Notes from a blind tasting

[Alexppp]

Went to a blind tasting this week, we had very generous samples from 6 different whiskies. These were my brief notes, all made before the identities were revealed.

Whisky 1: Light, fruity, feels like Lowland. Pleasantly fresh, sweet but not overly so. Score: Low to mid-80s. This was revealed to be the Nikka Coffey Malt, a good surprise overall.

Whisky 2: Fuller and sweeter, dark fruits, hint of chocolate. Sherry casks involved for sure. Feels slightly 'dirty'. Score: Mid-80s. I was stumped by this as it didn't feel like a sherried whisky I was familiar with, and I was surprised when it was revealed to be the Glendronach 12.

Whisky 3: Heavily sherried, tastes a lot like a Bunnahabhain I had recently. Could be Glenfarclas. More immediately pleasing than the Glendronach. Score: High-80s. This turned out to be none other than the Macallan 12 Sherry Oak. A very useful test, as it turns out I prefer it to the Glendronach 12 all things considered, and I'm a bit annoyed about that!

Whisky 4: Much spicier and herbal - a very unusual nose, can't quite put my finger on it but it's unlike any other whisky I've had. Low to mid-80s. This was the Kavalan Concertmaster (weird name), matured fully in port casks, which might explain the strangeness.

Whisky 5: Full, rich nose. Sherried. Springbank? Very sharp, possibly cask strength, needs some water to open it up. With water: Love it overall. Score: Low 90s.
This was my favourite of the evening, and unfortunately it turned out to be the rarest - hand-filled from a 16 year-old Springbank sherry hogshead by a friend of the organiser's. Impossible to get again, sadly.

Whisky 6: Definitely Islay. Laphroaig/Lagavulin? Score: High-80s, maybe 90.
No, not Laphroaig nor Lagavulin, this was actually the Port Charlotte Scottish Barley - a pleasant surprise that I rated it so highly, though I'm disappointed I couldn't tell it apart from a Laphroaig or Lagavulin - if anything it was more Ardbeg-like. I'll put that down to the fact it was the last whisky of the night!

Overall, a great evening - a shame I won't have the pleasure of that Springbank single cask again though. Also I'm a bit disappointed at the Glendronach 12, both the fact that I couldn't identify it, and also the fact I didn't rate it higher. Maybe that's because the only bottles I've had were pre-1996 and this was a newly purchased one, i.e. not much older than 12, unlike the earlier ones.

[William]

Alex, blind tastings can often throw up some surprises and can be very informative. It is no surprise to me that an aged sherryoak Macallan will score well with someone with a taste for this style, just a pity that the aged Macallans priced for everyday dramming are a thing of the past.

I still have a few bottles of older Glendronach 12 stashed away so I haven't had any recent bottles, but I am expecting to be a little disappointed because of what I am used to.
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There's no bad whisky. Just good whisky and better whisky.

[Innes]

I do like Port Charlotte Scottish Barley, in fact I would highly rate all the PC bottlings I have had.

[Andy M]

[Alexppp]