UISGE 2019

Edellisestä Uisgeestani olikin jo aikaa (2014), joten hirvittävän aktiiviseksi Uisge-kävijäksi minua ei pääse kutsumaan. Tänä vuonna kuitenkin kalenterit ja planeetat asettuivat oikeisiin asentoihin jolloin pitihän tämä mahdollisuus hyödyntää.

Mikään suunnitelma ei kestä ensikontaktia. Ajatukseni siitä mitä maistelisin menivät tietysti uusiksi heti kättelyssä. Olin miettinyt tarjolla olevien (todennäköisesti huikeiden) viskien, kuten Ardbeg Lord of Isles, maistamista mutta päädyin kuitenkin siihen, että haluan vähän enemmän monipuolisuutta ja erilaisia makuelämyksiä. Ja onhan se niinkin, että Uisgessa on jonkin verran hälinää vaikka paikalla oli heti ovien avauduttua klo 15, joten viskiharvinaisuuksista ei saisi sitä kaikkea irti mitä toivoo.

Tästä Uisge-matka alkoi.

Aloituksen arpominen oli yllättävänkin hankalaa. Taliskerin 18-vuotias tuntui sopivalta pienen pohdiskelun jälkeen. Hyvä, syvä ja pitkämakuinen saarten juoma.

Yllättäen ja pyytämättä suunnitelma vaihtui samantien täysin erilaiseen. Suosittelujen kautta löytyi lasista GlenAllachie:ta. Kuulopuheiden mukaan tislaamo on sekä uusi että vanha - se on tehtyt vuosikymmeniä viskiä pääasiassa blendeihin ja nyt lähihistoriassa se on tullut mukaan Single Maltien monipuoliseen maahan ja ensimmäiset pullot ilmestyvät myös Alkoihin lähiaikoina. Maistuva, perushyvä viski. Tätä pitää maistaa uudestaan vähän rauhallisemassa ympäristössä.

Highland Parkin setup oli näyttävä.

Uisgen ensimmäinen pihvi, jonka tiesin haluavani ehdottomasti maistaa. Se on tietysti Octomore ja tässä tapauksessa 6-vuotias yhden tynnyrin pullote. Huikea kokemus, jossa yhdistyi Octomoren luonteenomainen väkevä turvesavu ja maku hyvin öljyiseen kokemukseen. Dramfoolin perustaja jutteli , tätä kehuessani, että hänen kauttaan voisi hankkia vaikka oman Octomoren tynnyrin jos pullo ei riitä.. Tämä viski jäi mieleen. 

Eikä Octomore ollut ainoa loistava Dramfoolin pulloista. Port Charlotte 15yo Single Cask on myös voittaja. Erittäin upea Port Charlotte vanhempana kuin koskaan - tämä tynnyri on alkupään PC tuotantoa ja 15 vuoden ikääntyminen on ollut makua lisäävä prosessi. Öljyisyys on tässäkin vahvasti läsnä, viski on muhkea, maukas, miedon savuinen/turpeinen ja jälkimaku - se on erittäin pitkä.

Port Charloten jälkeen piti vähän nollata makumaailmaa, Redbreast Lustau maistui yllättäen äskeisen kokemuksen jälkeen hyvältä. Erittäin positiivinen kokemus. 21-vuotias voittaja jäi maistettavaksi toiseen kertaan.

Jamesonin maistaminen ei ollut suunnitelmissa, mutta kuitenkin siihen päätyi kun keskusteli heidän edustajan kanssa. Crested oli positiivinen kokemus. Viski puraiseekin alussa aika ärhäkästi mutta pehmenee nopeasti ja lopputulos on miellyttävä. Jälkimaku on lyhyt, mutta tämä toimisi hyvin illanistujaisissa - helppo mutta viski.

 Seuraavaksi suuntana oli Suomen tarjonta ja Valamon 6-vuotias. Hyvin heidän viski kehittyy, vaikka tässä itselle tuli sellaisia makumielleyhtymiä jotka eivät liity viskiin mitenkään. Hämmentävää, mutta odottelen tämänkin kanssa toista maistelukertaa. Kirkkoviinikyspytetty Valamo on erittäin mainio kokemus sen sijaan - monipuolinen, tuhti ja maukas. 

