Gordon & MacPhail Recollection Series #3: 1984 Convalmore, 1981 North Port & 1991 Rosebank [Tasted #680 - 682]

A look back over our Gordon & MacPhail-tagged posts shows it's been a pretty great past few years when it comes to trying incredibly long-aged, well-matured whiskies here at TimeforWhisky.com. In addition to one-off bottlings in the the 60 Year Old, 70 Year Old and even 80 Year Old age ranges, we've also been introduced to "The Recollection Series" of whiskies - #1 in 2022, #2 in 2023 and now, hot off the press, comes Series #3.

These series feature single malts originating from closed, or long-time silent distilleries, with spirit matured in bespoke asks commissioned by G&M. 

Series #1 and #2 saw us taste some incredible drams like Glen Mhor from 1973 and 1982, 1982 St Magdalene, 1981 Port Ellen & 1981 Lochside, so whatever was in store for Series #3, we knew it would be good.

...and we weren't wrong. With 6 expressions this time around, the series is a little smaller, but no less impressive, featuring:

• Rosebank 1991 – RRP £2,100
• Glenlochy 1979 – RRP £4,000
• Convalmore 1984 – RRP £2,300
• Imperial 1990 – RRP £1,650
• North Port 1981 – RRP £3,850
• Port Ellen 1981 – RRP £10,000

Featuring eye-catching, bold new packaging, G&M calls the whiskies ‘forgotten masterpieces’ and ‘lost works of art’, with the distilleries’ spirit revived using stunning illustrations from Emmy-award winning artist, Bruno Mangyoku. 

Stuart Urquhart, Operations Director at Gordon & MacPhail, said: 

“This year marks our third Recollection Series, which again brings a carefully chosen selection of rare and unique whiskies to enthusiasts worldwide. We’re fortunate enough to have access to a liquid library which is testament to the relationships we’ve nurtured with whisky distillers for almost 130 years.

We’re proud to be able to revive the spirit of these historic distilleries, bringing their stories back into the present day.”  

Gordon & MacPhail "The Recollection Series #3" Rosebank 1991 32yo (51.2% ABV, 32yo, First Fill Bourbon Barrel #2114, Lowland, Scotland, One of 141 bottles, £2,100)
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
A distillery called Rosebank was operating as early as 1817. From 1840, under the ownership of the Rankine family, Rosebank prospered, however the distillery eventually closed its doors in 1993. It was reopened under new ownership to great fanfare in 2024. This release is one of the oldest and rarest Rosebank single malts ever released.

Colour: Light sunset gold.

Nose: Light and tropical, with orange, banana and pineapple. As a kid I used to love Golden Circle Tropical Punch fruit juice, and this nose took me straight back to those primary school playground days.  It's a subtle nose though - slowly revealing itself. After time, some lemon slice shows through too.

Palate: Fruity maple syrup? There's a rose-flavoured note, and in the background (subtle) pineapple and banana. 

Finish: Mango and guava! Big time, and long. I recently tried a single cask Springbank (interestingly the same age) and it also had this hugely tropical finish 

Rating (on my very non-scientific scale): 93/100 (Martin). The highest score I've ever given to a Rosebank? Probably. Feels like it's the best I've tried.

Gordon & MacPhail "The Recollection Series #3" North Port 1981 42yo (50.9% ABV, 42yo, Refill American Hogshead #2072, Highland, Scotland, One of 132 bottles, £3,850)
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Single malts featuring the distillery’s original name, Brechin Distillery, are vanishingly rare. Founded in 1820 near Scotland’s east coast by three brothers, David, John and Alexander Guthrie, the distillery stood half a mile from the River Esk. It remained in family ownership for over a century, renamed North Port Distillery, before new owners closed its doors in 1928. It reopened after the Second World War only to fall silent again in 1983, with the site demolished in 1994. 

Colour: Light amber gold

Nose: Instantly, that well-matured, balanced, incredibly complex nose that shines through on so many of these older G&M releases. There's oak, there's fresh fruit (orchard fruits, peaches, apples) with slightly tropical undertones, nuttiness, fresh pear, and (with a drop of water) some pineapple, apricot and more peach.

Palate: Follows the nose just beautifully, with the oak and fruit in perfect harmony, alongside some gingerbread, mandarin, apricot and graceful oak.

Finish: Very, very long, with a slightly drying oak note and (after a drop of water), some peach.

Rating (on my very non-scientific scale): 94/100 (Martin). Now THIS is whisky. Just a beautiful dram.

