We are no shy retiring missish lasses… no siree! Mumbai’s Whisky Ladies aren’t afraid to take on a trio of cask strength malts against the backdrop of India’s Festival of Lights – Diwali! After all, if firecrackers are bursting around us, why not have a few sherry bombs and whisky booms delighting our senses?

Last night we explored:

• Glenfarclas 105 NAS 60%
• Ichiro’s Malt Chichibu French Oak Cask 2009 63%
• Abelour A’bunadh NAS Batch 35 60.3%

And here is what we found…

Glenfarclas 105 NAS 60%

• Colour – Burnished copper
• Nose – Smells like Christmas! Very sherry-y, caramel, then vanilla notes as it opens up
• Taste – Sweet, dark and smokey, honeyed prunes, raisins, nutty and chocolatey
• Finish – Smooth yet also quite dry – especially with a few drops of pani (water)
• Pairing – We just happened to have a few truffles on hand… so naturally started testing out pairings and pronounced it successful though “The kick comes back after a hit of chocolate truffles!”

Comments…

• “It’s just like bad life choices… with caramel”
• “Like cafe patron!”
• “No sweet tooth here, just alcohol tooth!”
• “Now it is simply a sherry wine bomb!”

This Speyside dram got things off to a rollicking start! Some missed the step of… “Perhaps you may wish to spit your 1st sip“ as going from 0% to 60% in the first swig can be a bit jarring. However our ladies were undaunted and found it became increasingly dangerous as this dram does go down rather well, easy to just keep sipping and sipping and sipping…

Ichiro’s Malt Chichibu 2009 French White Oak Cask #2357 63.1%

• Colour – Golden straw
• Nose – A little spicy, very sweet, light floral notes and yet can pack a punch or hit you between the eyes too!
• Taste – Cayenne pepper, very summer-y and light, flirty, smooth yet confusing, bright and bubbly
• Finish – Deceptive… there but much more subtle than the aroma and palate would indicate
• Water – A couple drops of water rounds it out
• Pairing – For some, the Chichibu and strawberries was a killer combination – who needs champagne if you have an effervescent whisky? For others, it was the brie cheese that did it. And the balance? Well… let’s just say there are a few of the opinion that chocolate goes with practically everything, doesn’t it?

Comments…

• “From the wrong angle, just a sniff will get you!”
• “While light and flirty, if you look at it the wrong way, it will kick you in the ass!”

This young Japanese single cask has many unique qualities and distinctly different from the straightforward Glenfarclas. It has a bright light element that completely belies its strength. Again – a dangerous combination!

Abelour A’bunadh Batch No 35 60.3%

• Colour – A deep dark burgundy with ruby highlights
• Nose – Cinnamon and cloves, gingerbread, honey, pronounced prunes, black cherries, Christmas cake, classic sherry-bomb
• Taste – Apple cider, caramel, warm and smooth, very ‘Christmassy’, rum-soaked raisins, robust and bursting with character
• Finish – Think curling up by a cosy warm fireplace…
• Water – This one works straight yet also does a happy dance with drops or a dollop!
• Pairing – Best with a sharp old cheddar, needs something that can hold its own with such brilliant flavours.

Comments…

• “Beautiful things are happening in my nose! And its not what you are thinking!”
• “This is one you notice every sip… and yes! It is probably getting you drunk…”

When the A’bunadh came out, there was literally a squeal of delight from one lady – as she would be re-uniting her taste buds with an old favourite. Talk turned to the slight shifts in flavour profiles between batches, fruitless efforts to track down certain batches from the 20s! Disbelief they are now into the 50s and a recommendation to simply ‘grab it’ if you see it!

What makes this Speyside stand out is its unabashed sherry quality. Rather than simply acquiring a sherry ‘finish,’ A’bunadh matures exclusively in Spanish Oloroso sherry butts, gaining a rich, robust and surprisingly well rounded profile.

Even better was the realisation that the price point for both Speysides remains reasonable (i.e. below $70) though the Japanese is near impossible to find at any price!

Our whisky ladies relished this cask strength trio – without a doubt a Diwali night to remember!

Related posts:

• Introducing the Whisky Ladies of Mumbai
• Glenfarclas Mumbai Special
• Christmas Sherry Bomb – Abelour A’bunadh Batch No 35

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