Johnnie Does Laphroaig

Monday 18 August 2014 - 12:00pm

Price: £82.00

With my first distillery tour of the day, and indeed the week, under my belt, I jumped on the road to Port Ellen and headed to Islay's south coast to visit my first of what some would call "The Big Three". 

My first experience of Laphroaig took place when I was 14 and was asked to stick my nose in a glass and have a whiff. I remember thinking that nobody could possibly drink something like that and enjoy it. 21 years later and I wouldn't be without at least one bottle in the Stumblevault. You could say I've been looking forward to this one.

Whereas my trip to Bowmore was a fleeting visit, the Laphroaig visit was to be an all-singing, all-dancing affair. After all, this is no mere tour; this is a five hour monster covering all aspects of the whisky and carried a price tag to match. Had I bitten off more than I could chew?

Dark clouds, light spirit

Part 1: The Distillery

Our experience began with a tour of the distillery. I found myself in a group of eight people; a mix of Brits, Germans and Aussies. As most of the distillery tours I have experienced have been led by chirpy, Scottish ladies, I was amused to find out that our guide for the day was not only a chap, but an English chap; what's more a southern English chap. Once I managed to get over the fact that James sounded like he lived around ten miles away from me, it was clear to see why he worked at Laphroaig. Not only was it immediately obvious that he was knowledgeable, laid-back and witty, you could see he has a real passion for what he does.

Its technical name is the diesel, grainy, turny machine

Our first stop was to be the Malting Floors. Unlike our morning visit to Bowmore, these floors were covered in germinating barley. We had a chance to examine it up close and James informed us that approximately 15-20% of the barley that Laphroaig uses is malted onsite, with the rest coming from the Port Ellen Maltings. We were taken into an empty kiln where we were given the chance to chew on some smoked, malted barley. Let me tell you, if Tesco ever start stocking this in the cereal aisle, I may just go bankrupt; lovely stuff.

Like a British pub in the nineties

The source of all its power

Next, James opened the door to one of the other kilns which was at that point being pumped with smoke from the peat fires below. Laphroaig, we were told, is peated to 45ppm on average. We were invited to climb the stairs and have a sniff. My pleas for fifteen more minutes in there fell on deaf ears and, after a quick stop to throw some more peat on the fire, we were led outside to clear our heads.

Space. The final frontier.

After going back inside to have a look at the mill, we found ourselves in the heart of the distillery and James gave us a bit of history behind the equipment being used. I must say that, far from being the antiquated, traditional set-up I had imagined, the whole affair was quite modern and precise. A necessary part of putting out so much spirit each year, I imagine.

Some idiot

We soon found ourselves by the big, metal washbacks, at which point James dipped a container inside one and promptly offered us all a dram of the contents. Having never tried the stuff before, many of the group (me included) jumped at the chance. Their enthusiasm waned a little after having tasted it. The last time I saw Mrs S pull a face like that was....well, that's probably a story for another day. Personally, I found it wonderfully fruity, although a little bitter on the finish.

More witchcraft

Laphroaig uses seven stills; three wash and four spirit. The arms at the top of the stills have a slight upward angle. James advised us that this meant that only the lighter vapours make it out of the still and there's a lot of reflux. This allows plenty of contact with the copper, presumably reducing sulphur compounds and giving the new-make spirit a fruitier flavour. As I said in my Bowmore ramble, it's all witchcraft to me.

Part 2: The Great Outdoors

After all that indoorsy stuff, we were about ready for a little bit of the countryside. We all bundled into a van and were driven down a bumpy lane into the sticks. After ditching the van, we began our hike to the water source. 

A small patch of blue in the sky to remind us of home

They say that you don't go to Scotland for the weather and, admittedly, it was as windy as balls out there. Nobody seemed to care much as the views were wonderful. One ten minute game of 'dodge the cowpats' later and we arrived at the Kilbride stream. To my surprise, they'd cunningly placed a picnic table in a little hollow and we sat down to eat.

My kind of picnic

Lunch was vegetable soup, wraps containing smoked salmon and venison, scotch eggs, cheese (made with Laphroaig), fruit cake (also made with Laphroaig) and shortbread (probably not made with Laphroaig). This was all washed down with a couple of drams, cut with the green, peaty water our host had collected from the stream. Once we had all eaten, and drank, our fill, and one of the German chaps had filled his water bottle from the stream as a souvenir, we set off for the van.

