Embrace change - Filed under 'single malt'

September 26, 2009

First Kottkamp autumn tasting yesterday

As I wrote yesterday we had the first autumn whisky tasting at Kottkamp yesterday. Once again all tickets have been sold out and many friends been there. My job this day has been to serve the Speyside malts and some Irish whiskeys together with Ulli. Sadly Sandra has been ill, I wish her all the best from here.

Naturally I also had some malts yesterday, even if I hadn't the time to taste them in detail. My first one has once again been the BenRiach 12y Arumaticus Fumosus, a peated malt finished in a rum cask. It's ok. Many guests asked for a new Irish malt, the Kilbeggan 15y in a very interesting bottle. It tastes good, with honey and vanilla. But it still is no Scottish single malt, so nothing for my collection. Number three has been the Macallen 12y with sherry, berries, and chocolate, a fine malt for its price.

After the Macallen I had a Royal Lochnagar 1991 16y with sherry, tang, some smoke, pepper, and honey. The flavour is long and strong. The second last this evening has been a Benrinnes 1974 34y, a very good malt, with candied fruit and sherry, spicy and fruity, but still gentle. To close the evening an Islay must not miss. I've choosen a Caol Ila 1979 27y Signatory Cask Strength, every time a good solution.

Now I can't await the next tasting on October, 23rd. And I've got to find a way how to document my tasting notes in a more comparable online. Maybe at http://www.connosr.com/.

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July 5, 2009

Ardbeg Supernova and Uigeadail

Last Friday, my 44th birthay, I got a real great present by my wife: A set of two very good Ardbeg single malts together with an Ardbeg tumbler. Today I compared both, they are really wonderful. They are number 19 and 20 of my collection which now has a real great bandwidth.

Ardbeg Supernova

Abv: 58,9%

Color: Yellow gold

Nose: Very complex, lots of peat, smoke, a bit of tar, nuts, sweet honey, orange, dry fruits, vinegar, pepper

Palate: Burning hot peat, explosive, crackling, nuts, salt and pepper

Finish: Warm, long, complex, and comfortable, warming on a cold winter's day

Comment: Loves the great Ardbeg tumbler more than a regular nosing glas. It needs the room for the aroma to develop itself. Water gives more lemon and salt, but the Supernova is better without it.

Ardbeg Uigeadail

Abv: 54,2%

Color: Pale red gold

Nose: Soft, but intense, citrus fruits, salt, only few smoke

Palate: First very gentle, but then a strong swell with salt, lemon, and peat, dry

Finish: Very warm and long

Comment: A fresh and intense malt, not much peat, so ideal for Islay beginners. With water not so explosive and more notes of citrus fruits, berries, and peanuts.

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February 14, 2009

2009 whisky tasting season started

Yesterday the 2009 whisky tasting season started at Kottkamps. I've really looked foreward to it and it has been nice to see our community again. This year there will be some more events due to the part-time shop Sandra and Ulli opened. So the next tasting together with Scottish cheese, salmon, and chocolate will be on Feb, 27th.

This time I've first choosen a Benriach 12y Jamaica Rum due to the Rum finish of one of my favorite malts, the Glenfiddich 21y Havanna Reserve. First it hasn't been so good, with raisins, but too muddy and mouldy. It became better over the time, but not really good. For the second one I've choosen an Edradour 1996 11y Rum, once again a chance for a malt with a Rum finish. It has definitely been better, for an Edradour very mild in nose and flavour, warm and smooth, and with no peat and smoke in the long lasting finish.

It has been a fine selection, but topped through number three, a Caol Ila 1995 Distillers Edition. This malt will also be part of my collection in future. A sweet and peaty nose, tastes of spices, malt, and smoke, and a long, warm, complex finish. That's how I like it. To close the evening I've choosen another Islay, the Laphroaig 2000 7y. Nedless to say anything, a classical and wild Islay, powerful. A wonderful finishing.

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January 7, 2009

No 17 and 18

My malt collection has grown by two new bottles. The first one is a The Arran Malt Sherry Cask Finished, a fine single cask (cask no 32 with bottle 444 of 581) with 54,8%. Even with this cask strength it can be drunk without water. The nose is sweet, with sherry, berries, and fine spicy notes. The taste is very powerful and voluminous with notes of pepper. It pleases with long and warm finish, once again spicy and without peat and smoke. My team gave it to me as a parting gift. Thanks again.

The second one has been a christmas present I made myself. It's a Glenrothes Vintage 1991, 15 years old and with 43%. The nose is mild, fresh, with fruites, vanilla, and butterscotch. There're also some notes of moss and spices. It tastes smooth, once again with berries, vanilla, butterscotch, and some notes of sherry. The finish is warm, long, very pleasing with no sharpness. A great malt, one of my new favorites.

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April 27, 2008

Number 16

The last friday we've had our last spring whisky tasting at Kottkamp, the next one will be in September. And once again it has been a very warm feeling to be welcomed by my friends. It's really a very good community.

Due to the long time until we meet again I wanted to buy a new malt for my collection. My first thought has been the Benromach Peat Smoke I've tasted in February. But this time it hasn't been so good as I've had it in my mind after the first tasting. So I've tried the new Dallas Dhu Signatory 1975. This 31 years old Speyside is very dry, with notes of vanilla and butterscotch, salt, and citrus fruits. Very nice, but not the one I want. It seemed that my gusto this evening should be for Islays. So the next one has been the Bowmore Vintage 1989, a very good 16 years old malt matured in a bourbon cask and non chill-filtered. The flavour has notes of butterscotch, candied fruits, marzipan, and smoke. The palate contains vanilla, soft fruits, and some peat. And the finish is soft and very elegant.

