My Dearest Friends & Esteemed Guests,
August is upon us, and our last tasting of the current series will be here before we know it (and there will be Talisker!). This summer has been a wonderful one, full of glorious sunshine, free of too much rain and therefore the much dreaded lawn mowing, and alive with vacations, get-aways, and, of course, the occasional dram. Before we bring it to a close however, let us reflect on our July tasting...
Once again we crossed multiple regional lines during the event, and once again introduced a fine specimen of an older vintage whisky.
The first of our samplings was the Macallan 12 year old, Sherry Oak. Macallan proved a tasty dram. The pale gold color led us to believe it would be lighter and show more oaky flavors. Deceptive mistress! Sherry and dried fruits were immediately nosed, with hints of toffee. She was creamy with sherry's typical rich fruitiness balanced by hints of cedar (perhaps sandalwood?) and a touch of smoke, proved Macallan a well balanced dram. We assented to scoring the Macallan 12 year old a respectable 7.3 overall.
Next up was our vintage expression, the Macallan 18 year old. What a difference a little age makes! It has been written that the 18 year mark is the perfect age for most drams, and the Macallan 18 lives up to the promise. Fruits and wood spice once again play on the nose, but the wood has gone on to develop more citrus and vanilla notes. A hint of cinnamon teases the senses. On the palate, cloves and oranges come to the fore, and the finish presents more smoke than does its younger cousin. Rich and succulent, we were pleased to provide the Macallan 18 with a tie for our highest score ever, a well deserved 9.0.
Oban 14 has always been a solid performer, and July was no exception. The golden, "Gateway to the Isles" dram is malty and full bodied, with a particularly maritime flavor. The salt-spice comes through, with a hint of lemon citrus and a whiff of smoke. It finishes smooth and long, leaving a bit of spice behind. Our perception of Oban could have been much worse following the Macallan 12, but it held its own, in fact it improved over its last scoring, earning itself a solid 7.6 in August.
Last up for the evening, and a bit out of place amongst the other samplings, was the Laphroaig 10 year old. It is a shame that more of us prone to Islay's phenolic frenzy were not present, as I'm sure a more full debate over the charms of Laphroaig's medicinal qualities would have ensued. As it was, we spent our time in debate over whether "bandaids" or "iodine" more aptly captured the (somewhat disdained) essence of the stuff we were drinking. Laphroaig's unique character scored very well with about a third of our tasters, and extremely poorly with the others, rounding out a 6.9 average for the evening.
Eager to step away from my keyboard and into the summer a little longer, I shall stop here, but remain ever yours, sincerely,
Sláinte,
August is upon us, and our last tasting of the current series will be here before we know it (and there will be Talisker!). This summer has been a wonderful one, full of glorious sunshine, free of too much rain and therefore the much dreaded lawn mowing, and alive with vacations, get-aways, and, of course, the occasional dram. Before we bring it to a close however, let us reflect on our July tasting...
Once again we crossed multiple regional lines during the event, and once again introduced a fine specimen of an older vintage whisky.
The first of our samplings was the Macallan 12 year old, Sherry Oak. Macallan proved a tasty dram. The pale gold color led us to believe it would be lighter and show more oaky flavors. Deceptive mistress! Sherry and dried fruits were immediately nosed, with hints of toffee. She was creamy with sherry's typical rich fruitiness balanced by hints of cedar (perhaps sandalwood?) and a touch of smoke, proved Macallan a well balanced dram. We assented to scoring the Macallan 12 year old a respectable 7.3 overall.
Next up was our vintage expression, the Macallan 18 year old. What a difference a little age makes! It has been written that the 18 year mark is the perfect age for most drams, and the Macallan 18 lives up to the promise. Fruits and wood spice once again play on the nose, but the wood has gone on to develop more citrus and vanilla notes. A hint of cinnamon teases the senses. On the palate, cloves and oranges come to the fore, and the finish presents more smoke than does its younger cousin. Rich and succulent, we were pleased to provide the Macallan 18 with a tie for our highest score ever, a well deserved 9.0.
Oban 14 has always been a solid performer, and July was no exception. The golden, "Gateway to the Isles" dram is malty and full bodied, with a particularly maritime flavor. The salt-spice comes through, with a hint of lemon citrus and a whiff of smoke. It finishes smooth and long, leaving a bit of spice behind. Our perception of Oban could have been much worse following the Macallan 12, but it held its own, in fact it improved over its last scoring, earning itself a solid 7.6 in August.
Last up for the evening, and a bit out of place amongst the other samplings, was the Laphroaig 10 year old. It is a shame that more of us prone to Islay's phenolic frenzy were not present, as I'm sure a more full debate over the charms of Laphroaig's medicinal qualities would have ensued. As it was, we spent our time in debate over whether "bandaids" or "iodine" more aptly captured the (somewhat disdained) essence of the stuff we were drinking. Laphroaig's unique character scored very well with about a third of our tasters, and extremely poorly with the others, rounding out a 6.9 average for the evening.
Eager to step away from my keyboard and into the summer a little longer, I shall stop here, but remain ever yours, sincerely,
Sláinte,
