Category Archives: Scotland

The “Sublime” One – TBWC’s Octomore 6 year 50.4%

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Our host decided to pay tribute to whisky veteran Jim McEwan with an interesting line-up bottled by “That Boutique-y Whisky Company.”

Truth be told, had our explorations of the 3rd whisky been wildly successful, we likely would have stopped there. Three really is a perfect tasting number. However the Bruichladdich was such a peculiar one that our host brought out one more…

And…. we were so LUCKY that he did!

So, why did Jim McEwan create Octomore? Here is what he has to say:

‘I was tired of people saying that Bruichladdich wasn’t a true Islay as it wasn’t peated. From 1881 to 1960 it was peated. I resurrected a peated malt and called it Port Charlotte to stop those people. Then I decided to make Octomore to shut everyone up for ever.’

We sampled the Octomore blind, followed by the surprising reveal…

Octomore 6 year, Batch 1, 50.4% (TBWC) Bottle 608 of 796

  • Nose – Wonderful! Oil and peat, lemon, wet fur, a wild marine sea spray, some sea weed, shifting into a rich sweet spice, roasted cinnamon
  • Palate – Ooooooh! Gorgeous and just simply – beautiful. It rolled around like silk, with such a lovely balance, something to savour…
  • Finish – What a pleasure! A long delicious spice

We loved the peat as it was perfectly balanced, not too heavy, none of that asphalt or ashtray peat… just salt sweat and peat in delightful harmony. In short it was sublime!

The debate began – leave perfection as is? Or add some water…

We gave in to temptation… and discovered it was even better?! Bringing out a lovely earthy quality on the nose, initially so much yummy spice on the palate, then settled down to become even more enjoyable, shifting between cinnamon toast, salty toffee, simply delicious!

It was absolutely unanimous – we all agreed this was a brilliant dram. One to just enjoy. We ran out of words as we sat back and simply indulged, feeling exceedingly pampered.

Octomore B1.jpg

Here is what the folks over at That Boutique-y Whisky Company have to say about their 2nd batch as the notes for the 1st batch are no longer available:

The discovery of our bottling of Octomore single malt is displayed on its label in three acts. Act I: Research. Act II: Revelation. Act III: Request. A timeless tale for the ages. The most heavily-peated whiskies from Islay-based distillery Bruichladdich are released under the name Octomore, and they have a reputation for being particularly intense…

Tasting notes:

  • Nose: Medicinal peaty notes with polished leather. Liquorice toffees, charcoal burning smoke and sea spray.
  • Palate: Sweet white grapes, prickly pepper, with a woody bonfire smoke and a pinch of salt. 
  • Finish: Dry, spicy, and that hint of salt is still there while the smoke lingers

And what would this Octomore set you back for a 50 cl bottle? The recommended retail price is £144.95.

What did we sample in our tribute to Jim McEwan?

As for other Octomore explorations? Here are a few highlights:

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TBWC’s Bruichladdich 13 year 47.6% “It’s a weird one!”

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Our host decided to pay tribute to whisky veteran Jim McEwan with an interesting line-up bottled by “That Boutique-y Whisky Company.” And what could be more quintessential than a whisky from Bruichladdich?

We sampled blind before the reveal…

Bruichladdich 13 year (May 2018) Batch 11, 47.6% (TBWC) Bottle 199 of 478

  • Nose – A peculiar sour, metallic copper, mineral, sharp, rubbing alcohol, quite odd…. as we gave it more time, started to find liquorice, salt, light hint of bitter orange peal, wondered if there was a bit of tobacco leaf? A bit of spice then shifted back to an eraser or rubber.
  • Palate – First reaction was “water from a copper pot”, quite oily, bitter cloves, wood char, different and changing
  • Finish – Limited

One remarked it was initially like a “chemist gone mad!” Overall it was quite distinctive and different. Most of us struggled with this one. We couldn’t put our finger on what it reminded us of and were frankly “flummoxed.”

So we added water and gave it some more time…

  • Nose – Much better… while the mineral element remained, it shifted more into a nice sea salt with some sweetness too
  • Palate – Was that a light fruitiness now emerging?
  • Finish – Still limited

One of the best quotes is this whisky was like “Art Cinema!” A bit difficult yet worth exploring.

That is exactly what is wonderful about the world of whisky – with such a range to click with practically every palate preference. And sometimes it is good to have a more challenging whisky – something a bit weird just to shake things up and make it interesting.

