reason for posting this review, it's purely because it means I can revisit it any time for my own use. Usually, in my head, I attempt to calibrate all single malt tastings against my recollection of this, the Glenlivet 12 year old. In my head, this is supposed to score about 75/100 (plus or minus a few) *, so we'll see if that pans out.


This review is for a bottle date-stamped March 2006 - yes, an older bottling which is designed to be consistent with my recollection of it. Has it changed? We'll see, here goes:


Nose:
Sweet honey, toffee apple, fresh and stewed apples and pears, light and fragrant, pleasant in its simplicity. With water: floral notes emerge, malt and a softer honey than before become prominent.


Taste:
Sweetness hits first, exactly as the nose promised. Really surprising how sweet this is actually, I don't quite remember it that way. Malt and oak spice in the middle, marrying very well with the sweetness as to balance it out. Oak spice at the end intensifies and then mellows as held in the mouth, a great mouthfeel by the way, quite well rounded. With water: Mellows all round, didn't detect any new flavours, just subtle variation, silky smooth. Some can taste the apple in this, I can't, even with water. It's in the nose for sure, but maybe my tastebuds are defective!


Finish:
Oak spice crescendos and then falls away, leaving a not unpleasant spice residue in a short-medium length finish. The underlying malt lingers a while before fading.


Balance:
There really isn't much to fault here in terms of overall balance, although the only thing I might say is that the sweetness could be toned down just a smidge in the nose and on the palate.  I did somehow expect some caramel to intrude in the nose or the taste, but I didn't experience that - the sweetness I got was more honeyed sweetness. Pretty good.


So there it is. My refresher in the "reference" malt that will probably see me through my entire year of tasting other malts. It was pretty close (if not a little better) than what I expected from my recollection of it in years passed. Next time I'll try a recent bottling and see if my thoughts change.


Is this a complex whisky? No. Is it a great whisky? No. Is it enjoyable? YES! A refreshing, approachable dram for any time of day. A simple but elegant whisky that really does, at least for me, epitomise what Scotch malt whisky is all about and why I love the "water of life" so much.


Score: N20 T19 F18 B21  (78)


* There are various 100 point systems in use for whisky tasting. Some, like me, see 75/100 as the cutoff between an average and good whisky, with "very good" starting around 80, great 85, excellent 90 and superstar 95+


Note: Original review posted at Connosr prior to blog creation: 
http://www.connosr.com/reviews/glenlivet/glenlivet-12-year-old/the-reference-malt/

Review - Talisker 10 years

This review is for a bottle from circa 2005, opened January 10th 2012. First Talisker experience (which shows how long of a whisky journey I have ahead of me). Don't ask why I've had this on a shelf for over 6 years without ever having tasted it - I guess I just never found the right opportunity!


Anyway I will provide notes for "fresh" tasting and then several weeks on to see if the character of the whisky changes, for better or worse (as others in the community have noticed differences over time with this whisky).


Round One (2 days after opening, 2012-01-12):


First impressions - the whisky is "sweaty". It leaves little droplets on the side of the glass; as if a film of water lies on top of the whisky. The glass was completely dry before adding whisky. I have not seen this before. Ambient temp today was 36C (or 97F) which might have something to do with it, not entirely sure though.


Nose:
Weaker than expected - expected a stronger more intense delivery of peat and other notes but there's not much there, it's actually fairly subtle and restrained. Soft peat smoke, a little citrus, brine, soft malt, just a hint of honey, eucalyptus oil and a touch of "earthy" spices. Nose develops some caramel notes after tasting. With water: Smoke subsides as wet pebbles, leaves and peat moss arrive. Malt cereal emerges. Sweetens over time.


Taste:
Peat, salt, pepper, citrus all coming to the party with a zesty punch, intense (but rather short-lived) inter-mingling of all the elements, delivered to near perfection. What the nose lacked in "oomph" is more than redeemed on the palate. Pleasant medium-bodied mouthfeel without any surprises. With water: Mellower all round, bitter citrus and oaky notes at the back. The initial zesty "kick" is gone. I like it better without water.


Finish:
Peaty, dry, good length. Lip-smacking savoury, meaty, salty notes remain, like after a bowl of popcorn. Fantastic. Would go swimmingly with grilled salmon or pepper calamari. Why did that pop into my head? Curious. With water: Add slighly medicinal, enhanced peaty notes.


Balance:


A quite superbly balanced dram. We have salty, sweet, citrusy and peaty notes combining brilliantly to provide a memorable experience. Best without water, I think.