Uisgeessa näkyi myös tuttuja Turusta!

Vihdoin oli aika päästä Bowmore-maisteluun. Listalla oli 15yo, Vaulta Edition 1, Tempest V, Devil's Cask II ja 25yo. Mahtava sarja viskejä. Vaultin suolaisuus miellyttää edelleen, Tempest maistui mainolle myrskylle mutta voitoin vei Devil's Cask II. 25yo Bowmore on myös mahtava ja täyteläinen viski, mutta Devil's Caskin intensiteetti ja maun pirullinen kokonaisuus kruunasi illan.

Bowmore-maistelun jälkeen silmiin osui Octomoren 8.4. Ei pettänyt odotuksia, vaikkei ihan samaan pääse kuin Dramfoolin 6yo. Octomoret on vain hyviä omassa suussa.

Writer's tears toimi hyvin Octomoren jälkeen makujen nollaaja. Maistuikin vielä. Yllättävän hyvä irkkuviski jota voisi maistaa toistekin!

Teerenpelin Savu tuli maistettua viime vuonna. Tynnyrivahva Savu on monta luokkaa miedompaansa parempi versio. Jälleen yksi Teerenpeli mikä nousi listalle "tätä on maistettava uudestaankin".

Kilchoman Loch Gorm 2018. On se vaan hyvä.  Itse olen pitänyt eniten Gormin ensimmäisestä versiosta, mutta tämä 2018 versio kisaa sen kanssa aika tiukasti paremmuudesta.

Devil's Cask III löytyi maistettavaksi. Toimi tässäkin vaiheessa - mahtavan pirullinen maku tässäkin versiossa!

Port Charlotte 10yo versio 3 maistui Port Charlottelta. Devil's Caskin jälkeen ei ollut parhaassa paikassa eikä pärjää 15yo Single Cask serkulleen mutta ehdottomasti Port Charlotte jota pitäisi maistattaa muillakin. Pidän tästä suunnasta mihin PC on menossa.

Springbank 9yo poikkesi hyvin paljon muista Springbankeista mitä on tullut maistettua aiemmin. Ei huono lainkaan tämäkään.

Mitä olisikaan viskimessut ilman absinttia? Maistuuhan nämä edelleen. 

Kokonaisuutena ilta oli monipuolinen ja maistuva. Illan parhaiksi itselle jäi Octomoren ja Port Charlotten Single Caskit sekä Devil's Cask II & III. Nuo osuvat omaan maailmaani parhaiten juuri itseä puhuttelevien elämysten kautta: savua, turvetta, nokea ja ölyisen monipuolista tuhtia makua joka ei lopu kesken.

The BenRiach 10yo 46% Peated Curiositas but keeps the cat alive

Along with the Ledaig 10yo the BenRiach 10yo was also a new friend of mine. This was a chance meeting, in a backdoors alley where all the streetlights had gone black. Stumbling there, I got this onto my hand and moved on. When I got the chance to taste this later, it was a big surprise.
Benriach is a difficult dram for me. I’ve tasted it a few times in bars, but so far I didn’t got the thing in it. Ok, but .. Of course it can be the peat and the smoke which were lacking for one reason. This got my attention with the word “Peated” , with a story that they enhance the peat drying to the malts Islay style: peat infused kilns , the fact that it had a age statement (10yo) and the price (low).
So what did I got?
The nose is sweet, oaken and also somewhat peaty. There is not much in the nose, but it smells pleasant.
The palate strikes with the peat and some smoke. I like this one! The waves of peat strike the shore again and again. It is a nice attack of peatwarriors who aim to breach the wall. Later some fruits, sweets and oak emerge with some spices. During the following sips the oak gets more wood and the peat waves lower a bit.
The finish mixes oak, peat and some smoke.
For this one’s price, it is a great dram. Peaty, yet tasty. It lacks the power and complexity/width of those Islay peatsmoke kings, but it makes a great warrior who can take the charge while the kings are gone. And it is really about the day, do you wish to listen to the kings or does the lighter peat cheer your day for better.