Bruichladdich-both.jpg

That Boutique-y Whisky Company

Here is what the folks over at That Boutique-y Whisky Company have to say:

The wonderful Bruichladdich distillery on the Isle of Islay was founded back in 1881, and for a long while they happily produced tasty whiskies for the enjoyment of all. In the latter half of the 1900s, the distillery was closed and reopened a number of times, though the doors are firmly open these days, with some phenomenal and inventive whiskies flying out of them (well, not actually flying – they’re probably transported on a truck of some description). 

They’ve produced a number of stunning expressions, and often they’ll let you in on the thought that goes into the direction they wanted to follow with the whisky. This has resulted in some intriguing ranges with all sorts of weird and wonderful names – many of which are referenced on the label of our Bruichladdich bottling.

Tasting notes:

  • Nose: Caramelised dates, polished oak, a hint of oatcake and white wine.
  • Palate: Continued wine-like fruitiness, followed by a crack of black pepper.
  • Finish: Mineral dryness and strawberry laces.
And what would this Bruichladdich set you back for a 50 cl bottle? The recommended retail price is £76.95.

What else did we sample in our tribute to Jim McEwan?

As for other Whisky Lady Bruichladdich explorations? Too many to count… yet here are a few highlights, including Whisky Live Singapore 2016 and an amazing Peat Progression Evening!

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TBWC’s Bowmore 27 year 47.6% aka The “Green Pepper” Dram

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There are times when a whisky sings a particular note… with such clarity and consistency that your impression of that dram is forever associated with that note.

I must admit, until this Bowmore, green pepper was never such a singular stubborn element.

We sampled it blind before the reveal.

Bowmore 27 year, Batch 5, 47.6% (TBWC) Bottle 94 of 285

  • Nose – Peat and how! Crazy sweet peat, bit of funk, fruit, some phenols, medical, surgery, bill capsules, VERY sweet, mulberry
  • Palate – Fresh capsicum which seamlessly follows through on the finish, a bit of green tea…
  • Finish – Dry and pure capsicum

After the 1st sip, it was pretty clear this whisky needs some time to settle down…

  • Nose – How interesting… the peat ran off, barley sugar, toffee, something almost like apple sauce, lemon curd tart, and apricots
  • Palate – A bit of spice, cinnamon, a bit bitter at the front
  • Finish – A nice cinnamon

We set it aside and what did we find?

  • Nose – Green capsicum
  • Palate – Goodness! Green capsicum
  • Finish – And…. gee….. Green capsicum

Now before you start to think green capsicum is a bad thing, it was actually quite good!

Giving even more time, we could detect a hint of ash. Even later… pickle? Yup… pickle.

This is one of those whiskies which is worth checking out but…  certainly not an every day dram. Instead one of those whiskies that works best when you are in the mood for it… particularly if you happen to enjoy…. yup… Green capsicum!

What do the folks at That Boutique-y Whisky Company have to say?

The massively well-loved Bowmore distillery has resided on the Isle of Islay since 1779 – it’s the oldest Islay whisky distillery and it’s still going even today! The distillery is home to its very own malting floor, an eight ton stainless steel mash tun, six wash backs and two pairs of stills, which actually produce enough heat not only to make their lovely peated whisky, but the waste heat from the stills heats the nearby pool! The label features a young lad with a freshly-swiped bra from the pool’s changing rooms legging it from one of the pool’s lifeguards.

Unfortunately, the Bowmore batch 5 / 27 year has been replaced by batch 12 / 19 year on the TBWC website, however, you can read what the chaps at Master of Malt have to say:

  • Nose: Salted butter, aromatic cedar, a whiff of floral malt developing beside classic coastal air.
  • Palate: Good cider, slightly vegetal at points, smoke meat and fried banana.
  • Finish: Slightly oily. Sea salt, lemon-flavoured boiled sweets.

So they didn’t discover any green capsicum, but one can see some of the elements they found in there too.

What else did we sample in our evening tribute to Jim McEwan with whiskies bottled by “That Boutique-y Whisky Company”?

Clearly, we are no longer strangers to Bowmore… Hhere are a few sampled over the years…

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LMdW Artist #8 – Ardmore 10 year 60.3%

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We were nearly through our exploration of the full range of the new La Maison du Whisky Artist # 8.

Back to the non-sherry drams and shifting again back to peat… with Ardmore and a label that made me think of wandering through a chilled winter forest.