These captions are terrible, for peat's sake!

Our next stop was the Laphroaig peat bogs. We were treated to a drop of the Laphroaig Quarter Cask and told that now we had been fed and fuelled, we had to work it off cutting peat.

Mrs S in her Stormtrooper costume. Not sure about the wellies though.

I convinced Mrs S that I would be best placed to take the photos at this stage and that she should crack on with the heavy work. She muttered something that sounded like 'glass bowl' (not sure what she meant) and she set about cutting some peat. My workshy attitude was soon noted by James and I was told to get in there and start digging. Annoyingly, while Mrs S seemed to be able to cut perfect blocks, my effort resembled the sort of thing you'd normally find at the bottom of an elephant enclosure. Back to the distillery anyone?

Part 3: The Warehouse

What dreams are made of

Upon our return to the distillery, following a coffee and a quick comfort break, we were led into Warehouse 1 for the grand finale; the cask tasting.

The Prince of Wales indulging in a spot of graffiti there

What greeted us was the wonderful aroma of breathing casks, peat and sweet vapour. If this is one of the perks of being an angel, sign me up. Beyond the royally autographed (but apparently empty) cask of 1978 Laphroaig, lay row upon row of slumbering barrels, just waiting for the right time to be bottled. Three duty-paid casks had been selected for us and we were forced, absolutely forced I tell you, to sample them. 

Now that's what I call a menu

That idiot again

We were asked to pick a favourite, so that we could bottle it to take with us. From the three vintages available, all the chaps went for the '99 and all the ladies picked the '05. To the drivers amongst us who were unable to sample no more than a couple of drops (yup, you guessed it, the four ladies), James presented 30ml dram jars of each cask to enjoy at a later date. We grabbed a valinch and got to work filling our jugs.

The spoils of war

Once our bottles were filled and labelled, we were asked to enter our details onto a line in the log book, ostensibly to make the whole affair legal. Mrs S decided to put her nationality down as English (inflammatory at the best of times, let alone in the current political climate), much to James' amusement. I decided to adopt a touch of diplomacy and register myself as British, although by this point I was a little wobbly and unable to follow basic instructions, somehow ending up authorising my own bottling. I was afforded a pitying look and presented with my bottle and glass as a souvenir.

The experience was finished and so was I. We said our goodbyes and retreated back to the safety of our Bowmore cottage to recharge, safe in the knowledge that we could have a lie-in before tomorrow's experience.

To be continued.......

Ratings

The Tour: A

Like I said before, this isn't a tour; it's a monster. The bracing walk, the stunning views, the picnic at the water source, the camraderie, the misshapen peat lumps and the charred splinters settling at the bottom of your self-fill bottle. All fantastic.

The Drams: A

Laphroaig 10yo Cask Strength Batch #006

Laphroaig 18yo

Laphroaig Quarter Cask

Laphroaig 1999 Warehouse Cask 5175 - 60.9%

Laphroaig 2002 Warehouse Cask 6930 - 57.0%

Laphroaig 2005 Warehouse Cask 127 - 59.2%

PLUS a 250ml self-fill bottle of your favourite of the three warehouse casks and mini Glencairn glass in a presentation box.

The Shop: A

The shop is weighted a little heavily towards merchandise as opposed to whisky. There are a good few whiskies on offer, from the new Laphroaig Select through to some of their older, premium bottlings. Plenty of merchandise; everything from bar runners to clothing to cheese. Free coffee for visitors, a bar and not forgetting the Friends of Laphroaig Lounge. I could happily spend a whole day (and a fortune) here.

Overall: A

Put simply, this is a wonderful, full-on experience. Yes, it's bloody pricy and, yes, it takes nigh-on five hours but, for anyone who is a fan of Laphroaig, I can't recommend this highly enough. If, as we did, you find yourself in a group of easy-going, like-minded people, you'll never want to leave.

 

#TomatinCuatro - The Launch

Tomatin Cuatro - The Series - 46%

Life, it would seem, is full of coincidences. At the end of July, I finally plucked up the courage to slay a heel I had been nursing for a good few months. Very seldom do I feel genuinely sad when I finish a bottle of whisky (usually, by that stage, I'm positively merry) but this one in particular was so nice, I felt quite deflated.

