Single Malt Lover!

Auchentoshan 12yo (40%, OB)

Very few people know that this bottle is actually not common in Europe.  Color: light brown.  Got this sample in Open House.  Nose: Straw, Malty.  Quite nice.  Fruity and hint of nut.  Again, very high standard Auchentoshan.  But I just don’t like the palate.  Quite Oil.   Finished long.  Even more malty feel after adding wate.  Score: 81.

 

 

Serendipity NAS (40%, OB , vatting of Ardbeg and Glen Moray)

Golden yellow.  Very fruity.  Citrus, nutty.  Some sulfer earth feel. Cake?  Very lightly peated.  Even more nutty when tasting.  Seems like about 12yo, maybe 15yo.  Finished dry.  And not bad.  Adding water got orange feel.  And quite nice.  Score:77.  General speaking not bad.  But something I don’t like in it.

 

Golden, clear, quite oil. Very honeyish, very Balvenie. Soft, mild, gentle elegent. Another very nice 25yo Balvenie. I like it. Score: 88.

Bowmore 12yo 1991/2004 (OMC, 50%, 156b.)
Light yellow. Sea, island, not very Bowmore. Clear Malty sweet. robust. simple. Score: 83.

Macallan 24yo 1979/2003 (55.5%, Proveance, Spring)
Yellow. Matly. Toffee. Chocolate. should be sherry cask with some caramel. Score: 82.

Glenlivet 29yo 1975/2004 (53.9%, Signatory, sherry Butt#5720, 432b.)

Brown color.  Clear chocolate, smoky.  Clear fruit.  Quite complex yet acceptable sherry.  finished long.  Score: 88. a very nice sherry Glenlivet.

Springbank 1962 (46%, OB, bottled +/- 1995, Big S label)

This one could be an exclusive bottle for Taiwan.  Color: Golden, very oil, very fine and beautiful legs.  Nose, very beautiful malty and nutty nose.  Mint, then hint citrus.  Some rice and mint as well.  After a while, some tropical fruit comes out.  Palate: Smooth yet powerful.  Quite enjoyable.  Finish: Malty sweet. Long.  Quite a palate killer.  Score: 86.

 

Balveine 10yo (40%, OB, Cognac Bottle)

This bottling was sold before 1992, when Balvenie change to the current outlook.  The “Cognac Bottle” sold quite a lot in France.  And was said to the single malt taste like a cognac.  Color: golden brown.  Quite oil as an 40% one.  Thick legs yet going down slow.  Nose: very nice citrus but with a hint of chocolate.  Very balanced vatting as the first impression.  Some light flower nose brings out the honey house style.  Then turned orange like.  Palate: quite smooth and easy yet still got some power.  Medium Body.  Medium Finish..  Adding water got more orange feel and a little bit caramel, and also some mint.  The orange feel stay in the mouth quite long.  A very enjoyable malt!  Score:86.

 

 

Celebrating Feis Ile 2005 – Port Ellen

Port Ellen 是八零年代全球經濟蕭條下的犧牲品!

嚴格說起來, 參與 Feis Ile 的是 Port Ellen Malting, 不是 Port Ellen 這間酒廠, Port Ellen 早已在1983年關廠, 酒廠也已在2003年完全剷平, 目前大家去參觀的是Port Ellen Malting 這間專業發麥芽工廠!

Ardbeg 是許多資深品酒家的最愛!

初次品嘗Ardbeg 的人常常會被那類似正露丸似的味道所嚇到! 但是接觸single malt 一段時間的人都會沉迷於他那厚實粗曠卻又複雜而有層次的風格不可自拔, 也難怪酒廠高年份的裝瓶動輒上萬, 每每有特殊單桶裝瓶都會在開賣後一個小時內銷售一空!

喝過Bunnahabhain 很難不被那滄桑的老船長標籤所感動, 我記得會一邊喝著Bunnahabhain 一邊想著老船長是否遠眺著我深愛的Islay?

