our tasting notes
here are our impressions...
the tasting notes from the 2th Speyburn Tasting
Original Bottling 10y (2005-2015) 40% Bottled for Mini Bottle Club UK
Nose: This 10y is from 2005, actually smells like the current one, looks like it too, maybe due to the dye. Callaman says it smells a bit more delicate; we just don't know what exactly he means.
Mouth: Pear-apple-vanilla compote and buttery smooth taste. Association of "blotting paper" from which they used to make paper balls.
Slight peppery note in the aftertaste. Sweet.
Conclusion:A summer whisky
Gordon & MacPhail Connoisseurs Choice 30y 43% 04/1974-06/2004
Nose: Petroleum, slightly fermented pear, Old Bottle Flavour! 100%! Library, wax lubricating oil, a bit musty and fruity, ripe banana, some mango, grapefruit or lime. To kneel down, what brilliant old stuff. Top whisky.
Mouth: oily soft, yet slightly spicy start and then this fruit basket that oily explodes in my mouth, a hammer, old workshop with fruit. Later a bite into the oak board.
The aftertaste is also sweet and dry, and spicy on the tongue. An incredibly extraordinary whisky, the next one will have a hard time.
Conclusion: With this whisky, we celebrated ourselves, the clan, and this great idea of being the clan.
Douglas Laing Old Malt Cask 12y 50 % 10/2005 - 2/2018
Nose: Caramel in its purest form. Werther's Echte, lots of pear, nutty aromas, plus something like mountain air, by the lake, meadow and so on, something fresh. Plus a herbal note.
Mouth: doughy, oak, freshly ground pepper. Vanilla, not much to notice of the sherry. Supposed to be sherry butt; it must have been an arid one.
Water is allowed in there too. Personally, I like it better with water. Smoky or rudimentary, there was no consensus. Meaty, according to the Callaman.
Conclusion: This one gets another particular test; he could lose right after the 74.
Speyburn Clan Germany 1st Release (vatted by Callaman) 15 different Speyburns
Nose: port, ripe banana again. Some varnish at the back, some sherry.
Mouth: very spicy, lovage, caramel, herbs and a few old goods on the nose.Nice and spicy and a rich attack without being aggressive. A whole load of herbs with old sherry bound in leather and then oak pushes on.
Conclusion: Nice, long, fat finish. Simply delicious!
SMWS 88.2 Speyburn 13y 63,2% 05/1980 - 08/1993 bottled for Blair Import USA
Nose: has something of lovage and musty cellar, cheese, herbs, sherry, polished shoes with beeswax. It is remarkable, a lot of air is necessary beforehand. It needs a long time in the glass.
Mouth: Leather, clear, a tangy portion of smoke, honey, herbs. A completely atypical Speyburn. A nice sherry note comes out with a bit of water, still leather, still smoke; this is powerful stuff. A really weird Speyburn! It's salty, and not too much so! First honey-sweet and then light sulphur, and it becomes drier. This malt would fill an evening; you could spend hours with it.
Thanks again, Callaman, for landing this one.
With water, it's as sharp as a whip! The Society Punch rasps the larynx.
Conclusion: I have to say, that all the previous ones were good. This one is better.
Original Bottling 21y 60,1% Single Cask 2713
Nose: Gooseberries, but now after a few minutes, the whole can of sherry, dark fruits, herb-mint sweets soaked in sherry.
Mouth: First, a slightly aggressive board, lots of sherry, spice, lots of alcohol. It lasts a long time; this is a tight max!
A fabulously beautiful sherry note. Only with water does it crack open and become pretty horny at the end. A slight sulphur note at the very end, what awesome stuff.
Conclusion:What a finish! A board, a finisher, that definitely ends the evening.