Tag: the mash tun

Whisky 2021 – 14-18

14 – Glen Grant 1995 24yr by The Whiskyfind “The Drunken Cat” Bourbon Hogshead #119469

Nose is super floral, rose hip syrup, milk chocolate and vanilla pods. It’s quite densely packed on the nose. Pink bubblegum.

Palate is pink flowers, pink jelly, grassy, citrus fruit, grapes and nutty.

Finish continues with the pink flowers, it has a lovely toasty note, melted butter and some vanilla.

4/5 Stars

15 – Tormore 1992 27yrs by The Whiskyfind for The Mash Tun, Bourbon Hogshead #101154

Nose is really waxy and fake banana flavouring, burnt banana bread with a lick of old butter.

Palate is reminiscent of 1970s whisky with an initial hit of tobacco. Elegant and pretty with bright fruit, green figs and fig leaf.

Finish has slight saltiness and more green figs, and hint of milk chocolate.

4/5 Stars

16 – Glenrothes 1987 32yr by The Whiskyfind for The Mash Tun, Hogshead #9980

Nose is mainly ginger ale but has good apricot notes with salty caramel, salted lemons and black tea.

Palate is hot and spicy. The flavour of cloves, cola and sarsaparilla. Feels like it is too old.

Finish is grassy and salty with cream and woody tannins.

3/5 Stars

17 – Arran 2012 7yr for The Mash Tun’s 16th anniversary, 1st fill sherry #12/2768

Nose is smoked paprika, dates, medicinal honey, honey ham chips. Flambéd Xmas pudding. Cola.

Palate is initially dark fruits followed by some refreshing flinty/minerality. Honey dipped orange pith.

Finish is steely, sweet and stony. There is some good orange zest notes in there.

4/5 stars

18 – Clynelish 1999 21yr for The Whisky Exchange & The Mash Tun sherry butt #305054

Nose is honey, cream and wax. With some slight rubberiness. Maraschino cherries and rich dark dried fruit.

Palate is big and powerful. More dark fruit! Honey and loads of citrus and stone fruit. Some really balanced and integrated cask influence. It’s good.

Finish is musky and sweet almost like fresh cut strawberries. The sherry shines with bruised apples, salty and woody notes.

4.5/5 Stars

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Whisky 2019 – 44-47

Apologies this is slightly out of order. Forgot these great drams from The Mash Tun in Tokyo.

44 – Carsebridge 1973 Thompson Brothers 45 Years Old 53.5%
Nose: Chocolate, maple syrup, apple sauce, woody, shaving cream, caramel, toffee

Palate: Super creamy, melted butter, toffee sauce, spice biscuits,

Finish: metallic, pepper, raspberry lollies

*****

45 – Springbank 11 Refill Sauternes 2019 (Japanese exclusive)
Nose: Caramel, coal, pear blossom, peach, honey, funky springbank

Palate: Honey, pear, coal, peanuts, wet rocks, melon

Finish: Honey, pear, leathery, charcoal

****

46 – Littlemill 1991 Cadenhead 175th anniversary bourbon barrel 52.6%
Nose: Green apple skins cooked in butter, bakery goods, marzipan, bone marrow,

Palate: Melon, chocolate, grape vines, mace and slight honey, super fruity, cream, feijoa

Finish: grass, tropical fruits, coffee and grapes, mandarin, butter and cream

****

47 – Glenlossie 1992 for Filmnik selected by The Mash Tun cask #3502
Nose: Hot buttered toast, cream, lemon grass, cinnamon, lemon zest

Palate: Apricot, peaches, toast, liquorice, salted lemons, great clear sugars

Finish: So fruity still, salt,sulphur, fennel seed

****

Whisky 2019 – 4-5

4 – Old Pulteney 1994 bottled 2007 by G&M Sauternes Wood Finish cask 06/125 1-5

Nose: Fairly simple honey, dust, lemon balm, sulfur

Palate: sweet and hollow to begin giving way to loads of cream, apricot danish, elegant stone fruits, walking through a lavender farm, passionfruit vines

Finish: cream, salted butter, bitter almonds and a slight waft of matches.

