Tag Archives: Aultmore

Whisky Auction – Provenance’s Aultmore 9 year (2000) 46% 

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Next up from my Whisky Auctions bottle was an Aultmore from 2000. It was the perfect progression from the lovely Lowland Glenkinchie 10 year…  Over the years, I’ve encountered a few rather yummy Aultmore’s so I had high hopes for this one too!

We didn’t get off to a good start… Before we could even get the whisky in the glass, we had a small challenge with the cork crumbling! Now… to be fair, this bottle had some 15 years of waiting before being opened for our tasting, so it wasn’t a complete shocker. Whilst I have a habit of periodically turning my bottles upside down to wet the cork and sometimes even sealing the top with parafin, as an auction purchase, I have no clue how it was stored. Instead of getting upset, we simply used it as an excuse to decant and dive in!

So… what did we discover?

Aultmore 9 year Provenance (Autumn 2000 / Spring 2010) Sherry Cask No 6211 46.8% (Douglas McGibbon & Co. Ltd)

  • Nose – Sour cherry, becoming increasingly fruity the longer it was in the glass, creamy vanilla, such a dessert dram! Moist carrot muffin with cream cheese icing, apricots, ice cream soda, topped with a warm caramel custard – yum!
  • Palate – Soft, fruity, balanced with a wonderful mouthfeel, more of that dessert dram quality!
  • Finish – Light spice
  • Water – I didn’t think it needed it, however, when added, I’m so glad that I did! It brought so much more – augmenting and marrying the various elements together even more beautifully

There was little doubt this dram hit the spot. Many returned to it over and over to accompany their cigars later in the evening. I managed to snag a bit to bring home and found it got even better with a little oxidation. I’m sure what remained in the decanter must be a most enjoyable dram!

Tasting notes were shared on the label:

Distinctly spicy and sweet as it opens – then more of a macerated fruit content comes through with more spice all on the nose. The palate is more Sherried than the colour suggests – being sweet, smooth and rather fruity – even with some light camphor and late dulcet barley sugar. The finish replicates the palate nicely.

What about other Aultmore experiences?

Yet again, we thoroughly enjoyed this expression and were ready for the next whisky!

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Whisky Show 2024 – Decadent Drinks

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London’s Whisky Show brought many delights. One was time spent at Decadent Drinks – the folks behind the irreverent Whisky Sponge – which has “retired” as a brand! We didn’t quite get through the full range – yet we definitely covered a gamut from light to heavy moderately aged to mature!

Glen Garioch 21 year (2003 / 2024) 1st fill bourbon hogshead 55.1% 1 of 248 bottles (Decadent Drinks)

Our explorations began in the highlands… 

  • Nose – Fruity, juicy, then shifts into hazelnut chocolate nougat
  • Palate – Lovely fruits n spice n everything nice! Waxy, with a roll around the palate kinda substance
  • Finish – Almost a hint of copper 

What a wonderful way to begin with fruity fabulousness. Yum!

Aberlour 33 year (1989 + 1991 / 1999) Ed No 29, Refill Hogsheads 49.7% (Whisky Sponge) GBP 365

  • Nose – Gorgeous sherry! Unlike some heavy sherry drams – this was not “in your face” – instead just beautiful dark fruits
  • Palate – More elegant and refined than your typical Abelour, lovely balance
  • Finish – Sweet and long

A proper “grown-up” whisky! Sometimes Aberlour with its devotion to full-on sherry can be a bit much – this was incredibly nuanced and complex. Just wow!

Glen Grant 31 years (1993 / 2024) 52.7% 129 bottles (Decadent Drinks – Whisky Land Chapter 3)  GBP 595

  • Nose – Surprisingly strong – rich fruits and how!
  • Palate – What fun! Prickly ginger spice, buttercream
  • Finish – Sponge cake

If the Glen Grant 12 year old from the 1970s was elegance and refinement, this was the crazy cousin showing very different colours!

Notable Age Statements Blend 17 year 53% (Decadent Drinks) GBP 95

As a play on NAS – No Age Statement – the folks at Decadent Drinks have a series of Notable Age Statement whiskies!

  • Nose – Classically elegant
  • Palate – So balanced, sherry berry 
  • Finish – Don’t laugh – but my tasting companion dubbed this quite a “bitchy” finish!

