Weekend Briefs 2022.06: Aberfeldy, Ardmore, Bruichladdich & More
Time to try something new (or go back to something I used to do more often).
At some point, I decided I would only write up reviews of whiskies I had tried multiple times and that I would be sure to write up an entire review with my thoughts and some basic information. I found a groove that served me well over the last couple of years since opportunities for one-off tastings were few and far between. Almost every tasting I did was in the comfort of home, with my wife or on zoom, a format that always allowed me to revisit whiskies later.
Yet, now that our local whisky group has finally returned to more regular meetings, it seems a good time to try something different and get out of the rut of feeling like I need to taste everything multiple times before sharing my thoughts. Everyone always brings extra bottles to share at the end of a tasting, and we have finally been able to enjoy less formal and structured bottle shares—perfect opportunities to jot down a quick review and not worry about developing something more substantial. I enjoy keeping a record of everything I taste, so rather than risk forgetting I ever tried something, I have tried to jot down quick notes and thoughts.
I will still write longer reviews— I enjoy multiple mindful tastings of a whisky and writing up my thoughts— so that will likely remain the primary way I go about tasting whiskies. However, rather than worry about writing an extensive formal review of everything, I will do more quick hits with flavor notes and my general thoughts.
With that in mind, here are a handful of whiskies enjoyed during a bottle share this weekend.
Whisky Details: Glenrothes 16 Year (2005) Sherry Butt 57.2%, Douglas Laing for K&L
Nose: Cream, vanilla, florals, fruit candies, candied citrus peel, grapefruit slices
Palate: Medium-bodied with orange candies, citrusy sangria, pop rocks, and underlying minerality; at the end were cocoa, nutmeg, and cinnamon sticks.
Finish: Medium-length mild drying astringency and citrus peel.
Score: 7
Narrative & Notes: The cask complemented the malt perfectly in this low fuss dram. The aroma and palate were delightfully mild and refreshing, with a citrusy core around which hints of minerals, pop rocks, and various fruit candies appeared. The dominant impression was of a citrusy sangria with loads of orange and grapefruit slices floating in a chilled pitcher of white wine. Not a sherry bomb by any measure, the dram was well-balanced and accessible.
Whisky Details: Bruichladdich 24 Year (1992) Black Art 5.1
Nose: Maritime shoreline, candied fruits, cinnamon sticks, ginger powder, birch oil, hints of violets and pohuehue (beach morning glory).
Palate: Medium-bodied and rich with a gradual fade from sandalwood, rootbeer, ginger, lemon, cinnamon, and pepper to cedar wood, mellow white pepper, old wooden pencils, and a kiss of salt.
Finish: Long and lingering with citrus, pepper, and a hint of salt.
Score: 8
Narrative & Notes: The aroma was restrained and gentle, while the palate was full-flavored and oaky. I thought this had a lovely undercurrent of ‘old oak,’ that notion of weathered and beaten oak staves, boards, or wooden pencils. It reminded me a lot of the 32-Year (1984) Bruichladdich I was fortunate to try a few years back. I know some people love those old oak notes, even when they can be a tad bitter or sour. Those elements were absent in this Black Art, but plenty of mild oak-driven spices and richer notions of root beer, ginger soda, and sandalwood incense. I debated not doing this as a quick review and taking my time to write up something longer as it is not every day someone brings out a Black Art and opens it for the table. Deliciously complex and woody, it was a pleasure to sip on with friends.
Whisky Details: Ardmore 17 Year (2003) Refill Sherry Hogshead 54.9%, Gordon & MacPhail for K&L
Nose: Caramel apples, char siu, shoyu, caramelized duck skin, meaty, hints of rubber, licorice, and sweet praline.
Palate: Medium-bodied with cured meat, salt, caramelized brown sugar, apple candies, candied salmon skin, charred wood, and flaming caramel apples at the end.
Finish: Lingering caramel apple with a hint of salt and minerality.
Score: 6-7
Narrative & Notes: Matured in a refill hogshead, this Ardmore featured plenty of sherry influence across the aroma and flavor profile. While I picked up a good amount of caramel apple, Gordon & MacPhail highlighted a great deal more fruit in their notes. The meatier side of the dram took me in as sweet and savory peat, and sherry brought to mind a Chinese barbecue shop. There are not enough of those left here and none near where I live, but I love the aroma of five-spice, roasted duck, fried pork belly, and sweet char siu. This dram was loaded with that sweet meaty medley and a lovely balance between sweet, salty, and smokey.
Whisky Details: Aberfeldy 16 Year (2003) Refill Sherry Hogshead 58.8%, Gordon & MacPhail for K&L
Nose: Rich and sweet baking spices with cinnamon and nutmeg, a bit of spirited prickle, caramel, dried grass, honey oat cakes, and dried berries.
Palate: Full-bodied with dried berries, honey, and coffee, hints of a wet leather funk, herbal tea, chai tea spices, grape skins and roasted nuts at the end.
Finish: Lingering candied nuts and leather.
Score: 7
Narrative & Notes: My buddy who brought this warned me that he thought it was a bit funky. Well, if he wanted to tempt me to try it, that was all he had to say. I figured the sherry cask might have made it a bit rubbery or even sulfurous, but that was not an issue. There was funk, but it was wet leather rather than rubber or sulfur, which some may find more to their preference than others. However, that was only one small part of the overall experience, and the dram was loaded with sweet syrupy baking spices, dried berries, and the herbal notion of grass or tea. I loved the impression of a milky strong masala chai that developed on this dram. Overall, this was wonderful— complex and interesting with contrasting layers of flavor linked by a leathery undercurrent.
Whisky Details: GlenDronach Traditionally Peated 48%
Nose: Malt, whole grain toast, honey, faintly earthy, grape candies, wispy smoke/charred wood.
Palate: Medium-bodied with a malty richness, cereals, dried berries, Grape Nuts or Bran Flakes, orange oil, hints of charred wood, or burnt toast at the end.
Finish: Medium-length with earth, grain, and honey.
Score: 6
Narrative & Notes: Peated GlenDronach? Well, that sounded delightful, and a friend was kind enough to open up and pour a bottle they had brought back from France during a recent family visit. The peat was well integrated to the point of being almost imperceptible, and the dram reminded me more of a typical GlenDronach 12 Year with a bit less cask influence. Matured in PX, Oloroso, and Port Wine casks, I assume there was a sizeable assortment of refill casks involved which allowed the quality of the malt to shine through. Overall, modern GlenDronach has not typically been my cup of tea with its sherry-forward profile, but this felt nicely balanced and similar to recent Benromach releases, especially the cask strength (though I would rank this above that and consider it a worthy upgrade).
