B**locks to Smoothies, Fetch Me A Drink

Fruit is a wonderful thing indeed. Life-giving, wholesome and refreshing. But it's just so damn tedious.

Is it really possible to have a legitimate rant about fruit? Or am I an idiot??

Here's the story. I ended the year, rather enjoying myself a little too much. My cousin had a spectacular wedding on NYE and to see in the celebrations, I enjoyed several drams with my solid as-a-rock 88 year old Grandmother, Joyce. Soon it was 4am by a fireside and I was conducting and impromptu whisky tasting of whatever I had in my Christmas overnight bag- Highland Park, Arran, Ballantine's and a Rye whisky from what I can remember.

And then it was apparently 9am. We had to check out of our hotel and return home.

It suddenly hit me that:

A: I was diabolically hungover

B: Not a single piece of fruit had passed my lips since the 22nd of December.

I had the pallor of Withnail. Also, rather more scarily, my attention span had become so limited that even a programme containing James Corden seemed wildly intellectual.

Surely no way to start 2011. So I went and bought a massive trolley load of fruit. Pineapple, kumquats, kiwifruit, blueberries, mango, bananas, starfruit, Chinese pear, pomegranate, even a bloody papaya.

My intention was, for a week, to cleanse my body using the restorative power of the mother of all smoothies. An explosion of the exotic, bringing together flavours that probably didn't really belong together. In my haste to obtain smoothie perfection, I decided to throw in raw beetroot, milk thistle and some sliced up left over butternut squash. A small dollop of Manuka honey and my drink was ready for blitzing.

It tasted absolutely vile, but undeterred, I gulped down a pint. 10 minutes later, I could feel it working! Well, working its way through me. Not the start to a healthier life I was expecting...

You find me 5 days in and 2 x mega-tropical-smoothies a day have certainly had a profound effect on me. Do I feel remotely healthier? Hard to tell. Do I feel remotely lighter? I cannot tell a lie.

A valuable lesson learned them. Best stick to what you know. So tonight, I've decided to open one of the fruitiest bottles of whisky I think I own.

On my travels last year, I picked up a bottle of the Hakushu Bourbon Barrel from the distillery shop, which has yet to be commercially released in the UK, but which i'm told will hopefully be hitting these shores later on this year, no doubt spurred on from the success of the heavily peated cask bottling. I remember it oozing exotic fruity goodness, due to the influence of particularly fresh first-fill bourbon casks on this usually light and floral whisky. Hakushu was originally built in 1973 and then considerably updated in 1981, with a 'sister' distillery site to concentrate on single malt production. The distillery also boasts a bird sanctuary and to sit outdoors in the sun, sipping a fabulously fruity dram, surrounded by exotic sounds made me feel about as healthy and vibrant as humanly possible.

Will it then, have the same effect some 7 months later in a cold, but sunny Penge, surrounded by Starlings and the occasional plump wood pigeon....

Hakushu - Bourbon Barrel release - NAS - 48%

Nose: Well... you've guessed it. Masses upon masses of fresh tropical fruit. Bananas, mango, raspberries, fresh coconut, zesty lemon, slightly crushed blueberries, vanilla and white chocolate. Absolutely superb in every way. With water, the nose almost resembles fruit/wine gums (especially the orange ones)

Palate: Swathes of sweet creamy coconut milk, strawberries dusted in sherbet, some sharp lemon notes and very clean cereal notes. Similarities to The Glenlivet Nadurra Triumph, but this has a little bit more depth, a little bit more colour. A few drops of water serve to bring out a hint of spice (nutmeg)

Finish: The creaminess subsides, but the palate feels refreshed, with lingering notes of cereal and a return of the tropical fruit notes.

Overall: This is my first dram of 2011. Ok, not so if you take into account the numerous Highland Park 18yo's that seemed to keep disappearing on the morning of the 1st Jan, but you get my drift. My first whisky in 5 days and an absolutely cracking way to start the year proper.

