Whisky Online Blog

In my office at work I have a selection of bottles open for ‘official research purposes’. Some of the most interesting’ research’ I conduct, usually with visiting dignitaries and fellow whisky academics, is the comparison between two particular bottles. These bottles are both Glenmorangie 10yo, the difference being one was bottled last year and one was bottled in the late 1970s. Above all other distilleries I think Glenmorangie’s current house style best represents what I mean when I talk about a ‘modern’ style of whisky. I think it works because it is so clearly in this vein of up-front, wood-dominated distillate but, most importantly, it is also of a good, generally consistent quality. This makes it strikingly obvious when you put it side by side with an older version just how much the style has evolved in the space of 30 years. Time to finally write some notes on these two long distance siblings.

Glenmorangie 10yo. OB. Rotation 2011. 40%. 70cl. 

Colour: Straw Gold

Nose: At first its these slightly over-heady aromas of paint, turpentine, wood resin, lactones, sap and a rather acidic vanilla note. Lots of wood shavings, saw dust and fresh workshop notes, like sniffing a freshly used belt sander. This is so typical of these, modern whiskies that are full of wood technology, all that first fill bourbon comes right to the fore. It’s not unpleasant but it seems a little uncomplicated. Given some time though there is also some very pleasant fruits starting to emerge. Notes of green apple, kiwi and juicy fruit bubblegum all come through with further hints of dried spices, crushed banana skins, dried mint, furniture oils and something quite milky. Its the kind of nose that rewards patience and a very fresh palate.

Palate: The sweetness is first as expected but it’s very luxurious and quite mouth-coating. All the usual suspects of creme brulee, vanilla essence, pear drops and cocoanut are there. But also the sharpness of green apples, hints of black tea, more quite heavy wood lactones, brown sugar, hints of young rum and more of these pine and sappy notes. The palate is very much in keeping with the nose, very concise in its directness and composure. It is also somewhat lacking in complexity in the same way but it is super easy and very quaffable. Goes on with a little herbal note like herb liqueur and touches of buttered toast.

Finish: Surprisingly good length with more butter, generic vanilla, creaminess and some notes of sour apples.

Comments: I think this batch is probably quite a bit better than other versions I’ve tried in recent times. I think it is a very well composed ‘statement’ bottling by the owners. It’s not my style of whisky, as any brief perusal of the back pages of this blog will tell you, but it is a good example of that modern style. whenever I want to illustrate that modern/old style divide in a tasting I tend to use Glenmorangie 10yo and that is not about to change any time soon. The question is though, does the excessive wood cover the distillery character in the distillate or is there any distillery character left to cover? This makes me want to try a modern Glenmorangie from refill wood asap…

Score: 78/100 (That’s an improvement upon recent batches I’d say)

Glenmorangie 10yo. OB. Screw cap. Rotation late 1970s/early 1980s. 40% 75cl. 

Colour: Straw Gold (interestingly identical)

Nose: This is a different animal entirely. Whereas the stickiness of the wood in the first one was the dominant factor, with this one its all about the drier qualities. Loads of wax, shoe polish, mineral notes, limes and many other citrus notes. Wild flowers, butter, herbs, different kinds of fruits come through with tropical leanings of banana puree and melon, then slightly greener aspects like peach tea, chamomile and nettles. With time there is more of this flinty minerality and also some slightly metallic touches of peat. Whereas the first one was very direct, compact and modern this one is in almost another dimension. A perfect example of the old highland style, very naked, very distillate driven, highly aromatic and elegant. Not easy or sexy like the 2011 version but much more beguiling, complex and charming.

Palate: Again this is in keeping with the nose, lots of of delicate heathery smoke, old wax, soft peats, touches of metal, motor oil, caraway seeds, fennel, chamomile tea, olive oil, wood resins, more wild floral qualities and even something slightly coastal. Hints of waxed lemons, bubblegum, treacle, oatcakes and an elegant savory spiciness. The palate is not without traces of OBE but it is in no way tired and it certainly retains its bite. Quite beautiful really.

Finish: Soft but long and fresh. Lots of fresh herbs, citrus fruits, whiffs of dunnage, smoke, mustard seed and coal.