Ardmore 10 year (2008/2018) Cask #800168 60.3% (233 bottles)

  • Nose – Citrus, herbal, then shifts into sweet spices, classic
  • Palate – Light spice and again quite herbal, traditional styled peat
  • Finish – Long, tobacco

I will admit by this point, I had been sniffing and swishing through 8 drams. Did this one stand out? Not exceptionally so. Particularly after the powerful Bowmore.

That doesn’t mean it wasn’t a fine dram – it certainly had some interesting qualities however a fleeting sip leaves only an impression than full fledged proper tasting. And I have a feeling to properly appreciate this Ardmore, one would need to slow down to give it full attention and due consideration.

As for a ball park on cost? In Singapore, this bottle would be SGD 300 at La Maison du Whisky.

And what do the folks there have to say?

  • Nose – Both powerful and unctuous. So Ardmore, the first nose does not go with the back of the spoon and we propose to discover a peat trimmed with billhooks. Very chocolaty and spicy (cloves, nutmeg), this peat impregnates the aromatic palette. In the background, some white flowers and peppers (Cayenne) reinforce its heady character. To be noted, its beautiful herbaceous and busty register (verbena, sage).
  • Palate – Rich, dense. In tune with the nose, the attack on the palate is full of vivacity. Whole blocks of peat literally fall down the walls of the palace. At the same time, coconut and juicy pears release their sweet juices and constantly refresh the taste buds. The mid-palate is marked by various essential oils (savory, rosemary). Gradually, a diaphanous smoke starts to intensify.
  • Finish – Silky, nourished. Gourmet, it evokes a delicious milk pie. As it goes, it becomes more and more herbaceous (green malt) and saline. Pink berries and cloves give it the tonicity that will allow it to finish in beauty on notes of red fruits (raspberry, strawberry). Intensely smoke and ash, the retro-olfaction reveals notes of tobacco and menthol. Fibrous, empty glass pays tribute to malted barley.

—-From LMdW website with an imperfect google translation from French.

La Maison du Whisky Artist #8 sans Sherry

We’ve not had so many Ardmore’s and those that made it to Mumbai were both just this year (2018)!

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LMdW Artist #8 – Caol Ila 15 year 54.2%

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We shifted fully into peat mode with Caol Ila… part of the new La Maison du Whisky Artist # 8 series.

Just as you would imagine from the swirl of smoke from Jérémie Lenoir’s photographs, this was no shy retiring whisky…

Caol Ila 15 year (2003/2018) Hogshead Cask #302465 54.2% (282 bottles)

  • Nose – Sweet peat, light hickory, bay leaves and sweet basil
  • Palate – Surprisingly soft and smooth yet no mistaking it was powerful too
  • Finish – An absolutely terrific finish – incredibly long and strong

The smoke remained… so pungent that I needed to change glasses before continuing with the rest of the series!

As for what it would set you back? SGD 388.

And what do the folks at La Maison du Whisky have to say? No detailed tasting notes…. just a few thoughts.

Particularly suggestive, this absolutely beautiful version transports us in the proper sense of the word. Continuously traversed by swirls of smoke and a sea wind of exquisite sweetness, the aromatic palette is a succession of hectic sequences and moments imbued with tranquility and serenity.

—-From LMdW website with an imperfect google translation from French.

La Maison du Whisky Artist #8 sans Sherry

Clearly we’ve had other flirtations with Caol Ila:

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LMdW Artist #8 – Bruichladdich 25 year 46.9%

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We continued exploring the full range of the new La Maison du Whisky Artist # 8 with a trip to Islay with a whisky from Bruichladdich.

Now I am no stranger to Bruichladdich! In Singapore, the most memorable Bruichladdich sampled til date was at Whisky Live Singapore 2016’s Collectors Room – with the 15 year “Royal Wedding H.R.H. Prince Charles” (1965/1980) 52%!

Here in Mumbai we’ve had the most memorable Peat Progression Evenings and even explored their PC MP5 trio.

However I will admit none attained the venerable age of 25+ years.

So what did my teasing sniff and swish at Whisky Live Singapore 2018‘s VIP room reveal?

Bruichladdich 25 year (1993/2018) Hogshead Cask #1640 46.9%

  • Nose – Earthy, hay, organic… think wandering around a farm on a warm summer day, a bit of salty minerals, sweet grass, orchard fruits and even a bit herbal too
  • Palate – Sour, soft, very natural, more of that organic quality…. everything on the nose followed through on the palate in a nicely rounded way
  • Finish – Light pepper spice, some nuts and ends a bit sweet

This wasn’t an easy romping dram, it was one that I would have preferred to slow down and get to know a bit better. However with only a teasing sip, it was not enough to do justice.