Score: N21 T22 F23 B24  (90)




Round Two (2 months after opening, 2012-03-10):


Nose:
Peat smoke, brine, cough drops, barley sugar, hint of fruit


Taste:
Intense peppery delivery, citrus, sweet malt, brine developing, peat, chili finish


Finish:
Pepper, peat smoke, citrus. Savoury finish.


Balance:
No change from the first tasting, all the different notes are still holding together fantastically without unravelling


Score: N22 T21 F20 B22  (85)




Verdict


So there you have it. I think I liked it better at initial opening if you go by the score. At two months later though there’s still not a lot of difference, even as the score goes down 5 points - it did seem a little “flatter” than the first tasting but it could be my mind playing tricks on me as I more or less knew what to expect; though I did the 2 month tasting completely blind without any references to the first tasting.


I’d be hard pressed to not have a bottle of this with me at all times, such is the quality (and price point) of this whisky. Would definitely suit a colder clime however, while a great drop, it’s a little too warming for summer.


Final (average) score: N21 T22 F22 B23  (88)

Brisbane Whisky Expo 2012

The bagpiper makes it an authentic event.

It's not often, as a Brisbanite, that one gets the opportunity to partake in "cultured" events such as these. Let's face it - there are mitigating factors aplenty as to why such phenomena should not be witnessed in this part of the world, to name but a few: the weather (steamy sub-tropical summer's day - check!), population (well behind Melbourne and Sydney, on several counts), clash of cultures (XXXX and Bundy Rum, anyone?) - and I could go on.

Fortunately, what Brisbane does have in its favour, is Spiros Bottle Shop - a new-ish, independent concern seemingly run by passionate folk - well, at least their malt selection looks quite decent on their web site (I must confess I am yet to set foot in a Spiros shop, but will no doubt make my way there very soon, to perhaps "relieve" them of a bottle or three of malts hitherto unseen in these parts).

I must at this point mention Graham from the excellent Odd Whisky Company (Adelaide) - without whom's mailing list I would not have known this event was on, so thank you!

Spiros held a Whisky Expo last year in Brisbane as well, which I gather was a great success. I don't recall which particular Act of God prevented me from attending, but with the benefit of hindsight and using this year's expo as my only yardstick, I definitely regret not having made it!

So then, onto this year's expo held on the 29th February (a leap day, no less).  I didn't set my expectations too high - a "whisky expo"? In Brisbane? Surely not - a run-of-the-mill, brand-ambassador hosted tasting, perhaps. Or maybe an enterprising bottle shop owner attempting to grow clientele by introducing folk to some nice, agreeable, cost-effective Scotch whiskies (and perhaps a single malt or two - would you not agree that this Glenlivet is so much nicer than the Johnnie Walker??). But I digress - my cynicism dissipates the closer I get to my destination as I figure, what the heck, regardless, I'll be spending a night drinking whisky, how good is this?

I arrive 15 minutes early at the Transcontinental Hotel after a brisk walk from the central bus station, and after redeeming my $50 (cash, not credit) for my expo ticket, I go for a quick wander up-stairs where the expo folk are setting up (apparently I'm not supposed to be up there until 6pm - oops);  I'm utterly blown away by the magnitude and "properness" of this affair - no ordinary Brisbane whisky tasting, I can assure you! This is an expo after all.

First impressions count, of course, and a reception table boasting dozens upon dozens of pristine Glencairn glasses greets me (one per customer, free for the night), whisky banners (Old Pulteney and An Cnoc here, GlenDronach there, Sullivan's Cove!) and stalls ringing the entire outer wall of the square glass-centered atrium in which I find myself, all contributing to a strange but joyful sense of "kid in a candy store" that I (as a somewhat jaded, almost-30 year old) have rarely had the pleasure of experiencing in adulthood.

I perform a quick "once round" of the stalls (noticing a particularly crowded Glenfarclas table as I pass) and find Graham and Shane in the corner with a no-fuss setup, letting the whiskies speak for themselves.

On display, a varietal bounty of independent and distillery bottlings of Springbanks, Hazelburns, Longrows, Caol Ila's, Glengoynes and Blackadders (not limited to Scotch whisky either - a bottle of Cadenhead's Gin is a notable inclusion).

Nice spread! By The Odd Whisky Company (Adelaide) and Springbank.

Suntory ambassador - friendly bloke. Despite the blurry face.

After a quick hello and chat, and a promise that I'll be back later to sample the "heavier" stuff after I've had my fill of the lighter styles present - no sooner do I take three steps and I find myself sampling an Auchentoshan "Three Wood" at the Suntory table (would I like to try some? Why yes! Thank you sir)!

