09-apr-06
today, i chatted with dominic west (you know, jimmy mcnulty from the wire) at a local pub near our friend silver's place in shepherd's bush. we're buddies now. true story
and in other news... hello, whisky society, my old friend...
well, we're back in london and couldn't resist the temptation of renewing our whisky society membership. here's a sample of what we sampled (description from the Society website):
In the foreground:
A dirty dram for Mary Poppins
Cask No. 33.74
£54
The Vault-maniac said it cleared his sinuses! Others found Deep Heat, menthol and seaweed; the nose then developed plum jam and prunes. The magnificent unreduced palate had sweet Parma violets, smoke and coal-tar. “Like licking an ashtray,” someone said, while the manager called it “A Dick Van Dyke chimney-sweep’s dram”. Water promoted sweetness on the nose – puff candy, sticky-toffee pudding and vanilla, with Fruit ‘n Fibre and tobacco pouches. The palate became toffee and smoke with dried fruit and sweet sherry in the finish. The distillery draws water from Loch Uigeadail and the whisky swoops and dives in the mouth.
Drinking tip: A mountain top dram or, if mountain not handy, could be served with cheese. Not to be rushed
Colour: Bright orange gold
Date distilled: May 1998
Cask: Sherry gorda
Alcohol: 56.6%
Age: 10 years
Outturn: 497 bottles
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And in the background:
Isle-la-la
Cask No. 53.128
£60
The initial nose transported the Panel to France: French onion soup, mackerel pate, smoked jambon, Roquefort and ash-rolled chevre. One sip, however and our feet were firmly planted back on Scottish soil: toes curling in Islay sands, a sea breeze blowing at our backs and a roaring peat bonfire in our faces. The taste was rich, full and meaty: crispy skinned hog roast with applesauce. This dram lost nothing with water, with the Panel finding sea salt, mussels, goats’ cheese and smoky pork. This electrifying and exemplary offering hails from Islay’s second most northern distillery.
Drinking tip: Definitely a dram for the outdoors
Colour: Gold leaf
Date distilled: December 1989
Cask: Refill hogshead
Alcohol: 56.1%
Age: 19 years
Outturn: 279 bottles