The Whisky Mercenary’s 20 years old Glenlossie

Another unfamiliar distillery and dram hailing from Scotland: Glenlossie. I am not sure if I ever even heard their name before, so this has been again a shot in a dark blindfolded and in a near zero gravity. I was browsing for some new experiences and I’ve had a good experience with The Whisky Mercenary Independent Bottler, so I decided to give this sample a shot.
Glenlossie has been around since 19th century (founded 1876) and makes it’s drams in Speyside near Benriach and Longmorn. It is more known (if you can say they are known) for not making recent official single malt bottlings, instead it seems that majority of their whisky goes into blends. Their dram has been bottled by some IBs so they exist in the world of single malts too. If you want to know more about the distillery, I encourage you to visit this site: http://www.maltmadness.com/whisky/glenlossie.html
 
The Glenlossie 20 YO TWM is a single cask bottling, which had only 144 bottles. Distilled 1992 and bottled 2012 and it has 57% potency. The label of the actual bottle look great, too bad I already had the sample :) You can see the label in here: http://www.whiskynotes.be/2012/glenlossie/glenlossie-1992-whisky-mercenary/
The dram has a light color of a white wine, and a delegate display of oils in the glass. The nose tells about a Speyside with sweet malts. There are floral hints too. Strong, but complex. Despite the lack of smoke, the nose is really good in this point!
The first sip is overwhelming. Oily, broad, a poem with multiple meanings. Spices with flowers, sweet malts and a nice kick is a bonus. Peach and freshness. In the end the palate is more controlled with lemon fruits and spices, turning from sweet into more bitter. One the second sip, the oil is even more apparent with pepper and spices and lemons.
The finish is long with spices. Plenty of lovely spices are there for my enjoyment. I am glad I got the sample, since this dram really surprised me. In the future I do know the name Glenlossie.

Side trek for today: Money Shoulder

I feel like a happy Monkey who travels on other’s shoulders. Another side trek into the world of Speyside. And not just one Speysider, but three. Monkey Should is a mix of three different malts: Balvenie, Glenfiddich and Kininvie. I have never tasted Kininvie, but the other two malts are familiar. Nothing smoky about this dram but it surely has a Monkey’s kick’s worth of price-quality in it. The bottle is relatively inexpensive but yet tasty. And it is tasty enough to beat most of blends and Irish whiskies in the price category.

 

How does the taste feels like? The palate has spiciness, malta, peat and vanilla oak. It has some sting of the Speysider drams (like Glenfiddich) but it is not bad. Relatively soft and yes, this would be a easy bottle to share and drink with friends. The finish is smooth. It does not last long, but it is smooth.

In their web pages ( https://www.monkeyshoulder.com ) they say this would go well with rocks or in drinks. With this pricing it is definitely worth a shot to try those some day. They have suggestions also, packed with humor https://www.monkeyshoulder.com/recipes/  Perhaps I’ll try Monkey Coffee, that is not in the list.

After a few sips the vanilla and spice are the most dominant tastes. And this is a sweet vanilla, with sugar on top. With the season’s spices and sweetness, this is not a bad dram during winter time. Not a bad dram, not at all.

A Mystery Speyside that takes it tasty and peaty

It is always a delight to receive a new whisky bottle. This time I was surprised with a real mystery, that was stirred by people-in-between who don’t really know much about whisky. And they don’t have to, but it might take a while before I know what this one is. What I know, is that it is directly from a cask.. The shop, where the cask was among others, is in Nuremberg, Germany. So, it is straight from the cask. But with 40% ABV most likely it is not a single cask dram. It is of Speyside origin, with a nice amount of peat in it. And it is a blended malt, so I can suppose those malts are of Speyside origin. The age statement is 10 years, so the youngest malt vatted in the casks should be 10 years old. A true mystery.
It is nicely oily and has a strong peat nose in it. Some smokiness, some lemon pepper and a fine amount of stories from those old medieval castles, which have cold floors and damp rooms during the winter.
The palate is classy, like a victorian age big chair. It has broidery, figures, stylish cuts and lots of taste. Not weak by any means, but a big lit fireplace in the corner that keeps the room warm. The flames produce light that dances on those ancient walls and stones. There are no sounds, but the crackle of fire. Pepper is absent, instead a light smoke accompanies peat and fruits with some elegantly aged spices. This one is gentle and it is not longing to dash into a battle anymore. It enjoys the moments of peace and looks at the big moon with a wide smile.
The finish is long, compared to most vatted malts. It has a lots of peat in it, thus it keeps the strong characteristics until the final breath. In the end, the slight tingle remains on the tongue. Not bad, not bad at all. One more excellent Speyside to be scribed into my scroll of drams. 

