Dramboree 2017: Dramming table, Day 1

No long-winded intros and introductions today. I have such a backlog of tasting notes, this is another dumping ground session. With TWE show 2017 only days away, i’m having a whisky note clear out.

 

Glentauchers 2008/2017 8yo Whisky Galore 46%

• N: Soft toffee malt, sweet citrus, complimentary sherry.
• T: Amazingly controlled for one so young. Lovely relaxed sweetness. Quick into the finish.
• F: Sweet fresh.
• C: Very good, a popular young malt.

Scores 86 points

 

Three Ships 15yo [2016] Ob. [btl #1782/4000] 46.2% WB90[1]

Apparently this is/was the first/only Pinotage finish in the world in 2016.

• N: Method & Madness Chestnut finish anyone? Pretty straight varnished planks here.
• T: No surprises from the nose to the palate.
• F: Virgin oak fade, not much here either.
• C: Well made, just not that interesting. I have actually preferred the younger 10.

Scores 80 points

 

Wasmund’s 2013 Single malt spirit Copper Fox 62%/124 proof WB45[2]

Distilled & bottled by Copper Fox Distillery Enterprises, Sperryville, Virginia and lots of info on the label:

1. Distilling notes: Double pot-stilled between 150-160 proof. 500 gal mash,….
2. Grains used: 100% hand malted barley
3. And perhaps most importantly – Age: less than 30 days old

• N: Fruity Rampur-esque nail varnish.
• T: Wacky, medicinal Balcones Brimstone.
• F: Herbal (oregano), almost gin liqueur.
• C: Hmm, wha? This is terrible. This won Dramboree’s ‘Worst dram of 2017’.

No score

 

[Springbank] Longrow 2002/2016 14yo Cadenhead CS [150 bts] 49.3% WB87.57[9]

• N: Light creamy peat, a little drier than Ardmore, more soft depth than Kilchoman – waxing lyrical.
• T: Competent.
• F: A waxy mouthfeel.
• C: Good if uneventful.

Scores 85 points

 

[Laphroaig] 1987/2000 12yo ‘Leapfrog’ MM bourbon cask #4216 46% WB87.33[5] WM85[1]

• N: Ice-cream peat with a little vegetal.
• T: The wood has served the distillate well. A controlled fresh now.
• F: More ice-cream peat-smoke after the freshness has faded.
• C: Very good, pleasing alternative to the official bottlings.

Scores 87 points

 

Ailsa Bay 02/07/15 Sample ID 150702087 WM Grant cask #14542 abv unknown

Young spirit sample brought especially for the Dramboree dramming table.

• N: Clean ice cream notes.
• T: Good distillate, sweet and drinkable. A touch of Dalmore about it.
• F: Raisin-y distillate fade with a barley vodka conclusion.
• C: For what it’s worth, probably my favourite Ailsa Bay expression yet.

Scores 78 points

 

Compass Box Morpheus [2017] ’Limited release’ Bottled for Milroy’s of Soho [1056 bts] [btl #M14MMVII] 46% WB87[3]

• N: Good standard /quality fruity malt.
• T: The competency continues along light sugar-sweet lines.
• F: Sweet creamy putty.
• C: Definitely good but i won’t remember it.

Scores 86 points

 

Bowmore 1997/2017 19yo Adelphi cask #2411 [545 bts] 57.2% WB87.40[7]

• N: Big fruity clotted cream, some nice sooty oils, tobacco/leather,.. Plenty here.
• T: Fruity at first then, boom! – the abv-fuelled peat is unleashed! Water brings to the fore, the cereal grain and less so the fruitiness. Dry smoke into the finish.
• F: Dry smoke with a nutty huskiness.
• C: And still the Independents’ have the lead on Bowmore. Weird that.

Scores 87 points

 

Bowmore 17yo [2004] Ob. 43% WB84.71[223]

• N: OBE/older style spearmint, raspberry tutti fruity,.. and much more.
• T: More oldness, mint,…. with a ‘proper’ [good cricket] spirit & wood partnership.
• F: Gentle oozing of the things.
• C: Right on. It’s not that long ago that the distillery had the edge.

