#Unravel. Can You Get To The Bottom Of It?

Last week, we received this rather peculiar looking bottle from our friends at Aberfeldy.   The label was unlike anything we've seen on a whisky bottle - simply labelled #UNRAVEL, backdropped by some equally mysterious musical instruments - which immediately got us reaching for our laptops.

And hey presto -  here's a short video giving you a little bit of background on the inspiration behind the bottling:

Still confused?  Yes, us too. 

The project is a collaboration with Scottish arts collective, Found and Aidan Moffat, frontman with the now seminal Post-Rock project, Arab Strap.  It explores the link between storytelling, memory and how we are influenced by the dynamics of the audience listening to the story and our actual memory of the events - think of it as the classic 'the fish was THIS big' situation -  but soundtracked by an animatronic band comprised of an organ, percussion kit and chimes, all controlled by a series of 7" vinyl records. Vinyl was chosen I guess because it has a certain truth about it like a storyteller-  you put a needle into the etched groove on a piece of vinyl and what comes out of the end is an accurate 'truthful' representation of the recording... or is it?  

Record players, by there very nature, are NOT a perfect representation of what the musician intended their music to sound like.  They skip, they are prone to variable tempo changes from the particular playback machine, they warp dependent on their temperature and the sonic representation is all dependent on who cuts the vinyl and its thickness/quality. Having worked on the releases of scores of vinyl albums in the past, a lot comes down to the mood of the guy at the cutting lathe on the day -  trust me when I say this, but I used to reject cuts all the time, simply because whoever was working at the record plant that day probably had a hangover, a pair of shaky hands and had cut the vinyl too 'hot' (or loud) resulting in a distorted playback. 

But that is the beauty of vinyl.  They have a personality all of their own and that is why we love them - sort of where the theme behind #UNRAVEL comes into play.   The installation has built in sensors to monitor the environment of the playback - taking into account the opinions of the audience.   

I must confess that I have watched the above video several times now and I still don't fully understand the relationship between how the playbacks are altered by the audience intervention, but the idea is cool.  

Now where does the whisky fit in?

Well that has left us equally confused, as there was little by way of an explanation from Aberfeldy, but in reality, you don't need one.  This whisky (from a single cask, we think yielding 204 bottles) was released as a counterpoint to the installation.  Whisky, by its very nature is the vinyl equivalent of the spirit world -  it evolves as the drinker enjoys it, changing with the environment and the state of mind of the person consuming it.  

We've asked this question several times before, but how would you soundtrack your drinking experience? Do certain whiskies really taste better, or, to apply the #UNRAVEL analogy, tell a different story dependant on how a piece of music alters your mood??  

Hard to quantify, but sure as s**t, when I pull the dust jacket off a piece of vinyl, cue it up on the turntable and wait for that distinct, satisfying moment when the needle hits its surface, my senses start to open up like pores and there's definitely a moment of alchemy as you listen to the first few bars and take in the first tentative aromas, followed by that all revealing first sip.  

By the looks of things the chance to go and see #UNRAVEL for yourself has sadly passed (how come    we've only just heard about this now, when the exhibition it featured in finished in May!?) But, putting this aside, i'm just going to stick on a record  (The Big Come Up, by The Black Keys) and crack this open. Here's hoping that its profile fully #unravels...

Aberfeldy -  #UNRAVEL Bottling  - single cask - 56.5% - NAS

Nose: Dusty books, white pepper and dried ginger, with a hint of winey oakiness. Some brazil nut/walnut dryness emerges further in. Water opens up the spiciness, with Indian five spice notes and a dusting of chilli.  

Palate: Big hitting notes of Oloroso, some rich dates, caramelised orange peel, a dusting of cocoa and some fresh fruit notes too, including a little wild raspberry and green apple peel. 

Finish:  An abundance of dried fruit stays on the palate, with a tiny hint of candied sweetness and golden syrup on the death.