Superb stuff, the Three Wood is a real charmer; so easy to drink and a classic fusion of sherry and bourbon styles for a very well rounded dram. I didn't try the Classic or the 12 year old however, as I spotted the Yamazaki 12 and couldn't resist. Not my first Japanese whisky experience however (that was the Hibiki 17 year old) but I can't call myself a whisky enthusiast without having tried the ubiquitous Yamazaki.

I nosed some fantastic plum and bananas, fragrant, floral notes. The palette delivered less than the nose promised, some banana definitely present though, a bit thin.  Overall though, a more than pleasant dram that I will probably end up buying a bottle of soon.

Opening Ceremony.

Before I could fully appreciate my dram however, a blaring of bagpipes sounds and an assembly of wisened whisky folk (with good representation from the Queensland Malt Whisky Society) take centre stage where the expo is officially "rung in", with introductions of special guests and thanks to all involved for backing up for another year of this wonderful expo. The ensemble concludes with an excerpt reading of Burns' poem "Scotch Drink" followed by raised glasses and a hearty cry of "Slainte!" from all 'round (yours truly included). Fantastic.


Okay so what's next.. oh yes! More whisky was tasted. The "business" end of the evening. I've got about 2.5 hours until the show's over. I've added a few rough tasting notes and "off the cuff" scores below (where recorded and/or possible - after 8pm my tongue and mind begin to get a little "hazy" and my note taking suffers for it, particularly as I work my way up to a peaty crescendo).

An Cnoc 12 was one of the "gems" of the night.

Auchentoshan Three Wood: N: predominantly sherry, sweet T: "more-ish", opens up to toffee with a drop of water. Could drink this all day. Excellent. 85-90 points



Yamazaki 12 years: N: plums! honey, banana T: grainy, hint of peat, sour, bitter, a little metallic twang. Pleasant. 75-80 points




Deanston 12 years (organic, no added caramel): Pale straw in colour. N: Cereal, hay, floral, nutty T: Herbal, vegetal and earthy, some citrus. Intriguing. Farm yard, but without the unpleasantness, haven't really experienced anything similar to date, although shares some farmy notes with the Tamdhu NAS. An ideal appetiser or aperitif. Well done Deanston! 80-85 points

An Cnoc 12 years: N: floral, lots of fruit - passionfruit, kiwi fruit, medium sweet white grape - this is Sauvignon Blanc whisky T: clean vibrant malt, citrus, white fruits, well balanced. Definitely Sauv Blanc. A kiwi Sauv Blanc at that. Amazingly fruity - would make an excellent summer dram, methinks. I will be buying a bottle of this. 85-90 points


An Cnoc 16 years: N: sweeter and less vibrant than the 12 but along the same fruity lines, some added custard cream. With water, becomes a little herbaceous, leafier and aromatic. Extra years have refined this. T: "Chardonnay" to the 12 year old's Sauv Blanc - dry, light, fruity. Finish: Spicy, citrus, long and warming. I prefer the 12 year old but this is also a fine dram. 80-85 points


(an hour and forty minutes in! Less talking, more sampling!)

GlenDronach impressed.

GlenDronach 12 years - Original: N: Very reminiscent of Dalmore 12 with its cereally, yeasty, creamy nose, but cleaner. T: Sherry prominent, great balance and mouth feel. Finish: Oak spice, long, warming and hearty. [no score recorded]


GlenDronach 15 years - Revival: N: Toffee, becomes fragrant with water. Elegant. T: Mouth coating, bitter chocolate, refined and greatly integrated. More-ish. [no score recorded]


GlenDronach 18 years - Allardice: N: Christmas cake, dark sugar, demarara - what a treat! T: Fantastic mouth feel, chewy, dances on the tongue, rich, exquisite. Wow. I'm no expert, but some good sherry casks here I think. Is this better than the Glengoyne 21 year old, and at 2/3 the price?! Quite possibly. This is going straight to my wish list. 90-95 points


Glenfarclas 15 years: [No notes recorded]. 85 points


Glenfarclas 30 years: Fantastic. Regal oak. Nice! [No score recorded]

Glenfarclas wowed with 30 and 40 year old to taste!

So my notes clearly don't do it justice at all, my apologies. I feel I should explain myself and add that the truly fantastic 30 year old led me into a great conversation with Jim of Glenfarclas about the quality of sherry wood selection employed at Glenfarclas, and how they manage to avoid the sulphur taint issue that seems to affect other distillers - apparently they receive "fresh" sherry casks and toast them immediately, hence no use of sulphur agents.

He had two pieces of American oak and a piece of Sherry oak wood and explained the difference between "charring" and "toasting". An important distinction!