What more do we know? This is what the folks at Decadent Drinks have to say:

This bottling is composed of a 1st fill sherry butt of 2001 blended malt and a 1st fill sherry butt of 2006 Aultmore. The resulting, multi-vintage mix was bottled with slight reduction at 53%.

This is our attempt to create an older style, sherry matured malt whisky profile. Designed to be easy, fruity and highly drinkable with plenty of classical, earthy and elegant sherry character.

Ardnamurchin 7 year Ed No 100 57.9% (Whisky Sponge – final edition)
  • Nose – Sherry joined by glazed maple with a hint of peat
  • Palate – Sweet and a bit sharp – young and brash, then it settled down to become super fruity and juicy, stewed fruits
  • Finish – Quite active
This was a whisky of contrasts – active and sharp then balanced, vacillating in between quite different characters. It was almost as though it had a kind of identity crisis!
 
It all made sense when I looked up more details. Here is what they had to say: 

This is Whisky Sponge Edition No.100. It’s a 2016 and 2017, 7 year old Ardnamurchan small batch.  It’s a potion that Angus cooked up in collaboration with the good folk at Ardnamurchan Distillery. It’s a mix of 1st fill and 2nd fill, peated and unpeated sherry octaves. We mixed them all together and married them in a refill sherry butt for over six months until the whole potion turned 7 years old, then we bottled it with slight reduction at 57.1%. For those of you that deify transparency, here’s the recipe…  

  • 2017 – Unpeated 1st Fill Sherry, Peated 1st Fill sherry, Peated 1st Fill Sherry, Peated Refill Sherry 
  • 2016  – Unpeated Refill sherry, Unpeated Refill Sherry, Unpeated Refill Sherry, Unpeated 1st Fill Sherry 

We wanted to celebrate and mark the final edition of Whisky Sponge with a whisky that was excellent quality, one that was collaborative and that we’d had a role in creating and making unique to us, and that was modern in the best sense and looked to the future. We feel we have succeeded in this – we hope you agree.  

It was quite an interesting experience!

Ledaig 29 year (1995/2024) 52% (Decadent Drinks – Westie Sponge 4)

  • Nose – Coffee, cinnamon, sweet spices, cakey
  • Palate – “I’m here now!” Big, bold, brilliant flavours! Sherry and coffee, cherry, chewy… lightly peated
  • Finish – Long and strong

Westie Sponge is a series devoted to the Western Highlands and Islands – which naturally needed to include this Ledaig from Tobermory distillery from Isle of Mull. 

Bowmore 20 year (2004) 53.3% 171 Bottles (Decadent Drinks – Whiskyland Chapter Two)

  • Nose – Fresh and bright, a delightful sea breeze, perfume then dark fruits, lush
  • Palate – Sweet peat, fruity in perfect harmony, elegant and well-rounded
  • Finish – Lingers

What more do we know? It is a refill hogshead from 2004. In some ways it was an un-Bowmore-like Bowmore – less forceful and more restrained. Lovely.

Ardmore 22 year (1997 + 2000) 53% (Decadent Drinks – Whisky Sponge – Equilibrium 3rd Edition) GBP 215

  • Nose – Love it! Peat and sweet
  • Palate – Perfect balance of peat and sherry, unctuous mouthfeel, meaty yet soft too
  • Finish – Marshmallows and cherry

The deep ruby hues (without any added colour!) means there has been some serious contact with an ex sherry cask! Here’s what else they have to say:

For this final bottling in the Equilibrium series, we took a refill matured 1997 and sherry finished 2000, medium peated highland malt and married them together in a 2nd fill sherry hogshead. That mix was then bottled as this 22 year old with a few degrees reduction at 53%. 

The result is the softest of the three Equilibrium bottlings in terms of peat level, and probably the richest in terms of sherry character. But overall, this is a wonderful, complex and beautifully quaffable sherry and peat influenced dram, one where age and time have also worked some pretty delicious tricks…  

Mortlach 16 year (2007) 48.5% (Decadent Drinks – Equinox & Solstice Summer Edition)

  • Nose – How extraordinary? There was a distinctive chaat masala aroma of black salt! Tangy, tropical fruits
  • Palate – Sherry edge, no lightweight at all. Oily, big and bold. Fruity and full. More of that chaat masala too!
  • Finish – Coffee

It was muscular without being heavy-handed. 