Comments: I love this style of whisky and to taste it side by side with the modern version with a fresh palate in the middle of the afternoon is just quite gobsmacking. It never ceases to amaze me how much changed in whisky production over the last 40 years. This is one of the most illuminating tastings you can to do see the effects of these changes laid bare before you. I urge to try and do a similar tasting if at all possible. You can still find old bottles of Glenmorangie 10yo for pretty good prices so give it a whirl. You’ll be amazed at what you find.

Score: 88/100

This image from the Vancouver riots seems somehow appropriate for 2011. Almost makes me wish I'd been there. Almost makes me wish it (probably) wasn't photoshopped.

By any measure this has been a tumultuous year, 2012 has a lot to live up to it seems. It’s going to need more than the Olympics and a pile of hogwash about the end of the Mayan calender to compete with what 2011 has thrown at our feet. The Arab spring, an increasingly introverted and suicidal Euro, the UK Economy being run by a bunch of public school boys who still don’t understand why the general population can’t simply inherit some money to ease their financial quibbles. In Britain we had riots, marches, fury, extensive government cuts and a Scottish government of increasing popularity making good their promise and laying the framework for the potential dismantling of the UK. In America they had their own economic woes, they had less money than Apple at one point, and then there was the 10th anniversary of 9/11. Europe finally caved and went begging to China for spare cash, everyone’s favourite EU leader Berlusconi sadly had to go due to his country managing to have some kind of anti-economy based solely on under age prostitution, ‘Bunga Bunga’ parties, whisky faking and bribery. Angela Merkel proved herself to be the Girl Guide of Europe, David Cameron failed to deny he was a Synthetic Android from the Alien film franchise and Nicholas Sarkozy remained short. China continued to become massiver and massiver and to ignore ever increasing grumbles about its rather lax attitude towards human rights, after all who cares what others think when you have that much disposable income. Greece finally collapsed after years of reliance on an economy based solely on plate breaking and Ireland still writhes in the grip of the great cappuccino famine of 2011. This was also the year of the phone hacking scandal where Rupert Murdoch and his underlings managed to create the buck that never stops. Dictators of the world fell like playing cards in a wind tunnel this year, who can forget the blood lusty, yet satisfying way Colonel Gaddafi was gunned down in the streen, HA! Happy times. The most recent one though was North Korea’s comedy miniature despot Kim Jong-il who died, we can only assume from reading his official biography, from the fact that he never defecated. An impressive feat although it did explain why he spoke utter shit for most of his life. His copycat fat son is everyone’s favourite to win Despots On Ice 2012. Oh, and Bin Laden got shot in the head by Navy Seals. Apparently the reason he wasn’t forcibly extracted back to US soil to stand trial was that he was defending himself with automatic loaded wives, or something like that according to a memo from the CIA. So, a tumultuous year all in all.

But what about the year in Whisky? Well as the above image suggests it was a very good  year for publicity stunts. Dalmore, Macallan, Glenfiddich, Old Pulteney, they all clambered over each other, slavering at the gums like hounds of the baskerville with marketing diplomas. Desperate to conquer the squalid back pages of the press with their fetid little bling bottlings, or to tell us that Jim Murray, the greatest gift to whisky since domestic violence, had endorsed their product with his latest super score. There were other things afoot in whisky as well with the ‘world’ whiskies starting to finally gain the recognition they deserve. People continued to complain about the Ardbeg Committee with staggering levels of naivety, as if it was actually supposed to be some kind of exclusive country club instead of a big, oily marketing engine that runs on raw, self perpetuating nonsense. Maybe in 2012 people will actually stop complaining and realise that it is the way it is and they can’t help it so just stop approaching me at festivals and complaining to me because I happened to work at the distillery for two summers while at uni as if that somehow means I can just call up someone at Moet Hennessey and ‘have a wee word’. Gosh it feels good to get things off your chest. In related Ardbeggy news, the great blender Rachel Barrie left Glenmorangie and headed to the Bowmore/Glen Garioch/Auchentoshan stable and proceeded to say some very encouraging things about future production methods, although I’m still waiting for a reply to a comment I made on her facebook status about doing some more peated Glen Garioch, time will tell. The rush for Port Ellen 11th release drove consumers into a frenzy of mindless violence that ended in further outbreaks of rioting throughout the whisky shops of Europe. Lady Gaga got five cases though.  Whiskyfun turned 9 this year on July 28th, selfishly only 8 days after my own birthday thereby overshadowing that event in the whisky calender for so many people. I’ll get you yet Valentin (shakes fist). There has been much speculation over what Serge will do once Whiskyfun turns 10. However we all know he will convert the site into an online scores auctioneering base where companies bid thousands of euros (or francs depending on how things are looking come August) a time for whatever score he is offering that week. The first score will be 98 points and we know Inverhouse are already putting together a bid for their new non-aged, Iron Bru finished An Cnoc. Good times ahead.