Gandhi: Probably more of a Tomintoul fan

A mere two days later, The Whisky Wire announced that there was to be a Tomatin Tweet Tasting at the beginning of September. Details were frustratingly scarce, save for a hint that there may be the launch of a new bottling on the horizon. I duly applied and, as luck would have it, my grief was to be short-lived.

So what's it all about then, Johnnie? Well, I'm glad you asked. On 15 January 2002, those chaps at Tomatin distilled up a whole load of spirit and put it into ex-bourbon casks. The casks laid dormant for over nine years and on 29 June 2011 were recasked in four different types of sherry butt. Yup, this isn't one new bottling they're putting out there, it's four. From there the whiskies were allowed to mature for a further three years until finally being bottled just a fortnight ago.

Each whisky in the series carries an age statement of 12 years, is bottled at 46% and has not been chill-filtered. Three big ticks in my book. How do they taste?

Quintessential

Tomatin Cuatro - Fino Sherry Finish - 46%

Nose:

A slight nip of alcohol as we kick things off followed by a light fruitiness. A little honey going on with wisps of heather and a note that puts me in mind of white wine. A little time to open up brings waxy pears and digestive biscuits. None of the grapefruit I'd usually associate with a Tomatin but a very interesting nose indeed. Lots going on.

Palate:

Hello grapefruit! I was hoping you'd show up. Quite dry to begin with, then there's just an explosion of citrus as it develops. The citric sharpness dies down a little after water is added and the whisky strikes a more balanced tone with dry woodiness and just a hint of smoke creeping in as we approach the finish.

Finish:

Plenty of wood on the back end with pencil shavings and fine leather coming to mind. Leaves you wanting another.

Thoughts:

This exhibits all of the characteristics I've come to know and love from Tomatin. The Fino doesn't overpower the spirit and allows it to shine through. I could happily spend an evening with a bottle of this.

Close, but no cigar. Apart from on the palate, that is

Tomatin Cuatro - Manzanilla Sherry Finish - 46%

Nose:

Worlds apart from the Fino finish. More assertive with vegetal, herbal aromas and marzipan humming along underneath. Give it a moment and there's a wave of vanilla that washes over you and brings with it fruit, grass and creamy butter.

Palate:

Bold, salty blast up front. Wasn't expecting that at all. It's almost coastal in nature. A little while to acclimatise and the vine fruits creep in with rich sherry and a wonderful cigar/cedar combo.

Finish:

Warming with playful spices. Peppercorns, more cedar and, again, a little flash of smoke.

Thoughts:

This is a good whisky and the quality is almost up there with the Fino. Bringing personal preference into play, I'd have to leave this one on the shelf. I wouldn't necessarily be happy about it, mind.

I'm sorry I doubted you

Tomatin Cuatro - Oloroso Sherry Finish - 46%

Nose:

Wonderful. I'm not a sherry drinker and don't know an awful lot about it but this just screams Oloroso casks; there's a nuttiness and that fresh fig note that I always seem to get from them. Further nosing gives a menthol quality which does nothing to change my mind. Raspberries and dates. More figs. Even more figs. If this turned out to be anything other than Oloroso, I'd have never lived it down. Lucky for me then.

Palate:

Gah! Conflicting emotions when tasted. I love sherried whisky but this is almost overpowering the light, crispness I associate with good Tomatin. A virtual slap from one of the other tasters (Cheers, Dave; I was humming the theme from Titanic for the next hour) brings me to my senses and I give it a few drops of water and half a chance to develop. That's better. Christmas in a glass and yet the cask is taking a back seat, giving the spirit chance to drive. Beautifully balanced with plums, raisins, cinnamon and a touch of eucalyptus.

Finish:

Great balance; not too dry, not too sweet. Woody, but not overoaked. The best finish of the night, so far.

Thoughts:

This has blown the race wide open. Despite a jittery start, this really grew on me and the water just opened it up brilliantly. It's almost a coin toss between this and the Fino.

Warming, but waning

Tomatin Cuatro - Pedro Ximinez Sherry Finish - 46%

Nose:

Sweet, sweet aromas with a muskiness underneath. Treacle, wax and blackberry jam. Given half a chance, there's grape must, muscovado sugar and red peppers. A little while longer and I get the aroma of warm, spiced bread and butter pudding.

Palate:
Chewy, spicy, fudgy and the four other dwarves nobody ever remembers. A sweet, balsamic note with peppercorns and creme brulee. Not as much wood as I expected and very easy-drinking.