Miltonduff 11 year (2012)  1st Fill Sherry Hogshead 48.5% (Decadent Drinks – Equinox & Solstice Winter Edition) GBP 110

  • Nose – Rich yet not overpowering, juicy fruits then shifts into a mocha sundae, creamy eggnog 
  • Palate – Think of a delicious black forest cake with dark cherries, yet restrained too
  • Finish – Beautiful

A clear Speyside hero in its best form. 

Thank you Elise from Fredericton New Brunswick for making our time with Decadent Drinks so rewarding!

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That Boutique-y Whisky Co – Cinema Expressions

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After exploring That Boutique-y Whisky Co’s new “core” range, a trip down under with their Australian “Return to Oz” range, we closed our explorations at London’s 2023 Whisky Show with their new Cinema expressions!

We didn’t get through them all, however, each was distinctive and worth sampling!

Here is what we tried:

  • Italy’s Puni 4 year old (2023) Batch 2 46.1% for GBP 75
  • Sweden’s Mackmyra 9 year old (2023) Batch 3 46.8% for GBP 100
  • Australia’s Corowa 4 year old (2023) Batch 2 46.8% for GBP 100
  • Scotland’s Aultmore 13 year old (2023) Batch 18, 50% for GBP 75

So where did we begin?

Puni 4 year old (2023) Batch 2 46.1%

My eye immediately spotted the Puni – it had been years since I sampled anything from this Italian distillery. Normally I’m meticulous about capturing some kind of impression – even if it is just a few words that trigger evoking some kind of memory weeks and sometimes months later when I take the time to write up what I found. In this case? Nothing! So you will just have to tolerate my sharing with the good folks at TBWC have this to say:

PUNI is the first Italian whisky distillery, located high in the Italian alps, in an environment well suited to growing cereal crops. The distillery takes its name from the local river, Puni. Their striking distillery design, a 13-metre tall red brick cube is unusual, as is the combination of three malted cereals in their mash bill recipe. This release uses their three malt mashbill, and has been matured in an ex-bourbon barrel and finished in a Pinot Noir Cask, which we’ve then finished in a Sherry cask, so this is a fruity little number

Recommended movie for watching while sipping this whisky: ‘The Good, Bad, and The Ugly’

And their official tasting notes?

  • N: Malty, Digestive biscuits topped with blackcurrant jam. More sweet notes follow, with hints of wild strawberries and some nutty, woody spices.
  • P: The malty biscuit notes are followed by a fruity sweetness, nicely balanced with some woody spices.
  • F: A medium length finish with some chilli chocolate.

Mackmyra 9 year old “Duka Upp Til Fika” (2023) Batch 3 46.8%

Thanks to a lovely Swedish whisky-tasting companion, I’ve had the pleasure to explore quite a few Mackmyra’s over the years and even go on a tour of the distillery. Whilst they have a real range – largely split between their “Elegant” (aka without peat) and “smokey” styles, they have quite a range of experimentation. If you really pushed me to describe, I would default to calling it a “Ccandi” style – thinking of minimalist wood furniture, with clean lines, something fresh producing an overall quite pleasing effect.

Then to explain this time it would be with roasted green tea? Hmm…. either it will completely work or be a total disaster! My reaction? It is worth trying. There was subtle fruitiness, fresh cedar or pine on the nose yet also something a bit bitter. On the palate, it was harder to describe. Some herbal elements and something else that could not be captured by a mere sniff and swish. 

What more do they have to say?

Now this is something very interesting for the original ‘Nordics’ distillery; Mackmyra were founded in 1999 and have really led the way in the Nordic whisky scene. This is a 9 Year Old Swedish Single Malt that has spent time in a cask that has been seasoned with Hojicha Green Tea. Hojicha is a Japanese green tea that originated in Kyoto 100 years ago. Unlike traditional green teas, Hojicha is roasted after the leaves are steamed.

Recommended movie for watching while sipping this whisky: ‘The Seventh Seal’

And TBWC official tasting notes:

  • N: Signature Mackmyra notes of banana and pear initially. This is quickly followed by an earthiness of petrichor and some fresh cedar notes.
  • P: Fresh and fruity. Light and nimble. A tropical fruit salad of papaya, not fully ripe banana and hints of coconut, vanilla, and caramel flavours, with some chilli spices.
  • F: As the spiciness fades some sweet, drying, herbal green tea notes come through.

