Another day, another dram and here’s yet another SMWS dram. As you know I have some affection to their products and I’m always glad to try another SMWS dram.
This time it’s a 14 yo old Auchentoshan that was aged in ex-sauternes cask that my whisky brother Tom was generous enough to send me a sample of.
This SMWS bottling had divided those who tasted it to 2 camps – the larger camp couldn’t stand it and the minority camp liked it a lot. So which camp did I find myself in?
Today – The Old Pulteney 1990. This one, just like the ones I posted yesterday and the day before, was the highlight whisky and the main reason for the Tweet Tasting event last November which due to some bad luck I couldn’t participate on time and I managed to taste it only this week.
The 1990 vintage is a limited edition of only 600 cases, matured in American ex-bourbon and Spanish ex-sherry casks which previously held heavily peated whisky. It’s nice to see more (highlands) distilleries experimenting with peated casks. Last year we also saw first peated releases from Tomatin (Cu Bocan) and Balblair (1990 cask), and as peat head all I have to say – don’t stop!
So how is OP 1990?
Today – The Old Pulteney Navigator. This one, just like the one I posted yesterday, was a whisky that I was supposed to be tasted during a Tweet Tasting event last November and some bad luck prevented me from tasting it during the event and I managed to taste it only this week.
The Navigator is a recent release (released in 2013) to mark their sponsoring of a yacht in the Clipper Round the World Race (as befitting their long maritime influence) and is matured in ex American bourbon and ex Spanish Sherry casks.
The name ‘Navigator’ hints at maritime notes, so let’s see if it stand up to that promise.
Do you know how is it when you look forward to some event and then you enjoy it and you have some great time? In this case it was a full opposite. Last November there was a Tweet Tasting of 3 Old Pulteney whiskies in celebration of the their new 1990 vintage and I was selected to participate in it. From this moment the problems started to mount – firstly the samples didn’t arrive on time for the event. but as I wasn’t the only one plagued with delayed samples shipment up came the idea of having a second Tweet Tasting event for us poor-luck tasters (Yay!), but then, due to crisis at work and a flat tire, I missed the 2nd tasting too! what a real dumper on that evening it was.
So the samples were sitting on my shelf, looking accusingly at me and finally I managed to get to taste them earlier this week and today I bring you the tasting notes of the first one: Old Pulteney 12.
The Limeburners whiskies – M92, M61 and M76
If you follow me and read my posts here, you’re probably aware of my affection for world whisky – I’m always curious to see how whisky is developed (and tasted) in other places outside Scotland – different tradition, different processes, casks and weather – always discovering something new.
two fantastic days on Islay ended and then we’re back in Glasgow, totally wiped out emotionally and dead tired from a fantastic day and tours.
But the day isn’t over yet. It’s our last evening in Glasgow and Scotland we have to do two more things: Meet Glasgowians I previously met online and visit The Bon Accord, THE whisky place in town, so the logical thing materialized – a meeting at The Bon Accord.
This is the 2nd post with the tasting notes of The Hanyo SMWS 131.2 Magic Carpet in a Sweetie Shop. I’ve tasted it online in Tweet Tasting event with a group of friends who bought and shared a duo of excellent Japanese whiskies from The Scotch Malt Whisky Society. The story behind this one is detailed in the previous post on the SMWS 132.2 dram right here.
It’s good to have friends who shares with you the same whisky passion as you do. A while ago, November 2013, the SMWS released a duo of rare Japanese whiskies from closed distilleries just in time for Christmas shopping rush:
132.2 (Karuizawa) – Stunning Panorama of Exotic Fruits. 22yo refill sherry, 335 bottles, 62.4% (!)
131.2 (Hanyu) – Magic Carpet in a Sweetie Shop. 13yo first fill sherry, 646 bottles, 55.1%
Yesterday I posted my recollection of the world fastest distillery tour (™) at Bruichladdich and since it was the last tour on Islay, instead of the customary tasting notes of one dram, we’ll go for the double – two Bruichladdich tasting notes!
The first one is Bruichladdich Black Art 4th edition – I have a bottle of the Black Art 3 and love it a lot – the mix of wood with different and rich wine notes is very good (see my review of BA3 here)
The second one is a Bruichladdich Valnich expression, filled at the visitors center in the Distillery by visitors and this one is from a cask that previously held Rum.
This post was in the writing for a long time and I hesitated completing it as Bruichladdich was our last stop on Islay and writing it brings a bucketful of sadness. But life go on so I finally sat down and completed it, doing it was kind of a relief and it’s way better then going to a shrink 🙂
Bruichladdich, well, as I said above – it was our last stop on the island. We were in a hurry as we had to return our rented car and make it on time for our flight back to Glasgow, but we were passing near Bruichladdich, a mere 500 meters away. How could we NOT stop there, even if not for a tour then just see it and have a dram in the visitors center.
Whisky Gospel 