Gordon & MacPhail "The Recollection Series #3" Convalmore 1984 39yo (51.1% ABV, 39yo, Refill Sherry Hogshead #1733, Speyside, Scotland, One of 108 bottles, £2,300)
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Opened as the fourth of Dufftown’s famed seven stills in the heart of Speyside in 1894, Convalmore’s waxy, fruity spirit has very rarely been seen as a single malt whisky. Dedicated almost entirely to blended whiskies, production was interrupted in 1909 by a fire. The distillery expanded in 1964 but was mothballed in 1985. The original buildings are still on the site but the production equipment has been removed. 

Colour: Rich mahogany.

Nose: Muted at first, but after some time it turns into a rich and elegant display of mocha, leather, fresh berries, berry compote and toffee.

Palate: Mature oak with noticeable, but not overpowering sherry notes. Flamed orange zest, black forrest cake, sherry-soaked cherries, cigar humidor, milk coffee and to round things out, hints of dried apricot.

Finish: Long, balanced oak with citrus hints.

Rating (on my very non-scientific scale): 93/100 (Martin). My love for Convalmore continues.

For more information on Gordon & MacPhail or the Recollection series, visit www.gordonandmacphail.com.

Many thanks again to G&M who kindly provided the tasting of these three beautiful single malts, and & Weber Shandwick for the arrangement.

Cheers,

Martin.

Tasted #596: Black Bowmore DB5 1964-1995 (Aston Martin) (TimeforWhisky 10 Year Anniversary Dram)

We're going back to Bowmore for #6 in our 10th Anniversary line-up, and sort of revisiting a whisky I've already tried - in the form of Bowmore's "Black Bowmore DB5 1964-1995" Aston Martin collaboration....the liquid in which is perhaps better known as the 1964 "Black Bowmore" 3rd Edition, released in 1995. 

I say "sort of revisiting", because whilst the liquid here is the same, the bottling, release year and price tag are very, very different. You can read a brief history of the Black Bowmore series in my earlier post (including its fascinating connection to Australia in the comments and here), but in short when this whisky was initially released in 1995, it was around £100.

Fast forward 25 years to 2020, when Bowmore teamed up with Aston Martin for a range of bottlings, most of them initially travel retail editions of the standard 10/15/18yo, but one of them a re-bottling of the aforementioned 3rd release Black Bowmore. Released in a limited run of only 27 bottles (25 for sale), with an actual Aston Martin piston incorporated into the bottle, the price had gone up ever so slightly since 1995....to £50,000 (if you want one now, The Whisky Exchange will sell you one - for only £180,000).

Side note: I get the luxury angle with these whisky / car manufacturer collaborations, but I still find them strange. "Drinking & driving" and all that. Just me? Let us know in the comments!

I'm not sure exactly how these 27 bottles came to be - did Bowmore purchase them from collectors? H Have them in their archives? Never sell them back in the 90s? Whatever the case, the whisky here is effectively the same 1964-1995 whisky, albeit with a slight increase in ABV from 49% to 49.6% (though my sample bottle said 49.7%).

The original release (below) is still one of the best whiskies I've ever had, so I was keen as mustard to try the re-released £50k version and see how it (and my palate) fared 5 years later.

Black Bowmore DB5 1964 (Aston Martin) 1964-1995 (49.6% ABV, 31yo, Islay, Scotland, price: £180,000)

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Colour: Deep, dark coffee.

Nose: Initially a big tropical hit, with that same clean sherry I loved back in 2017. Passionfruit and mango initially, then evolving into strong notes of pine needles, forrest floor, coffee grounds and BBQ glazed ham. As intoxicating as my first experience - there was a lot of time spent nosing this glass back and forth.

Palate: Carries the fruit from the nose - guava, pineapple cake, mango, but also brazil nuts, raisins and cherries. After some time an earthy oak notes start to sure - more so than I recall with the previous tasting.

Finish: Long, with mango the most predominant note and some residual oak tannins at the very end.

Rating (on my very non-scientific scale):  94/100. Still an incredible whisky, still right up there with my favourites. I'm not sure if the whisky is different or my palate has changed (both, I'm sure) but...

Another thanks to the ever-generous @whisky_is_better_aged for this one.

Cheers,

Martin.

Tasted #594: 1957 "Moon Import" Bowmore (TimeforWhisky 10 Year Anniversary Dram)

Our 4th 10th Anniversary Dram dram (and first, but not last from this distillery) is a 1957 Bowmore from Italian Independent Bottler Moon Import.

Many whisky fans will be familiar with Samaroli, and the legendary independently bottled whisky they released in the 1970s to 1990s, but there were other equally legendary Italian independent bottlers at the time - Sestante (later Silver Seal), Nadi Fiori's Intertrade, and Moon Import to name the most notable ones. Whilst the latter is probably most well-known for its "Birds" series, they produced several other bottles as well, including this 1957 Bowmore, bottled in 1990 at 32-33 years old.