****

5 – Arran 1998, 20 Years for The Mash Tun 14th Anniversary Bourbon Barrel cask 618 53.1%

Nose: Musky, waxy fruit, peanuts and chocolate, chlorine, marshmallow, old whisky

Palate: Huge cream and salt, complex with green pineapple and passionfruit vine, grapefruit pith, terrarium, sour cherries, coffee,

Finish: Lime zest and fruity, pavlova, whipped cream, cream, dried apricots

****

Whisky 2018 – 139-142

139 – Drunken Master Ben Nevis 1996 20 years Cask 1448
Nose – dusty caramel peaches, fruit leather, lemon zest
Palate – peaches, butter, green peanuts, bourbon cream
Finish – creme caramel, green vines

140 – Maltman Ben Nevis 1996 19 years for Shinanoya Cask 1673 Sherry Butt
Nose – musk, moss, oranges, milk chocolate
Palate – funky, woody, terrarium, terry’s chocolate orange, scorched almonds
Finish – woody, perfume, orange pith

141 – G&M Balblair 1993 24 years Sherry Puncheon Cask 18/006
Nose – chocolate, plums, honey, stone-fruit, wax,
Palate – coffee, Christmas spices, bitter cocoa, peanut brittle, bitter caramel
Finish – chinotto, shaving cream

142 – Drunken Master & Mash Tun Springbank 1992 25 years cask 151*
Nose – wax, wood, green figs, salt, gunpowder, dusty shelves, bruised apple
Palate – creamy, old leather couches, pencil shavings, carob chocolate
Finish – huge length with salty cream

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

Whisky 2017 – 193-197 – The Mash Tun, Tokyo

It is always a pleasure to visit The Mash Tun in Tokyo, owner Toru Suzuki is a true gentleman and wonderful ambassador for whisky. On this trip I arrived as they finished a Cadenhead tasting with General Manager, Mark Watt. Truly a special occasion to walk through the door on. I also met representatives from Shinanoya and Whisk-e. I was hanging out with the big dogs, accidentally.

193 – Benrinnes Bourbon Cask for the Mash Tun 13th Anniversary 17 Years “How can I live at the top of the mountain“
Pancakes, vanilla, salted butter, sweet biscuits, cakes, stone fruit, galvanized fence. Apricots, vanilla, rubber, sulphur, salt, red apples, sponge cake, chestnuts.

194 – Cadenhead’s 175th Anniversary Caperdonich 39 Years
Rubber, shoe polish, chocolate, grilled nectarines. Toffee, raisins, butter, brown sugar, ice coffee, plum chutney, green figs, old butter. This thing is huge.

195 – Glenfarclas 32 Years Salon de Shimaji PenXShinanoya Cask 136 1981 bottled 2013
Buttered toast, chestnut purée, raisin, cloves, pickled onions (in a good way), coffee. Honey, butter, pain à raisin, salt, apricots.

196 – Ichiro’s malt “The Game” Madeira Hogshead Cask 1370, 10 Year Anniversary of Shinanoya *
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.

197 – Benriach 1976 Sherry Cask/Bourbon Finish Cask 529, 37 years
Plastic, caramel, rose hips, green grass, columbines, salt, passion fruit vine. Butter herbs, butter, caramel, apricot jam, chocolate, stout, kiwi fruits, chocolate, LPG, beef fat, vanilla icecream, pineapple.

Whisky 2017 – 162-165

The whisky legend, Toru Suzuki of Tokyo’s The Mash Tun visited Melbourne! He brought some special drams with him. While I missed the tasting (as I was in Sydney) he “just happened” to be at The Elysian. 

4 very special drams. 

162 – Ichiro’s Malt Chichibu Cask #8259 59.9% (Kawasaki, Chichibu, Scotch) Sample 26.08.17
Menthol, stewed apricots, spearmint, passionfruit vine, apricot cake, maple syrup. Soy, butter, cream, short bread, leather, honey, chocolate mousse, raspberries.


163 – Ichiro’s Malt Chichibu Cask #8258 59.0% (Kawasaki, Chichibu, Scotch) Sample 26.08.17
Honey, fairy floss, lemonade, 7-up, toast with butter and honey, rock melon, pineapple, raspberries Butter, toast, honey, salt, hazelnuts cooked in butter, salty chocolates, shiso, raspberry lollies, green bananas.