Finish:
Not particularly long and maybe a tad flat when compared to the others. Still warming with those peppercorns hanging on 'til the last moment, joined by tobacco and beeswax.

Thoughts:
Another very capable whisky; I can't pick too many faults with this one either. The quality is there and I do love dark sherry finishes. Maybe a touch unbalanced.


Overall:
It's not often you get a chance to sample the same whisky finished in four different ways. This has been highly educational and it just so happens that the whisky was bloody tasty too. Fair play to Graham Eunson and the Tomatin team for sticking with sherry casks at a time when a lot of other distillers are looking elsewhere, due to the high cost of sourcing them. Additionally, in an age of new NAS releases, they've been decent enough to tell us how old the whisky is. Bravo.

Each of the four expressions has a limited release of 1500 bottles and will soon be on sale worldwide (apart from the USA) with a RRP of £49.99.

Which one's the best though? It seemed that at the end of the tasting, each taster had a different order of preference. I can understand why; each of the whiskies exhibited a high level of quality and if the only thing you're changing is the cask finish, it's probably all going to be down to personal tastes.

There can be only one. Ok, two, but no more. Three?

For me, the Fino takes first place from the Oloroso in a photo finish. The Pedro Ximinez comes in third with the Manzanilla bringing up the rear.


Huge thanks to the team over at Tomatin, to Steve for orchestrating the whole thing and to my fellow tweet tasters. Always a pleasure.

Johnnie Does Bowmore

Monday 18 August 2014 - 10:00am

Price: £6.00

Ever since I had my first taste of peated whisky (Lagavulin 16, to be precise), I knew that one day I'd find myself washing up on the shores of Islay, with a view to exploring the origins of this wonderful liquid.

 

Having managed to schedule eight distillery tours over five days (no mean feat, I might add) I found myself beginning my peaty whisky pilgrimage on a Monday at 10:00am at the doorstep of Islay's oldest whisky distillery. Now I'm not usually one for drinking ante-meridiem but, for the purposes of education, I decided to make an exception. Time constraints meant that I had to settle for the basic tour but, considering the heavy schedule, my liver was to thank me come Friday afternoon.

Bowmore on the rocks

The tour kicked off with Lesley, our wonderfully chipper guide, leading us to the malting floors. Bowmore malts approximately 25% of its own barley, with the rest imported. The workers turn the barley using a combination of machine and hand plough. Although there were a couple of wooden malt shovels in evidence, these appeared to be more for decoration purposes. At the time of my visit the malting floors were empty, more than likely due to the distillery recently coming out of its silent season.

A quick peek at the, again empty, kiln wasn't as disappointing as it sounds. There was a lingering smell of peat smoke in the air which briefly had me considering locking myself in there and claiming squatter's rights. That smell is the reason I came to Islay in the first place. Magic. Bowmore whisky is, Lesley informs us, peated to around 26ppm and is a great whisky for those not suited to the likes of Laphroaig and Ardbeg.

Once the barley has been dried, it gets passed through their 1966 Porteus roll mill and the product is then poured into a bloody enormous grist bin, 8 tons of product to be precise. After being pumped into their shiny, copper mashtuns and hit with three water cycles (63.5c, 85c & 100c) the mix gets transported into one of their washbacks, each named after one of the distillery owners. Inside these washbacks, the yeast does its business and turns the whole affair into a dirty, milky mixture called wash. More on that later in the week.

Harking back to simpler times?

From there the wash hits the stills (2 wash and 2 spirit), some magical, steam-fired witchcraft occurs and the once dirty, milky wash is turned into spanking, new-make Bowmore spirit, ready to be encased in oak barrels.

It's all incantations and sacrifices, I tell you

Once in barrels, some of the spirit is kept on the island and allowed to mature below sea level in Bowmore's vaults. As part of the tour we were allowed into the hallowed 'No.1 Vaults' to have a look at what lay within.

There be gold in them thar hills

"You keep her talking, I'll get the van"

Lesley informed us that not all of their whisky is matured on Islay and none of it, hand-filled aside, is bottled there. The barrels are sent to the group's Springburn HQ in Glasgow and bottled on site. Due to demand, she continued, Bowmore puts none of its whisky into blends and no longer sells barrels off to independent bottlers. With Bowmore 12 being exported to 44 countries worldwide, she advises, every drop is needed for their single malts.