Glenfiddich Rich Oak 14 years old

The Glenfiddich is a very well known Speyside product in Finland. It can be found from most of the bars, in case there is at least one Scottish single malt in the shelf. The other one is usually Laphroaig 10YO. I got a sample of this Rich Oak 14YO from a friend, after he heard I haven’t really encountered a really good and tasty Glenfiddich. For me, most of them are ok but there isn’t anything too special about them. They have some bitterness in them, that does not comply well with my receptors.

Rich Oak 14YO is matured in ex-bourbon barrels for 14 years first. After that, they get to spend 12 weeks in new European (Spanish, according to some sources) Oak barrels and finally 6 weeks in new American Oak.

The nose is pleasant. There is lots of oak, but not a dry vanilla that usually strikes hard on the face. Instead there are fruits and spices woven to the oaken feel.

The palate is first very light. Very very light. There isn’t much body here, but after some time the oak gets some strength but it is still a delicate touch, like a elven scripture that can only be read during midnight moonlight. Second sip gets more power, and the oak grows in length and width. It shows some the roots it has, that go backwards into times of noble windjammers.

The aftertaste is still bitter, but with spices. It lasts a long time, but during that time you have sweet oak and pepper spices in your mouth. It is not smooth for me, but it does have some more distinct character than I originally feared.

I will keep on the search for a Glenfiddich that will cause a real wow effect for me.

The Nameless One walks again in the name of the Mystery

“What can change the nature of the man?” was the question whispered to the infinity a long time ago. The Nameless One was trapped on a eternal quest to find out who he was. Traveling through realities, discovering unbelievable events and creatures he went on. Fighting his way from the lowest of hells into highest of planes, he looked and seek for the answer. Amongst his journeys, he happened to pick up a bottle that was out of his world. There was no known origin, no known training nor relationship. It was like he was, without a past and future, without a history. Just existing in the moment and providing experiences. The world changes around these two travelers. There is a dram and a man. They have characteristics that will make them live again and again. This is more than just a bottle, it has a story waiting to be told..

The Nameless One is a true mystery. It seems that even it’s bottlers don’t know the distillery where the cask came from. It has no markings, it has no origins. It just floats through time and lets us taste it’s wonders. What is known, however, is that it is of 18 years old and it was distilled 1995 and bottled 2014. It was matured in a sherry cask and it comes from the Speyside. And it bears the strength score of 46.8%. I grant, some of the mystery veil was just lifted and portions of the origin revealed. However, sweeping through the layers it is like a descend into a Abyss..

The nose is sweet and floral. However, it is not too sweet – a surprise for me! Very pleasant and charming. A bits of spice and a long quest lingers there. Answers that are hidden.

The taste is very smooth and surprisingly oily. Spices are stronger than sweetness. Pepper and more fruits are there as well as floral summer fields. On a second take, the portals open to another planes again and the step is well oiled and slick. Sweetness accompanies this one very nicely. There is no harsh bite of sherry nor unpleasant side encounters.

However, this road is not too long either. It squirms into a dead end sooner than expected. There should be more into it, but I just can’t find the door. Perhaps it is yet hidden of me. But it was a nice journey so far, this has provided me that it has potential and secrets yet to be open to the light. It is the best Speyside for me so far – at least of what I can recall right now.

And of course, the name and the label do really add to the story with inspiration! Final note that ends the song: oily pepper.

Wemyss “White Chocolate Torte” 24 YO Tormore 1988

Wemyss is a interesting independent bottler in Scotland. They have provided me with some interesting experiences, notably Peat Chimney (article yet pending) and Billowing Embers. I also had a chance to have a interesting talk with their representative at the Uisge 2014 in Helsinki. So based with all that, my expectations are high with 24YO whisky. I also like the way Wemyss creates stories and names their bottling. There are already some feelings involved, before you get to taste it the first time.



