Here is Ardbegeddon!!

"Blasda This, Rollercoaster That. Old Ardbeg is where it's at!" That's a little poem by a friend from Minnesota. Today let's try these apocalyptic four from this beautiful distillery in Islay.

Ardbeg 25 Years Old, 'Lord of the Isles' bottled in 2005, 46%
This is a vatting of bourbon and sherry casks distilled in the excellent 1970s.
Colour: Gold (same like the 'Provenance')
Aroma: Whiffs of cocoa. Then a Cohiba cigar. Some smoke. Not peaty like the Ardbeg 'Ten'. Then herrings rolled with mustard sauce.
Taste: Peat. White fruits like cooked apples and cooked pears. White pepper seeds. Capsicums. Lemon cough drops. A very good and balance Ardbeg with a long finish.
Rating: 92/100

Ardbeg 1977 bottled in 2002, 46%
Colour: Light gold
Aroma: White wine. Smoke from burning wood. Pepper seeds. Wood charcoal. With more time, it gets sweeter.
Taste: White peppers. Less peat than expected. Then it becomes fruity. White peach, lime and passion fruit. Like good sauvignon blancs.
Rating: 91/100

Ardbeg 1974 'Provenance' bottled in 2000, 55%
This one is the same 'Provenance' bottled for Asia, except it says bottled for the USA. Otherwise the dates and ABV are identical.
Colour: Gold (same like the 'LOTI')
Aroma: Some berries. Bubblegum. So there must be some fruits here. Then cocoa, some wood glue. Smoke from burnt wood, not burning. Seasoning salt. Simply amazing.
Taste: Peat. Chocolate. White fruits like cooked apples. Lemon and menthol. Peppery. Believe it or not, there is some 'Brand's chicken essence' which has a salty taste that I liked! A masterpiece.
Rating: 94/100

Ardbeg 1976, Single Cask #2397, 52.4% bottled in 2008
Colour: Gold (deepest amongst the four)
Aroma: Oh... my favourite maple syrup. (How can it be!?! I was not expecting this.)Toffee. Cocoa powder. Dried raisins. Some peat smoke. Chinese plum sauce. Rice grains. Then charred beef. So good.
Taste: Cherry cough drops, followed by peat. Then dark chocolates. No lemon in this Ardbeg. Some black coffee. Herbal drops. Clear tomato soup. So if you've tried 'Uigeadail' and liked it, this will be mind blowing! 1 extra point than the 'Provenance' for the magnificent nose.
Rating: 95/100

The Native of Islay

Laphroaig Cairdeas 'Ileach Edition'', 50.5%, bottled for Feis Isle 2011

This youthful single malt is exactly what Laphroaig means when they said in a punchy slogan from the 1980s, "love it or loathe it". My friends from the office totally loathed it, describing it like a disinfectant and antiseptic. Well... I enjoy it very much and happen to think it is quite aromatic.

There is no age statement on this one from a bourbon barrel but I have heard it is about 8 years old. I also found out that the distillery produced a large batch of spirit in the traditional way, using only the Laphroaig floor malted barley and the original three small stills. This was all put into first fill Maker's Mark casks and stored at the distillery warehouses.

Colour: Light gold.
Aroma: Aggressive "In-your-face" type of whisky. Sweet and peaty smoke. Poached pear with vanilla syrup. Then sea breeze throughout! Opening a bottle can fill up the room with the ocean at your doorstep without getting wet.
Taste: Butterscotch salty and lemon to me. No oysters in this one. Despite the young age, it was quite good and fantastic. Long finish with peaty and tarry notes on the palate. Better than the 10 years old standard release! But still youngish to be a complex malt whisky. Let us wait patiently now and see if the rest of the casks might produce an improved whisky given more time.
Rating: 86/100

Two independent Laphroaig from 1989

Let's try two middle-aged Laphroaig from 1989. Both were matured in ex-sherry single casks. The first is by the Scotch Malt Whisky Society. The other is by an independent bottler, Douglas Laing and this one earned a silver at the Malt Maniacs Awards in 2009.

By the way, this is a 9 a.m tasting session before any breakfast!! Let's see if the early wind-up bird catches the malt whisky.

Laphroaig 1989/2008 (53.7%, SMWS #29.66, 'Maritime and sweet')
Colour: Orange gold
Aroma: Indian mango chutney (sweet and tangy). Hints of maple syrup. Some wood glue. Then braided sea ropes. Whiffs of peat. Some iodine. So much going on here!
Taste: Some resemblance to the uber-famous vintage 1974! So this is a very nice Laphroaig. Cured ham, cocoa and orange jam. Some ripe durian fruit aftertaste. The finish is long and peaty. So much balance and enjoyment! For me, this has to be one of the best Laphroaig from the late 1980s and early 1990s.
Rating: 92/100

Laphroaig 1989/2009 (57.1%, Douglas Laing for La Maison du Whisky, #5220)
Colour: Dark orange gold
Aroma: Immediately briny. Wood shavings. Some iodine now. Fresh cut wood again.
Taste: Chinese chilli pork floss. Red spiciness and hot. Some sweetness. And chocolaty too. Raw scallop sashimi with lemon juice. The sherry effect comes through quite strongly and dry. Long, peaty and ashy finish.
Rating: 90/100

Strathisla 1965 Cask #3473, Gordon and MacPhail, 48%

The Strathisla distillery has a beautiful scenery. Isn't it spectacular, Mr Wind-up Bird?