After a quick Q&A session in the No.1 Vaults, we were whisked off to the bar area, where a dram of the Bowmore 12 awaited and we were bid farewell. Alas, a momentary taste was all I could manage as a monumental whisky experience lay ahead at one of Islay's south coast heavyweights.

To be continued..........

Ratings

The Tour: B
Informative, detailed and led by a guide exhibiting more enthusiasm than I do at work on a Monday morning.

The Drams: D
Just a small measure of the Bowmore 12 on offer (in a tumbler, no less) but served at tables commanding a beautiful view over Loch Indaal.

The Shop: A
This is where Bowmore shines. Plenty of whiskies on offer; Luxury, Travel Retail, 'fill-your-own' and Distillery Exclusive bottlings. Glen Garioch and Auchentoshan were also represented. Although the shelf space in the shop is mainly for whisky, some merchandise is also available, meaning you can stock up on souvenirs for your non-whisky drinking pals.

Overall: B-
A good place to start. Even the basic tour gives you a great feel for the history and ethos behind Bowmore. If you're a fan of the whisky, you're going to want to book one of the premium experiences as the basic tour, even compared to similarly priced tours at other distilleries, offers very little in the way of sampling. There is, however, a bar on the first floor that'll allow you to pick and choose your way through the range, should you so desire. Bowmore, I'll be back.

 

Wish You Were Here

Whisky Discovery Tasting #4 - Travel Retail Exclusive

Having thoroughly enjoyed the first three events, episode 4 of the Whisky Discovery tasting saga takes me into undiscovered territory and I find myself checking out the shelves of the (no longer duty-free) duty-free aisles. Better still, as we're in the relaxed surroundings of Bedford's Embankment pub, I don't have to worry about nervously filing past the rubber-gloved, fat-fingered Customs guard either.

The good folks at Whisky Discovery have outdone themselves once more and have prepared, for our delectation and delight, a series of single malt whiskies that are only available in Travel Retail outlets. Perfect for aerophobes and stripsearchophobes alike.  

Ladies and gentlemen, welcome aboard Flight WDT4. We have started taxiing towards the runway. Please make sure your seat backs and tray tables are in their full upright position and ensure your seat belt is securely fastened as we prepare for take off.

The Glenrothes Manse Reserve - 43% - c.£33

Nose:

Creamy and light with floral, almost perfumed, highlights. Pale honey and oaty biscuits; are those Hob-Nobs I can smell?

Palate:

Rich Tea biscuits and gentle spice. A tad on the light side but very drinkable and, dare I say it, refreshing. A hint of sweet cider, perhaps.

Finish:

Very low-key but fruity. Not particularly long.

I promised myself I wasn't going to use the dreaded 'S' word but this is almost backing me into a corner. It's not going to blow you away but, for this price, it would make a welcome gift for the casual whisky drinker.

The Balvenie 16 Triple Cask - 40% - c.£70

Nose:

Bananas all over the shop. Coconut and a little bourbon vanilla. Richer than the Glenrothes with some cherries and almonds.

Palate:

Very gentle to begin with but develops nicely with a fair amount of wood. Some more cherry in the mix and hazelnuts make an appearance nearing the finish. It's certainly rich but a little bit confused.

Finish:

Long and warming with woody spice and bitter honeycomb.

This is a step up in richness and complexity from the Glenrothes but I find it a little muddled. I fully admit I'm not the best person to review this as I have a bit of a love-hate relationship with Balvenie. I must say, however, that the general consensus of the other tasters (including Agent X) was that this is a winner. Each to their own.

Balblair 2004 Bourbon Matured - 46% - c.£45

Nose:

Lightly sanded wood with citrus and some classic bourbon notes. Coconut and lemongrass make an appearance after a while.

Palate:

Lemon sherbet to begin, with a dash of pith and some bitter wood. Less coconut than on the nose but it's there.

Finish:

A little flat. Spice, wood and an impressive length but not particularly interesting.

At first, I was mightily disappointed with this; I expect a lot from Balblair and this wasn't cutting it. However, after a drop of water, what a difference. Like most Balblairs I've tried, water separates the flavours and amplifies the experience and the longer this stayed in the glass, the better it got. The citrus, the wood, the vanilla, the floral elements; they all stood up and did their thing. A very good whisky. Keep an eye out.