We talked about the chemistry of whisky maturation and scientific studies into characterisation of the compounds present in the whisky - Jim wanted to be sure that carcinogenic compounds from charred wood weren't entering the whisky (and apparently it's perfectly fine!). Glenfarclas is a family operation, I can see where their passion and dedication to the craft comes from - it really shows in their product.


Glenfarclas 40 years: Very robust. Special. Two whiskies older than I am, tasted in succession - humbling! [no score recorded]


(That's all I had on that one, unfortunately. Probably was in shock. Okay well I've stopped scoring now, so you won't see any more scores. Time check - 8:34pm - so many whiskies, so little time! Curtains at 9pm apparently. A large drink of water and a biscuit and I soldier on with renewed focus)

Great example of Tassie single malt

Nant Port Cask: N: Intense damp hay dominates. T: Cardboard, bland, flat. Disappointing, honestly. Needs some work. I'm led to believe by the Nant rep that this was 3 to 4 years old.
(Incidentally, Jim Murray rated a certain cask strength Nant at 95.5 points in the 2012 Whisky Bible - they did not have THAT ONE on hand, unfortunately!)

Sullivan's Cove Double Cask: N: Cut dry hay, sweet malt T: Well balanced, definitely more-ish. Superb. Could drink this every day. You probably woudn't guess it was an Aussie single malt.


(There's a "Lark" here as well, but time to move on to Campbeltown and Islay..)

Caol Ila 1997 14 years, St. Etienne Rum Finish (Chieftain's Choice): Okay I didn't really intend to get onto this one yet, but Graham was pouring someone a dram of this so I thought I'd get in on the action. N: Islay, we have arrived! Big smoke, peat, well balanced though - very agreeable. Doesn't finish on an overly medicinal note like some other Islay malts - this is one classy dram. Would definitely have again. And again..


Hazelburn 8 years Sauternes Cask (55.9%): Pleasant. Young whisky noticeable. Not as sweet as I thought it would be - unlike a Bruichladdich "ACE-ing" in Sauternes, for example - perhaps spent less time finishing.
 (Good chance my senses were still knocked about by the Caol Ila too)


Longrow CV: I was really looking forward to this one. And it impressed. Snuck in with 2 minutes to spare as Graham's keen to have some dinner - pouring drams and engaging in small-talk for 3 hours might work up an appetite - props to Graham and Shane though, good show!


Well it's just after 9pm now, but luckily the other stalls are still going.. head past the Lagavulin and Oban straight to LVMH. That would be Louis-Vuitton-Moet-Hennessy in case you're wondering.

Bowl of ice water. Not in my Ardbeg, thank you!

Here we have an iconic Highland malt, the Glenmorangie, sitting side-by-side with the Lord of the Isles, Ardbeg. They have been propelled into some kind of super-stardom by the marketing folk at LVMH, but at least they have the goods to back it up.  It's too late for a dram of Glenmorangie I'm afraid (alcohol and peat have taken their toll on my senses), but I'm determined to finish my evening with a smoky Ardbeg.

And what an Ardbeg!

Ardbeg Uigeadail: Stuff of legends. My only note on this reads "WOW - HUGE delivery!". My first Uigeadail experience. Amazing. The expected intensity of peat and smoke, but held together so well as to exhibit balance and roundness. It sure lives up to the hype. This one will make its way into my cabinet as soon as I can afford it.

Next up..

Ardbeg Corryvreckan: Sure it's 9:20pm now, but we're only just starting to pack up at LVMH so I manage to sneak in a blissful dram of this stuff. I have no notes on this one, but an increased ABV (57.1%) over the Uigeadail is noticeable. It packs a punch and is so mouth-filling and warming - a beauty.

Meanwhile, shows over, with most stalls packed up, and I'm not going to bother with anything else at this point anyhow. What a night. What a finish. I'm breathing peat fire right now, whomever the lucky person/s are that I'll be seated near on the train home will know it, too!

Last drinks, everybody.. Slainte Mhor!

My only regret as I leave is that I didn't keep a better eye on the time - sure I had lots of fun and met some great whisky enthusiasts and ambassadors, but can't help but feel I could have squeezed a few more whiskies in there - I missed out on Tomatin, Aberfeldy, Ardmore, Macallan, Adelphi, Bunnahabhain and Tobermory, amongst others - but left very satifisied nonetheless.

Good show. But next year, can we have a 4 hour expo, please?


(Side note: Three hours later as I was preparing for sleep, I was still tasting Ardbeg. It just permeates into your olfactory and esophageal systems. Every breath carries the smoky remnants of the most impactful, long finishing whiskies I've had to date).