I've almost decided to take this malt when I've got a hint to taste the Bruichladdich Infinity. This Islay has no special age, it is mixed out of three malts of the years 1989 to 1991, all matured in sherry casks. The flavour contains creamy notes of sherry, dried fruits, and some chocolate, very nice. It continues with more fruits, mostly citrus, malt, sherry, and traces of pepper. The finish is complex, spicy, with dark fruits. A very good Islay, so I've decided to make it my number 16.

The last one this evening has been a Banff Signatory 1975, a old and special Speyside. It has been good, with plum, honey, hay, cinnamon, and sweet herbs. The finish is warm and soft. But after the Islays I've had no real feeling for this malt.

So at the end of the tasting I said goodbye to my friends, took my Bruichladdich, and cycled home to test, if the contents of my bottle tastes like the one I've tested before. *smile*

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April 6, 2008

Second 2008 tasting

So much work, so few time. The second single malt tasting at Kottkamp has already been on March 28th. But I needed until today to write some notes about it. *sigh* Once again it has been great fun to meet friends, talk, and taste good whiskys. Since you need an entrance card the audience changed a bit. The limited cards - the store is simply too small - are sold out very fast. So you've got to reserve your card early.

Sadly I forgot my little form for my tasting notes. So I'll try to remember how the malts have been. I hope I'll be better organized next time. *smile*.

The first one has been the best one, once again a Glenrothes 33y Signatory, sherry butt, cask strength. A rich complex nose with orange and honey, the palate is warm and fruity with some vanilla, and the finish is warm, creamy and long lasting. A great malt, but sadly also expensive. The second one has also been very good, but not as good as the Glenrothes. It has been a Clynelish 1973 33y Signatory with 54%. There nose contains notes of peat, nuts, and citrus fruits, the palate contains honey, fruits, salt, and smoke, and the finish is very long with some salt. The third one has been a Highland Park 1985 21y, always a good choice, followed by a Laphroiag 10y. The last one this evening has been a good Speyside again, a Banff 1975 29y. But I haven't been able to pay the right attention to it, after the Islays before. *smile*.

End of April we'll have the last spring tasting. You'll read about it.

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March 2, 2008

New malt in collection after first 2008 tasting

On Friday we had our first 2008 whisky tasting at Kottkamp. Once again about 150 friends of this golden water of life met to select between 70 single malts of Schottland and Ireland. Many of them have been the same as always - like me - and also new guests joined and enjoyed the evening. So I've started at the Speyside bar with an extraordinary Benromach Peat Smoke. It is young (6 years), it is cheap, and it is real good. As the name already implies it has a note of peat together with the typical warm Speyside character. This one will definitely find its way into my collection.

But this time ist has been a different one. My next malt has been the Edradour "Straight from the Cask" Chardonnay Finish. And wow, it's a warm, long lasting malt. The nose contains much of the wine and the cask and the taste has notes of pepper. So this is now the second Edradour in my collection, together with an Edradour tasting glass.

The third malt this evening has been a Teaninich 1983 which is more expensive than the first ones and has also cask strength. But for me it is to mild, there's nothing noteworthy about it. So I tried my first Islay this evening, a Port Charlotte PC6. Not too bad, a cask strength with 61.6% and lots of peat and smoke. It's better than the Teaninich, but also not worth the money. In contrast to my second Islay, a Coal Ila 1995 Destillers Edition. Peat, smoke, spices, a complex malt for a fair price.

My last malt has once again been the Benromach, while standing behind the Speyside bar and talking with friends about the Edinburgh Military Tattoo. Yes, as you can read this time I've had the opportunity to be part of the team behind the bar from time to time. It has really be a great fun to talk with more guests than usual and giving tips which whisky matches best to their individual preferences. Now I really look forward to the next tasting on March, 28th.

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December 11, 2007

New malts

Even if I didn't had the chance to take part in the last whisky tasting at Kottkamp in November there are some whisky news. The first one is that a colleague bought a cask of Arran - a bourbon cask, first fill - that will be bottled in 2017! Additionally he made share certificates for it, each valued with 5%, and sold them to interested members of our local whisky community. Needless to say that I've got mine. So we now have to celebrate a countdown party each year until we'll receive our about 11 bottles of finest straight single cask. I allready can't await it.

The second news is the 13th malt in my collection, a MacPhail's Christmas Malt. It's a nice 40% Speyside malt, with flavours of vanilla, fruits, and spice. The finish is warm and round and slightly smoky. Maybe it's not the greatest malt but it's a very good value for the money.

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September 23, 2007

Whisky tasting season started

Last friday our autumn tasting season started. *hurray* The time to wait has been long enough. So it has been a real great pleasure to meet all my single malt friends again. My first whisky has been the Ingower 1980 26y Signatory. And it has been the best this evening. The Inchgower is a single cask whisky with 55.6% matured in a sherry butt. The - natural - colour is dark amber, the nose very rich with sherry, dark chocolate, some toffee, raisins, and very few peat. The palate is very warm and complex, but not too spicy. It's like a small explosion and contains fruits, like oranges, and caramel, chocolate, and cream. At the end the Inchgower pleases with a long and warm finish. Really, a very good malt whisky. It has been damned hard for my not to buy it - it costs about 120 Euro. *sigh* Maybe next time.

Additionally I've tasted several malts more. But I've had nothing to write down my tasting notes. Currently I'm creating a new, better tasting card. Next time I'll concentrate on a few malts and immediately write my percepts of nose, palate, and finish down.

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September 2, 2007

Whisky specialist Michael Jackson is dead

The world wide known Whisky specialist and most important author for this topic died on August, 30th, in the age of 65 years after a long illness. That's a very sad moment. *sigh*

Slainte Mhath, Michael.

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