The Glen Love It

Thank goodness for double glazing!

My marker for winter drawing in is the need to turn on the central heating. Had it not been for good cavity wall insulation and thick, vacuous, see-through* panes of double-glazed glass, which daily provide me with a real-life version of East Enders as I gaze out on London life, I would have had the heaters blaring out weeks ago. But this week, with plummeting temperatures and snow falling all around, I finally succumbed to pushing the “on” button, to have my various cockles warmed.

Opening the airing cupboard to retrieve my selection of “big jumpers”, hidden away since the snow melted in March, I’m reminded of sunnier times in the year and a short film flicks through my mind, typically rose-tinted and jolly. But amongst the nostalgia are some genuine highlights, one of which is of a fabulous trip to Speyside, to the opening of the new still house at The Glenlivet.

Last night we held our first 'official' CaskStrength.net tasting, in association with The Glenlivet, which provided us with an opportunity to give our invited guests some winter memories of their own. The venue for this 'liquid alliance' was one of the lavishly decorated upstairs rooms at the well known London restaurant and jazz club Boisdales of Belgravia.

Awaking to a blanket of snow across London, the conditions for our tasting were the polar opposite (pun very much intended) of the sun-drenched Speyside trip back in June. However, our 20 hardy attendees were not to be deterred from the prospect of six whiskies from The Glenlivet range and we had just person one drop out, struggling to make his way from a snow-bound Oxfordshire countryside into the Big Smoke.

On the menu for the evening were some whiskies we’d not had the pleasure of trying before, with particular highlights being the oldest and the youngest in the line up; The Glenlivet 12 Year Old First Fill (travel retail only) and The Glenlivet 25 Year Old. The rest of the selection was as follows: 15 Year Old French Oak, Nadurra Triumph, 18 Year Old and a Mystery Whisky...... ooooohhhhh! (you gotta love audience participation!!)

The Mystery Whisky was in fact one that we have already reviewed, The Founders Reserve, but tonight was about providing our esteemed (and highly knowledgable) guests with an opportunity to share in our tastings and hopefully bank a “highlight of 2010”, as we did with our trip to Speyside earlier in the year. Thankfully, the lucky competition winners seemed to enjoy the night, with an eclectic mix of people, proving our long-held view that whisky is all about the spirit within the spirit, meeting new people and enjoying great company.

But we weren’t going to let our guests off scot-free (or Scotch free, even). Oh, no! Caskstrength.net is all about the work ethic and in this life, you don’t get anything for free... it was the job of the assembled group to help us tweet some tasting notes on each whisky, which we then sent flying out in to the digital ether. Not quite wikileaks, but it was jolly good fun and threw up some very interesting tasting notes (most noticeably “Gary Lineker”, but more on that later) which hopefully add an extra dimension to our thoughts on these drams, below.

The evening started with a scene-setting introduction from Phil Huckle, UK Brand Ambassador for The Glenlivet, as he expanded on the history of the distillery and the use of the term “Glenlivet”. So popular was whisky from The Glenlivet that distillers from the area would use the name Glenlivet solely for their own single malt, leading to a court case in the 1800’s where The Glenlivet was granted the right to be the only distillery to use the name Glenlivet in isolation, relegating its neighbours to the use of Glenlivet as an additional marque on their products.

As the snow tumbled down outside, it was time to warm ourselves with the first dram of the evening:

The Glenlivet - 12 Year Old First Fill – Travel Retail Only – 1ltr – 40% ABV

Nose: Great wafts of spiced cooking apple and ripe bananas, toasted pine nuts and clear apple juice.

Palate: Matured in first fill American Oak, this leads to a palate of fresh pine, those bananas again but this time more as banana bread, honey and white pear. A “juicy” mouth feel.

Finish: Medium to short, with a hint of spice, this is a session whisky and once opened, throw the cork far away as you won’t need it again!