Aberfeldy 18 - 40% - c.£78

Nose:

Light sherry is the first thing that jumps out, with beeswax and wood to follow. A little patience brings a dash of double cream, honey and supple leather. This is a very pleasant surprise.

Palate:

Sawdust and lemon sorbet. Verging on lightweight to begin with but, as it develops in the glass, there's a subtle creaminess and it starts to show a little backbone. There's a waxy, chewy leatheriness that puts me in mind of armchairs and dusty old books.

Finish:

In a word, interesting. Sweet and drying in turns with warming spice. Long and entertaining.  

I didn't expect this from Aberfeldy. Having only tried the 12 from the distillery bottlings, I figured this would be a bit of a throwaway. On the contrary; this was the only whisky I went back to at the end of the night. I poured myself a rather generous slug and spent the next 20 minutes thoroughly enjoying every drop. Probably a little steep at £80, although you do get a full litre. I quickly offered Kat a tenner for the rest of the (4/5ths full) bottle. Oddly enough, she politely declined. Grrrr.

Highland Park Harald - 40% - £60

Nose:

Oooh. Robust and spicy with a little nip on the nose; strange, considering it's only 40%. Sherry, smoke and a wee bit floral to boot.

Palate:

Light, woody and heathery with billowing smoke. Nowhere near as sweet as I expected but nicely balanced and reasonably complex. Very enjoyable.

Finish:

Classic HP finish. Sweet, drying and smoky. Medium-long and leaves you wanting more.

This has Highland Park written all over it. I mean... well, I know the bottle has, but... what I mean is that this tastes like Highland Park. Yeah, I know it is Highland Park and so it should taste like... Look, yeah? This has a classic Highland Park profile; If you like Highland Park, you'll like this. Possibly a little on the pricey side though.

Isle of Jura Turas Mara - 42% - c.£43

Nose:

Sticky toffee pudding, butter, vanilla and pickled gherkins. This noses like a bourbon at times although not quite so full-on.

Palate:

Dry, crisp and winey at first. Develops into bitter cocoa but there's a viney sweetness there too. Winey and viney but bitter and sweet. This is a little all over the place. Dave informs me that it's a mix of several cask types, which makes sense.

Finish:

Bourbon-esque and spicy. Quite long with a gentle, woody finale.

This is quite odd. Tasted blind, I would never say Jura. It's not muddled and I wouldn't say that the flavours cancel each other out but your tongue never really settles on any flavour for too long. It's utterly fascinating. Not great, mind, just fascinating.

Bowmore 17 White Sands - 43% - c.£80

Nose:

Prickly and fruity with peat and a nice earthiness. Smoke with a glimmer of barbecued fish, sea-spray and molasses.

Palate:

Nicely drinkable, although that could be my palate waving the white flag. Bags of tropical fruit with slabs of toffee and fudge. Peat, naturally, but not bitter in the slightest. Warming and chewy. Very nice indeed.

Finish:

Warm and lingering with grapefruit, smoke and polished wood. Imagine putting out a burning grand piano with a bucket of Lilt and you get the picture.

I love peat. I love fruit. I love Bowmore. Unsurprisingly, I loved this.

Well, what an eye-opener. Far from being a dumping ground for crap, overpriced, NAS releases, there are some gems to be prised from the aisles of the airport booze section. 

Another great evening from the folks at Whisky Discovery, my thanks to them for broadening my horizons once more. Check out their Facebook page for upcoming events and you can also catch up with both Dave and Kat on Twitter.

Assassin's Tweed

Highland Park: Dark Origins - 46.8%

Highland Dark

It was only a matter of time. Macallan went there. Glenmorangie went there. Ardbeg regularly go there. Et tu Highland Park? Et tu? The inevitable march towards NAS continues, it would seem.

Well, hold on a second; let's not be too hasty. Yes, this expression comes without an age statement. Yes, it comes with a cool bottle design and a mystical backstory (although that's hardly new ground as far as Highland Park are concerned) but what are these magical words I see on the bottle? Non chill filtered.

Yeah, yeah Stumbler but with a name like Dark Origins I bet it's loaded with caramel.

Admittedly, it doesn't say anything concrete on the bottle but it does allude to being naturally coloured. There's 80% first-fill sherry casks in the mix and the whisky isn't as dark as some of the cask strength sherry monsters out there. Whiskybase certainly have it down as being free of E150a. Plus it's a bit weightier than your standard Highland Park fare, coming in at over 46% abv.