Would I agree? Why certainly!

Corowa 4 year old (2023) Batch 2 46.8%

This was my first intro to Corowa distillery. Founded in 2010 in New South Wales, it is in the heart of prime Australian wine region! No surprise then that they chose to use local Australian wine casks to mature their whiskies. In this case – Muscat. 

My tasting notes are brief but clear! I found quite an organic “farm-like” quality to this whisky. Sweet yet also quite minerally. On the palate it was surprisingly smooth yet also came with a kick. Yes this sounds like a contradiction but that’s what I discovered! Bold fruity flavors and a lot more of that mineral element.

And what does TBWC have to say?

Our second cask from Australia’s Corowa distillery is a 4 Year Old Single Malt Whisky, that’s been matured in an ex-Muscat cask. Muscat vines have been cultivated in Australia for about 100 years. Several different types of Muscat grape are grown as wine grapes and several different wine styles have been developed ranging from crisp dry whites, to rich late harvest sweet wines and the unique and world renowned fortified Liqueur Muscats.

Recommended movie for watching while sipping this whisky: ‘Mad Max’

As for their official tasting notes, here you go!

  • N: Bitter chocolate, molasses, Medjool dates, figs, with hints of white pepper, flint, and wild fennel
  • P: Big, bold, and fruity! Dried fruits; raisins figs, dates. Malt loaf, and a mineral spice with a hint of ginger too. This is really tasty!
  • F: Longer than I was expecting, with that mineral flinty spice and some bitter chocolate nibs…

Well, I would certainly concur with all the mineral references! From a fuzzy memory, the balance also seems to jibe with my experience. 

Aultmore 13 year old (2023) Batch 18, 50% 

Aultmore’s can be quite summery drams yet with substance – this was no exception! It was fruity and citrusy fresh, throw in some baked goods – simply delicious on the nose. Whereas on the palate, the sweetness was there but also yes – call it the power of suggestion – something a bit soapy too! Then a hint of bitter – again just enough to remind you this dram is not a complete lightweight!

What do they have to say?

Aultmore malt has always been revered by blenders as the perfect whisky to build up a blend. Our 14 Year Old has spent 11 years in a refill ex-bourbon cask until we got our hands on it, and Dr. Whisky had this re-racked into a first-fill bourbon in 2019 for reasons that can only be disclosed in the secrecy of ‘Bath Night.’

Recommended movie for watching while sipping this whisky: ‘Fight Club’

And their tasting notes?

  • N: A soft oiliness; peanut oil perhaps? Panettone, macaroons, grist, digestive biscuits. Followed by some citrus notes; grapefruit and lime
  • P: Pilsner lager with a wedge of lime, summer grasses,a little green tea bitterness. I like this!
  • F: Medium length, chalky, grassy, with some pepper lingering.

Wow! And what fun! I love how they chose to not only introduce their new core range as a “constant” but to also have 3 distinct sessions throughout the day. Whilst we missed one, I figure catching 2 out of 3 isn’t bad! Can’t wait to see what these folks do next!

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Gordon + MacPhail Discovery: Aultmore 10 year 43% 

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We began our “proper” tasting with a distillery known for its lighter style – Aultmore.  Part of the Bacardi family, it is known for a lighter, fruity nose and more substantial palate, this Speyside distillery has both official bottlings and can be found in select independent bottlings – like this one from Gordon & Macphail.

So… what did we discover?

Aultmore 10 year 43% 

  • Colour – Yellow gold (0.5)
  • Nose – A lovely fresh green apple, later joined by a pear too. As it opened further, revealed soft French vanilla and cereals, lightly floral – especially jasmin, gentle lemony cream
  • Palate – Delightful crisp pears, fresh wood, some spice – primarily cracked black pepper, more of that cereal (lightly toasted?), then pineapple and apricot, creamy mouthfeel, very smooth and balanced
  • Finish – Sweetwood, fresh herbs, and light spice with a faintly bitter close
  • Water – No inclination to add! It was perfect exactly as it is!

A perfect fresh spring-like dram – a lovely balance, nuanced and most enjoyable. Even going back, it stood the test – remaining a delightful, fragrant, easy-sipping dram with just enough “oomph!” and depth going on to make it interesting.

