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6 new cats from the West Coast of Alba


 

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Hello, that is one in every of our (virtually) every day tastings. Santé!
   
 

 

 

September 18, 2024


Whiskyfun

The London Whisky Present was an opportunity to find a very good variety of new releases from younger distilleries, most of them pushed by passionate and enthusiastic groups.

Raasay

Isle of Raasay (Isle of Raasay Distillery)

Generally, this was a placing distinction with a few previous names that have been current too, which instantly felt reasonably a bit dusty and drained to me. However thank goodness, the very overwhelming majority of the massive gamers gave the impression to be in wonderful form regardless of a number of the new market figures, so please, let’s not leap to any hasty conclusions.

Isle of Harris 'The Hearach' (46%, OB, batch 16, 2024)

Isle of Harris ‘The Hearach’ (46%, OB, batch 16, 2024) Four stars

I had the pleasure of sampling the superb batch 15 again in August, jokingly bemoaning the truth that batch 16 had already been launched. Happily, batch 16 is now on the tasting desk, although I can not assist however marvel if batch 17 has already crept onto the scene. Maybe not… Color: white wine. Nostril: it strikes me as rather less smoky this time round; however as I don’t have each batches aspect by aspect, I’ll depart it there. Pleasant notes of apple cake, fruity beer, delicate greens (carrot purée), and freshly baked morning pastries. A beautiful, reasonably barley-forward nostril. Mouth: the smoke is rather more distinguished right here, a peppery, vegetal smoke, fairly dry however in a really charming manner. I even get a little bit of chilli mingling with lime, giving it a slight ‘Hebridean daiquiri’ vibe, if you’ll. There’s additionally some earthiness, mineral mud, mustard, and as I famous final time, a bit ‘Fort William’ character, in case you catch my drift. End: lengthy, decidedly salty, with only a contact of roguishness. There’s an aftertaste of roots, significantly gentian. Feedback: it’s improbable that they’ve maintained their model with out veering off in each course like so many others.

SGP:462 – 87 factors.

Ardnahoe ‘Infinite Loch’ (50%, OB, bourbon and oloroso, 2024)

Ardnahoe ‘Infinite Loch’ (50%, OB, bourbon and oloroso, 2024) Four stars and a half

That is the third launch from Ardnahoe, with the primary two being very a lot to my style. For a distillery, an ‘infinite’ loch can solely be a blessing, even on Islay, in case you recall the droughts of the late Nineteen Sixties that compelled distilleries to close down. Right here, Ardnahoe evokes a loch infinite in its depths, although so long as they don’t begin conjuring up Ardbeg-style legends, we’re secure—no sixteen-armed freshwater octopus or Islay Nessie, fortunately! Color: pale gold. Nostril: unimaginable, I discover it very ‘West Coast’ in addition to distinctly Islay. Briefly, West of Scotland, East of Islay. There’s a barely oily, sturdy high quality, but with the grace and precision of a gymnast. Smoked oysters are very current, maybe some mussels too, crabs from the Sound, seaweed, adopted by bergamot, oranges, moist chalk, and clay… With water: extra moist chalk and that well-known previous tweed jacket from the Islay Woollen Mill, one which’s seen loads of rain, storms, and vintages. Mouth (neat): that is very good. Inexperienced pepper, oranges, grapefruits, seafood, evenly oily smoke, almonds, inexperienced apples, sushi, and a touch of inexperienced olive… With water: a number of extra spices, cinnamon, turmeric, a contact of ginger, after which some Kildalton tar. End: lengthy, salty, considerably wealthy and oily, with extra smoked fish. Feedback: whereas it might’t fairly match the shock of the Inaugural Launch, this primary ‘common’ model is reasonably good. I’ll add that it solely wants a drop of water—greatest to not drown it.

SGP:557 – 88 factors.

Nc’nean 2020+older/2024 ‘Cask Strength MN21’ (59%, OB, 5,021 bottles)

Nc’nean 2020+older/2024 ‘Cask Energy MN21’ (59%, OB, 5,021 bottles) Four stars

It’s natural, ‘made by nature not guidelines’, sustainable – a phrase now obligatory simply in every single place – but additionally 55% ex-STRed purple wine cask, which I discover a bit at odds with the idea, and definitely not very ‘terroiry’. Then once more, it’s what’s within the glass that issues, is it not? Color: gold. Nostril: the STR affect is evident, with rose jelly, peonies, blood oranges, bubblegum, Szechuan pepper, and even some very fruity and feisty hops. Then again, it’s not overtly vinous in any respect, which is the fantastic thing about these STR wine casks everybody’s utilizing as of late. Strawberry-vanilla ice cream. With water: as is usually the case, it returns to the barley, with scones, croissants, chamomile, and a tiny contact of roasted nuts. Mouth (neat): this is excellent, full-bodied, lemony, and clearly led by the cask affect, nevertheless it’s all been expertly crafted, very a lot within the model of Dr Swan. Extremely technical, however very effectively finished. Okay*****n, get out of this bottle! With water: hints of parsley and dill, then limoncello and elderflower liqueur. End: lengthy, with pepper liqueur, a sure sweetness, and triple sec. Feedback: very trendy, superb. I discover it extra profitable than the earlier batch, however we a lot desire the pure ‘hogshead’ variations just like the one from Berry Bros, the place the superb distillate shines via extra.