Shall we do something crazy and judge it on its merits?

Nose:
I immediately get what I think is a hint of young spirit. Oh balls, is it really going this way? Well, actually, no. On second sniff what I'm getting here is a huge amount of milk chocolate followed by rum and raisin ice-cream. After a little while there's that trademark Highland Park heather-smoke. It's all rather delicious and multi-layered. Given half a chance to open up, there's butterscotch and almond biscotti. Great nose on this.

Palate:
Initially, not as sweet as the nose would have you believe. There's a carnival of spice and smoke and the chocolate is richer and darker with a hint of bitter orange zest. There's oak in the mix but it's light and not overpowering. After a while you come across something herbal and woody...I'm stuck between cardamom and mild clove, something along those lines. All the way through this there's a hum of incredibly gentle peat and not-so-gentle smoke but it does nothing to affect the balance.

Finish:
The sweetest part of the whole affair. Not absurdly long but creamy, spicy and smoky. There's something missing though and I'll be fudged if I can think what it is.

Thoughts: 
This is good whisky. It's a step up from the 12 (although not quite as balanced on the finish and a lot more expensive) and stomps all over the 15. Is it as good as the 18? On first tasting, no. However, I didn't really rate the 18 until I got to the last third of the bottle. A little time to breathe and who knows?

Grade: B
I recommend you try this, although don't expect a sherry bomb. Very capable but falls short of greatness. I may have to come back to this one.

The Pitlochry Pentathlon

Edradour: Straight From the Cask (Various)

Small distillery, big ideas

Edradour has always struck me as a bit of an odd duck. My first taste of what this distillery has to offer was the standard 10yo bottling; to be honest, I thought it was a bit crap. Not terrible, mind, just a little worse than average. For ages I pretty much blocked Edradour from my whisky radar.

The years pass. I got a little bit older (not much wiser) and I happened upon a video review of the 2003 Bourbon Cask release. Being a sucker for a good-looking decanter, I snapped up a bottle and was blown away. Every so often I would stumble upon another expression here and there and, to my surprise, they were all pretty damned good. We get to Christmas 2013 and a friend rocks up to my house with a gift of the SFTC Eilean Dubh. Zero subtlety but hugely entertaining, I promised myself I would check out the rest of the SFTC range, and so here we are; five examples of what that petite, picture-postcard, Pitlochry distillery can do.

Aiding me on my journey of discovery, fresh from an eight week tour of Osama Bin Laden's favourite hiding spots, is the ever elusive Agent X.

10yo - 2002 - Sherry Cask #459 - 57.3%

Nose:

Immediate sting from the high alcohol content but settles into chocolate, cherries and sweet sherry. Give it a chance and it turns herbal with basil and sweet sage.

Palate:

Caramelised red peppers and a touch of soapiness. Flecks of chilli for the main course with drying oak for dessert.

Finish:

Long, spicy and warming with a generous amount of wood.

Thoughts:

Feisty, a million miles away from complex but unmistakeably Edradour. Fairly similar to the Eilean Dubh but a little sweeter and less soapy. Overall, it's big but not terribly clever. Over to Agent X for some words of wisdom.

12yo - 2000 - Sauternes Cask Finish - 56.8%

Nose:

Again, the strength attacks your nostrils at first but soon clears away, leaving a distinct aroma of Eiswein. Honeysuckle and other floral treats but there's nothing really dominating.

Palate:

Buttery with ripe vine fruits and warming cinnamon. A little one-note and muddled, although it's rich, sweet and pleasant enough.

Finish:

Sweet, sticky and medium in length. Very light wood and even lighter spice; the kind you'd find in a summer pudding.

Thoughts:

Very agreeable, especially with a few drops of water. Hard work if you want to pull out individual notes; there's quality in there but so difficult to put your finger on anything too specific. What does our guest reviewer have to say?

11yo - 2002 - Chateauneuf-du-Pape Cask Finish - 58.5%

Nose:

Pungent balsamic note with a surprising amount of butter toffee. A little surprised here as the red fruits I would normally expect from a red wine finish are conspicuous by their absence.

Palate:

Sharp sweetness with thick, treacly vine fruits. Eton Mess with fizzy strawberry chews. Evidently the red fruits were hiding at first; they're making up for lost time now.

Finish:

Slightly savoury and drying with red wine tannins (surprise surprise) and black pepper. Exceptionally long.

