Odds & Ends: TWE Whisky Show 2018

My last consignment from this year’s 2018 TWE Whisky Show. This collection contains the loose ends I failed to take notes, photos or info for, or ‘stuff’ that wouldn’t sit elsewhere. Let’s start with a prime example.

Allt-a-bhainne SV ??%

C: No notes, no picture, no bottle info. Did anyone try this Signatory bottling at the show? It was rather nice.

[Scores 86 points]

Some breaking news!

Compass Box Stranger & Stranger Un-released Un-Ob. ??%

WN reports that this will be a batch of 4802 bottles, bottled at 46%. The proposed label design is also shown.

strangerandstranger.com: Established in 1994, Stranger & Stranger is a packaging design & branding company specialising in alcoholic drinks. They label around a billion units a year, from the low-cost supermarket’s own label wine to the highest end premium spirits. See HERE for well-known examples from their portfolio.

Theoretically, this presentation may or may not comprise of:

A 16yo Fino ‘style’ sherry malt that comes from a distillery that rhymes with ‘Winkhood’.
A 20yo ‘Ben Helgin’, matured in a re-charred barrel.
A 22yo ‘Menbossie’ matured in a re-charred HHD.
So far it’s a malt blend, but here come Compass Box with their industry-irking tricks – yay! They added a 1%, 18 month old virgin oak grain spirit from an East coast grain distillery that rhymes with ‘Virgan’.

C: Too busy gleaning all that info, I made no notes but found this [teaspoon non-whisky] blend, very decent indeed.

Scores 88 points

And now for something completely different.

Black Rok Non-alcoholic whisky 0.0%

Actually, this concept isn’t new. TWE posted news of Black Zero non-alcoholic whisky [and vodka], back in 2009. Black Rok is a water-based product aged in wood, designed to replicate the smell, more than the taste, of whisky. It’s been devised & promoted to be consumed with a mixer such as ginger beer. To save my palate, I tried it neat.

N: It’s like an orangey wheat-beer with a lemonade & lime top.
T: Mild, smokey & salty barley water [wort], with more orange confectionary.
F: Smokey candy and barley.
C: Let’s see how it takes off, this time around.

[Singleton of] Dufftown 12yo whisky-me.com 40% [5cl]

N: Yeasty and a touch sulphury with notes of egg white & white bread.
T: It’s a bit prickly, sharp and congested yet perfectly acceptable.
F: A little butyric with some sourness.
C: It’s not as bad as my notes read. The question is, is this whisky inspiring enough to make me sign up to the whisky-me.com subscription service? Sustainability-wise, they have delivered [link].

Scores 83 points

Springbank 1993 14yo Cask Owner’s Private ex-bourbon cask CS abv unknown

I failed to gather all the important bottle information, but I’m not sure there was any info on these two bottles at the time. Patrick from whisky-news says this is a 1993 14yo ex-bourbon bottling.

N: A large, sweet farmy mineral profile.
T: Same profile. Stretches out on the palate.
F: With a mineral< fruity finish, a fine chew speaks of the same consistent action.
C: Fabulous throughout.

Scores 91 points

Springbank 15yo Cask Owner’s Private [Fonseca] Port cask CS abv unknown whisky-news

N: This isn’t your everyday port cask, it’s is 1970’s Fonseca cask. On the nose, there’s simply all-sorts.
T: Again, lots here. A tawny-like sherry style shows through.
F: The array of things continue, though some funny/odd notes linger.
C: Though I much prefer the bourbon cask, this is also great.

Scores 88 points

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How about three Irish to finish

Teeling Brabazon [03/2017] Ob. Series 01 49.5% WB84.26[75] WF83

‘Sherry casks’ is what it says on the bottle.

N: A super-accessible nose offers sticky toffee pudding with peanuts.
T: Arrives with ease and settles in. A bitter trace helps balance the sweetness.
F: Trickles on through.
C: Amazingly tempered throughout. An unexpected delight.

Scores 86 points

Teeling 3yo [2014/15] Un-Ob. abv unknown

Teeling 24 — [Demonstrative picture only]

With an average per bottle price of £600, we are reminded that someone paid £10000 pounds for bottle #6 of Teeling’s inaugural release. This is an un-official un-released 3yo, and the first of its kind for Irish whiskey. It’s so undercover, we are not allowed to see the bottle. With 50/50 malted/unmalted barley at its core, this whiskey comprises an array of oak maturations that include chestnut and possibly moscatel.

[N]&T: Floods in with [red] berries and all-sorts. As much as I liked Method & Madness’s chestnut expression [blog], this stands unchallenged.
F: Sweet-oily, clean yet rugged spirit with more chestnut action. Treacle tart concludes.
C: We are told this batch will likely be incorporated into next year’s [2019], 10000 bottle, bi-annual Revival release. Shame, I’ve never tasted anything quite like it. Super, barely-legal, spirit.

Scores 88 points