Overall:  A really fine, bold whisky, which, like a great record, starts off with a bang, gets more introspective during the middle and then comes back in epic fashion at the end.  

Leg Over Wicket

Ah, the weekend. Possibly the finest of all God's creations, one is allowed a lie-in, a fry-up, pints of larger and sporting events galore.

This weekend it is the turn of cricket and there is no greater soothing sound than Test Match Special's dulcet tones emanating from my radio. The sound of leather on willow backed with gentle applause, makes for a relaxing Saturday morning, curled up on the sofa with a weekend newspaper and scrambled eggs on toast. Who couldn't love stuff like this, on the radio:

However, it is not long now until the start of a new football season and with it comes tension, expense and ultimately, disappointment. Contrary to relaxing on the sofa with the sound of an English game acting as sonic wallpaper to my weekend, I shall instead be waking early to catch planes, trains and auto-mobiles, navigating my way from coast to dreary-coast in the vain hope that I may return from my travels with a smile on my face and a spring in my step.

One of the small pleasures of supporting a yo-yo football team who seem to go down-and-up-and-down-again with the ease of a thirty year old single lady from Swindon on a Saturday night, is the fact you get to visit some new places from time-to-time. Spending a four season tenure in the lowest professional league in England, the Football Conference, took me to such places as Lewes, Southport, Eastbourne, Ebbsfleet, Barrow, Droylesden, Morecambe, Halifax... the list is almost endless. One more relegation and we'd have probably been playing Hogwarts.

But the point is not to avoid these places, but to embrace them, learn from them and let them broaden your knowledge of this great island we call home. I relish the chance to visit a new football stadium, if nothing else for the excuse to visit that town and learn something about it. Eventually I would like to end up having visited all 92 football league grounds plus others not listed in the football league. So far I'm on about 55. Not at all bad, me thinks.

The same desire runs true for me when it comes to whisky distilleries. As we delve deeper into the list of Scottish distilleries, you always come across one which you think

"I think we drove past that last time we were in Speyside".

Out comes the books, the maps, the guides and you release that, indeed, you were just a stones through from the front door but couldn't make it in due to engagements elsewhere.

"Next time. We'll certainly pop in next time..."

you wishfully think to yourself.

Thankfully these places have left us small post-cards, snapshots of their days in the form of bottles of whisky. Every time I sniff a Lagavulin, it takes me right back to the moment I first pulled up outside that white-washed walled distillery. The same is true of The Balvenie floor maltings. The moment the cork come out of the bottle of Doublewood, I'm back in that shed with the waft of barley in the air.

A new distillery to have hit my visiting wish-list is Aberfeldy. Just a few weeks ago, when visiting the always hospitable whisky writer Ian Buxton, we passed just a stones-throw from the distillery, but with a post-supper drive all the way back to London, there was no justification for stopping off. A real shame as their latest offering, a single cask which has yielded less than 200 bottles, made me want to jump right back in the car and redeem my missed opportunity of a visit:

Aberfeldy - 14yo - 185 bottles - cask no. 3618 - 58.1% - £99

Nose: Heavy butterscotch, sherry resonance, musty, mossy forest floor,raisins in rum, superb fudge notes

Palate: slight rubber note, backed with treacle tart dried apricots and muscavado sugar.

Finish: drying, some dark sugar and oaky sherry notes. Sweetened Coffee with dark chocolates comes through.

Overall: Very nice indeed and at a good price, sub-£100. We tasted with a few friends and some liked it with water, others less so. Personally, I though it cut well but would rather sip it neat.

This is the first Aberfeldy we've reviewed, but if this single cask is evidence of the quality of spirit being made at the distillery, it certainly makes me want to explore the rest of their output and stop off next time we're passing so close.

Slow Tasting - 4 Connoisseurs Choice

Quick!We!Live!In!London!Where!Everything!Is!Done!Really!Fast!

