Let The Drink Talk

[Spirit of Islay]

took advantage of an offer the SMWS had on to do with the up and coming Fringe . You could purchase 4 x 10cl bottles of a selection of malts for £40 , here are my notes .... Whisky.....

….with Music 23.53 (Bruichladdich)

Distilled - April 1989 Bottled - May 2006
Age- 17yo ABV –54.5%

Colour – Bright Gold .

Nose – Bags of Lemon Citrus , vanilla , Seashore ozone and a slight creaminess .

Taste – Honey , butterscotch toffee , a lovely freshness , pretty much a perfect Laddie .

Finish – Long and very warming

Over the past few months I’ve tried a few Laddies , the perfect ones seem to be in their Mid to late teens , from either fresh bourbon or a refill hoggy ,this one’s from a refill hoggy , this is pretty damn near perfect !


….with Food 39.58 (Linkwood)

Distilled –Nov 1985 Bottled - May 2006
Age – 20yo ABV – 59.5%

Colour – Bright gold

Nose – at first there is an off note I’ve detected in a few refilled sherry Linkwoods (common trate?) , loads of vanilla , cream and very floral .

Taste – peppery at first , then it seems to do a good impression of a lowlander (Grassy , lemon) , a touch of dry sherry as well .

Finish – Long , warming and a touch cinnamon apples .

Linkwood is not a speysider I would normally go for (too many not too nice ones in the past ) and I’m afraid this hasn’t changed my opinions either though to be truthful it is one of the better ones .


….with Words 7.36 (Longmorn)

Distilled –Feb 1968 Bottled – May 2006
Age – 38yo ABV – 53.5%

Colour – Mahogany

Nose – Raisins , mixed spices , dried fruit , dry sherry …..yes the proverbial Christmas cake in a bottle !

Taste – All of the above and some more

Finish – Long and dry oloroso , extremely spicy .

It’s Dark , it’s dry , it’s a hellishly well balanced dram , I was expecting nothing else after the 36yo we tried at a tasting in September last year , goes down really well . Maybe Linkwood should have a drive down the road to see what these guys are doing……

….with Friends 29.53 (Laphroaig)

Distilled – March 1988 Bottled – May 2006
Age - 18yo ABV – 60.8%

Colour – Ripe Barley .

Nose – Pungent ! Peat , smoke , iodine , the Laphroaig of old !

Taste - Wow ! Twice wow !! Nae triple wow !!! Bags of Iodine , a very sweet peatness , but oh so smooth .

Finish – Long ! and sweet with that lovely iodine lingering on …and on …and on…..

This late teenager puts the distillery 10yo CS to shame , this has got to be the best Froyge I’ve tried for many a year , this takes me back to my early 20’s and the tasting of the 10yo beast ….oh happy days !

Well 3 beauts and 1 not so good , The Laphroaig was an eye opener , the Longmorn a masterpiece and the Bruichladdich a classic ……shame about the Linkwood……..

Slainte
Gordon
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