Overall: Here are our thoughts from the tasting panel for the evening: “Ripe bananas, coconut and toffee, vanilla, crème brulee and almond spice”. The ripe bananas was a particular talking point and really stood out on the nose.

The second dram of the evening was the 15 Year Old French Oak. Matured in American Oak and finished in Limousin casks, more commonly used in the Cognac industry, this whisky highlighted the influence European Oak has on spirit, adding a greater weight, depth and additional complexity from the 12 Year Old First Fill. The tasting notes from our guests included "well-fed xmas cake, pre-fired xmas pudding, dates, caramel, panna cotta, nutmeg and brandy butter", which about sums up this whisky, at 40% ABV, perfectly. Give yourself a round of applause!

Next up was a whisky that we hold in high regard here at CaskStrength.net HQ. So much so, that it has made the final of our Best in Glass Award for this year (result to be announced on Dec 10^th 2010).

The Glenlivet – Nadurra Triumph – 1991 – 48% (non chill filtered)

Just to save any confusion, there are 3 releases of Nadurra: The Triumph,bottled in March 2010 at 48%, a Duty Free edition at 43% and a cask strength (various ABV’s depending on batch) available in high street retailers.

Nose: Hot buttered popcorn is the first thing that flies out of the glass at you, backed with heather and sweet apple juice. A hint of grapefruit juice hits the back of the nose, which I’ve attributed to the higher ABV) and there is just a touch of red fruit right at the back (a tiny portion of this version of the Nadurra has spent time in European Oak, unlike the other two releases which are 100% ex-American Oak barrels).

Palate: Neat, this retains the hot buttered popcorn and the wheat and oak elements dance around like the perfect couple on your tongue, developing the red fruits over time, initially growing out of light apples, vanilla and honey. With water, liquorice emerges and a drying nature, increased wood activity, come out and a hint of ginger.

Finish: Short, gingerbread and spices. With water the finish is easier, less spices with a greater hint of baked apples.

Overall: here is what our panel thought "buttered popcorn, tropical fruits, ginger, sherries coconut, fruit salad chews, tang”

Onwards we carried to the next dram, The Glenlivet 18 Year Old. A classic whisky which is always going to carry a weight of expectation with it, due to its popularity world-wide and was the whisky of the night which provided us with the best, most unusal tasting note of the evening... here is what the panel thought "pear drops, blackberry lockets, toffee, wholemeal toast with nutella, aniseed, treacle, orange peel, Gary Lineker"

“Gary Lineker?”, we hear you cry! “WTF?”

The gent who supplied this note gave an explanation “Well, it just does what you expect it to. 9 times out of 10, this will put the ball in the net.” Fair point!

It’s nearly Christmas and the goodwill seems to extend to distillers and shops around this time too, as you can pick this whisky up in Waitrose for less than £30. In fact, £28.99 is their current retail for this. Bonkers.

As the evening drew to a close, we had two final whiskies to get through. As we’ve already done notes on The Founders Reserve (panel notes on Twitter "dusty coco, coffee, brandy butter, vanilla, dark choc orange, real liquorice, purple quality street, fig jam”), this just leaves the 25 Year Old to go:

The Glenlivet – 25 Year Old – 1985 – 43%

Nose: Everything you expect from an old whisky finished in Oloroso Sherry barrels; plums, rich Christmas pudding, old books and furniture polish, all topped off with walnuts and soaked raisins. A wonderfully rich and filling nose.

Palate: Classy, with cinnamon, ginger, rooibosh tea, nutmeg and fruit cake. Weighty mouth feel and a depth of flavour that surpasses the other drams for the evening. Exactly what an “old” whisky should do.

Finish: Slightly drying, sweet honey and Demerara sugar, with a hint of sweet coffee.

Overall: Here are the thoughts of the panel: “sweet cured bacon, stewed plums, boiled fruits, furniture polish, flat doc pepper, bonfire toffee, crab apple jelly" The final note there, crab apple jelly, got a rousing round of applause and proved one of the more popular tasting notes for the evening.