The Hadron Collider, a big player in the whisky scene of 2012? Also don't do what I just did and run a google image search for 'Large Hardon Collider' by mistake.

So what does 2012 hold for whisky? I suspect we will see even higher prices, more fakes, the pointlessness of the ‘most expensive bottle ever sold’ war will spiral into the cosmic belly button of utter despair and consume all who dare venture near, like a black hole of fat, sweaty bollocks. The German Independent Bottling market will continue to blossom providing the best whiskies and the best prices. Kilchoman will continue to get better with age. Richard Patterson will host a tasting in the Large Hadron Collider. Ralfy will move to Sky One. Joel and Neil from caskstrength.net will open for the Pope at Glastonbury. Fred and Stuart Laing will merge into a single, two-headed person like Zaphod Beeblebrox from the Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy. The Port Ellen 12th release will be released in the style of Red Cross aid parcels in Ethiopia. UN soldiers will throw armfuls of them into baying crowds of angry whisky lovers armed to the teeth with pitchforks and ipads and just hope for the best while a representative from Diageo looks on via a satellite link up and calmly motions to his minions to begin ‘phase 2′. The Olympic opening ceremony will be sponsored by Bruichladdich, Jim McEwan and Boris Johnson will open the show with a beginners guide to Coopering. Octomore will be peated to 1 trillion ppm thus causing a tear in the space time continuum and creating what is known as a ‘phenolic irregularity’. Dave Broom will be the new Doctor Who companion and Martine Nouet will be the new Doctor Who. Daftmill will buy Diageo, George Osborne will retire from politics and re-open Brora with his vast personal fortune and Nick Clegg, finally overwhelmed by his spineless guilt, will commit suicide live on national television by downing a thousand miniatures of Edradour. So an exciting year for us all to look forward to.

Be sure to tune in for Nick Clegg's 'dram with destiny' in 2012.

On a personal note it is difficult to comment too succinctly on a  year that was racked by so much intensity, belt tightening, death and downright misery, purely because for me it was far and away the best year of my life. I travelled and made some of the best friends I’ve ever had, I found a great new job, moved into the best flat I’ve ever lived in with the best flatmate I’ve ever had and I’m in a position where things seem to be looking up. I am, in short, incredibly lucky and I try to realise it every day. So the final tasting of 2011 will be one themed around starting as you mean to go on, at least for as long as possible, I’m not sure how many more great Brora tastings I’ll be able to do..? A worrying thought indeed.

Brora 1970-2002. 32yo. Douglas Laing ‘Old & Rare’. 58.4%. 70cl. 

Huge thanks to Wayne for opening this beauty.

Colour: Straw Gold

Nose: Why do other distilleries bother making peated whisky? This is just another typically perfect early Brora. A myriad of farmyard, industrial, coastal and medical qualities with farminess taking the initial lead. Just beautiful! Opens up slowly with lemon skins, oils, mineral notes, pebbles, sea salt, camphor and tar. Sea air, brine, coal and a perfect underlying waxiness. It’s definitely leaning more towards coastal guises now. Lots of sea spray, lime juice, olive oil, seaweed, white flowers, sandalwood and tcp. It’s just massively fresh and vibrant. Just stunning, lets see if water can improve it even further… With water it just becomes almost hyper coastal, like raw sea water and oysters. Lemon juice, raw peat smoke, old kilns, iodine.