This was a clear “hit” of the evening – as evidenced by more of a ‘dent’ made into this bottle than the others! And as we are in the summer months, I wouldn’t be surprised if there are more occasions to dip into it again!

What do the good folks over at Gordon & Macphail have to say about this expression?

Green apple, vanilla custard, and hints of jasmine, smooth and creamy flavours of ripe peach and pineapple.

A hint of cracked black pepper is followed by a finish of underlying herbal notes and fresh citrus lemon.

All in all, a great start to an evening exploring Gordon and MacPhail’s Discovery range.

Our evening explored a quartet from Gordon & Macphail’s Discovery series.

And what about other experiences with Aultmore? Check out the following:

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Aultmore 12 year 46%

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Bonds of friendship, strengthened over a good dram, can span the globe and remain solid even if opportunities to meet are rare.

Such is the case with one friend from the US who happened to be in Mumbai while I was in the US. As I braved blizzard conditions in North America, she was enjoying catching up with our Whisky Ladies in much more pleasant conditions.

I returned home after she left, to be greeted by a lovely bouquet of lilies, some delicious chocolates and carefully put away in my whisky cabinet, a generous and much appreciated gift – an Aultmore 12 year.

Aultmore 12 year 46%

  • Nose – A lovely fresh citrus, delightful drizzle of honey, some vanilla then crisp orchard fruits, a creamy quality with a nougat, oak, bit of spice
  • Palate – Sweet with a light spice, a bit malty with gentle wood, more of that nuttiness, cream almost oily
  • Finish – An easy finish with spice, surprisingly long with the spice continuing
  • Water – While it isn’t needed, a splash of cool water goes well too, making it even more accessible

There was something quite fresh about this whisky, reminding me of spring bursting with new growth with a soft perfume in the air. Nothing complicated, it is easy and enjoyable, understated yet really rather good – one I’m delighted to have grace my whisky cabinet.

As I raised a silent toast to my friend, I thought it rather appropriate to have such an enjoyable sociable dram remain as a malty reminder of our times together… and look forward to the next chance our paths cross somewhere in this world

And what do the folks over at Dewar have to say?

Crisp notes of apples and pears with an aromatic floral finish.

What about other Aultmore experiences?

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Gordon + MacPhail – Aultmore 2000/2014 46%

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Next up was an Aultmore I’d had the pleasure of sampling this back in October 2015. The original purchase request was for the newer version from 2002 (bottled 2016) at only 43%, however I was so happy to see this one make its way to Mumbai that I kept it to myself!

Aultmore Distillery lies several miles north of the town Keith on the eastern fringe of Speyside. The distillery was established and building commenced in 1895 by Edward Alexander. The distillery initially did well and production was doubled in the first few years. However, the Pattison crash (1899) hit Edward hard as he had been a large supplier of bulk whisky to Pattison. Production continued at Aultmore but times were difficult; closing during WWI with the barley shortage, then Edwards sold the distillery to John Dewar & Sons Ltd in 1923. It was rebuilt when temporarily closed from 1968 to 1971, this time under the auspices of United Distillers, a pre-cursor to Diageo. Then in 1998, Diageo sold the Aultmore Distillery to Bacardi, subsidiary of Dewars – yes back to its earlier owners – in a deal worth more than £1 billion!

Known primarily as an element in blends – initially Pattison, then various for Dewars and others, it has only more recently emerged as a single malt. It should be noted that Aultmore whisky is not matured at the distillery site.

We sampled a 2000 vintage Aultmore bottled by Gordon & Macphail as part of their Connoisseurs Choice range. And what did the Whisky Ladies think?

Aultmore (2000/2014) 46%

  • Nose – Initially very sweet, then spice, baked pear, grassy, wildflowers, fresh meadow, then star anise, fresh mint – almost like paan… After the 1st sip, a lovely lemon peel, so subtle and nuanced
  • Palate – So much going on… herbal, almost reminiscent of Underberg, though has a thin body, it has such a lovely delicious quality, roast cumin, some darker notes which made it eminently more complex and enjoyable
  • Finish – Brilliant! Spice to chewy bitter back to spice and soooooooo long, as it evolved took on almost a burn match quality
  • Water – Initially punches up the spice, makes the palate fruitier, nicely rounded, with a sweet finish with a hint to bitter to make it interesting

For many, this was the most interesting as its character kept shifting as we settled down and let it evolve.  Each sip revealing more elements, all in subtle harmony.