As the night drew to a close, with the snow still falling, there was just enough time to retire to Boisdale’s famous roof terrace for a cigar and a dram. Thank you to everyone who came along, braving some awful weather to spend the evening helping us taste some excellent drams. It was fantastic to finally meet some of you as well as to see some familiar faces from previous whisky events.

As they say in my part of South London, “Biguppayaself, Blud”.

*one could insert an “ex-girlfriend joke” here, but I’ll refrain after the stick I took from one ex’s friend over a similar opportunity not passed up, recently. I think her Christmas present this year will be reasonably easy: a pinch of salt

Glen London Part Three: Whisky Show Day 2.

What a difference a week makes. Whilst Joel was clearly toiling this week, grappling with some stupendous whisky beasts, I was trying to make sense of just what its like to have a holiday. A Curates Egg shall we say- one moment lying on the beach, falling asleep and burning one's legs to a crisp... the next, thinking about all the great whiskies I was missing out on back home, whilst necking high strength white rum. Let's just say that i'm not particularly one for sunning myself- in fact, whilst on the beach, I realised that I had only brogues to wear- with hindsight, a totally absurd choice of footwear.

Still I'm home now and back at the second day of The Whisky Show, which I was really looking forward to.

Joel had already primed me as to what to look out for, so for the first dram of the day, the quite frankly stunning Adelphi Bunnahabhain 41 year old bottling (think a wonderful mix of fresh and dried fruits, classic sherry dryness, but not a hint of bitterness) This is certainly on my purchase list and a whisky which will surely disappear quickly after the buzz it created around the show.

So a high benchmark had been set and I drifted off to The Whisky Exchange stand in search of further perfection. Fortunately the five bottlings on offer were at the top of their game. Just how the WE find casks like this is beyond us, but keep it up chaps! I settled on a 1981 Lochside as my highlight, as modelled here by Brian Fallon of the Gaslight Anthem band.

Lochside - 1981 - Whisky Exchange bottling - Oloroso Sherry Reserve - 57.5%

Nose: Notes of waxed mahogany, overripe bananas, tropical fruits (guava and passion fruit) and rich treacle toffee.

Palate: The fruit continues into an explosion of tropical notes. It's like i'm back in the Seychelles, trying to pick fresh mango and Jack fruit from the heavily laden trees, which line every road. Add to that a touch of brittle honey comb, humbugs and cinnamon spiced notes. Superb in every way, with no holes at all.

Finish: The fruit lingers and the flavours develop beautifully, with all the resonance of a terrific old sherry cask.

Overall: Sukhinder and his team have yet again struck gold with this one. Another highlight from what's shaping up to be a premier whisky event.

After a spot of lunch (well, I was already gorged on a fine Penge Cafe Mixed Grill, so went straight for the Panacotta and toffee/Longmorn sauce) it felt right to try something a little lighter and younger. 2 whiskies sprang to mind- Glenlivet's Nadurra Triumph 1991 and the soon-to-be-released Kilchoman Winter Release. Once again, we were enticed into Connosr's Whisky Pod to review the Kilchoman (which was a pre-release caskstrength sample) and again they struck gold with full ripe fruity fresh bourbon notes, mixed with a fresh warming smokiness. With a refreshed palate (and a big slug of water) it was onto the Nadurra, which we have reviewed previously. The Triumph exclusively uses the the strain of barley taking the same name and gives another dimension of fresh fruitiness, with an additional couple of years of maturation in bourbon oak.

Glenlivet Nadurra - Triumph - 1991 distillation- Batch 0310B - bottled 3/10 - 48%

Nose: Hot buttered crumpet, Hubba Bubba bubble gum, fresh bourbon'esque fruits, lemon zest and vanilla notes. Vibrant, exciting and totally irresistible.

Palate: Rich Tea biscuit maltiness, clear apple juice, home made apple pie, with cinnamon spice and a distinct white sugar sweetness.

