signatory – grey whisky

Whisky 2020 – 31-36 – Signatory Tasting

31 – Cameronbridge 1984 35YO by Signatory cask 19300

Nose of caramel, leather, intense white stone fruit, crushed ants, grilled pineapple, bones, cola

Palate it tastes big for 49.6% butter cream, bourbon cream sticky buns, horlicks, milky coffee

Finish green pineapple and rose hips

****

32 – Linkwood 1996 22YO by Signatory casks 8731+8732

Nose pepper on steak, honey, stone fruit, green pears, kiwi fruit skin

Palate cooling and cold, but feels narrow and one dimensional, stewed pears, steel and honey

Finish mead and fennel seed

***

33 – Deanston 2008 11YO by Signatory cask 900072

Nose firecrackers, dried apricots – the nose is for me beautiful and promised so much.

Palate is sulfur, pop corn, soy sauce, honey and stone fruit but the sulphur tired cask notes overwhelm… it’s faulty to me and I love over done sherry.

Finish salt and heather and more sulfur.

34 – Bunnahabhain 2007 12YO by Signatory cask 586

Nose is pineapple upside down cake, steel, chocolate

Palate: honey, strawberry jam, sulfur

Finish green grass and melted butter

**^

35 – Clynelish 1995 23YO by Signatory cask 11242

Nose is pretty simple; malt, steely, honey, grape stems

Palate dusty, honey, soy, rocks and sand. With water old tired sherry is revealed and it is not pleasant.

Finish soy and old sherry cask

**^

36 – Caol Ila 2007 11YO by Signatory casks 322307+322308

Nose banana leaf, glue, salt, honey yoyo biscuits

Palate stones, sea, medicine cabinet, driftwood

Finish medicinal and the sou’wester of a brusque dockmen

***

Whisky 2019 – 83-84

83 – Bunnahabhain 2005 “Feis Ile 2018” by Douglas Laing for The Islay Whisky Shop refill hogshead DL12519

Lovely dried tropical fruits like mango and pineapple, some really interesting candied white peaches and hand cream

Pretty simple palate of hay, butter and bread, and some tropical fruits.

The finish was where this whisky shone. Think of a wonderful super creme caramel with subtle bitter caramel.

***

84 – Ledaig 8 Years by Signatory for TWE’s 20th Anniversary cask 700389

Super clean and spritely nose. Smelling the ozone and standing in the sea spray. Opening a chocolate box, with whiffs of glue and flint, then a gentle warm honey and touches of dried apricot.

The palate of earth and flint – really powerful minerality. It gives way to oysters and grass and a surprising touch of cocoa.

Loved the finish as it turns in to a charming burnt chocolate cake and grass stained knees.

*****

Whisky 2018 – 180-184

181 – Douglas Laing’s Timorous Beastie 21 Year Old Sherry Blend
Nose – honey, fruit tingles, hand cream
Palate – honey, lemon, slight hazelnuts, cocoa
Finish – slight sugary and creamy

182 – Ben Nevis 1990 by Le Gus’t 27 years 1990 Port Pipe Cask #5 *
Nose – aged sake, truffles, funky, dirty, cigarettes, honey,
Palate – honey, maple syrup, terbium, hairspray, bbq meats
Finish – salty, pepper sauce, honey, herbs

183 – Glenlivet 2007 by Signatory bottled 2018 Sherry Hogshead 900204
Nose – chocolate, orange oil, cocoa, pine oil, apricots, fruity and vibrant with waterPalate – pancakes, salty, hand cream, honey, lime cordial, hot butter, caramel sauce, peppery with water,
Finish – flinty, rubber, soy sauce, cream

184 – Fettercain 1988 by The Whisky Agency for Shinanoya bourbon hogshead cask 2001
Nose – waxy, fruity, peaches, dried apricot, malt, honey, pencil shavings, nutty
Palate – watermelon, cream, blackberries, waxy, green fruit, hand cream, cashew nuts
Finish – creamy creamy creamy, pepper

Whisky 2018 – 152-159, The Drunken Master Whisky Bar, Kaohsiung

So when in Kaohsiung, where do you go? The Drunken Master Whisky Bar of course. One of the world’s great whisky bars and responsible for many incredible bottlings. I started out on some Ben Nevis and then the awesome Kuo made some recommendations for me. Great stuff!

The Clynelish and the Cragganmore were exceptional. And the old 1970s springbank was still lively and fresh.

152 – Ben Nevis by The Whisky Agency 1998 lightly peated 16 years 50.2%
Nose – lemon delicious, cake, apricots, raw dough
Palate – apricots, cake, green vines, cream, Xmas spice
Finish – cream, green almonds

153 – Ben Nevis Signatory 1991, 24 Years Cask 3833 54.7%
Nose – honey, maple syrup, orange cake, almond kernels
Palate – honey, cream, scorched almonds, rum baba,
Finish – cream, water, wax

154 – Ben Nevis Signatory 1991, 22 Years Cask 2382
Nose – coconut, green vines, caramel, honey, apricots, golden syrup
Palate – green peanuts, slightly peated
Finish – old leather, tobacco, cream

155 – Cragganmore 27 years 1989 World Bar Tour*
Nose – apples, cream, lemon balm, stone fruits, new leather shoes, peanuts
Palate – apples, licorice bullets, wax, butter, salt
Finish – wonderful length, salt, butter, wood and perfume

156 – Drunken Master 1980 Blend 35 years (Highland Park, Macallan, Tamdhu)
Nose – Old leather couches, bruised apples, honey, cream, peanut brittle
Palate – Old whisky, cream, arrowroot biscuits, honey joys
Finish – Old wood, Old sherry, Old cream, Old… makes me nostalgic.