My love of Bowmore is no secret (especially to anyone who follows our Instagram) and as much as I love the older, tropical style Bowmores, particularly those from the 1960s, they're not exactly easy or cheap whiskies to procure these days. In a WhiskyFun article on a legendary Bowmore tasting (which I wasn't at, but which included this exact bottle) Angus MacRaild said  "I would hazard that Bowmore from the 1950s and 1960s is still recognised as one of the greatest spirits ever produced by mankind." 

It's pretty hard to ague.

I was fortunate enough to try this bottle thanks to the significant generosity of @whisky_is_better_aged (a name that'll come up again during these 10th anniversary tastings) - once in 2019, and again more recently.

"Moon Import" Bowmore 1957 (40% ABV, 32-33yo, Islay, Scotland, £8,500+)

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Colour: Vibrant yellow gold.

Nose: Oh my goodness, this is tropical fruit heaven. Guava at first, then passionfruit. Some slight oat cake hints, then it's back to the fruit - pineapple, more passionfruit. There are some faint floral notes too. It's definitely got character, but there's a light delicateness to it as well (no doubt at least in part due to the 40% ABV).

Palate: More of the fruit from the nose - pineapple most predominantly, but there's guava, passionfruit (in spades) and mango to a slightly lesser extent. There's also a faintly BBQ-esque meaty note, and a slight salinity that reminds you of where this whisky originated. For me though, the fruit dominates, and whilst the whisky (bottled at 40%, now with 32 years of bottle ago) is undoubtedly full of flavour, you can't help but think it would have just that little more with some additional ABV, maybe.

Finish: Medium to long in length, with a residual sea-salt smoked passionfruit note.

Rating (on my very non-scientific scale): 93/100. Ticks a lot of the tropical fruit notes I love, and is technically a very respectable whisky. Whilst I hate to default to the old "this would be better at a higher ABV" chestnut...I would have loved to try this around 50% ABV.

See you here tomorrow for #5!

Cheers,

Martin.

Benriach New Range [Tasted: #545 - #551]

Benriach has had a long history. It started off as Longmorn's sister plant in 1898 (four years following the establishment of Longmorn). Founded by the entrepreneurial John Duff, the Speyside distillery was then known as Longmorn No 2. Benriach's initial fate was fairly short-lived when it closed in 1900 and it wasn't until 65 years later that it began to distil whisky again. In the intervening years, Longmorn went through various cycles and though it officially bottled as a single malt, those releases were never as startling as Longmorn or Glen Grant.

In 2003, Benriach was once again mothballed. This time by Pernod Ricard and at the time, it looked like Benriach had jinxed its fate once again. However, this time was different, Benriach was bought in 2004 by a South African consortium, led by former Burn Stewart managing director, Billy Walker. Walker and his team launched a series of different malts including rich, heavily peated whiskies. Over the subsequent years, Walker grew Benriach into one of the most fascinating distilleries in Scotland which led Benriach to be known for carrying complex, spicy, and rather exciting quality on the palate.

Thanks to a long-standing tradition of distilling three styles of whisky; classic unpeated, Highland peated and triple distilled, together with an eclectic selection of casks from around the world, Benriach has been known to be able to explore different flavour possibilities of single malt.

This tradition continues today, under the guidance of Master Blender, Rachel Barrie and Rachel has been instrumental with Benriach's latest portfolio of single malts. The new portfolio of single malts and the new look is inspired by the distillery’s creative heritage and presents a rather diverse, versatile, fruit-laden style and a range of spectrum of whisky flavours that Benriach is known for.

On the new range, Benriach Master Blender, Dr Rachel Barrie said:

“The new range perfectly marries tradition and innovation that is central to Benriach’s story. Inspired by the 1994 bottling of the Original Ten, with its fruit-laden complexity and smooth, rounded taste, the new range re-imagines the 1898 origins of Benriach, brought to life in the 21st century through fusing distilling styles with extraordinary casks.

The new Benriach range is for those open to new possibilities, building on a wealth of experience and tradition. I invite the drinker to join me on this creative journey, as we explore the rich rewards of Single Malt whisky.” 

The core range is made up of four different expressions from a three cask maturation process

• Benriach "The Original Ten"
• Benriach "The Twelve"
• Benriach "The Smoky Ten"
• Benriach "The Smoky Twelve"

"In the new Original Ten, a more richly flavoured, rounded malt character might be discerned, whilst The Twelve balances richly sherried malt with added layers of fruit complexity, reaching a pinnacle at twelve years old.