Scores 87 points

 

Imperial 1995/2017 21yo SV ‘CS Collection’ casks #50220 & 50221 [btl #145/496] 56.7% WB0

• N: Glossy varnish/grain-like malt. Fruity/malty vibrant nose with Blu Tac, hessian sac,….. some changes , a little farmy,..
• T: A big chew,.. spot on. Some deep putty with water.
• F: Malty-fresh and more fruity/malty bourbon joy.
• C: Another spot-on 1995 vintage from SV – spirit & [both] casks firing together and bringing much complexity. This won second place at Dramboree 2017. Certainly a whisky to look out for – this distillery, this vintage, this bottler.

Scores 89 points

Invergordon TBWC Batch 3 [2015] [btl #48/60] 49.8% [50cl] WB81[1]

• N: Fruity, soft vanilla wood.
• T: Fruity spice. Works neat.
• F: Short.
• C: So-so.

Scores 83 points

 

Highland Park 1995/2015 19yo SMWS 4.212 ‘A dram from Treasure island’ [258 bts] 55.4% WB86.50[2]

A well-aged HP from a refill bourbon cask.

• N: Floral-TTW-fruit-funk.
• T: Bourbon,…hmm. Bit middle of the road now.
• F: Waxy tannic.
• C: As with a fair few SMWS expressions, one dram is enough.

Scores 84 points

 

Port Dundas 1988/2016 27yo HL Sovereign cask #HL12635 [btl #175/191] 56.1% WB84[4]

• N: Besides the vanilla honey lemon sponge, theres something funky? Big oils, Pernod? some phenols? – I cant quite put my finger on it. Anyone remember the Benriach Heredotus?
• T: There’s more of the funk but it quickly settles.
• F: Good travel,… and still a little funk.
• C: Sure ‘We want the funk’, but im not sure about the style of this one.

Scores 79 points

 

Glen Nicol 5yo Pure Malt 50%

Spending much of its unopened life on the shelf of a smoky bar, this pure malt is an Italian import distilled & bottled in Scotland by R. Carmichael & Sons who are still in business in Airdrie. This is a blended malt, formerly known as a vatted malt.

• N: Old skool toffee and a TTW cocktail. If this was a blend, you’d say it had a very high malt content. So what im saying is, it tastes as if it has some graininess in the mix.
• T: Chewy, a little fizzy, rubbery (textural) malt with a nice waxy maltiness.
• F: Soft & spongey fresh.
• C: This is good. One to lookout for. Stefan’s auction gamble success.

Scores 85 points

 

[Longmorn-Glenlivet] Longmorn 1972 12yo G&M L.G.D. 70 proof [75.7cl/26.6 fl ozs]

• N: Delicious deep, old n rare style with deep orchard fruits.
• T: Tincture syrup.
• F: Dry-fruit woody malt – what’s not to like? And there is consensus certainly.
• C: A little flat/tired yet still able to convey some old skool magic. This bottle emptied fast.

Scores 89 points

 

Compass Box ‘Flaming Heart’ 5th Edition [2015] 15th Anniversary [12060 bts] 48.9% WB88.84[66] WF91 ralfy91

• N: I can’t remember whether i had this before? Is the peat smoke from Caol Ila? Laphroaig? I’ll do my homework later.
• T: Same again, all very Islay.
• F: I’m still in the dark but i’m really liking that i’m drinking.
• C: A very good smokey/Islay,… blend? Aah, Clynelish and Caol Ila – now i’m up to speed. I have indeed had it before and gave it a point more last time around – due to context.

Scores 88 points

 

[English Whisky Company] St. George’s Distillery ‘The Norfolk’ Malt & Rye Single Grain Whisky [23/01/2017] [1962 bts] 45% [50cl] WB0

‘Where’s the cat?’ asks Kate, then it’s found!

• N: Good, modern/young orchard fruit-style grain.
• T: Aspirin-dry fruity number before a disappearing act.
• F: Nothing but a tannic filmy mouthfeel.
• C: Promising stuff. Must visit soon.

Scores 76 points

 

Glen Sloy 8yo ‘Pure Malt’ bottled for Rutherford & Boyd 40%  WB0

Portuguese import.

• N: Good old, malt? Blend?  – with some furniture polish, phenols and popcorn.
• T: Sugary/prickly sweet pickle.
• F: A little waxy finish.
• C: Really not bad.

Scores 77 points

 

 

Click here for Day 2