Whisky 2018 – 71

I bought this bottle on my last trip to Japan. I’ve had it open since January and didn’t think that much of it; it felt hot and one dimensional. How a couple of months open has changed it – noteworthy even.

71 – Arran Private Cask “The Arran First Vintage 1995” for Malt House Islay 21 Years Sherry Hogshead 49.6%
Nose – almonds, flourless orange cake, egg whites, burnt butter, pandanus
Palate – liquorice, cake mix, dried citrus, lantana, apricot jam, maraschino cherries, peach ice tea
Finish – boozy cream, salt, sugary ice tea tannins, rock candy

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Whisky 2018 – 69-70

This Bowmore was outstanding!! And I’m not an Islay guy.

69 – The Whisky Agency Bowmore 1991 25 Whiskyfair Takao 2017 Cask #29736 *

Nose – smoked ham, leather, salt, dates with blue cheese, figs, maple syrup

Palate – leaves, golden syrup, earth, dried mushrooms, candied ham, brown string

Finish – sherry, rubber, coffee grounds

70 – The Whisky Find Glenallachie JAZZIN 12 Years 62% Cask #900755

Nose – honey, maple syrup, green grass, salty cold butter, lemon balm, toffee

Palate – honey, rock melon, pancakes with maple syrup, melted butter, apricots

Finish – rubber, soy sauce, brown sugar, raisins

Whisky 2018 – 62-68, Michter’s Tasting

62 – Michter’s US*1 Straight Rye
Nose – coffee, rubber, vanilla, stone fruit, wood shavings, rhubarb
Palate – spicy, salty, vanilla
Finish – salt, cream

63 – Michter’s US*1 Bourbon
Nose – grilled pineapple, egg whites, meringue Palate – a bit light, butter, fruit, vanilla, caramel
Finish – vanilla, grape vines

64 – Michter’s US*1 American Whisky
Nose – dusty, chocolate, apricots, vanilla
Palate – chocolate, cocoa truffles, maraschino cherries, steeped apricots, brown sugar in cream
Finish – flinty, vanilla cream,

65 – Michter’s US*1 Sour Mash
Nose – egg whites, honey, maple, vanilla, juicy stone fruit
Palate – pop corn, dried apricots, vanilla, cream, salted crisps
Finish – stone fruit, cream

66 – Michter’s 10 Year Bourbon
Nose – dusty, melon, green stone fruit, fruit leather, hazelnuts
Palate – honey, toffee, caramel dipped apricots
Finish – vanilla, cream, dusty

67 – Michter’s Toasted Barrel Strength Rye
Nose – honey on toast, butter, maple syrup, marshmallow, German Christmas biscuits, crushed ants, vanilla, cured meats
Palate – vanilla, spicy, fruit, dried fruits
Finish – cream, apples, toasty, vanilla

68 – Michter’s 10 Year Rye
Nose – vanilla, toffee, honey, dusty
Palate – vanilla, dried ginger, cream, orange zest, soy
Finish – vanilla cream, rock melon

Whisky 2018 – 55-61, The Gresham Brisbane

Lots and lots … and lots of bourbon.

55 – Weller Wheated Bourbon 12 45%
Nose – caramel, dust, formic acid, burning plastic (not in a bad way), spice biscuits, milk chocolate
Palate – pastry, cherries, cinnamon, peaches, ice coffee
Finish – cream, vanilla

56 – Weller Wheated Bourbon Antique 107 53.5%
Nose – deep sweat tea, woody, caramel, vanilla, grilled pineapple
Palate – salted caramel fudge, melted butter, tea tannins, watermelon juice, caramel popcorn
Finish – cream, vanilla, passion fruit vines, melted butter, salt,

57 – Dry Fly Washington Wheat Whiskey
Nose – lemon barley lollies, malted vanilla milkshake, banana bread, vanilla cake mix,
Palate – grains, bread and butter pudding with maple syrup, caramel,
Finish – cream, vanilla, burnt toffee

58 – Maker’s 46
Nose – peanut brittle, leather, red wine in an empty glass, terry’s chocolate orange, instant coffee grounds, raspberries
Palate – popcorn, butter, cream, salt, maraschino cherries, chili chocolate
Finish – buttered and popcorn, popcorn and more popcorn, watermelon, butter cream

59 – Elmer T Lee Sour Mash Bourbon
Nose – Honey, violet crumbles, cream and vanilla,
Palate – maraschino cherries, cream, honey, grilled apricots, yeast
Finish – vanilla cream, caramel pop corn, melted butter