This bottle was exclusively bottled for a private collector and La Maison du Whisky. It is one of the entries at the Malt Maniacs Awards for 2011. Let's find out what the Bird thinks of it before the results are announced on 1 Dec.

Colour: Red mahogany
Aroma: Dried raisins and prunes. Coffee, not black. Some pipe tobacco.
Taste: Christmas cake baked with all the dried fruits (raisins, prunes, cranberries, orange peel, currrants) and nuts (ground almonds). Some spices at the end. By the way, it is quite like an old cognac too. Matured in a sherry cask for 45 years old. Not too much oak despite the age. Absolutely stunning! For me, this is one of the best sherried single malt whisky I've tried.
Rating: 92/100

Update: This baby won a Gold Medal in the Malt Maniacs Awards for 2011. Well done once again, Lmdw!

Port Ellen Royal Wedding Reserve Cask #2290, 53%

The royal wedding took place more than half a year ago, but it's never too late to pour myself a dram and toast to the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge.

What shall we toast Prince Willie and Kate with? Mr Wind-up Bird says we should go with a Port Ellen whisky specially bottled by The Whisky Exchange! The whisky was distilled in 1982 which was the birth year of both the bride and groom, and bottled on the day of the wedding. This was matured in a sherry hogshead and yielded about 200 bottles.

Colour: Raw brown sugar
Aroma: Burnt sugar caramel. Dried raisins. Black coffee. Somes notes on old leather. Then some Kiwi brand shoe polish. Simply beautiful on the nose!
Taste: Flambeed cherries with brandy. Orange spice cake and some plums. A dry and short finish but not unpleasant. A tad weak towards the end.
Rating: 87/100

Two Brora and a Clynelish

Today we shall head for the Coastal Northern Highlands! Are you ready for some scotch history?

The old Clynelish distillery was built in 1819. Right across the street of this distillery, a new Clynelish distillery was opened in 1968 and was called Clynelish I. The production of the old Clynelish distillery was still running and they decided to call it, Clynelish II. The original Clynelish distillery was re-named in 1969 after the town, Brora and it was eventually closed down in 1983. Today there is only an active distillery in the town of Brora and it is called Clynelish distillery.

Confusing, Mr Wind-up Bird? Okay, let's forget about the history and drink the whiskies instead. Today we are going to taste two Brora whiskies and a Clynelish whisky.

Brora 30 years old, OB 2005, 56.3%
Colour: Gold
Aroma: Burning rubber. Some coal tar soap. Definitely antiseptic! Cedar wood.
Taste: Spicy and peaty. Some indian curry spices (cumin). Some indian chilli powder. Rich and oily quite like the golden brown pork lard added to chinese fried noodles. Then some lemon zest.
Rating: 93/100

Brora 30 years old, OB 2007, 55.7%
Colour: Gold
Aroma: Farmy notes for sure! Like a horse stable but not in an unpleasant way. Fresh cut wood. Furniture varnish. Some glue. Tobacco leaves. Burnt leaves. Very intense.
Taste: Oiliness again. Then some Szechuan peppers, cinnamons and yellow ginger. Quite lemony. Not far from the earlier Brora. It gets better and better with a long and peaty finish.
Rating: 93/100

Clynelish 24 years old, 1972/1997 Rare Malts, 61.3%
Colour: Light gold
Aroma: The smell of Lego bricks! A jar full of honey! Then a whiff of the red watermelon eraser from my school days. Oh... I can nose this for hours!
Taste: Pineapple tart jam. Salted butter on popcorn. Then a hint of wild honey.
Rating: 92/100

Some random tastings

Benromach 25 Years Old, Official bottling, 43%
Colour: Straw
Aroma: Hmmm... not much going on here. Some vanilla and roasted nuts.
Taste: Some peppers. Hints of bitter chocolate. The finish isn't long and there is no depth either. It's going nowhere for me.
Rating: 79/100
Comments: Proof that older doesn't necessarily mean better. The style of this whisky is quite close to the Macallan 'Fine Oak' series. No Benromach has really wowed me yet.

Strathisla 1968/2010, Gordon & MacPhail, 50%
Colour: Gold
Aroma: Some honey and fruit jams. Then almonds and pine nuts.
Taste: You can taste the oak here but in an oily and smooth way. Bitterness from cooked and smashed garlic. Some orange peel. Almonds again. Melted butter. Fabulous!
Rating: 89/100
Comments: Very unusual to find bourbon matured Strathisla by this great independent bottler, especially at that age!

Nikka 21 Years Old Taketsuru, 43%
Colour: Gold
Aroma: Oak and vanilla. Then immediately honey. Whiffs of cocoa powder and orchid flowers. Very good and kind.
Taste: Creamy. Some salted almonds. Some thin, dried seaweed sheets. Unripe honeydew melon.
Rating: 88/100
Comments: I can drink this well crafted japanese whisky all day long! This blend is made using the malt whiskies from the Yoichi and Miyagikyo distilleries. So easily drinkable with sashimi and sushi.