Aultmore 2000

On the bottle, the notes confirmed it was matured in refill American Hogshead and refill Sherry Hogsheads. They describe it as:

The whisky has herbal and dried fruits aromas with hints of charred oak. On eat palate there is a delicate fruitiness with spices and a touch of oiled wood.

More detailed tasting notes from Gordon & MacPhail are for the 2000 vintage bottled in 2012 not 2014. Here is what they say about the 12 not 14 year Aultmore:

Without Water:

  • Nose – The whisky has herbal, dried apricot and raisin aromas with hints of charred oak.
  • Taste – Delicate fruitiness, with red apple and pear flavours. Festive spices and a touch of oiled wood linger.

With Water:

  • Nose – Toasted malt and sweet summer fruit aromas, blueberry and raspberry. A subtle cinnamon edge lingers.
  • Taste – Peppery and sweet with hints of green apple and plum. Becomes creamy with a smooth milk chocolate edge.

Would we agree?

This bottle was purchased at The Whisky Exchange for GBP 53 and freshly opened in November 2017 for our Whisky Ladies.

The ‘affordable’ G&MP trio featured:

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Gordon + MacPhail’s Affordable Trio – Glendullan, Aultmore, Longmorn

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I’ve long been a fan of Gordon & MacPhail – finding they deliver consistent quality for value – even in their younger or entry level ranges. I decided to test this by deliberately selecting a few of their most affordable offerings – all around 50 GBP – for a special Gordon & MacPhail evening with the Whisky Ladies in Mumbai.

The purchasing was easy thanks to help of a friend who stopped by The Whisky Exchange in London. The gradual import into India took a bit more time. What required the most patience of all was waiting for an evening to share with the Whisky Ladies!

Two of the whiskies selected were from their “Connoisseurs Choice” range which was started in the mid-1960s by Gordon & MacPhail to bring to whisky aficionados whiskies that were less readily available as a single malt at an overall reasonable price range.

One was from their “Distillery Labels” range using unique distillery designs once used ‘officially’ to bottle the whisky under license from the distillery, now in disuse except through a special relationship with Gordon & MacPhail.

The Whisky Ladies Gordon & MacPhail trio featured:

Fabulous each one in its own unique way…. 

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Origins and palate preferences?

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While most of my posts are filled with tasting notes of various whiskies explored, I must disclose the observations are typically an amalgam of several palates as the drams are shared and discussed as part of whisky clubs of informal sessions with friends.

I value the different reactions to what we try and recognize our perceptions of a whisky’s aroma and taste is inextricably linked to associated memories of distinctive yet familiar smells and flavours.

Hence you will often find my tasting notes peppered with references that are both common to say North America and equally India. This is simply a part of the duality of my life – hailing originally from Canada but living long term in India. Our cultural and culinary context influences our interpretation of a whisky.

For the most part, palate preferences are specific to an individual. Some love deep dark rich sherry drams, others long for the curl of peat, some prefer fruity and others saltier fare… for many, like me, preferences are context and mood dependent. My preferences have also shifted significantly over the years as I’ve gained exposure into different styles and the extraordinary range the world of whisky has to offer.

So why then was I so surprised at our last Whisky Ladies session? Where there was a very clear distinction between the reaction of those whose origins are outside of India vs those whose origins are within?

It was our first and only time where there was such a divide – sure we have different reactions and different opinions. That’s a huge part of the fun of tasting together! But not so diametrically opposed along lines of origins.

And what was the controversial whisky that provoked such a reaction? The Aultmore 5 year 66.8% Master of Malt which was first sampled as part of an exception evening of “Dream Drams” with India’s Malt Maniac Krishna Nakula.

The notes I took did not reflect the full story:

  • Nose – Sherry, chocolate, nutty, figs, dates, banana bread with nuts and sultanas
  • Palate – For some it was smooth, bursting with rich Christmas cake for others a complete brushfire – of pure fire
  • Finish – Very dry, long, cinnamon and cloves spice… for others just numbing like going for dental surgery
  • Water – Helped make it a bit more accessible

So what was the distinction? Well… those originally from India found it just too much alcohol and simply didn’t care for it at all… in short found it nearly undrinkable.