The new Smoky Ten and Smoky Twelve explore the sweet smokiness of Benriach, enriched through innovative combinations of rum, virgin oak and marsala casks interwoven with more traditional bourbon and sherry." Barrie says

In addition to the core range, there are also three premium releases and two travel retail releases:

• Benriach "Twenty One"
• Benriach "Twenty Five"
• Benriach "The Thirty"

• Benriach "Quarter Cask" (Travel Retail)
• Benriach "Smoky Quarter Cask" (Travel Retail - note the change from peated to smoky)

In addition to Benriach The Original Ten, the Core Range will feature a new recipe for Benriach’s richly sherried twelve-year-old whisky, including port and bourbon casks combined to add to the complexity. The sweet smoky whisky distilled in the distillery’s smoke season also features in the new Smoky Ten and Smoky Twelve Year Old expressions.

The premium set sees the Twenty One, Twenty Five and Thirty Year Old Single Malts that have been put together through a diverse selection of oak casks (four different casks in fact) to provide additional layouts of complexity and richness.

The new range offers something for everyone, in particular with the core range where there are two different takes of the 10yo and 12yo that offer both, classic Speyside style malts or a smoky variant. I particularly enjoyed both the Twelve expressions and found both to be rich, creamy and quite intriguing on both the nose and the palate. The premium range, with its four cask style, provide a very unique profile. Rachel Barrie has created a very balanced yet intriguing set of whiskies, in particular across the older age profiles.

The new range; the 10yo, 10yo Smoky and 12yo will roll out this month. The 12yo Smoky will be released after Christmas time. The premium range; the 21yo, 25yo and 30yo will not land on our shores until 2022.

Benriach "The Original Ten" (43%, Speyside, Scotland, A$85) 

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Nose: The nose is rather fruity, there is apple, vanilla, sweet bread, maple syrup, sticky honey. It is quite fragrant and rich.

Palate: The palate is ladened with caramelised burnt sugar, nutmeg, nectarine or citrus, there are oranges and dry, peppery spices. There is a hint of smoke.

Finish: The finish is long and there is a level of soot and smoke

Rating: 91/100 

Benriach "The Smoky Ten" 10yo (46% ABV, 10 Year Old, Speyside, Scotland, A$95) 

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Nose: The nose has apple, peat smoke, golden maple syrup covered pancake, pineapple, crumpet, honey. It is also quite creamy on the nose.

Palate: The palate follows the nose, it is creamy, viscous and smooth. There is sweet honey and the smoke is now weaning though it is still pleasant. There is caramel and some ginger spice.

Finish: The finish is long, there is the smoky campfire

Rating: 91/100 

Benriach "The Twelve" Triple Cask (46% ABV, 12 Year Old, Speyside, Scotland, A$97) 

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Nose: The nose is filled with forest fruit, oak spices. It's peppery though balanced with some sweetness from raspberries and wild berries

Palate: The palate is rich, mouth-coating followed by some citrus and a mix of spiced elements; pepper, nutmeg, cherries

Finish: The finish is dry with some spices that remain

Rating: 93/100 

Benriach "The Smoky Twelve" (46% ABV, 12 Year Old, Speyside, Scotland, $TBC - available post Christmas 2021) 

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Nose: The nose is filled with apple, vanilla waffles followed by a subtle bonfire smoke and cherries

Palate: The palate is creamy, viscous, round and mouthful. It's a very rich mouthfeel, almost like tasting chocolate. There is moreish smoke, some cocoa and burnt orange

Finish: The smoke gently disappears into pepper and spices

Rating: 93/100 

Benriach "The Twenty One" (46% ABV, 21-Year-Old, Speyside, Scotland, $TBC - available in 2022) 

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

At twenty-one years old, Benriach takes on an elegant character, elevated by long maturation, four cask types and a combination of Benriach's unpeated and peated styles. The characters of aged bourbon, sherry, virgin oak and red wine casks intertwine to present a range of flavours.

Nose: The nose is filled with sour citrus, some fresh pine forest. Then there are gummi bear lollies, fruit, and berry fruits

Palate: There is more of those berries, citrus notes, some cocoa, peppery spice and rose water. The palate has a subtle smoke

Finish: There is a subtle smoke that remains

Rating: 93/100 

Benriach "The Twenty Five" (46% ABV, 25-Year-Old, Speyside, Scotland, $TBC - available in 2022) 

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

A rich single malt, interwoven with mellow smoke and curation of oak. After twenty-five years, it is then enhanced by four cask maturation in sherry, bourbon, virgin oak and Madeira wine casks. An appealing dram for sherry lovers

Nose: smoked apricot, dark cherry chocolate, hazelnut toffee and a mixture of dark fruits, raisins and currants. 

Palate: baked fruit, toasted oak spice, orange and cinnamon spice, finishing with rich caramelised smoke. The peppery spice builds up from then on.

Finish: Long, oaky, the cinnamon and spices continue to linger for some time

Rating: 93/100 

Benriach "The Thirty" (46% ABV, 30-Year-Old, Speyside, Scotland, $TBC - available in 2022) 

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The final malt in the premium portfolio. This expression continues the four cask maturation tradition in sherry, bourbon, virgin oak and port casks. The final product offers a deep aromatic complexity in flavour. 

