08/03/2014 10th anniversary of the Iraqi Constitution, 197th anniversary of NYSE

Any excuse, eh? Finding a theme is easy. Finding one everyone can stick to is harder. It is tough enough to find a date everyone can make. Anyway.

The suspects: idealrichard, JS, MJ and myself.

The menu:

Yes, the menu.

Tormore 12yo (40%, OB) (brought by MJ): a dram that is often overlooked and dismissed as sub-par by enthusiasts. I have not had it for a decade, so quite excited. Nose: warm cherry pie, burnt dough and a bit of soot. Mouth: smooth and subtle, dark cherries and melted chocolate. Finish: this is nice, gentle, delicate chocolate and dried cherries. I thought the recentish string of 105s at the Society were unique, but it seems those cherry notes are characteristics of the distillate -- and they are lovely! 7/10

Johnnie Walker 15yo Green Label (43%, Blended malt) (brought by idealrichard): this is a Wall Street drink. Nose: toffee and caramel, green, unripe banana (MJ), cooked plantains, I say. Light smoke (a distant fireplace), it also has fudge and all sorts of good, buttery things. Not challenging, but pleasant. Mouth: watery. Toffee again, very diluted coffee, fudge. A bit indistinct. Finish: a lot peatier than anticipated, then black pepper (courtesy of the Talisker inside, presumably). 7/10

Nice socks

Coleburn 14yo 1983/1997 (43%, Signatory Vintage, C#796, 3650b, b#2131, 97/1173) (brought by me): first ever Coleburn, here -- yay! I suppose it was more Oilburn in Iraq, but hey. Let us say Cole as a banker, and burn as did the bombs during the many Iraqi wars. Nose: dust, old car engine (a Jeep from the Second World War's), game, stoat -- this is surprisingly animal, with a little bit of coffee. Mouth: suffers from the low strength, unfortunately. My fellow tasters think it tastes of grain. Air-freshener (idealrichard), cereals. Finish: toasted cereals (Kellogg's Smacks), roasted beans, oil and coal. This is certainly particular! Lovely stuff from the "good old days," but not for everyone. 7/10

St. Magdalene 26yo 1982/2009 (59.1%, Douglas Laing for The Whisky Shop Glenkeir Treasures Cask Strength Selection, 144b) (me): 'nuff said. Nose: gooseberries, redcurrant, then marzipan, milk chocolate, some varnish and pine dust. Dear, this is nice! Flint and cut apples come last. Mouth: more wood, now, with also toffee and milk chocolate, but also bay leaves. The texture is quite milky. Finish: lovely! The perfect amount of alcohol, wood (coconut, vanilla) and flower juice. 9/10

Matured in green-pepper casks.
That's the experiment.

Experimental Batch v4 (43%, Compass Box Great King Street, b.2013) (MJ): nose: bubble gum (MJ), fruit (cut apple again), sweets -- apple bubble gum it is, then. Mouth: green pepper, green capsicum, a little honey. Finish: more of the same -- green capsicum and green pepper with a bit of salt and caramel. 7/10

Ardmore 14yo 1991/2006 (57.9%, Gordon & MacPhail Cask, CC#6158, 6159, 6160, JF/BAF) (idealrichard): this is the only other bottle idealrichard could reach in his cupboard. Nose: full of farmyard goodness (cow dung, and manured haystacks) with some fruit. Not quite 1992 fruit, but it does the job. Peach and quince. This is close to a Brora to me (see yesterday's notes). Mouth: sharp and lively, though still very full of mud (farmyard) in stone alleys. Finish: yes, very 1982-Broraish. Earth, dry clay, ploughed fields, but also potato, believe it or not. Ash and soot come out later in the game. 8/10

Springbank 18yo (46%, OB, b.2009, 09/131) (me): nose: the more I drink this one, the better it gets. Aniseed (MJ), dark cherries, a dryness that I would relate to lichen or dunnage warehouse. Later moving toward leather belts and melting butter. Yes, the sherry is well present, in this one. Mouth: dark cherries and lichen dryness -- this reminds me of the Lochside 1981/2011 from Cadenhead, now! It flows easily, with coal particles sticking to the palate. Finish: dark chocolate and burnt rubber with a touch of dark fruit goodness. Beautiful! 8/10

idealrichard leaves. Off-tasting and to impress MJ, we have G5.5 and Ben Nevis Traditional.

Excellent times. Good to welcome a new face too.