I've had idea of a blind tasting for quite a while, enjoying your malt in a glass without being distracted by its price, age, score or whatever.
Taking into account that it should have been our 10-th tasting (kind of small anniversary for our gang) Sergii and me tried to select the most stunning liquids we've had for the past few years.
None of the guys was aware what we're going to taste (except for me and Sergii), generous portions of 5 cl were served blind, we spent some time with them, after all versions and thoughts were articulated the bottle was shown and we explained why this very bottle was chosen.
Actually the logic was simple: one of the best Speysiders (legendary year for Benriach!) and possibly the best representatives of 3 islands: Orkney, Skye and Islay sorted by ascending strength. So let's go:
Benriach 37 yo 1976/2014 cask #529 44.2% - matured in a sherry cask and finished in bourbon (!), usually you have it vice versa, 183 bottles released.
Nose: stunningly fresh, tons of green currants (that drives me crazy), grass, whiffs of eucalyptus and mint, boiled fruits, hints of barley and oak.
Taste: fruity, tad spicy, bags of pineapples and citrus fruits.
Finish: medium long with notes of oak, coconut and dark chocolate.
Overall: utterly enjoyable malt with fantastic nose.
Score = 24 23 23 24, 94/100!
Highland Park 30 yo (round bottle) 48.1% - this one was released from 2000 till 2005.
Nose: shy start, needs some time. Then you get lots of honey with touch of salt, then it changes again to chocolate and coffee, after that baked apples and bears appear. After 30 min it gets more flowery and sweet with touches of leather and oak. Kind of meditation.
Taste: oily and powerful, waves of honey, chocolate, citrus fruits, coffee and spices. Some peat as well.
Finish: long and mouthwatering, salt and spices, chocolate and nuts.
Overall: actually I think we made some haste with it, I was tasting the same liquid from a bottle being opened for at least half a year, the nose itself was worth 95/100. Need to retaste it some day.
Score = 23 23 24 23, 93/100!
Talisker 35 yo 1977/2012 54.6% - 3090 bottles released.
Nose: salt, smoke and herring. After a while it turns to bright side of strength bringing pineapple, honey, plums, tangerines and marmalade.
Taste: fantastic burst of salt, peat and lemons, powerful but delicate.
Finish: long, smoky and salty with touches of pepper, lemon and wet leaves.
Overall: elegant, fruity but powerful Talisker, a must for isle of Skye fans.
Score = 23 23.5 23.5 23, 93/100!
Port Ellen 30 yo 9-th release 57.7% - 5916 bottles released.
Nose: quite refined despite its strength, gorgeous symphony of salt, olive oil, peat, herbs, lemon, diesel and eucalyptus.
Taste: starts sweet, then get quite dry and mineral, lots of ashes, spices and licorice. Delicate power.
Finish: lasts and lasts on smoke, spices, salt and olive tinge.
Overall: confident as star of Islay should be. Also a must for Islay whisky geeks.
Score = 23 24 24 24, 95/100!
Video to remember :)
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