Palate: Massively oily on delivery, like boiler sheds, thick green peats, tar, peat oil, drying medicinal notes, smoked cereals, sea water, green olives in brine, hay, hessian and treacle. Smoked vanilla (?), chilli oatcakes, black pepper, Riesling, melted butter and chopped chives. Shellfish, crab meat, smoked mussels, fresh lemon juice, cured ham and more salt. With water: a really luxurious, elegant peat comes through now, loads of olive oil, bonfire smoke, burning grass, wax, smoked cereals, peppered mackerel and some wonderfully farmy notes of engine oil and horse stables.

Finish: Very long with drying peat smoke, wax, cereals, tar, white pepper, burnt toast, camphor and fish oil.

Comments: Another incredibly Brora, I think the 1970 and 71s were not quite as stellar as the 72s in my opinion. It seems like they were still experimenting and constantly tweaking the recipe, in 1972 they must have got things very right. However, this is all relative as this one is still galaxies ahead of most modern peated malts.

Score: 94/100

Brora 1972-1995. 22yo. OB Rare Malts. 61.6%. 70cl.

This is one of several truly legendary early Broras from the Rare Malts series.

Colour: Gold

Nose: Ouch! The word beast could have been invented for this one. Imagine a peat, honey, salt and turpentine smoothy and you’re not far off. Quite closed even after a long time in glass, aggressive and difficult but even with all that grumpy, miserly austerity it is still quite beautiful. Struck flints, big, raw mineral notes, hay, horse stables, burnt grass and old petrol cans. A true powerhouse whisky. I think we’ll add a bit of water straight away… with a little water it starts to freshen out a bit, salt, lemons, limes and a nice manure quality all start to make themselves felt. Becomes intensely ‘Brora’ with a huge farminess and notes of coal fires, seaweed, parsley and wax. Lets try another little bit of water: it actually got even better, now its super fresh, leafy, smoky and very medicinal. A stunning and perfect mix of all the classic Brora characters. This is one of those whiskies that swims like a fish, it absolutely needs careful time with water to bloom, but when it does, my god it’s magnificent.

Palate: Neat it is an aggressive bag of gravel, wet earth, green, concentrated peat oil and feisty minerals. Some farmyard hints of stables, hay, horses and tar then muesli, rope, wet leaves, coal and mercurochrome. With a first dilution… wow, a perfect profile, all on minty, leafy peats, all kinds of wax, a dazzling array of coastal notes and different oils. Perfect but lets try a little more water anyway… the peat gets even oilier, almost simmering like an old Ardbeg, oily, fat and mouth coating with a wonderfully farmy dirtiness. Superlative notes of seaweed, tar, tcp, bread, olive oil, brine, anchovies, kippers, black and green peppercorns, hummus, matchsticks and more salt. It’s quite incredible really, we’d best stop.

Finish: Ask me in 2013 how it’s coming along

Comments: I’ve wanted to taste this one for a long long time and, thanks to the generosity of Mr Brora (aka Serge) at D-Day I was finally able to. All I can say is these bottles are now expensive for a very good reason, they’re fucking brilliant whisky. Water is essential with this one, even adding it in increments it seems to change drastically with each new dilution. You could literally play for days if you had a full bottle, adding a little water, then a bit more whisky, seeing just how epic you could make it, mind the ‘ground zero’ of perfection if you like. There’s nothing being made anywhere in the world today in my opinion that can hold a candle to this kind of whisky. Maybe for 2012 the industry could look to the past a bit more for future inspiration.

Score: 96/100

Whatever happens next year I hope you can all become happier, wiser and more aware in everything you do and achieve. Enjoy the simple things in life, strive to make things better for yourself and all those around you. And above all, don’t take things too seriously.

Happy Hogmanay from all of us here at Whisky Online. Slante!

Angus. 31/12/2011

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAH! What do you mean not funny?! HAHAHAHAH! Well it amused me.

