From: hunter@work.nlm.nih.gov (Larry Hunter)
Subject: Another Scotland Trip Notes & Whiskey (also a repost)
Organization: National Library of Medicine
Date: 22 Jan 93 16:22:25


Well,  if Grant can repost his Scotland notes, I can repost mine :-)

I'm also always happy to answer any specific questions anyone has. 

	Larry


I recently [July 1992] returned from a 10 day trip to Scotland, my first.  One
of my main goals for the trip was to taste a lot of whiskys, and I succeeded.
I tried to take decent tasting notes, but looking back over them, well, some
were a bit drunken.  I suppose that's a good sign...

The best pub I found for tasting malts was the Pot Still, at 143 Hope St in
Glasgow. They had more than 300 different malts for sale, at prices from #1-40
to a little over #6, (roughly $2.50-$12) most at the low end.  Although the
bartender I had didn't drink (!!), the other patrons were friendly and more
than happy to talk about whisky.  The next best spot was the Ubiquitous Chip,
at the other end of Glasgow, just off Byers Rd.  The 'Chip is a quite good
restaurant, too, and served its whisky in portions a good bit larger than the
usual 25ml.  The 'Chip has an "off-license," which means they also sell whisky
by the bottle at an attached store.  However, because of the weak dollar,
prices started at $45/750ml and went up quite a bit from there.  Even the duty
free prices were higher than what I pay here in DC.  Perhaps the best whisky I
tasted, the 40 year old Talisker, I had in an excellent restaurant on the Isle
of Skye, called the Three Chimneys.  They also had an off-license, but a bottle
of 40 year old Talisker was about #88, or well over $175.  How I wish I could
have afforded it!!

At any rate, here are my notes.  I sorted them by geography, and then
alphabetically.  In parens after the name is the age, proof and the name of the
town where the distillery is.

Highlands:

Aultmore (10 year old/80 proof/distilled in Keith)
	An adequate example of highland malt, but lacking in character.  A bit
	harsh.

Balvenie (18/80/Dufftown)
	Refined, almost Cognac-like.  Nuanced flavor, light peat, excellent
	finish.  Dark, almost carmel color.

Balvenie (10/80/Dufftown)
	Not nearly as subtle as its older relative.  Pleasant, but
	unexceptional.

Cragganmore (18/80/Ballindalloch)
	Crag' 12 year old is one of my favorites at home.  The 18 year old was
	spicier, but had an even smoother finish.  Lovely.  (I also visited the
	Cragganmore distillery, which is not open to the public.  They sold only
	the 12 year old, and basically told me to get lost.  Oh well.)

Glendronach (12/80/Huntly)
	Unlike the Glendronach I see in the States, this did not say "100%
	sherry cask aged" on the label, and the color was much lighter than the
	dark, nearly red stuff available at home.  It still tasted strongly of
	sherry, but much less overpoweringly so; I prefered this to what I was
	used to.

Glenfiddich (24/92/Dufftown)
	Quite different than its younger and very popular sibling.  Although
	still light, the older version has much more unique character, and a
	more complex undertaste.  As I recall, the heavy marketing push started
	in the mid-70's....

Glen Grant (21/80/Rothes)
	A striking highland malt; one of the best I tasted.  A smooth start,
	complex flavor, light peat, light smoke, spicy, clean finish.  The Pot
	Still had only one bottle of the 33 year old left, and they wouldn't
	open it, so I didn't get to try that, but I bet it would be even
	better.

Glenmorangie (10/40/Tain)
	The second most popular (and 2nd most highly marketed) malt in
	Scotland.  Much more interesting that Glenfiddich to my tastes, but
	still relatively little character of its own. Available everywhere,
	though.

Linkwood (15/114/Elgin)
	A barrel proof malt.  Undiluted, it has an almost astringent quality,
	making the first sip a bit rough.  Real depth & character, though, and
	wonderful with just a splash of spring water.  It is quite instructive
	to take a barrel proof, and taste it while diluting little by little.
	I find that for me there is an optimum point somewhat below 110+, but
	(guessing) higher than 80.

Lochnagar (12/80/Balmoral)
	Undistinguished highland; good, but not great.  I tasted this as part
	of a wonderful meal at the Raemoir House Hotel, about 20 miles outside
	of Aberdeen.  I selected it because it was the malt from the nearest
	distillery.  Not a great heuristic...

Macallan (18/86/Craigelliach)
	Perhaps the defining highland malt.  Amazing depth of flavor, with a
	lingering finish that goes through several stages.  Slightly higher
	proof than many others, corresponding to my experiment diluting the
	barrel proof version (see below).  I only wish I could have found the
	Macallan 25 year old...