And those originally from outside India who have adopted India as home? Could go past the high alcohol strength to find interesting elements… in short found it drinkable. While perhaps not a 1st choice, certainly not a last one.

It was awkward to have such a peculiar palate divide and strange to have origins so firmly come into play.

However, our best discovery of the evening? The cask strength Aultmore goes brilliantly with our host’s home made banana bread! Just as we discovered those notes in the whisky, like magic – out came one of the best banana breads I’ve had in literally years!

Good baking and whisky – fabulous combination! And a great close to our sampling session.

What else did we taste in our Whisky Ladies “Worthy Whiskies” Sunday Sundowner?

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Worthy Whiskies – Mortlach, Arran Amarone, Lochside, Aultmore

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We’ve had several attempts to hold a Whisky Ladies evening in Versova so when I suddenly found out I would be traveling to North America and it happened to be the same night, I simply had to ensure it was a flight after our session rather than reschedule yet again!

And it was completely worth it. Having a chance to overlook the Arabian sea as the sun set is indeed a lovely backdrop to sampling whiskies in wonderful company.

Particularly when this was a “Worthy Whiskies” session which brought together:

Tasting this time had a bit of a twist – the Lochside and Aultmore were previously sampled with another set of fellow whisky aficionados. The Whisky Ladies reaction to the Lochside was very much in synch, so I combined the tasting notes. Whereas the response to the Aultmore was curiously divided… prompting a completely different post…

Just click on the links and read on… reactions and opinions welcome!

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Dream Drams – Aultmore 5 year (2007) 66.8%

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Master of Malt for years has been my ‘go to’ online source when searching for just a little bit more about a particular whisky – including an idea of price!

However until our rare malts session with Malt Maniac Krish Nakula, I had never had a Master of Malt bottling… to have it be a young 5 year old Aultmore… at a mind boggling strength of 66.8%? Very intrigued…

Aultmore 5 year (12 March 2007/May 2012) 66.8% 1st fill sherry oak puncheon, Bottle 021 of 628 (Master of Malt)

  • Nose – Nutmeg, egg nog or Dutch Advocaat liquer, spicy buttermilk like chaas, quite herbaceous, spicy, creamy, avocado, phenolic like walking into a chemist’s shop, then all spice, a Bengali panch phoran of cumin, fennel, fenugreek, black mustard seeds and kalonji (nigella), then shifts into delightful sherry notes of rum raisins, stewed plums
  • Palate – Spice, honey cinnamon, no doubt this was high alcohol but not dauntingly so, mince pie, thick honey, treacle, marmalade, chillies
  • Finish – Very dry, has a bit of a burn, extreme clove on the finish, then a debate between black liquorice and fennel, then again the nutmeg

I must admit, on the 1st sip, three tasters grabbed for water… when adding water to the whisky, we found:

  • Nose – Lots of sweet notes, pepper spice, almost like spiced rum
  • Palate – It needed the water! Breath through sweet spice… again it was almost rum like
  • Finish – Remains dry yet more accessible

Overall we found the complexity and range of elements remarkable for such a young dram – particularly given its high strength.

Krishna kindly gifted this bottle to me so that the Whisky Ladies could try it in an upcoming session. As I prepared to write this post, I was tempted to do a small pour to revisit… and gave in… All elements were consistent with what we found earlier, with the sherry quality even more pronounced.

What I hadn’t observed in the 1st round was how much this reminds me of the powerful and flavourful Hampden 2010 Jamaican single rum…. at 68.5%, there are few spirits out there quite so high in alcohol that are still eminently drinkable. Or so I thought… turns out some of the Whisky Ladies had a different opinion!

While the Aultmore 2007 is no longer available, the folks over at Master of Malt have a 2009 version for $71.

This isn’t the first time we’ve bottled a 5 year old Aultmore for our Single Cask Series, nor is it the first time that whisky from this distillery has shown so well at such a relatively young age. No coincidence there. Distilled in May 2009 and bottled in April 2015, this bottling says “age ain’t nothing but a number”. Other numbers include 65.4, the natural cask strength abv, and 122, the number of bottles produced.

PS – Alas this Aultmore was the victim of a cracked cork… which meant a perfect candidate for an anti-oxidation trick.

Other whiskies savoured in our “Dream Drams” evening:

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