Nose: The nose is buttery, filled with vanilla, honey, citrus and dark fruits; plum, figs and raisins. Cinnamon doughnut anyone? There is nuttiness that follows with subtle smoke.

Palate: The buttery, honey prevails, so too is the cinnamon doughnut. There are more raisin notes, followed by orange, citrus that followed. Some intense spices start to build at the end.

Finish: The finish is subtle, long and sweet and leaves an oaky, smoke that remains for a while.

Rating: 93/100

Cheers

Hendy

Thanks to Brown Forman for providing us with samples from the new portfolio.

A very personal experience with the new Rosebank 30 Year Old "Release 1" [Tasted #493]

The launch of a new 30yo Scotch whisky would generally be exciting enough on its own. An OB from a closed distillery, even more so. The launch of the new Rosebank 30 Year Old 1990 however was a particular special experience for me, as I was fortunate enough to be one of only 6 people around the world chosen to be part of the launch video, sharing the screen with noted spirits journalists such as Alice Lascelles (FT), Felipe Schrieberg (Forbes) and Mamoru Tsuchiya (Head of the Japan Whisky Research Centre).

Joining some of the world's most authoritative sources on whisky and spirits was pretty special, as was the whole experience of filming the video (eagle-eyed Hong Kong readers might recognise the setting as Tiffany's New York Bar, a favourite of mine), but the real treat was being able to taste the whisky months before the official release. The hard part, of course, was not being able to talk about it until today!

The first in a series of annual, limited releases, Rosebank 30 Year Old 1990 Vintage has been bottled un-chill filtered at 48.6% ABV, from casks laid down in 1990 (62% refill sherry butts, 38% refill Bourbon hogsheads) - just a few years before the distillery closed in 1993. These bottles will be marked "Release One", with each year seeing a new release leading up to the first "new" Rosebank spirit to run from the stills, now that Ian Macleod Distillers has taken over Rosebank and plan to re-open the distillery.

4,350 bottles are available, with a retail price of £1,600. As a fun way to engage buyers, Rosebank is also giving the first 200 people to scan the QR code on the neck collar of their Release One bottle the the opportunity to enjoy a dram of Release Two, and the chance to receive an early link to purchase Release Two before the general release. 

So...how does it taste?

Rosebank 30 Year Old "Release One" (48.6% ABV, 30yo, Lowlands, £1,600) 

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Colour: Bright yellow gold.

Nose: Big, rich, and lively. Orchard fruits, green apple, slight hints of mango and peach (baked peach pie), almonds, vanilla, and nectarine.

Palate: The fruit really dominates - it's not tropical, more orchard, with peach, apricot, pear, and undertones of vanilla. My mum used to make a fruit compote for Christmas, with sherry-soaked pears, apricots, nectarines etc.. and this 100% took me back to those Christmases. Has some slight oak undertones, but very balanced.

Finish: Long, lingering orange peel and a slight hint of oak at the end.

Rating (on my very non-scientific scale): 91/100. Delicious. A whisky that really brought back some memories.

A huge thanks to Ian Macleod Distillers and Wire (and especially Vicky) for the chance to be part of this awesome launch.

Cheers,

Martin.

Tasted #486 - 487: 1980s Bowmore showdown - 15yo vs 30yo

You wouldn't know it by reading through my "Tasted" posts (as I'm about 400 posts behind...), but I'm a huge Bowmore fan, and have been for a while now. Not just because of the few crazy-rare and delicious examples I've been lucky enough to try (like this), but in general, it's a distillery whose character I (usually) love. IBs mostly, but I don't mind a lot of the OBs either.

I recently had these two bottles open at the same time, and felt they warranted a post. One, an older bottling of Bowmore 15yo Mariner (bottled c.2002), the other, an IB 30yo single cask bottled by Single Cask Nation. On the surface then, they might seem quite different:

• IB vs OB
• 30yo vs 15yo
• Single cask vs vatting
• Natural colour vs (likely) coloured
• Bottled 2019 vs bottled c.2002.

...but if you work back from the ages, you realise both are late 1980s spirit - the 30yo distilled in 1989, the 15yo likely around 1987 (both are also within 1.1% ABV of each other). Given the late 1980s was a pretty notorious area for Bowmore (when the spirit was often described as overly perfumed or soapy), I couldn't resist trying them side-by-side.

Bowmore "Mariner" 15yo bottled c.2002 (43% ABV, 15yo, OB, Islay, Scotland)

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Colour: Copper-brown gold.

Nose: Musty, earthy, with perfumed peat smoke. Noticeable notes of nutty sherry, and some oak / cigar boxes after some time.