"I'm!Late!For!Work!"

"The!Film!Is!About!To!Start!Get!Me!My!Popcorn!Faster!"

"If!This!Night!Bus!Doesn't!Get!A!Move!On!I'm!Going!To!Miss!Match!Of!The!Day!"

"Shit!The!Condom!Broke!"

It's time to slowwwwww.... dowwwwwwnn....

Here at Caskstrength.net we would never dream of a speed tasting. Not when it comes to whisky anyway!

Slow.

Down.

Savour and enjoy.

Be it Bells 8 Year Old or the Port Ellen Feis Ile Bottling, pouring that magical liquid in to your glass should afford you time to sit back and savour. That stuff has taken at least three years to even become whisky, so why not give it some of your time? (FYI- these were tasted in the following order: Rosebank, Aberfeldly, Ledaig, Caol Ila. But are listed here in alphabetical order):

Aberfeldly - 1989 / 2009 - Connoisseurs Choice - 43% - 70cl

Nose: Orange zest; wow! This is a fresh nose. Fantastic. It does have a hint of household cleaner about it, but it zings!

Palate: Orange cream chocolates (esp the ones from Quality Street), Fanta Orange (or Solo, of you live in Norway- Big up my fellow Norse massive!). A touch of toffee and bitter chocolate. This is how you do orange-flavoured whisky!

Finish: Long, esp at this ABV with the fizzy-sherbet nature taking the driving seat.

Overall: This is the first Aberfeldy we've posted and it's gooood! If you like fizzy orange, you'll like this!

Caol Ila - 1996 - Connoisseurs Choice - 43% - 70cl

Nose: Smoke (d'oh!), some blackcurrant (as there was in the Rosebank), black-jack penny sweets.

Palate: Initially a delicate hit, this is a lovely dram that sits comfortably on the tongue, bursting into life after a good swill about the palate; a hit of stewed fruits, blackcurrants and ribena

Finish: Long, with the blackcurrants and smoke taking the driving seat. Like warm ribena by the bonfire.

Overall: It's been a while since I've found myself in the familiar arms of a Caol Ila. Like a f*ck-buddy (for those of you that are single), Caol Ila represents a dependable "friend" whom one can visit in a time of need; an often awkward bedfellow but one whose characteristics you know inside out from the first time you meet and you know will satisfy every basic instinct you have. Not too complex, but different every time. I find Caol Ila a fun dram, less serious than the Kildalton distilleries but every bit as competitive on the peat front. Not the greatest Caol Ila in the world, but very drinkable.

Ledaig - 1990 / 2009 - Connoisseurs Choice - 43% - 70cl

Nose: I was expecting smoke, but no. Instead you get fresh winter veg (in the UK), so we're talking Parsnips, Cabbage and turnip. But with time in the glass (and it's time that makes whisky a drink, not a shot) it develops a sweetness like shortbread.

Palate: Initially it hits the palate very cold, with some of the nose carried over; a hint of winter veg soup, cheap vanilla ice cream and wet woolen blanket.

Finish: Long and spicy with a slight bitterness. The wet wool won't go away.

Overall: The overall sensation is that I want to go back to the Aberfeldly....

Rosebank - 1991 / 2009 - Connoisseurs Choice - 43% - 70cl

Nose: Vanilla Creme Brulee, Blackcurrant cough sweets, Rhubarb and Custard boiled sweets

Palate: The rhubarb comes through with a hint of liquorice and mint.

Finish: The liquorice really lasts coupled with hints of red chillie.

Overall: Less floral than other Rosebanks of this age; the nose is the stand out, let down slightly by the bitterness of the palate and the finish.

OVERALL: For me, the Aberfeldy was the pick of the drams here today. The orange zest, "fanta" notes that came through were just fantastic. But hey, that's my opinion. You might like the sound of the others. If so, take a chance. Sit back and enjoy them. Give them some time. After all, they've given you some of theirs.