So what do the folks at La Maison du Whisky have to say?

  • Nose – Slim, fine. With a lot of freshness, the first lets us contemplate with rare acuity a field of barley. Rather salty, it is also imbued with medicinal tones (mustard, camphor). Its airiness is so beautiful that it raises enthusiasm. Gradually, vanilla and some yellow fruits (pear, apple) give replica to very fragrant plants (rosemary, savory). The aromatic palette is a marvel of balance.
  • Palate – Both delicate and lively. Not in rest, the attack in mouth also takes height. Very fond and juicy (pear William), it is also vanilla and lemony. The middle of the mouth makes us smell the heady perfumes of geranium and red fruits (strawberry, raspberry) that escape from a tank in full fermentation. The end of the mouth evokes the zucchini flower.
  • Finish – Long, serene. In the same fermentary register, it is milky (coconut, almond). Increasingly saline, it extends on notes of salicornia, pig ears and more autumn flavors of chestnut and liquorice. The retro-olfaction comes back on red fruits and more particularly raspberry. The empty glass is medicinal and peppered.

—-From LMdW website with an imperfect google translation from French.

La Maison du Whisky Artist #8 sans Sherry

Just a few past explorations of Bruichladdich whiskies include:

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LMdW Artist #8 – Glenturret 30 year 55.3%

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We continued exploring the full range of the new La Maison du Whisky Artist #8 series with a Highland dram from Glenturret.

I nearly forgot having tried the Glenturret 10 year back in 2013! Somehow Glenturret just isn’t one of those distilleries our merry Mumbai malters manage to encounter in our travels around the globe.

To then have an opportunity to sample a rather fine specimen of some 30+ years? Well, what a treat!

Glenturret 30 year (1987/2018) Hogshead Cask #371 55.3% (214 bottles)

  • Nose – Peach and other orchard fruits, complex, subtle dusting of sugar, a deeper French vanilla, a sweet perfume… utterly delightful
  • Palate – Delicious!! What a class act and how marvellously balanced. Honey sweet yet not too much so, a bit more depth with a zesty spice.
  • Finish – Long delicate fruits, berries, sweet spices… and oh how it lingers

Truly a lovely whisky with tremendous balance and beauty. Really quite superb. My sampling companions were amused as I was clearly in my “happy place” with this whisky! I would have loved to enjoyed this simply on its own and not part of a teaser sampling with 10 in this series!

Just to keep things in perspective, what would this beauty set you back? If buying in Singapore, it would be SGD 595 (approx US 435).

And what do the folks at La Maison du Whisky have to say?

  • Nose – Ample, rich. Very jammy (mirabelle, queen-claude) and vanilla, the first is also herbaceous (cut hay, alfalfa) and candied (lemon, pear, apricot). At aeration, the malted barley spreads with extreme delicacy over the entire aromatic palette. Then, he becomes more and more greedy (oat cake, leavened bread, raisin bread) and powdered (cocoa bean)
  • Palate – Creamy, creamy. A spicy sequence (star anise, clove) infuses a lot of pep to the attack of mouth. Then, in the process, bunches of white grapes release a wonderfully tart juice and notes of green grass give it a lot of freshness and going. Very gourmet, the mid-palate invites us to pick a variety of vegetables (zucchini, pumpkin, tomato, eggplant). The finish is honey (lime) and oily (sunflower).
  • Finish – Long, fluffy. From now on, it is the exotic fruits (mango, passion, pineapple) which take the leading role. They are accompanied by some red fruits (raspberry, strawberry) and black (blackberry, blackcurrant). This taste development is a real bath of youth for the taste buds. He also demonstrates that this Glenturret is never short of arguments. The retro-olfaction is spicy (star anise, ginger), vanilla and menthol. The empty glass reveals notes of porridge.

—- From LMdW website with an imperfect google translation from French.

La Maison du Whisky Artist #8 sans Sherry

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LMdW Artist #8 – Benrinnes 20 year 49.4%

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We kicked off exploring the full range of the new La Maison du Whisky Artist #8 with a non-Sherry Benrinnes.

This was a far cry from my first encounter with Benrinnes which was a Single Malts of Scotland bottle of a 24 year old cask strength. That one was harsh and medicinal. And this one? Read on…

Benrinnes 20 year (1995/2018) Hogshead Cask #9063 49.4% (279 bottles)

  • Nose – Started a bit dusty, light fruit, mild and subdued… then started to evolve… even more pronounced fruits, vanilla sponge cake, sweet dry grass
  • Palate – Again soft and mild, gently sweet and exceedingly easy to sip, slightly “rusty”, then a bit spicy
  • Finish – Lightly bitter and nutty, sweet, spice and a bit metallic

Much more enjoyable and interesting than my previous encounter.  When I later read the tasting notes, I thought they were rather apt!