Does the naming affect the nose and the palate? I say yes, since when they have given some reference it is a lot easier to find that scent and taste in the dram. There is freshness present, and of course the while chocolate cake. Raisins and fruits. Very delicious cake that ought to be really sweet!
The palate.. It is like you just had a slice of that cake! I rarely have thing strong effects on the taste, but this is really the spot on! While chocolate is strongly present with fruits and sweetness. Yogurt raisins also describe some of tastes really well!

And the finish is long, lasting and filled with white chocolate andd more yogurt raisins.
I don’t think I’ve ever tasted Tormore, so I cannot compare this one for the normal range they have. This is not a smoky dram, instead this one draws it’s sources from the Speyside. But there is enough complexity and taste to make this one a really enjoyable whisky! Some bitterness and lack of really strong tastes can keep people at a distance, but this one would do really nicely in early phases of tastings.

Breath of Speyside 18YO – Attack of the NinetyOneBomb

“Come – my friends – let’s get our mounts and hunt for an adventure! To the glory! To the pages of legends!”

Those were most likely words of some knights and intrepid fortune-seekers in past centuries. They did seek to become legends, to become center of tales that were unfolded carefully in taverns from the east to the west coast, where roaring waves of deep sea crashed sharp rocks on shallow, treacherous, waters.  They were bold and daring, dashing and charming. In the fight, they laughed at the dark robed man wielding a scythe. And thus they fell. One each time, until the last man realized they will be forgotten. No one would tell their tales, no one would sing about their deeds and victories. They would not even be a star in the winter night sky. No, they were light those mystical Northern Lights and vanish as silently and quickly as they emerged.  He rode to the undiscovered countries. Far away lands, that were only haunted by vicious men wearing kilts and wielding trunks of trees. There he wandered and found a place where to hide their secrets and treasures, and where to write some stories. It is there, where he teach those savage warriors something that would make the land famous. In the last night he was imprinted to the big books of history, when the wildest tribe chose to take his name to honor the dram he created, Speyside.

The story may be a slightly different in today’s history books but something remained for us to taste. The famous house of Adelphi wields many secrets. One of their mysterious drams is called the Breath of Speyside. Nobody knows, how it is created or from what it is created, but there are whispers in shady corners of those-not-that-reputable taverns. Not a big surprise, but I did stay away from them. So all I know is, that ‘The Breath’ is 18 years old. Distilled 1991 and bottled 2009. The Drampower is nice, 54.2%, which makes it a very interesting cap. The stories and the color tell that some kind of ex-sherry barrels were involved, but the actual enchantment cask has the code 5145 imprinted on it with ancient letters. Probably there are some 600 (full size, not a baby bottle like this one) bottles in the world. A big cask, I take it.

The dram itself. The color is deep and dark. The oil is stubborn and beautiful. The nose is overwhelmed with sherry and a hint of old knight’s gauntlet slapping your cheek with a mighty force. Promising.

First mouthful burns with sherry and .. strong sherry. It is a sherry bomb, that’s what rushes through my unprotected mind. I knew it would be. I should have known. But yet, it strikes deep, dodging all of my defenses.  A bit more careful approach is needed and that’s when you start to find some of the magic. I find myself missing the smoke and peat, however. Fruits, sweetness and even some chocolate is present when you taste it carefully. There is no tale, there is but a everlasting thunder of sherry drums that echo through ages and planes.

What remains, is the taste of.. sherry. Dryness and bitter ending. This is not a aftertaste I enjoy, I must admit. Usually I like Breath of XXX but I must admit this is an exception that confirms the rule.

Once you empty your glass, and choose not take water on top of this and wait. I kept on writing this story and waited. The taste do remains for a long time, but what is better – it changes. It burns, it boils, but it does change for the better. There are burned fruits, fried sugar and melted chocolate. There are remains of sherry, slightly readjusted with a flame-thrower or a sherry-seeking missile. But I do like the feeling, the taste in my mouth. Perhaps my advice is, in case you have similar receptors than I have, to drink this rather quickly, and enjoy the afterglow. Slainté!