A national holiday was coming and we decided to have some nice holiday tasting. Actually we don't need reasons for it, but when you have the one it's easier to open something really special :)
Glen Grant 25 yo GM 40% - chosen as a starter because we had 25 years of independence since 1991. Fresh grapes in the nose, spices and pepper on a palate, short aftertaste is all about vanilla sweetness. Quite tasty malt though it seems the strength of 40% cut his wings, 86/100!
Springbank 10 yo 46% - the so called Old Radius Top Black Label (bottled in 2006), it's much more persuasive right away (additional 6% does matter!), sea and kippers in the nose, maybe some sweetnes on the horizon (strawberry?!..). The taste is meaty, salty, fruity, finish is long, quite different from modern 10 yo, though I like it, 87/100!
Springbank 18 yo 46% - less salty in the nose, sweeter, some flowers and apples appear. The taste is mineral, you just see lemons swimming through Atlantic ocean. More mellow and drinkable than aforemantioned 10 yo, but I like it a bit less, 86/100!
Springbank 16 yo Local Barley 54.3% - a jump on the next level, the nose is on grapefruit and lemon, dunnage warehouse, a bit of sweet peat, wax and minerals. After a sip you get grapes, lemon, ashes, sea, iodine, some freshness (peppermint?..). Approximately the same in the aftertaste. Everything's very nicely balanced. It seems that doing most of the actions during distillation manually and slowly does have some effect, very rich whisky in just 16 yo age, 91/100!
Port Ellen 6 release 27 yo 54.3% - quantum transition to sub-light speed! The whole profile is bit similar to Local Barley: you get aromas of lemon, sea, olive oil, oysters, kippers, smoked apples, the glass needs to be warmed. The palate strikes you with hammer: Local Barley was very good, but this one is a head and shoulders above - lemons, peat, sea, wax and some umami spiciness. Long finish is on liquorice, pu erh tea, autumn leaves on the ground. 94/100!
As it always happens some guy that preferred to stay unknown suggested to raise the bar even higher and compare the greatest Islay with greatest Mull...
Tobermory 32 yo 1972/2005 49.5% - what a mightiness! Sherry, prunes, nuts, touches of wood smoke, currants and tar. The nose is on the same level as PE. The palate is burning your tongue with smoked pear, firewood and tar, totally sherry-driven body but also not a gram weaker than PE. Can't make it lower than 94/100!
More hell sherry at the end:
Linkwood 39 yo 1970/2010 GM Private collection 45% - more freshness and fruits in the nose, we do smell apples (at this age!), notes of coffee and wood which is much more obvious on a palate. Even some light bitterness arise in the aftertaste. After some time you get typical varnish aroma. A bit disappointed with wood balance, would have been great to botlle it 4-5 years before, there is a feeling that it has already passed its peak. Nevertheless it's very good malt, 92/100!
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