60 – Eagle Rare aged 10 Years
Nose – Ice coffee, raspberries, slight maple syrup, orange zest
Palate – pineapple, salt bush, caramel, orange blossoms
Finish – creme caramel, vanilla, juicy stone fruit

61 – Stagg Jr 65.85%
Nose – apricots, sea water, caramel, toffee, peanut brittle, apricot crumble with loads of mascarpone
Palate – vanilla, stone fruits, excellent mouth feel, caramel, rocks, flint
Finish – liquorice, salt, caramel, cocoa, butter cream, vanilla

Whisky 2018 – 51-54

51 – Old Particular Glenrothes 2006, 11 Years “Yagyu Challenge” for Whisky Find and Shinanoya
Nose – raspberries, raspberries sticks, woody, leathery, burnt caramel, pine resin
Palate – liquorice, wood, wax, melted butter, salt, milk chocolate
Finish – woody, sherry, salt, rubber

52 – The Single Cask Linkwood 1984, 26 Years Cask 4238
Nose – bananas, yeast, menthol, pine, glacé fruit, rock melons
Palate – medicinal, gentle, grains, old whisky, tobacco, honey
Finish – tobacco, old whisky, old apples

53 – Ichiro’s Malt and Grain “World Blend Whisky”
Nose – apricot, spices, marscapone, chicos, crushed ants, pineapple
Palate – apricots, peaches, cream,
Finish – old apples

54 – Glenrothes 19 Years, 1997 for Eiling Lim 50.2%
Nose – blackberry jam, caramel, purple plums, musk, vanilla, honey comb
Palate – sucking cream through a sherry cask, butter, shaving cream, black currants, blackberry, grilled lettuce, peanuts
Finish – tannic, rubber, butter

Whisky 2018 – 49-50

49 – Whisky Mew Tomatin 19 cask #5975 selected by Carsten Ehrlich and Hideo Yamaoka 53/75
Nose – yeast, new make, bananas, caramel, ozone, malt, stone fruit
Palate – tropical and stone fruit, ice cream, charred wood, chocolate cake
Finish – old butter, spice, bitter tea

50 – Whisky Agency 28 Years Bunnahabhain 1989 for Drunken Master, Elysian, Mash Tun
Nose – cake mix, medicinal, cherries, Allen’s snakes, pepper, apricot jam, tobacco
Palate – flint, coal, pepper, cake mix, cream, carob, lick of smoky cherries
Finish – pepper, cream

Whisky 2018 – 44-48

Some incredible drams at the Elysian with Hideo Yamaoka and Toru Suzuki. These were all top level drams but the “Water of Life” Speyside is in my top all time 5, just mind blowing.

44 – Burnside Speyside Blend by The Whisky Find for The Mash Tun Tokyo and Little Happiness Hiroshima 1990, 27 Years Cask 4393
Nose – dusty, apricots, chocolate, liquorice
Palate – wax, apricots, maple syrup, pencil shaving, chocolate, cough drops, caramel, gun powder
Finish – salty, woody, red wine tannins

45 – Chichibu Galaxy Express 999, 2010 bottled 2017 selected by Hideo Yamaoka
Nose – hazelnuts, marzipan, chocolate, menthol, juicy stone fruit, formic acid,
Palate – scones with apricots and cream, almond kernels, bright and spicy,
Finish – perfume, cream

46 – Akashi in Cognac and Chardonnay Cask #61191 Distilled 2011 6 Years selected by Hideo Yamaoka
Nose – honey, maple syrup, butter, yeast, toast with butter
Palate – honey, butter, chili peppers, maple syrup, old tinned pineapple, soy sauce
Finish – cream, honey, salt

47 – Douglas Laing’s Old Particular Longmorn for Mashtun, Elysian, Drunken Master, Etc 1994, 22 Years
Nose – apricots, galvanized fence, Cottee’s caramel
Palate – caramel, salt, nori, stone fruit, minerals, short bread
Finish – caramel, eggy pudding

48 – Speyside (Glenfarclas) Malt 1973, 43 Years “Water of Life” Cask #8 selected by Carsten Ehrlich and Hideo Yamaoka *
Nose – hamburgers, mayonnaise, cream, candle wax, tomatoes, caramel, chocolate nibs
Palate – passiona, cream, juicy, cream, cream, cream, tropical fruits, wax, hazelnuts, toast with butter and brown sugar
Finish – cream, hairspray (in a good way), tropical fruits, cream, cream