Thoughts:

I like this. It's not bowling me over but there's a subtle quality to it. My favourite thus far. What about you, X?

10yo - 2002 - Marsala Cask Finish - 57.6%

Nose:

Oozing with thick,creamy toffee and aromas of nutmeg and speculoos biscuits. Candied fruits and a quick flash of orange sorbet.

Palate:

Chewy and sticky with a nod to decent Cognac. Caramel (the good kind), a smidgeon of coriander and bags of wood shavings. Hide the hamster.

Finish:

Lingering sweetness with contrasting woody astringency. It ebbs and flows and shows great poise and balance.

Thoughts:

Very capable. There's sweetness, certainly, but an underlying earthiness and enough wood to complete the picture. A few steps short of greatness but I'd happily have a bottle. This probably pushes the spirit as far as a cask finish can. Still conscious over there, X?

11yo - 2002 - Barolo Cask Finish - 58.9%

Nose:

Dry, spicy and savoury with huge amounts of red berries. A little patience rewards you with pomegranate seeds and, strangely, green peppers.

Palate:

Dark fruits, walnuts and tea. Tannins aplenty but surprisingly little wood. I'm starting to think that my palate is suffering from Cask Strength overload.

Finish:

Spicy fiesta of chilli and cayenne with dry, dry, ever-so-dry, grape skins. Medium in length and savoury right at the death.

Thoughts:

A good one to finish on. I dare say this may have been a little full-on earlier in the batting line-up. Admittedly my palate is a little shot but I'd still say this shows real quality and is possibly the most complex of the evening. I wouldn't say this is first past the post but you'd certainly get your money back on an each-way bet. Let's see if Agent X will stop harassing the TV presenter for a moment and give us his verdict.

Final Thoughts:

What strikes me the most here is just how bloody versatile the Edradour spirit is. It lends itself very well to experimentation and I can see a Ballechin tasting in my immediate future.

I've avoided giving grades to these whiskies because, truthfully, there's not a great deal to separate them. Each has its own positives and negatives and which one appeals to you depends very much on personal taste. 

If you want complexity, go for the Barolo. The Marsala gives the most balanced experience and the Chateauneuf-du-Pape has an understated quality to it that makes me want to go back for more. If I had to be brutal, I'd say the standard sherry cask is the weak link in the chain; it's nothing you won't have had before and there are plenty of other good CS sherry bombs out there at the same price (and in 700ml bottles).

My thanks to Agent X for his words of wisdom.

We Don't Need No Education

Cragganmore 12 - 40%

About bloody time

Ridiculously, I have never (until now) tried this whisky. Don't ask me how. Despite being a good few years and 550+ Stumbles into my whisky education, clearly I was playing hookey the day they taught 'Introductory Speyside 101'. It's bloody well embarrassing.

It's not like I've never heard of Cragganmore. It's the Speyside representative in Diageo's Classic Malts of Scotland range, for heaven's sake, and I was virtually weaned onto its five counterparts. To make matters worse, I've tried the Cragganmore DE and I'm talking more than one vintage here. I imagine it's the dramming equivalent of running before you can walk. Mercifully, a great whisky warrior appeared from the mists of the Twittersphere to lower a rope into my pit of ignorance, thereby relieving me of my shame.

Many thanks to Scott Saunders for the sample.

Nose:
Straight away there's an aroma of light sherry followed by malt and crisp apple. Milk chocolate makes an appearance and there's an ever-so-subtle wisp of marzipan. A few mintues un the glass produces a creamy beurre noisette note.

Palate:
Very gentle on the arrival and the mouthfeel is a little thin but it soon starts to flex its muscles as a few moments on the tongue brings hints of ginger and tobacco. A moment more and creamy milk chocolate appears with subtle toffee.

Finish:
Moderate in length and mildly warming. Not particularly interesting and a little 'one-note' for my liking but certainly not bad. The Cragganmore '93 DE had an outrageously long finish (admittedly, it had bugger all up front), so I must say that I find this a little disappointing in comparison.

Thoughts:
Yes, it's an entry-level Speyside so I wasn't expecting to be swept away by it, although I've tried cheaper, less well-known Speysiders that are head and shoulders above this. Very drinkable but otherwise a bit 'meh'.

Grade: C
Not quite sure how this edged out Mortlach to be Diageo's "Classic Malt" for Speyside. I'd go for the DE every time.