Girvan Grain 1964

Got a chance to try this rare grain was really looking forward to it as I have tried a few grains of late that have been stunners - was a wee bit surprised to see this on the go as the bottling that I tried from was bottled in October 2001 and was bottled at 48%.

Nose: Sweet bannanas and cream, fudgey. Crushed buttered digestives.

Taste: Huge creaminess and quite bourbon like, fudgey again and slightlt bitter.

Finish: Lingering creaminess, slightly bitter again in the finish, I like this but a little one dimensional but in a good way!

Comment: I like it but surprised there is still some left I think that this has been well over priced at £240.00 a bottle there are better grains available for a lot less money. Good but would recommend checking out Duncan Taylor's Grains - some tasting notes of those to come shortly.

Score: 88/100

Allied No More!!!

Well its finally official! Allied has been sold to Pernod - never saw that one coming!

Tamnavulin 30 Year Old Stillmans Dram

I got the opportunity to try this the other day - it was voted best limirted edition cask strength or something like that at IWSC. I had to try it cause it reminded me of the Tamnavulin Club literature which advertised the Tamnavulin and Bruichladdich stillman drams as being at "NEAR" natural colour now can you imagine sitting round a meeting for the brochure and saying ok what will we say about the colour - "lovely golden colour" no - " or "will we not say anything" - or I know we will tell people that we add caramel colouring!!! but only a little.

Anyway here is my tasting notes:




Nose: Dry fresh and citrusy with a creamy background. Toffeeish.
Taste: Fruits and cream, drying and very easy to drink. Very Sweet.
Finish: Fairly soft and to be honest fairly soft and cirtusy.
Comment: Good but nothing exceptional maybe I am looking for it but think I can detect caramel. Anyway a decent dram but nothing to go over the top about.
Score: 82/100 Nae bad

Linlithgow 1973 30yo 59.6%

I love Lowland whiskies and Linlithgow is one of my faves so I was very pleased to get the chance to try this the other day.

Nose: Initially sweet, quite spirity, warm fruit pudding. Sweet liquorice with water.
Taste: Spicy lemon, but perhaps a little spirity. Water sooths things down into a nice citrusy zing.
Finish: A little bit thin but nice and pleasant with water which takes the alcohol away. I like it but just lacks a wee bit of the robustness of the Rare malts bottling
Comment: A good wee dram that I really like - I like the lemon and chilli flavours but it is a little bit expensive for what you get. A nice bottle but is it really worth £255.00 a bottle!!!!
Score: 89/100 could have scored more if slightly less spirity


PRICE CHECK
Loch Fyne Whiskies - £239.00
Royal Mile Whiskies - £244.49
The Whisky Exchange -£245.00
Single Malts Direct - Not Listed
The Whisky Shop -Not Listed

Ballantines 30 Year Old

Having been a fan of the DTC 35 year old blend I thought that I would try another aged blen to see if it stands up to the test. Things have been a bit quite on here of late but have tasted a few things lately so will get them added shortly.

Ballantines 30 Year Old Blend 43%

Nose: Rich, sweet vanilla with a touch of mint.
Taste: A touch of smoke, fairly light with a touch of citrus.
Finish: Fairly fresh, touch of smoke and light citrus notes and fairly dry.
Score: 85/100

A nice dram very well balanced just a little bit thin would have scored higher if it had a bit of ooommmppph!

Laddie and the Alcoholics

http://http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/tm_objectid=15699459%26method=full%26siteid=89488%26headline=whisky%2dbusiness%2d-name_page.html

A cracking post on the Daily Record - Bruichladdich have donated 100 casks to a charity for alcoholics slighty taking the piss I feel!!! Thats like a tobacco company sending cancer charities empty cigarrette boxes!!!

Does remind me though of Glen Garioch distillery. The old manse just outside Glen Garioch distillery in Old Meldrum has been converted into a drug and alcoholic rehabilitation centre - i suppose if you can give up drink whilst looking at a distillery you can give it up any where!