164 – Ichiro’s Malt Chichibu Cask #7880 60.8% (Kawasaki, Hanyu) Sample 28.08.17
Leather, wood, soft salted butter, maple syrup on dry toast, carob, pipe tobacco, . Pouring melted butter into my mouth with plums, grapes, leather, salt, soy, smelling lavender on a hot day, orange zest, rose petals. Old whisky!!


165 – Cragganmore 27 for Club Qing and Mash Tun, Sherry Cask
Rock melon, leather, candle wax, old apples. Wax and fruity, white pepper, salt, lemon pith, coconut, passionfruit, cucumber.

Whisky 2017 – 130-135 – Balvenie Tasting

Huge tasting on at the Elysian. Alex Moores from Dark Valley brought back some very good hand drawn single cask bottles from Balvenie. Alex and I shared a few other drams afterwards. 

130 – Balvenie 13yo ex-bourbon barrel matured, cask #2022, 61.7%
Ice cream on warm pine apple pudding, red apple skin, choc-banana muffins. Super huge raspberry, choc-banana muffins, loads of vanilla cream, gooseberry, leather, dried apple.

131 – Balvenie 14yo ex-bourbon barrel matured, cask #13330, 53.2%
Fruit tingles, lemon and coconut cake, vanilla cream, strawberry jam. Great mouth feel, short bread, toasted coconut, strawberries, loads of cream, wood shavings, green herbs.

132 – Balvenie 14yo ex-sherry butt matured, cask #2378, 62.7%
Roasted corn cobs, treacle, crushed cloves, roasted almonds, peanut brittle, marshmallow, Earl grey tea cream. Woody, beef jus, rubber, peanut brittle, caramel taken too far, hazelnuts, Musk sticks, mushroom pate, tea tannins.


133 – The Whisky Find and The Mash Tun Craigellachie 1990 Cask 5401
Candle wax, soft gooey French cheese, dried apple, rock melon skin, caramel, fruit sherbet bombs, lemon butter. Bees wax, coconut, rock melon, coffee, strawberries, flowers, nasturtiums, caramels, salt.


134 – The Whisky Agency 2003 13 Years JD for Bistro Inn, The Elysian Whisky Bar and Drunken Master Bar
Butter soaked toast, crushed ants, tomatoes, rhubarb and whipped cream. Butter, cultured butter, cream, formic acid, cinnamon toast, dusty, raw almonds.


135 – The Arran 21st Anniversary Edition – Ex-Olorosso Cask
Cream, metallic apricots, toffee, chocolate, pouch tobacco, peanut brittle, hazelnut paste. Tobacco, apricots, green grass, cream, tinned pineapple, hazelnut butter.

Whisky 2017 – 82-84

Three outstanding drams last night. How do these become independent bottlings? Glenrothes really need to look at what IBs are doing with their casks – heavy and black sherry bombs!

The Glenrothes was bottled for 6 bars across Asia, including my local The Elysian Whisky Bar and my favourite Tokyo bar, The Mash Tun. It’s an incredibly heavy and complex dram – a huge congratulations to Kelvin and Yao and everyone else involved in this bottling. 

82 – Club Qing 1975 40 Years Speyside Sherry Fino Butt, Cask KT518
Wood glue, hazelnuts, vanilla essence, white pepper, cardamom meringue, pound cake, warm Coke. Golden syrup, loads of brown butter, stewed stone fruit, egg white, raspberry, raspberry leaf, milk chocolate mousse, tropical fruit, licorice. Wow!!


83 – Three Rivers Glen Garioch 1995 21 Years Whisky for Whisky Lovers Nagoya
Coconut rough, turps, cold butter, tropical fruit. Green grass, pepper, tropical fruits, peach Melba, salty butter, old pop corn (but not in a bad way).


84 – The Whisky Agency Glenrothes 1997 (for 6 bars including The Elysian and The Mash Tun)
Butter, rubber, musk, lpg, roast chicken gravy, leather, roasted shallot sweetness, grilled pineapple. Rose hip jam, musk lollies, tea tannins, old butter, cola, salt, coffee grounds, ice coffee, fried eggs, camomile tea. With water maple syrup, pancakes, breakfast fruits – watermelon and mint, brown sugar.