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| Hello, that is one in every of our (virtually) every day tastings. Santé! |
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January 14, 2025
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Shifting on with our new little sequence that do not make a lot sense. We had been having a single little Lochside, a 1981, which we’d by no means tasted, and we had been ready on a Ben Nevis from the identical 12 months to pattern them collectively, as the 2 distilleries had been at one time owned by the identical proprietor. Nonetheless, that Ben Nevis by no means arrived. What’s extra, we realised we’d by no means truly tasted a 1981 Ben Nevis, regardless of having tasted 360 completely different expressions of BN already, which made the possibilities of ever discovering one even slimmer. So, we determined as a substitute to benefit from the famend Lochside alongside an Arbikie, which, in fact, has completely nothing to do with it, besides that each distilleries are (or had been) situated in or close to Montrose on the east coast. Does that clarification give you the results you want? I do know, it’s a little bit of a stretch. Anyway, I’ll add that, in idea, each whiskies needs to be extraordinarily fruity.
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Arbikie 5 yo ‘Cask Energy Version 1’ (59.7%, OB, Distillers Collection, Scottish rye, 966 bottles, 2024) 
Single farm, field-to-bottle rye whisky (thus grain whisky) from 4 casks, from ‘one of the sustainable distilleries on the planet’ the place in addition they make numerous gins and vodkas. Alongside the rye right here they add wheat and malted Concerto barley. Color: gentle gold. Nostril: intensely fruity and floral at first, stuffed with tangerines, lavender, and violets, then develops a ‘gin’ facet and even hints of younger marc from Burgundy for the uninitiated taster. We’re under no circumstances on a rye that smells of rye bread, when you see what I imply. With water: it strikes a lot nearer to cereal, in a really pronounced manner. A refined whiff of high quality cologne. Mouth (neat): I prefer it, it’s very extreme however the form of imbalance one enjoys. A great deal of black pepper, pink pepper, mandarin zest, coriander seeds, and Earl Gray tea, with a sharper rye profile than on the nostril but in addition hints of buckwheat and an ultra-fruity character. With water: this will get virtually good, extra earthy, grainy, and with a greater diversity of fruits and roots. Gentian, pear… Even a curious saline contact. In any case, the North Sea isn’t distant. End: not overly lengthy however very clear and chiselled. In brief, extra ‘rye’. Feedback: fairly the tasting journey, the place each drop of water counts. You may have enjoyable together with your pipette for a very good two hours—I’d even have favored to check a number of completely different waters if I’d had the time. In brief, it began slightly low however reached…
SGP: 841 – 85 factors. |
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Lochside 1981/2001 (61.0%, Scotch Malt Whisky Society, #92.10) 
I’ve by no means had the prospect to style this Lochside; solely Angus has. I remorse that nobody talks about Lochside anymore, and that it’s totally unavailable these days—it was a magnificently fruity malt, although sadly uncared for by its final homeowners, the Spanish group D.Y.C., who had launched a slightly uninspiring official 10-year-old expression, in all probability tailor-made for southern markets the place whisky was usually consumed with loads of water and ice. The distillery closed in 1992 after being acquired, together with DYC, by Allied, and was later demolished and even ravaged by a fireplace. In brief, it met a destiny slightly much like that of Littlemill. Color: white wine. Nostril: I’d virtually forgotten how unique Lochside’s fruitiness may very well be. Right here, alongside slightly musk, gentle smoke, and blackcurrant buds, we discover a whole container of ardour fruits plus some pink grapefruits to finish the profile. I don’t suppose any grand fruity malt (previous Bowmore, Laphroaig, Littlemill, Bushmills, Clynelish, and many others.) ever showcased a profile even vaguely related. With water: the pink grapefruits take the lead, joined by a touch of Petit and Grand Manseng wine. Mouth (neat): a bag of fruit sweets. Lemon, orange, mango, blackcurrant, redcurrant, pineapple, and, in fact, ardour fruit. It then transitions right into a pure ‘maracuja sherbet’. With water: its solely, very slight flaw is a contact of monotony. After including water, you find yourself with one thing resembling a mixture of ardour fruit and blackcurrant juice—let’s say a 75/25 cut up. End: a lot the identical. Feedback: the Lochside tower was so lovely! Bear in mind, it was initially a brewery.
SGP: 751 – 91 factors. |
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