Palate: Follows the nose, with continuing subtle (yet perfumed) peat smoke, then a good whack of lavender, spice, and pot pourri. Reasonably full-bodied for 43%, but you're not going to mistake it for a cask-strength banger. 

Finish: Oak with some residual lavender spice. Medium in length.

Rating (on my very non-scientific scale): 88/100. Definitely showing some of those perfume notes evident on many Bowmores of the era, but with some other notes too, still an enjoyable dram.

Bowmore 1989 Single Cask ex-Bourbon 30yo bottled by Single Cask Nation (44.1% ABV, 30yo, IB single cask, Islay, Scotland)

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Colour: Golden amber-yellow.

Nose: It bursts with tropical pineapple, mango and papaya, and even a little passionfruit (now we're talking!) with less obvious floral and perfume notes. With time there comes lavender (subtle), vanilla and a little rancio. Interestingly, after the bottle was less than half full for a few months, the tropical notes seemed to step back a bit, and the perfume / floral notes came to the fore.

Palate: More perfume and less fruit than the nose, but still with noticeable fruit - mango, guava, lime and banana, followed by a little pot pouri. A little lemon, bubblegum, lavender and some oak round things out.

Finish: Floral, with hints of lavender again, herbal lozenges, and slight oak at the very end. Medium to long in length.

Rating (on my very non-scientific scale): 91/100. This won't be everyone's cup of tea (indeed, it wasn't), but I dug it, quite a bit. Especially those early-stage tropical notes on the nose. Yum.

Cheers,

Martin.

Tasted #460 - 462: Gordon & Macphail Summer 2019 Collection: Dallas Dhu 1969, Longmorn 1966, St Magdalene 1982

Those who have been following the blog for a while may have noticed we've been fortunate enough to try some incredible drams from Gordon & MacPhail lately. What started as a grocery business over 120 years ago has become a one of the most respected bottlers, distillers, retailers and wholesalers in the industry, with an enviable collection of casks that has allowed us to try beauties such as a 70 Year Old Glen Grant from 1948, a 50 Year Old Caol Ila, 64yo Glenlivet, a pair of 1961 Longmorns, a 46yo Benromach and many others.

Despite this ongoing stream of amazing whisky, it's always a nice surprise when another package arrives, such as it was last week when a box arrived containing a sample of these three gems:

Drinking whiskies at the ages of 36, 50 and 53yo is always going to be a special experience, but in this case especially so, as two of the three whiskies (the Dallas Dhu and St. Magdalene) come from closed distilleries - both having closed in 1983.

One thing I love about receiving these samples is cracking into them on the day they arrive (often mid-week). Some people say whiskies like these should be kept for special occasions. I say the special occasion is the fact that you have whiskies like these in front of you!

..and so it was that last Monday, I pulled out my trusty Glencairns (Crystal - these whiskies deserved it) and set to work, starting with the St. Magdalene... 

Gordon & MacPhail Private Collection 1982 from St. Magdalene Distillery (53% ABV, 36yo, Cask#2092, Lowlands, Scotland, 161 bottles, £1,000 / $13,000HKD)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Bottled from a refill American hogshead, cask #2092.

Colour: Pale yellow sunset.

Nose: Big and fruity (hello!). Pineapple, rockmelon, baked apple tarts, and a green apple waxiness. After time a sweet, herbal lozenge note emerges.

Palate: Big, sweet candied pineapple chunks, followed by vanilla cream, flambéed banana and Banoffee pie. More pineapple, then some caramel.

Finish: Long but lighter than the palate, with the herbal notes returning, the slightest hint of well-matured tobacco, then a vanilla cream puff. Long, long, long.

Rating (on my very non-scientific scale): 92/100. Delightfully graceful.


Next came the dram I was most excited to try - the Dallas Dhu. Ever since trying a Diageo Rare Malts Dallas Dhu in Italy, I've been hooked, always seeking to try as many different bottlings as I can.

Gordon & MacPhail Private Collection 1969 from Dallas Dhu Distillery (43.1% ABV, 50yo, Cask#1656, Speyside, Scotland, 176 bottles, £6,950 / $75,000HKD)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Bottled from a refill Sherry hogshead, cask #1656, filled on 10th June 1969.

Colour: Dark rusty copper

Nose: Probably one of the most unique noses I've ever experienced. First up - Vegemite (yeast spread)! Then lots of cola, walnuts, then rich espresso, tobacco and tangerine. A mixed bag, but an enjoyable one.

Palate: Just super elegant sherry - wood polish, cigar humidor, Dakr Fruit'n'Nut chocolate, and Brazil nuts. Then sultanas, and a very slight amaro bitterness. Incredible elegance overall for a 50yo though - no overly dominant notes drowning out the others, and everything in harmony.

