Whisky felling #15. Hommage to Silvano Samaroli: Glen Garioch 1975/1987 RWD 50.0%, Ord 1962/1984 Samaroli Bouquet 58.0%, Glen Grant 1969/1984 Samaroli 59.0%

Sounds quite crazy and indeed it is: three old Samaroli malts at one tasting!

Whisky felling #14. Eyes wide shut: Imperial 1997 DT (Glen Karadag) 46%, Littlemill 24 yo Mba 50.6%, Caroni 1974, Ardbeg Alligator 51.2%, Springbank Local Barley 16 yo 54.3%, Highland Park 1983/2003 cask #1096 56.4%

The idea of this tasting was to repeat blind session format we had on Whisky felling #10 with quite a few surprises planned in advance... 

Whisky felling #13. Mortlach of all kinds: Mortlach 1989/2012 DD 56.1%, Mortlach 1989/2014 GM cask #4302 50.0%, Mortlach 1994/2014 MoS cask #14046 53.6%, Mortlach 1997/2017 Chieftain's 56.8%, Mortlach 1992/2017 HL 58.8%, Mortlach 19 yo Manager Dram (bottled 2002) 55.8%

So we took 6 Mortlachs from 6 different bottlers and tried to find the difference..

Year 2018 highlights!

It would be 3-rd time I sit down and sum up what malts impressed me the most during the year. 3 categories as usual, let's go...

Trio of Lagavulins: Lag 12 57.8% (bottled 2018), Lag Jazz Fest 2016 54.5% and Lag Jazz Fest 2015 55.4%

Home video tasting tonight.

Whisky felling #12. New Year Ardbegs: Ardbeg 1991 MoM 50.6%, Ardbeg 1991 WFY 50%, Ardbeg 1990 Airigh Nam Beist 46% and Ardbeg Lord of the Isles 25 yo 46%

Idea of this session was trying older Ardbegs, so we put three Ardbegs from 1990s and one Ardbeg from 1970s (I wish we had more of them, but this stuff is too costy)... 

Whisky felling #11. Independent Bunnas: Bunnahabhain 34 yo 1980/2014 Specialty Drinks 46.6%, Bunnahabhain 30 yo 1987/2017 Maltbarn #68 48.7%, Bunnahabhain 30 yo HL Kinship 2018 52.8%, Bunnahabhain 40 yo 1973/2013 the Whiskyman 48.5%, Bunnahabhain 42 yo Monnier Trading 1968/2010 43.8% and two more prize bottles.

Last year we were doing tasting dedicated to official Bunnas from 1960s, this year we decided to explore different (though respectable) ages and vintages from different bottlers. 

Valerii birthday and line of rarest malts: Glen Flagler 1972 Silents Stills, Coleburn 1983 Silent Stills, Hillside 1971 Silent Stills, Glencadam 1972 Silent Stills, Linkwood 1987 Cadenhead, Linkwood 1972 GM, Ben Nevis 21 yo (1996) PST, Old Pulteney 32 yo (1985) cask #202, Glendronach 25 yo Grandeur Batch #8, Bunnahabhain 26 yo 1988/2016 AC, Bunnahabhain 45 yo 1968/2013 Samaroli, Port Ellen 1975/1998 Silents Stills and Laphroaig 27 yo

Every time in September we go to banya visit Valerii whisky and birthday party :) 

Whisky felling #10. Whist without a forfeit or Great blind tasting: Benriach 1976 cask #529 44.2%, Highland Park 30 yo (round bottle) 48.1%, Talisker 35 yo 54.6% and Port Ellen 9-th release 57.7%

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. 

TGIF tasting: Linkwood 21 yo 1989/2010 DL OMC 50.0%, Macallan 21 yo 1993/2015 HSC 46%, Glenrothes 20 yo 1996/2017 HSC 46%, Glen Garioch 23 yo 1990/2013 TWA with Nectar 51.5%, Ben Nevis 25 yo 1984/2010 54.0% and finally Mortlach 50 yo 1957/2007 GM Private Collection 43.5%

One of those lovely Friday evenings with Sergii.