Whiskylive 2018: Day 1, Part 2/2

Following on from Day 1, Part 1/2, and in no particular order once again:

The Single Cask present:

Single cask bottlings at cask strength, with natural colour and no chill filtering, beautifully packaged with the ‘right’ information on the label, priced just so – and since I last reported [blog], a transformed website. What more could you ask for? A sound [+/-8%] return on investments starting at £10000 – subject to life’s ups & downs of course.

English Whisky Co. 7yo [2016] TSC cask #B/443 [btl #135/249] 60% WB81.50[2]

Apologies for quite possibly the worst picture of a bottle ever. It’s not like they’re swift movers or stealthy hide & seekers.

According to TSC owner Ben Curtis, this whisky didn’t work at all at 62% abv. At 60% they discovered a sweet spot. No more, no less.

N: Salty and heathery with notes of TCP and oysters. Very laphroaig/Caol Ila-like with a drop of Lagavulin.
T: Vegetal-sweet, candy, smoked oil…
F: Dry seaweed & popcorn.
C: A sweet spot indeed. Another independent outshining the officials. Where have we seen that before? Earlier at TBWC stand, that’s where!.

Scores 87 points

Macduff 1997/2017 19yo TSC cask #5278 [btl #225/273] 53.5% WB0

N: It’s been a good festival for fans of Speyside whisky. This one is lemon zesty, woody and leathery with a touch of plastics and an awesome subtle pong.
T: Drives ahead with a large wood spice/honey surge towards dry malty cereal>putty. Turns light barley dry,…
F: ,…. and concludes perfectly – the dry barley maintained.
C: A highly decent session number.

Scores 87 points

Miltonduff 1995/2016 21yo TSC cask #2594 [btl #93] 45.8% WB86[4]

Only occasionally released as a single malt as Miltonduff is the foundation of Ballantine’s.

N: Sweet & dry meaty citrus fruits.
T: More meatiness, and is that TCP?
F: Fungal dry with honeyed cereal and an ashy finish.
C: Another good one.

Scores 86 points

Braeval 1994/2017 22yo TSC cask #165641 [btl #34/155] 55% WB0

Always a treat to try Braeval as there’s little of it around.

N: Like the Miltonduff with dancing shoes on. With it [amongst many other things]. comes a Balvenie Double Wood softness and notes of lime mango chutney and sweet lemonade.
T: Slightly indistinct though desirably chewy distillate and some mould-with-age, underlined by a familiar Spey malt character.
F: Milky/film-y/waxy.
C: Again my notes are scant, but I like this on all levels. Looking splendid at 22 years.

Scores 88 points

And it’s not only Scotch The Single Cask bottle, nor indeed just whisk[e]y as we find out.

[George Dickel] Tennessee Distillery 5yo TSC cask #P311 [btl #53/115] 59.7% WB0

This undisclosed malt may come from a distillery that rhythms with forge pickle.

N: Desirably distillate based.
T: Candy vanilla with a corn edge.
F: Works it’s way through the sugar almond coating, cereals, corn syrup and herbal/floral sugars. Truly flourishes at the end.
C: A decent bourbon not least because the finish trumps all before it.

Scores 81 points

Diamond 12yo TSC cask #96 [btl #96/145] 57%

Matured in Guyana for 11.5 years before being shipped and bottled elsewhere, shortly after its 12th birthday.

N: A vegetal-rubbery cocktail with oboes and B’loonies.
T: A vegetal-rubbery daiquiri accompanied by salt<vinegar bar snacks. Enthusiastically waxing lyrical “It’s rum on a skateboard”, says Nick.
F: I can’t remember if Ben said this is from cane juice or syrup [syrup I think]. Either way, it finishes with a lemonade lolly, ginger with lemonade, mint, dry detergent powder, meringue pie,… and it goes on,… Quite a finish.
C: Everything good about rum is here. A fine cocktail in a glass.

Scores 86 points

We skirt past Douglas Laing who this year brought only brands to the stand. I’ll save posting the sad picture, but add, DL’s ambassador’s spent some quality time with their phones throughout the day.

Brenne French single malt Ob. ‘Cuvee Speciale’ 40% WB61[4] WF70

Even though it’s been around since 2012, launched by ex-ballerina Allison Parc, I know nothing about this French single malt and try it blind.

N: Childish notes quickly gather around synthetic peaches, banana liqueur and bubblegum.
T: More fruity bubblegum.
F: Did I mention bubblegum?
C: Is this even whisky? I’m guessing this is around 5-7 years old that has seen some action in some very wet casks. Apparently, it’s all made with a focus on terroir, using local & organic ingredients and aged in French limousin casks – and this is the result. Further reading: drinkbrenne.com.

No score

Glen Scotia 15yo [2018] Ob. 46% WB84.43[185] WF83 Ralfy92 Blog85

In relation to what’s gone before, today I find it fruity>malty>waxy and salivating to the end. It really is an enjoyable dram. I’m going to adhere to try the 15yo everytime I can, to track its progress.

Scores 85 points

Glen Scotia 18yo [2018] Ob. 46% WB84.36[24]

Despite my exposure to and interest in anything from Loch Lomond in the past few years, I’d not tried the 18yo before now.

N: Buttery compost and more besides.
T: More rounded, full bodied and woody [in a good way], than the 15yo
F: [No notes]
C: [Today], I like this more than the 15yo.

Scores 87 points

Loch Lomond 2006/2017 Ob. cask #40 [282 bts] 53.1% WB84[4]

C: The pongy/dunder copper distillate leads, backed up by lush cereals and lemon brine. A distinct lack of doctoring follows Loch Lomond to its credit.

Scores 86 points

That’ll do for the day. I pick up my Orbital 8 courtesy of The Whisky Magazine, and off I go. Back tomorrow!

Day 2, Part 1/1

END