Finish: Further notes of red apple and sweet vanilla creme brulee linger and resonate as the palate dries.

Overall: Well worth seeking out if you are already a fan of the original Nadurra. A big feather in Glenlivet's cap for bottling this.

Our good friend Andy was also at the show, seemingly working hard on becoming the new face of Johnnie Walker Blue Label as well as Angus, now writing an entertaining blog, as ever on hand with a bag of goodies, including this very old Signatory Longmorn (waxy, simple and hugely fruity, showing no signs of old age, just the hallmarks of how great the distillery was back in the mid 60's) Also, major props to Sam 'Dr Whisky' Simmons for fighting back the jetlag and diving headlong into the lions den of great whisky. We salute you sir and welcome back to the UK.

Final stop was at the Berry Bros stand, with Doug and Rocky propping up their burgeoning bar with a number of treats. Fresh from being awarded Whisky Magazine's Independent Bottler of the Year award, they had the family silver out on display, including this highly polished gem:

Berrys' Own Selection - Invergordon Single Grain Bottling - 1971 - bottled 2010 - 47%

Nose: Bourbon notes to the max, with candied fruit, bubble gum, soft toffee and a hint of licorice spice.

Palate: Sweet Honeycomb, very floral light fruit notes (like a freshly prepared fruit salad with kiwi fruit, strawberries, mango and banana) more bourbon sweet/spice and fresh cream.

Finish: The cream dies away into a lengthy and very juicy finish.

Overall: Berry Bros have produced some sterling grain bottlings over the past couple of years and this one is right up there again. A distinct highlight in their current portfolio, which will no doubt disappear soon.

With a final dram of the specially released Whisky Show Port Ellen on the way out (think classic sherried PE, with that hint of soft smoke winding around some fruity dryness and Devon Creamery fudge) our palates were truly dazzled by what was on offer. So far, 2 out of 2 for The Whisky Show. Last year proved that despite a high ticket price, whisky enthusiasts out there are prepared to pay for quality and this year has built on those foundations.

Expect this show to be back next year, bigger than ever with another huge tranche of the finest whiskies for you to feast yourselves on. Who needs holidays eh.....

Live and Glenivet

A wise man once told me that "single cask" is the whisky equivalent of a bootleg record in music.

How true this can be.

Around about 15 years ago, I fell in love with punk music. The Clash and The Sex Pistols became demi-gods in my world and so I would take regular trips from Oxford to London to visit Camden Market, the best place in town to buy t-shirts, badges, second hand clothes and, of course, bootleg CD’s. It wasn’t so much the recordings that were fascinating (especially with the DIY punk ethic, where most of the musicians could barely play their instrument) but, on live bootlegs or studio out-takes, it was the chat between songs that caught the ear.

There was a desire to connect with the (wo)men behind the music. You wanted intimate banter between the lead singer and the front row of the audience. You wanted words from the producer to the lead guitarist, or comments from the drummer to his engineer. It was all about discovery of the core personalities within the group. Something that was often produced out of many studio albums.

Rough and ready rock ‘n’ roll is what you want!

Usually, these bootlegs are tape recordings done by fans at shows which have made their way, via a Russian pressing plant, on to a 12” picture disc or CD. Housed in “unofficial” covers, with “unofficial” artwork, the very sense of uniqueness radiates from the sleeve. But every now and then, often to support a major release or sometimes as b-side, an artists' record label sticks something out which shows this side of their act. The Who Live At Leeds is a classic example. Made to look like a bootleg with rough and ready artwork, this was a revelation when it hit the shops in 1985.

In front of me I have two whiskies from the same distillery, The Glenlivet. One is a new release from the Scotch Malt Whisky Society. The other is an official release, The Nadurra.

As always with the SMWS, their bottling are the most “bootleg” on the market. Even though they recently “cleaned up” their bottles which now look a lot more on-brand than their previous, artisanal, handfilled-looking relatives, there is still no distillery name, but plenty of information.