Finish: Restrained oak, slight vegetal note. Clean to the very end, with a Vietnamese coffee sweetness emerging at the very end.

Rating (on my very non-scientific scale): 94/100. Clean, elegant and hugely complex. Truly a unique and incredible dram. 


Last of all it was time to move onto the oldest of the trio - the 1966 Longmorn, at 53yo.

Gordon & MacPhail Private Collection 1966 from Longmorn Distillery (46% ABV, 53yo, Cask#610, Speyside, Scotland, 398 bottles, £6,950 / $74,000HKD)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Bottled from a first-fill Sherry butt, cask #610.

Colour: Close enough to Coca-Cola. Deep brown mahogany.

Nose: Huge sherry notes (sultanas, muscovado sugar, glacé cherries, Christmas cake) but with an underlying herbal, almost spearmint note. After time, freshly cut flowers and sweet marshmallow.

Palate: Rich and creamy, yet subtle. All the trademark notes are there from a well-aged 1st fill sherry butt - coffee beans, sultanas, more Christmas cake, along with cherries, Espresso cream, some tobacco, caramel, rocky road and raspberries. 

Finish: Slight oak tannins behing to emerge, but a residual juiciness remains. Strong espresso notes round things out, with slightly dry oak at the very end.

Rating (on my very non-scientific scale): 91/100. A lovely sherried whisky made even more impressive by the fact that 53 years in a first-fill butt hasn't overpowered it! For me, not as complex as the other two, but still an impressive whisky.


A big thanks must again go to G&M for the drams, a diverse, unique and utterly delicious trio. The Dallas Dhu and St. Magdalene are likely to suit fans of the distillery (despite the latter being a departure from the often-sherried bottlings we see released), and the Longmorn is just a beautiful example of long-term sherry maturation done right.

Cheers,
Martin.

Tasted #430 - 431: Gordon & Macphail Connoisseurs Choice 1988 Mortlach and 1990 North British

Gordon & MacPhail's "Connoisseurs Choice" range is surely one of the most enduring and well-recognised series of IBs out there, with some amazing bottles going back over the past 50 or so years. The range underwent a facelift recently, and has since seen a number of impressive (and impressively-aged) bottles released.

When G&M sent me a sample of their 70yo 1948 Glen Grant "Private Collection", the package contained a sample of these two as well - a 30yo malt from the "Beast of Dufftown" (Mortlach) and a 28yo Grain from North British.

I always love trying an IB take on Mortlach, not to mention well-aged Grain, so these two were right up my alley.

Gordon & MacPhail "Connoisseurs Choice" from Mortlach Distillery 1988 Cask #4839 (48.8% ABV, 30yo, Speyside, Outturn of 129 bottles)

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Colour: Yellow/orange gold.

Nose: Stone fruits and spice. Stewed peaches and toffee at first, then some honeycomb.

Palate: Stewed apples, pears, candied ginger and cardamom. Robust and full-bodied, with spicy and sweet fruity notes working together nicely.

Finish: On the shorter side, with a slightly herbal bitterness and some ginger notes.

Rating (on my very non-scientific scale):  90/100.

Gordon & MacPhail "Connoisseurs Choice" from North British Distillery 1990 Cask #73847 (61% ABV, 28yo, Lowland, Outturn of 181 bottles)

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Colour: Dark copper brown.

Nose: An initial matchhead flintiness gives way to sweet, BBQ meaty notes with a touch of pepper.

Palate: Sweet red berries at first, then grapes. It's intense, rich, oily and mouth filling, with lots of the sherry notes we've all come to know and love (dried fruits, pot pourri, leather). Then it gets sweeter, turning to Crème Brûlée and milky sweet Vietnamese coffee. Water turns up the sweetness again.

Finish: Long, sweet roasted coffee beans.

Rating (on my very non-scientific scale):  91/100. Intensely sherried, but if you like that sort of thing (I do) you'll probably like this dram, especially if you like a little sweetness too.

Cheers,
Martin.

Tasted #405 - 406: 1973 42yo Longmorn and 1976 37yo Mortlach (bottled by Gordon & MacPhail)

Whilst trying the Gordon & Macphail 1961 "Private Collection" Longmorn twin casks a few weeks ago was a pretty special experience, they weren't the only drams we tried on the night. As a prelude to the two, we were treated to another well-aged Longmorn (a 1973, bottled in 2015) and a 1976 Mortlach (bottled in 2013).

Both enjoyable drams in their own right, I felt they deserved their own post...

Gordon & Macphail "Distillery Label" 1976 Mortlach (bottled 2013) (43% ABV, 37yo, Speyside, Scotland, no longer available)

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Colour: Honey gold.

