Ardbeg Mor 10 year old 57.3%

Never actually thought that I would get to try this giant bottle! But luckily I did recently so here are my notes:

Nose: The cream in custard creams, warehouses and also bourbon biscuits and a faint trace of smoke.
Taste: Vanilla is over powered by soft dry peat and wood smoke and a little dry grassiness.
Finish: lingering dry ashiness at front of mouth and then more vanilla and some green apple skins.
Comment: Absolutely cracking peat is in perfect balance.

Score: 94 /100

IWSC Awards lose the plot!!!!

Tonight sees the presentation of there awards, most of the gold medals etc that are handed out willy nilly for things such as best 10 year old whisky from Skye that is bottled at 45.8% ABV or best Scotch Whisky - Single Malt - Speyside - 27-28 YO (yes very random) it appears that they have shortlisted Duncan Taylor, independent bottlers as a nominee for Distiller of the Year!

http://www.iwsc.net/Trophies/Special_Awards.ehtml?top=Trophies&do=search&trophy=Distiller+of+the+Year

Surely someone at the awards must realise that they don't distill anything! Unless their distillery plans have progressed faster than they have let on!

Whisky War Rages

We have heard for the last six months to a year that there is going to be an end to the cut price whisky - well when I was in Tesco yesterday and saw whisky at £6.75 a bottle I was a little sceptical - anyone heard of the portman group surely Tesco should be reported!

Anyway enough rambling - saw today that whisky Giants Diageo and Pernod Ricard are to slash prices across India! http://www.harpers.co.uk/news/4867/Diageo-and-Pernod-Ricard-start.ehtml So not only are they going to steal our whisky they are going to get it on the cheap!!!

India To Cut Taxes? Or have we heard all this before!

Report in Harpers is suggesting that India is to finally cut the duty on Scotch Whisky. http://www.harpers.co.uk/news/4575/Mumbai-to-axe-200-tax-on-Scotc.ehtml

Although as we have seen before I wouldn't count your chickens to early!

Hirsch 1974 16yo Bourbon

A classic potstill bourbon from Pennsylvania and one that is becoming extremely rare. This is a 16yo bottling which was distilled in 1974 and is from some of the last stocks from the original Michter's distillery which closed in the early 80's. Anyway this was the first bourbon to gain 5 stars from Paul Pacult so lets see it:

Nose: Butter melted over digestives with a touch of cheesecake!

Taste: Wow stunning taste rich and rounded with lots of vanilla and a touch of rich red fruits - more digestive notes as well! Very very difficult to describe - but stunning. Strawberry and cream sweeties that don't taste like strawberries and cream!

Finish: Lingering sweetness, without being clawing - would say that this tastes "understrength" but in a good way not the 45.8% that it is.

Comment: Very difficult to describe - but wow this is good and scarily drinkable - at anytime!

Score: 93/100 - For me one of the best whiskies of any denomination! Scotch, Irish, American, Japanese etc etc not just a great Bourbon!

Hilda Hits a Hundred due to Whisky

A woman ended up celebrating her 100th birthday stating that a dram a day has kept her young. In that case I am going to live til I am 693 approximately! or maybe not!


http://ichuddersfield.icnetwork.co.uk/examiner/news/regional/tm_headline=hilda-keeps-healthy-with-a-bit-of-whisky%26method=full%26objectid=19555579%26siteid=50060-name_page.html

Brand Ambassadors Job Going!

Now that Susan Webster has joined Dewar Rattary from Douglas Laing it is interesting to see that the Laing Brothers are taking the thrifty option of advertising her job on whisky magazines forum.

http://www.whiskymag.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=6543

By the sounds of the advert sounds like a fun job! Brand Ambassador - I could do that - or perhaps not!!!!