157 – The Whisky Agency Clynelish 1996 bottled 2014 Refill Butt*
Nose – raspberry, cherry wood, leather, oak, spice
Palate – cake, cake, cake, cherries, prunes, raisins, perfume, cherry ripe
Finish – cherry cake with cream, tobacco, honey, Xmas spice

158 – Mortlach 1997 by Chieftains for Drunken Master Cask 5241
Nose – honey, dried peaches, terrarium,
Palate – warm spice, plums, prunes, honey, dark chocolate
Finish – honey, salt, wood, cream

159 – Springbank 8 1970s Japanese market ref. 5176
Nose – Old apples, wax, dough, yeasty bread
Palate – wax, apples, cream, old whisky, honey on bread
Finish – apricots, wax, burnt matches

Whisky 2018 – 25-28

25 – Signatory Glenlossie for The Whisky Club 1997, 20 Years Hogshead Cask #1150
Nose: meringue, rose water, liquorice, mint
Palate: Lollies, caramel, banana pie, white pepper, kiwi fruit
Finish: cream, menthol, tobacco, rock melon

26 – Signatory Glenlossie for Shinanoya 1992, 24 Years Hogshead Cask #3454
Nose: caramel, dust, rock melon, marshmallow, peanut brittle
Palate: so rich, honey, cream, tropical fruit, green grass, pineapple, rock melon, mango pudding
Finish: tobacco, menthol, cream, tropical fruit, vanilla

27 – Liquid Treasures Speyside 1993, 22 Years
Nose: Sherry, sherry, sherry, hazelnuts, funk, sulfur, rubber, old apples
Palate: Cream, rubber, cream and a bit more rubber, mushroom pate, old apples
Finish: Like licking a sherry barrel, cream

28 – The Maltman Knockdhu 2007, 9 Years Sherry Cask 003
Nose: caramel, soy sauce, banana, rubber, sulfur
Palate: sugar, honey, funky earthy, liquorice, rubber, sulfur
Finish: liquorice, salt, sherry, chocolate

Whisky 2017 – Top 5

My top 5 (in no particular order) for 2017. An interesting list!

46 – Hanyu Ichiro’s Malt Card Series 10 of Clubs 1990 PX 2nd fill Cask 9032 *
Wonderful cocoa and musk nose, orange marmalade, crepes with butter and cream, boozy stewed stone fruit. Toffee apples, cream, orange blossoms, leather, cream, white pepper, slight meaty note, white peaches, salt.

137 – 1973 Invergordon Cask #10 for Club Qing 42 Years *
Dry biscuits, cloves, cinnamon, ice cream, apple snow, raspberry lollies. Incredible whisky tea tannins, loads of cream, fresh cracked paper, cardamom icecream, liquorice, macadamias, prunes, sight white peach.

196 – Ichiro’s malt “The Game” Madeira Hogshead Cask 1370, 10 Year Anniversary *
Maple syrup, pancakes, loads of stone fruit, toasty, caramel, toffees, toffee apple, pineapple upside down cake. Rubber, raisins, sulphur, apricots, old butter, musk sticks, butter and maple syrup on crumpets.

200 – SMWS 39.102 (Linkwood) Rum-soaked black cherries 23 years *
Crushed ants, woody, maraschino cherries. Such a gentle dram, buttery, cake, sweet fruit like glacé apricots, pencil shavings, honey, salt, butter, old butter and sherry. The finish is forever – apples, cloves, melted butter and crisps.

216 – Signatory Glenlivet for The Whisky Exchange 2007 10 Years Cask 900174 *
Woody, sarsaparilla, cloves, burnt strawberry jam, shaving cream, chocolate, whipped cream. Woody, massive sherry notes, red apples, cream, coffee, dried stone fruit, caramel pop corn, cold butter, watermelon, toasted brioche.

Whisky 2017 – 218-224 – Closed distillery tasting for The Elysian’s first birthday

218 – Dun Bheagan St Magdalene Sherry Butt 1982 27yo
Glue, mandarin, new make, leather, soap, honeycomb, watermelon. Wheat biscuits, ryvita, cream, salt, tobacco, stewed apricots.

219 – Douglas Laing Glen Mhor Hogshead Refill 1982 27yo
Lemon zest, lemon butter, loads of citrus and shortbread, wood glue, lavender soap, honey, slight flinty, white peaches. Loads of cake mix, honey suckle, fruity, stones, dust, old lace, lantana.