The Nadurra, on the other hand comes very much baring the hallmarks of a distillery released bottle. However, the contents of this is a little different from your usual ‘Livet, being released at natural cask strength and matured in 100% ex-American Oak, unlike the other standard releases of The Glenlivet, which all have key elements of European Oak in. This is the “official bootleg”, if you will. Plenty of distillery character, but raw and ready. Rock ‘n Roll!

Let’s take a look at the two and see if one is The Who Live At Leeds and the other is Oasis Live By The Sea...

The Glenlivet - SMWS - 2.78 Kissed By Sweet Promises – 21 Years Old – 512 Bottles – Refill Sherry Butt – 58.4% Vol

Before we start, a word on the colour (which we don’t usually do). This is 5 years older than the Nadurra and has been in an ex-sherry cask, but the colour is lighter! It may be that this is in a 2^nd or 3^rd refill sherry butt, the bottle doesn’t make it clear. However, the sherry influence is minimal, at least in the colour...

Nose: Initially a big nose prickle followed by lots of fresh wood (pine) and then a huge hit of plum, much like the Hibiki 12 Year Old. It’s very floral for a Glenlivet and there is a touch of oomph provided by a liquorice tone. Very well rounded, if not a little strong.

Palate: Bread and butter pudding, with some spiced custard over the top and a glass of light red wine! Here the sherry shows itself with some subtle red fruits and works it way around using spices to give itself some energy. With water: the apple pie really comes to life here, with the breadiness of the pastry standing out.

Finish: Like a heavy white wine, with a little bitterness, cloves and some more of that liquorice. With water: spicer and fruitier.

Overall: A very pleasant dram if not a touch overpowering at first. Needs water to highlight the subtle flavours which make this bottling well worth hunting out.

The Glenlivet – Nadurra – 16 Years Old – Batch 11091 – 100% ex-American Oak – 54.2% Vol

Nose: A much gentler note on the nose than the SMWS bottling, there are elements of deeper wood, vanillas, orange and lavender. An touch of horseradish sauce in there too.

Palate: Initially there are violets and heather, later honey comes through and some lightly spiced apple pie. With water: the vanilla is highlighted and with ice cream notes coming through. Almost like Neil’s cranachan with his whisky-cream...!

Finish: Sweet and long with elements of ginger and candyfloss. With water: retains the spices, but the vanillas balance it out nicely.

Overall: Not what you would expect from The Glenlivet, but this really does a fantastic job of showing off true, delicate yet robust distillery character without the need to add “complexity” from sherry casking. All they need to do now is add a new make to the range and you’ll be able to see a real journey from grain to glass via wood in your very own home!

Both of these whiskies are crackers. If you want true, usual bootleg-style fun, then go for the SMWS. You wouldn’t know it was sherried from the colour, but the palate holds some real surprises. If you want something a little more original, but still with that feeling that you’ve unearthed something other people haven’t, go for the Nadurra. Be warned, however. It’s Glenlivet, but how we know it...

As will now be the norm with our postings, you can download these tasting notes as a handy little pdf file at the Cask Strength Warehouse.

from Gauger to Geisha.... without any underwear!

So... election night has come and gone and we now face the prospect of real change in the 'Land of the Free', by way of a crushing landslide victory. Doesn't it feel nice to read some positive words on the front cover of every daily paper at long last? Well done to Mr Obama for seizing the reins and good luck in steering a clear path to prosperity.

Anyway, this post is not about political high-fives, so back to the whisky, that is, unless the President is a secret malt maniac and fancies an interview on our favourite subject.

Caskstrength recently had the marvellous opportunity to travel up to the heart of Speyside and to The Glenrothes, as guests of the distillery. Flights were booked and noses honed for what shaped up to be a wonderful experience- but as you will see, it is always better to follow the instructions, to avoid total embarrassment.