Nose: Sweet raisins, clean and sharp. Cherries and treacle. Peach, then other stone fruits - pear, apricot. Some oak but nothing overpowering.

Palate: Rich and fruity - stewed pears, peach pie, apricot purée. Fruit compote with sherry-soaked apple rings and pear halves (just like mum used to make at Christmas).

Finish: Long, surprisingly spirity with some oak at the very end.

Rating (on my very non-scientific scale): 90/100. A lovely dram and an interesting twist on the usual Mortlach meatiness, but the finish didn't quite live up to the rest.

Gordon & Macphail "Distillery Label" 1973 Longmorn (bottled 2015) (43% ABV, 42yo, Speyside, Scotland, no longer available)

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Colour: Orange gold.

Nose: Cinnamon and dried apple rings. Caramel chews. Slightly dusty / earthy notes.

Palate: Slightly thin at first, then notes of spiced mince pie, apple pie, and caramel emerge. Raisings and ginger too.

Finish: Long, cinnamon spiced with hints of ginger and raisins.

Rating (on my very non-scientific scale): 88/100.

Tasting notes on the 1961 Twin Cask Longmorn set can be found here.

Cheers,

Martin.

Tasted #374: Black Bowmore 3rd Edition 1964-1995 31yo

If you follow our Instagram or Facebook pages (or even our Twitter account), you'll no doubt see we've been growing increasingly fond of vintage whisky over the past 2-3 years - whiskies bottled in the 1960s to 1990s generally, but sometimes even older than that.

Islay whiskies from years gone by can be especially good - if you ever get the chance to try a 1980s bottled Laphroaig or Lagavulin, do. They're often incredible, and completely unlike today's. Here's a good example of a 1980s bottle Ardbeg 15yo I tasted a few years ago, which blew me away.

On a recent trip to Japan, I was fortunate enough to try what many consider to be the "holy grail" of sherried whiskies - Black Bowmore. For whisky fans, Black Bowmore needs no introduction. For those who haven't heard of it - despite retailing for between £65 and £125 at the time of release, bottles have sold for over £11,000, and one is now for sale for £20,000. Quite simply, it's a whisky that has attained "legendary" status.

...although actually, "Black Bowmore" is not one whisky. There were 5 releases, all from casks filled on 5th November 1964, but released over a 24 year period as follows:

• 1st edition (released 1993): 1964-1993, 29 years old. 2000 bottles released. 50% ABV.
• 2nd edition (released 1994): 1964-1994, 30 years old. 2000 bottles released. 50% ABV.
• 3rd edition (released 1995): 1964-1995, 31 years old. 1812 bottles released. 49% ABV (the whisky below - funnily enough, called the "Final Edition" at the time)
• 4th edition (released 2007): 1964-2007, 42 years old.  827 bottles released. 40.5% ABV.
• 5th edition (released 2016): 1964-2014, 50 years old. 159 bottles released. 40.9% ABV.

See more photos on the @TimeforWhisky Instagram

A few years ago Steph and I were in Osaka, and saw the 4th edition behind the bar at Bar K. It was ¥13,000 for a half dram, and I've been kicking myself ever since for not trying it. Yes, that's an insane amount of money to spend on 15mL of whisky...but this is Black Bowmore. At today's auction prices, you're looking at many times that per dram, not taking into account the markup a bar would need to charge. I also saw it by the 25mL serve in London a few weeks ago....for £600.

On a recent trip back to Bar K, unsurprisingly it was all gone (although they did have White Bowmore, which I'll write about soon). A friend who happened to be in Osaka at the same time mentioned that another bar (Rogin's Tavern about 30 minutes away in Moriguchi) had a bottle, albeit a little more expensive at ¥17,500 for a half-dram. 

No prizes for guessing where we ventured the next night...

Black Bowmore 3rd Edition 1964-1995 bottle #1496 (49% ABV, 31yo, Islay, Scotland, price: lots and lots and lots)

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Colour: Deep, dark coffee-copper.

Nose: Hugely intense, but extremely "clean" sherry, mixed in with loads of tropical fruit - passion fruit and mango predominantly. Caramel licorice allsorts. Coffee grounds. After covering the glass for a bit then opening it again, there was some intense caramel-laced coffee beans and some tobacco smoke. Just an incredible nose - one I spent at least 20 minutes with before drinking.

Palate: Everything from the nose, with some added spice. HUGE mango and passionfruit, tinged with oak, allspice, glacé cherries, Brazil nuts, coffee beans, ripe peaches, leather, tobacco smoke and a very slight bitterness.

Finish: Long, quite sweet and reminiscent of sherry-soaked cherries.

Rating (on my very non-scientific scale):  96/100. Whiskies aren't always worthy of the hype they receive. This is, without a doubt. A truly incredible whisky.

Cheers,

Martin.