Bunnahabhain 原本隸屬於Edrington Group, 可惜的是集團旗下已經有兩間名廠Macallan 及 Highland Park, Bunnahabhain 也就一直被掩蓋在名廠的光環下, 同 長都被當作調和威士忌的基酒而很少被裝成單一麥芽! 當然, 在這樣的前提之下, Bunnahabhain 通常都是以低泥煤麥芽蒸餾的, 大多數的Bunnahabhain 都感覺不到艾雷的特色, 僅有在很少數的裝瓶中可以感受的到泥煤味!

Jura 是位於Islay 東北方的一個島嶼, 與Islay 最近的地方只隔一公里左右, 面積遠大於Islay, 但是長久以來都因航行困難而被荒廢, 目前已成為野生動物的天堂, 想要到Jura島一定要經過Islay! 目前由一台二次大戦留下來的登陸艇來回跑, 想過去Jura 的人只要把車停在港口排隊, 一次可以運兩台車, 大多數的人都會在等船的時間下車進去旁邊的Port Askaig Hotel喝杯麥酒或是威士忌! 單程坐船只要大概十分鐘就到了, 比從淡水坐到八里還要近!

Isle of Jura 這間酒廠的歷史雖然可以回溯到1810年, 但是中間經過數次整修, 最後在1901年正式關廠, 許多人再提到Jura 時都會提起當地最有名的作家喬治歐威爾(George Orwell), 不過在他完成他的著名小說 “1984” 的時候酒廠是完全荒廢的! 目前的酒廠是在1958年由當地的兩位地主為了挽救日益流失的居民所做的努力, 這項努力證明是有效的, 因為島上居民從那時候有接進百分之百的成長, 由原本的150人增加到250人!

重建的Isle of Jura 是設計成高地風格的酒廠, 使用長頸的蒸餾器, 低泥媒的麥芽, 這間酒廠的酒呈現細緻而晚熟的風格! 最近幾年酒廠嘗試的要找出自己的特色, 開始有了一些特殊的裝瓶, 也逐漸讓世人對這間酒廠有了些新的認知!

Glengoyne 30yo 1973/2004 (48.6%, OB, Cask#1543, 240b.)

Yellow brown.  Very oil.  Smoky! (very strange, probably from Brian’s smoking!) Orange, vanilla.  Firm body.  Very long finish.  Should be from a sherry cask, but lightly sherried.  Adding water get malt sweet and more orange feel.(Like Fanta)  Score: 90.  A very nice dram.

 

Port Ellen 1979/2003 3^rd Release (57.3%, OB)

如何描述Bowmore 是一件很令我傷腦筋的事情, 最主要的原因應該是我不怎麼喜歡Bowmore的風格! 其實並不能說是Bowmore的酒不好, Bowmore相當的有深度而有特色, 最主要不喜歡的原因應該是來自Bowmore 特有的海藻味吧! 但是, 有點有趣的, 雖然不喜歡, 我喝過的Bowmore還真不少, 而且評價高的也頗多, 這也算是一個異數吧!

Bowmore也是五個蘇格蘭僅存仍有在酒廠作地板發麥芽的酒廠之一, 使用自己發的麥芽比例也高達40%, 在酒廠陳年的酒的比例也很高! 蒸餾器的設計也是希望蒸餾出雄厚酒體的威士忌, 但是由於泥煤含量低, 所做出來的酒也與Laphroaig 有很大的差異! Bowmore 也是少數很重視雪莉桶陳年的酒廠, 酒廠一直都維持大約15% 陳年的酒是雪莉酒桶! 另外, Bowmore 也是少數重視finish 的酒廠,!

Laphroaig 網站應該是我最喜歡的原廠網站吧!
http://www.laphroaig.com/

“我很堅持Bruichladdich Day 必須是禮拜天”, 這是當我在Bruichladdich Academy的時候, 我崇拜的大師 Jim McEwan 跟我說的! “因為我根本就不在乎有多少外地人來, 我只在乎島上的居民能不能來!” Bruichladdich Day 是島上居民在Feis Ila 裡面唯一會參加的酒廠日, 如果不在假日, 他們就沒辦法參加了!