Arriving at Gatwick airport on a cold and frosty Tuesday morning in ones fine, but slightly tight fawn tweed trousers is a good way to get a few smiles from the assembled air hostesses, especially when surrounded by hundreds of unremarkable businessmen with 'bright brown' ties and impending Powerpoint presentations.

After scooting through security, I settled down with some light refreshment- in this instance, a quick dram of the excellent Glenlivet Nadurra, noting how well my trip was going so far- no travel hitches, delays or catastrophes.
So on my arrival into Aberdeen, still on time and in a chipper mood, I met the even more chipper Marcin Miller and immaculately chappish Ronnie Cox, my hosts for the trip. All good so far, until I noticed Marcin's slight double-take when I said I wasn't travelling with ANY luggage. 'Oh, you do travel light!' he joked, as we went through the plans for the trip. It was at this point that the mention of an 'overnight stay' hit me like a mouthful of new-make-spirit going down the wrong pipe. In my excitement, I had neglected to read the full itinerary beforehand and assumed the trip was a simple one-day tasting event.

Oh dear. No clean undergarments, toothbrush, alternative tweed trousering, or moustache wax.

All this left me with a slight 'gents quandary';
1. Go 'commando' on the 2nd day or,

2. Make an emergency stop somewhere for overnight supplies.

Wisely, for the sake of the other guests, we opted for the latter and about 20 miles out of Aberdeen I was kitted out with new Asda under-breeches and grooming apparel.

My fellow companions for the visit were Miss Malt, aka Helen Arthur, author of the world's best-selling whisky book and Miss Juniper, aka Geraldine Coates, leading authority in the world of all things gin related. Once the ridicule regarding my emergency pants was over, we got down to discussing the wonderful scenery as the miles passed by towards Glenrothes: The stories of the hidden, illicit pot stills and of the gaugers futile attempts to locate them. Also Marcin's experiences of a Geisha, but that is clearly a story not to be discussed here...

Rothes House was to be our home for the next 2 days. A wonderfully appointed old Manse with great views over Speyside, it is a short walk over to the distillery, past a small graveyard. After a hearty lunch of warming fish pie, we headed off for a bracing afternoon of activity, where Miss Malt discovered she was a crack shot and I discovered I was dire at driving blind...

Our evening consisted of sensational supper of fillet of beef and Scottish Toffee cake matched with 2 excellent Glenrothes expressions:

The Glenrothes 1991 - bottled in 2007- 43% - 70cl

Nose: Sweet candifloss, but dig deeper- slight hints of root vegetable and Baklava- honey and pastry, pistachio, musk?


Palate: More vegetables, but sweet and spicy, like sweet potato. A slight aroma of Earl Grey /bergamot notes. This leads into cereal flavours but then gives way dry sherry.

Finish: More spice, sherry notes and green leaves on the death.

Overall: A damn good dram. Ronnie Cox's ethos here is refinement and maturity over age, which clearly wins through on this expression.

The Glenrothes 1978 - bottled in 2008- 43% - 70cl

Nose: Vanilla custard, melon, summer pudding, ginger, slight tobacco, nutmeg, diced apple, cloves and citrus notes (seville oranges) phew!!! a mammoth in the world of sensuous aromas.

Palate: Sherbet, slight orange zest, caramel, cherries, dark chocolate - perhaps kirsh?

Finish: Sweet, spice, fudge - really refined- mature and lengthy...

Overall: A superb after dinner dram, highly complex in aroma but subtle and beautifully refined. A whisky of real class.

As we settle in the drawing room with a cigar or two, waiting for the first US election results to arrive on BBC2, I imagine it to be the sort of evening that one would reminisce about in 30 years time, vividly remembering 'what we were doing' when President Obama bought change to the White House. One thing's for certain; my memories will go hand in hand with the good company, wonderful hospitality and sensational whisky shared and enjoyed that evening. Slainte!!

Part 2 of Caskstrength's Glenrothes adventure will follow shortly....