Macallan (??/120/Craigelliach) "As we get it."
	Barrel proof Macallan, undated, although I suspect it to be about 10
	years old.  Extremely astringent at first taste, but with all the
	Macallan character.  Like with the Linkwood, my slow dilution test
	leads me to think that this is best at higher than 80 proof, which is
	apparently Macallan's judgement, too, since they bottle at 86 proof.

Scapa (24/92/Kirkwall)
	An unusual highland, lighter bodied, but still some depth of character.
	Astringent, perhaps better with a splash of water.

Singleton (12/80/Auchroisk)
	One of the major surprises of the trip.  I had never head of this
	before, but found it to be a new favorite.  It is a very new
	distillery, founded in 1975, and just started releasing whiskys.  The
	modern techniques lead to a malt that is so smooth it is almost
	invisible.  A great malt to start with, especially for someone who
	doesn't usually like hard liquor.  At the same time, an interesting
	experience for the more serious drinker.  This kind of scientific
	approach to creating great spirits is in a way similar to the results
	that Germain-Robin (California) has had with brandy.

Strathisla (21/104/Keith)
 	An excellent highland.  Slightly diluted, it has a distinctively smokey
 	taste, with a very clean finish.  On the label the small print says
 	"Strathisla-Glenlivet," since Glenlivet has bought a large number of
 	distilleries, including Aberlour-glenlivet, Glenburgie-glenlivet,
 	Longmorn-glenlivet, Milton Duff-glenlivet, etc.  The bottle that
 	Americans think of as Glenlivet is known in Scotland as "The Glenlivet"
 	or sometimes as "Smith's Glenlivet."

Tamnavulin (10/80/Tamnavulin)
	Another Glenlivet owned distillery, opened in 1966.  Quite good,
	although not exceptional, and generally very low priced.  A bargain if
	you find it.

Teaninich (26/92/Alness)
	Sweet and smokey at the same time.  Best diluted a bit (indecipherable
	notes -- perhaps too late in the evening to be trusted fully?)

Maritime/Island:

Talisker (10/40/Carbost, Skye)
	Tastes of the sea, with a hint of iodine, and much smoke and peat.  A
	classic malt.

Talisker (40/102/Carbost, Skye)
	Perhaps the best malt of the trip.  Unbelievable depth and character.
	A finish that left a pleasant memory for HOURS after my last sip.  The
	perfect combination of all the elements of malt: smoke, peat,
	smoothness.  Did not need to be diluted, despite the high proof;
	perhaps some of the alcohol had evaporated over the years?

Springbank (15/92/Cambeltown, Kintyre)
	This malt makes clear why Cambeltowns are often put in class by
	themselves.  Thick and rich, with relatively little of the iodine that
	distinguishes the other Maritime malts.  Wonderful.

Glen Scotia (8/80/Campbeltown, Kintyre)
	Much less distinguished than the Springbank.

Isle of Islay:
[Islay is my personal favorite region for Malts; I love them all...]

Ardberg (15/92/Islay)
	Rich, but not as deep or smokey as the other Islays.  My least favorite
	of the class.

Bowmore ("1970"/86/Islay)
	Rich and smooth, with the characteristic peat and trace of iodine of
	Islay.  

Bruichladdich (10/80/Islay) 	 
	Not quite of the character of its erstwhile competitors, but smooth and
	deep for a 10 year old malt.  Often an excellent value if you find it
	in the States.

Bunnahabhain (12/80/Islay)
	Somewhat sweeter that the other Islays, and with a bit rougher finish.
	Still a fine malt.

Caol Isla (14/80/Islay)
	A bit lighter than its competitors, with less smoke and peat.  A good
	introduction to the taste of Islay.

Lagavulin (16/86/Islay)
	Arguably the best of the Islays because of its balance.  A bit of
	iodine, a bit of smoke, moderately peaty.  It has the smoothest finish.

Laphoig (15/80/Islay)
	The Islay with the strongest character; very iodiny, very peaty.  You
	either love it or you hate it.  I find the 15 year old to be much more
	palatable than the 10 year old, which is more common.

Port Ellen (15/80/Islay)
	Another milder Islay.  I prefer the Caol Isla for this style.


Lowland:
[I discovered that I didn't really like the lowlands that much.  They tasted
fairly similar to each other, and with less character.  Personal taste only, of
course.]

Auchentoshan (10/40/Dalmuir, just outside Glasgow)
	Light, little character, harsh finish.

Bladnoch (8/80/Wigtown)
	Light, little character, somewhat harsh.

Kinclaith (16/80/Glasgow)
	Some character, smoother finish, but still not that interesting.  Best
	of the lowlands I tried.

--
Lawrence Hunter, PhD.
National Library of Medicine
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