220 – Signatory Glenlochy 1980 30yo Cask 2824
Vanilla cake, salt, some apricots, grass, malt, kiwi fruit, cake mix, toasted almonds, orange oil. Cool ing, huge amounts of tinned fruit, cream, summer grass, tobacco, old dried pineapple, mint, menthol.

221 – G&M Dallas Dhu Bourbon 1979 34yo
Rockmelon, mushroom funk, lemon zest, slight cake. Old whisky, dust, Italian mustard fruits, salt, tobacco and cream, wax, soap.

222 – G&M Port Ellen Refill Sherry Butt 1982 28yo
Honey, salt, peat, medicinal, camp fire, ham, flinty, cream, KFC. Wonderful mouthfeel, ask, autumn leaves, charred bbq steaks, bbq bones, mandarin, chlorine, match heads.

223 – Starward New World Projects Batch 120718-12-759 for Elysian Whisky Bar 1st Birthday 100L Shiraz Cask 56.7%
Vanilla beans, honey, snickers, peanut caramel, Vietnamese coffee. Toffee bananas, bourbon, caramlized walnuts, banana cake, butter.

224 – Asta Morris for Whiskies & More Glentauchers PX Cask AM040
Caramel, caramel, caramel for days, salted butter, vine tomatoes. Salty, dusty, old apples, old rubber and sulfur, really dried apricots, flinty.

Whisky 2017 – 215-217

215 – TIB Redlands Muscat Cask TIBRD001
Lollies, raspberries, butterscotch, banana cakes, columbines, eggy, cloves, mustard. Vanilla slice, raspberry leaf tea, fruit cup cordial, slight butter and berries.

217 – Liquid Treasures Glen Garioch 24 Years 1991
Juicy, fruit, honey, maple syrup on pancakes, rose hip jam. Apricots, honey, butter, slightly coal, kiwi fruit, melons, green vines, butter and cream.

Whisky 2017 – 212-214

A whisky tasting to help bring me out of my funk – concentrating on the nose and palate was very good for my head. These three were really special drams, thanks to Yao and Cennon at the Elysian for looking after me.

212 – Signatory Glenlivet for thewhiskybarrel.com 10th Anniversary 2006 11YO Cask #900552 *
Chocolate, dried apricots, marshmallow, crushed ants, cloves, menthol, mint, perfume. Cream, and grilled fruit, chocolate, sarsaparilla, caramel sauce, tomato paste, soy sauce, rose petals, raspberries.

213 – The Chess “White King” Macallan Shinanoya 1995 20 Years *
Toffee apples, lemons and oranges, terry’s chocolate orange, mint, marzipan, uncooked pastry. So big, dusty caramels, loads of cream and vanilla, crushed ants, mint slice biscuits, creme brûlée, toasted wood, cream and strawberries, pavlova, white peaches, tarte tatin.

214 – Kintra Whisky Undisclosed Irish Distillery 14 Years Sherry Hogshead Cask 10834
Plastic, hazelnuts, pop corn, sherry fino, apple sauce. Pop corn, corn chips, sulphur, peanuts, really old apricots, chocolate, green chili, chocolate and prunes.

Whisky 2017 – 166-171 – The Gresham, Brisbane

Back in Brisbane for work and I took the opportunity to visit The Gresham again. Fun place, not up to the standard of Mebourne’s biggies but a solid selection. The Octomore 7.3 was excellent!

166 – Signatory Glenturret 1987 Hogshead Cask 374 50.1%
Short bread, preserved lemons, leather, caramel, Marion’s fruit buns, jelly fruits. Herbaceous, peaches, apricots, butter, cream, salt, tobacco, menthol, hobnobs, milk chocolate.

167 – SMWS 46.32 Glenlossie “Summertime and the whisky is easy” 1992 22 years
Toffees, Madeira cake, kiwi fruit, pineapple daiquiri, malty, macadamias, soapy, bubbling bicarb. Disappointing and confused on the palate the butter hits after a strange bitter note, stone fruits, sulfur, shortbread, slight iced coffee.

168 – Glendronach 2003 PX Puncheon Cask 4034
Wood shavings, marshmallows, pineapple upsidedown cake, lemon butter, chicos, peanut brittle and ozone. Whipped cream, wood, leather, salt, roasted peanuts, rose petals, melted butter, hazelnuts, loads of Manzanilla, weak raspberry cordial, still young and fresh, slightly dusty and green almonds, chestnut cake.

169 – Glendronach Peated
Cream, apples, band aids, imperial leather soap. A really pleasant dram fruity (peaches and apples) and friendly, some oaky and buttery notes and a touch of flinty smoke. Pretty simple but easy drinking.

170 – Ardbeg Kelpie
Heather, leather, cream, caps, salt, pink pepper corns, honey, plastic toys, ham on rye, apple snow. Earthy and leafy, flint, coals in a cold fire, cream, Guinness – better on the nose.

171 – Bruichladdich Octomore 7.3
Caramel toffees, plasticine, Eaton mess, smoke, wood glue, fake Parmesan, milk chocolate, leafy. Quite dry and smokey, bacon and HP sauce sandwich, dried apple rings, sulfur, salt, cream, tea tannins, burning leather and bracken.