SGP:751 – 85 factors.

Isle of Raasay 5 yo ‘Unpeated’ (61.4%, OB, Na Sia Cask Series, Chinkapin oak cask, cask #19/543, 2024)

Isle of Raasay 5 yo ‘Unpeated’ (61.4%, OB, Na Sia Cask Sequence, Chinkapin oak cask, cask #19/543, 2024) Four stars

Ha, they don’t name this 5 years previous, they are saying it’s 5 years younger. Intelligent. It appears the much less charming full identify of Chinkapin oak is Quercus Muehlenbergii. Not fairly as attractive, is it? I consider it was Glenmorangie’s Dr Invoice who first introduced Chinkapin oak to the fore some years again. Color: deep gold. Nostril: straight in with the Jaffa truffles—chocolate, sponge cake, and orange marmalade. With water: guava liqueur sidles in, joined by winery peaches and younger summer season cheese, one thing alongside the traces of Comté or Gruyère. Very nice. Mouth (neat): wealthy, thick, and liqueur-like. A great deal of saffron, pink pepper, and blood oranges. With water: an explosion of unique fruits, adopted by a crescendo of spices—chilli, fermented tofu, masala, cardamom… reasonably mad, to be trustworthy. A return of chocolate lingers within the background. End: lengthy, wealthy, fruity, and loaded with… fruity spices. Feedback: it’s extra of a stylistic train, a bit like Nc’nean’s in a manner, however crazier. I think the Chinkapin was almost charred to oblivion. Spectacular stuff, excellent for these mates who assume all whisky tastes the identical. All of us have these mates, don’t we?

SGP:761 – 85 factors.

Isle of Raasay 5 yo ‘Peated’ (61.9%, OB, Na Sia Cask Series, peated Chinkapin oak cask, cask #19/74, 2024)

Isle of Raasay 5 yo ‘Peated’ (61.9%, OB, Na Sia Cask Sequence, peated Chinkapin oak cask, cask #19/74, 2024) Four stars

There could also be a little bit of confusion right here, because the label reads ‘matured in a peated Chinkapin oak cask,’ which could counsel some crude flavouring with peated whisky, as increasingly more operators are doing (in-cask mixing). However then it additionally says ‘Scottish barley malted with Highland peat,’ which suggests the precise reverse and is way extra reassuring. I’m sure it’s the latter—a correct peated whisky, not some pretend peater. Color: deep gold. Nostril: chocolate returns, together with Nutella, peanut butter, and pencil shavings. With water: orange juice, a cigarette smouldering within the ashtray, and some slices of untamed Spanish ham—correct pata negra. Mouth (neat): like operating into Mike Tyson in a darkish alley at nighttime to rapidly cross the road… With water: now we’re getting someplace, it’s wealthy, thick, spicy, and definitely woody this time, as if the peat brings out the tannins. The remainder is a battle between bitter oranges and pink grapefruit. Let’s not neglect the Szechuan pepper, which isn’t far off both. Not an ‘final’ peater. End: extra unique fruits, white chocolate, and even a touch of younger bourbon. Feedback: each Raasays are reasonably excessive, and I can’t fairly choose a favorite—they don’t match into any explicit mould. Very cask-driven, a bit just like the Nc’nean, which can restrict them in some methods but additionally makes them fairly enjoyable. There’s a slight Fiat Multipla vibe to them, in case you catch my drift.

SGP:665 – 85 factors.

Alright, I do know we’ve mentioned we’d have the Adnamurchans separate to any extent further, in ‘specialised’ classes, however they’re on the West Coast, aren’t they?

Ardnamurchan ‘The Midgie’ (48%, OB, 6,200 bottles, 2024)

Ardnamurchan ‘The Midgie’ (48%, OB, 6,200 bottles, 2024) Four stars and a half

A reasonably charming tribute, it appears, to these pesky little midges that may be a little bit of a nuisance when one visits Scotland at sure instances. It’s a mix of casks, together with sherry, bourbon, Sauternes, and Madeira. No marvel it’d appeal to the midges, ha! Color: pale gold. Nostril: you don’t actually get the Madeira, nor the Sauternes, and even the sherry for that matter, so I’d think about these have been second and even third-fill casks, no? The outcome, nevertheless, is impeccable. There’s a beautiful smoky focaccia vibe, buttery croissants, and pleasant notes of smoked paprika (how good is that!), alongside hints of recent tyres, spent oil, and recent concrete… and maybe only a whisper of Madeira in spite of everything. Actually, it’s spot on. Mouth: the peat comes via extra on the palate than on the nostril, with inexperienced pepper, creosote, tar, smoked kippers, lemon, and apple, plus oysters and some drops of Tabasco. End: lengthy and delightful, with a barely natural contact. Suppose samphire, lemon, and a drop of seawater. Feedback: completely pleasant and really peaty. The nice aspect of midges, because it have been.

SGP:566 – 88 factors.

 

 
   

 

 

 

 



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