As for what it would set you back? SGD395. Yikes!

And what do the folks at La Maison du Whisky have to say?

  • Nose – Refined, complex. At first, the aromatic palette is covered in a thin layer of arnica and peppermint aromas. Then, everything shatters, ceding to notes of green malt, cut hay and incredibly juicy fruits (white grape, canary melon, Louis bonne pepper). The longer it is left to breathe, the more concentrated it becomes. Vanilla pod and acacia honey bring lots of consistency.
  • Palate – Elegant, rich. On the attack, the vanilla pod has developed into a creamy custard and numerous aromatic plants (verbena, sage, rosemary), highlighting its pleasant freshness. The mid-palate is characterized by notes of polish (beeswax, emery cloth) and honey (still acacia). The spicy (grated ginger, cinnamon) end of the palate struts its stuff.
  • Finish – Long, airy. Green almond and fresh walnut appear alongside freshly cut hay. Then, unexpectedly and with originality, it develops notes of green olive and lime. The luscious (sorrel, lemon balm) retronasal olfaction is slightly peppery and sprinkled with a few grains of salt. The empty glass faithfully reproduces the medicinal notes of the initial nose, adding cocoa bean and praline.

—-From LMdW website translated from French.

La Maison du Whisky Artist #8 sans Sherry

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LMdW Artist #8 sans Sherry – Benrinnes, Glenturret, Bruichladdich, Caol Ila, Ardmore

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La Maison du Whisky has created special Artist Series… at Whisky Live Singapore 2018 in Singapore, they featured their new 8 Series.

This time, they split the approach into non-sherry and sherry, with two different artists. We sampled them in the suggested order, alternating between non-sherry and sherry whiskies.

For the non-sherry whiskies, the artist selected was French photographer Jérémie Lenoir. As they share

“Immerse yourself in an ode to the purity of the elements and the natural graphics of the earth’s surface through the five labels of this new range.”

La Maison du Whisky Artist #8 sans Sherry

I personally thought each label remarkably fit the character of each whisky:

Brilliant choice of expressions and images to match!

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Smoky Night – Kilchoman Loch Gorm 46%

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Last in our Whisky Ladies “Smoky Night” evening was this Islay – Kilchoman’s full sherry expression – Loch Gorm.

What did we think?

Kilchoman Loch Gorm 46%

  • Nose – Mmmmmm…. lovely tobacco, sea salt, smoke, mixed with Christmas cheer, some orange twist, dried fruits and sweet spices
  • Palate – Yum! Soft and buttery, chocolate, peat rolling around with a clear sherry dry richness
  • Finish – Gorgeous peat

For many, this was proper peat and sweet dram – a full, robust and satisfying whisky.

More than anything else, this evening was a terrific reminder that tasting order and environment makes all the difference!

After the rather disappointing Bunnahabhain, this Loch Gorm was “Oh yeah!” The peat hit just the right note and the sweet was also quite welcome.

Whereas for the Bombay Malt and Cigar lads, we sampled this same whisky after a trio of unpeated sherry drams. And the one just before – the BenRiach – was particularly spectacular. So when we got to the Loch Gorm it was a bit of a shock to the palate.

And what do the Kilchoman folks have to say about Loch Gorm?

  • Nose – Orange peel, cloves, caramel and mixed spice with waves of fruit cake and citrus.
  • Palate – A beautiful balance of spicy richness, cooked fruits, chocolate with layers of brown sugar sweetness and earthy peat smoke
  • Finish – Mouth-filling peat smoke, lasting tropical sweetness, toffee and rich dried fruit.

The biggest distinction here being 100% oloroso sherry cask matured… As the Kilchoman folks put it:

It is common for distilleries to use a variety of sherry producers but for our consistent quality and character, it is vital that we source them all from just one bodega. We select a combination of sherry butts and hogsheads from Jose Miguel Martin that provides two separate styles of maturation.

These ex-oloroso sherry casks impart a combination of heavy sherry notes, spicy dark chocolate, rich fruits and burnt sugar. This balances beautifully with the Kilchoman peat smoke and citrus fruits found within our farm crafted spirit.

For us, the results worked!

Our Smokey Night with the Whisky Ladies also included:

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