41 – Karuizawa Asama (bottled 2013 – 1999 & 2000 vintages)
Wood, maple syrup, brown sugar, butter and pancakes. Brown bread, creamy, woody, dried porcini, liquorice all sorts, hot cloves, all spice, lemon pith.
42 – Mars Komagatake Wine Cask Finish 10 Years
Boozy banana bread, yeasty dough, butter cream icing, plastic. Very light on the palate, maraschino cherries, cough medicine, rose cream, autumn leaves.
Opening of Bar White Oak at Whisky and Alement. Rare Japanese whisky incoming for the next couple of months probably until I go to Japan.
37 – Ichiro’s Malt Bartender’s Choice 2015
Yeast, banana bread, grainy, honeydew melon, stone fruit, chocolate mousse. Banana leaf, bitter leaves, salt, brown bread and cold salted butter, orange pith.
38 – Ocean (Karuizawa) Hanshin Tigers (early 2000s)
Cream, wood varnish, salt and white pepper, plump raisins. Figs, prunes, slight salty and bitter notes, very elegant (for a baseball team!), peanuts, ice coffee with whipped cream.
39 – Ichiro’s Malt and EPower Chichubu Casks #1490 and #1683
Honey, toasted grains, pollen, green bananas, pizza dough, toasted banana sandwich. Vanilla cream, cloves, grain bread, bananas.
40 – Mars Komagatake 1988 Cask 555 White American Oak
Wood glue, boot polish, maple syrup, vanilla bean, geranium. Slightly medicinal, maple, wood, Manuka honey, salty, herbaceous, butter, apricot brandy.
35 – Black Gate 007 cask #7
Almond paste, flap jacks, crumpets, honey, yeasty dough. Pretty weak on the palate – just nothing. Something has gone wrong here in bottling, surely?
36 – Overeem Port Cask #92
Cedar, sap, chicos, maple syrup, brown butter, banana muffins, brown sugar. Burnt wood, maple syrup, vanilla, rose petals, white pepper, clover, bitter salty herbs.
33 – Adelphi’s Liddesdale Islay 21 Years Batch 8 (Bunnahabhain)
Gassy, chocolate truffles, peaches, apricots, honey, cocoa. Really easy on the palate, intense stewed stone fruit, geranium, vanilla, milk chocolate.
34 – Ben Nevis Port Pipe 10 Years 2002
Glue, dust, honey, melted butter, apricots, intense passionfruit, creme caramel, pancakes and maple syrup, toasted marshmallow. Wood, musk, vanilla, raisiny, cocoa, honey.
grey whisky 