So, yes, Glen Ord. This is another residual tasting from D-Day. A rather fascinating old official 5yo along with a much more recent offering from Douglas Laing. The fact that Glen Ord is not a popular dram perhaps says something about modern tastes. People do seem easily seduced by the sweetness of modern ‘populist’ whiskies. More ‘difficult’ distillates such as Glen Ord seem like hard sell nowadays. With its fragrant waxiness, light coastal qualities and elegant herbaceous aspects, it is not a distillate that comes easily to most palates. Or is it? Whenever I host a tasting, which isn’t too often these days admittedly, but whenever I do I go to great lengths to make sure there is something like a Glen Ord, a Clynelish or a Springbank in the mix alongside your Glenmorangies, Glenlivets or Macallans. If people know about these kinds of differences and get to experience them then they will often go for the more tricky or elegant dram over the sweet one. Maybe it’s the familiar pitfall of modern culture where people are quite happy to be told what to drink rather than discover it for themselves. Perhaps an explanation of Jim Murray’s continued success in certain corners of the market. Remember when Glen Ord was sold as a deal with the Classic Malts series about ten years ago in the old oval green label packaging. They couldn’t give the stuff away. A shame considering it is a better spirit than at least half the whiskies they chose for the classic malts series. Anyway, I’m not really complaining, under appreciation helps keeps the prices down and that suits me fine.

Glen Ord 5yo OB. 43%. 75cl. 1970s. Italian Import. 

This is another of the many drams that came my way courtesy of Olivier over the D-Day weekend. Merci Olivier.

Colour: Pale white wine

Nose: Typically old style and very Glen Ord with these lovely delicate notes of honeyed wax, honeycomb, struck flints, wild flowers, a pinch of salt and dried cereals. Quite petroly and drying with a fragrant smoky herbal quality, very akin to some mid aged classy Riesling in some ways. Miles away from any modern distillates, very approachable, bottle ageing has probably helped a great deal here. Touches of vanilla, rice pudding, eucalyptus toothpaste, porridge, grass and some very fine minerals.

Palate: Very soft and drying delivery but not lacking in punch or strength, rather more silky washing over of the palate. Lots of flavour concentration, all on seashore notes, wax, buttered toast with honey, more floral aspects, cooking oil, burnt almonds, caraway seeds and herb liqueurs. Quite extraordinarily drinkable. Given this blind you would never say it was a five year old whisky. Admittedly there are probably much older casks in the vatting as was pretty typical back in the (good) old days. It’s a perfect example of this old highland style that I love, you just cannot find this kind of whisky being made anywhere in Scotland these days. Leaves you with a very watery mouth, a whole bottle of this would easily disappear over the course of a night, hugely moreish and satisfying.

Finish: Medium and with more intricate herbal touches, notes of tarragon and sorrel with more caraway, nutmeg and toast notes. Some lemon drops knocking about in there somewhere too.

Comments: Just another brilliant old style bottling. I love it. These bottlings show up from time to time and aren’t particularly expensive. Buy one if you see it, buy it and drink it.

Score: 91/100

Glen Ord 14yo. Douglas Laing. OMC. 50%. 70cl. (from an official sample so no pic sorry)

Colour: Pale white wine (virtually the same as the 5yo)

Nose: A world apart, much more modern (although still slightly old style by modern standards if you see what I mean), lots more wood noise with vanilla cream, dessicated coconut and pear drops. There are some pleasant but tiny touches of wax and minerals along with pollen, lilies, lychee sorbet, gin, some resinous camphor notes and tea. Opens up quite nicely after some time, it’s not as distinctive as the 5yo by any means but it is a very pleasant nose in its own right. Notes of truffle oil, sour dough, a little chilli pepper and white chocolate.

Palate: Quite pleasantly spicy, medium dry and a little fruity with some very pleasant, savoury notes of brown bread, branston pickle oddly enough and good cheese Gouda perhaps? Not cheesy in a bad way mind you. Quite a big and rich Glen Ord, more herbal liqueur notes, a character that seems to be a Glen Ord signature. Notes of Kummel, soda bread, yeast, white fruits, apple peelings, flints and some pleasant mineral qualities. Very tasty stuff.

Finish: Long, bready, savoury, biscuity and delicately fruity with garden fruits, white flowers and some more soft vanilla sweetness.

Comments: Its a very good kind of modern whisky as far as I’m concerned, one that still retains quite a few more aromatic, old style qualities. Very drinkable again.

Score: 84/100