A Thing Of Beauty Is A Collection Of New Samples

You may remember me receiving some New Master Of Malt Bottlings a few days ago. Well actually, over a week ago now.

Doesn’t time fly when you’re having tasting fun?

Here’s the list of samples that they sent me – (all single cask, cask strength):-

• Cragganmore 20 Year Old (1991)
• Dalmore 14 Year Old (1996)
• Dailuaine 27 Year Old
• North British 20 Year Old (1991)
• Ron De Jeremy Rum

Now I’ll admit I’m not the world’s best taste reviewer of malt whisky, I obviously need more practice, but here is what my taste n’ musings produced:-

• Cragganmore 20 Year Old (1991)
  

  What Master Of Malt Says

  What I Reckon

  Nose: Toasty and soft, with lots of sweet malt. Gentle oak, which offers up notes of cinnamon and vanilla. Palate: Rounded and thick, with vanilla to the fore. This is not unlike a kind of alcoholic custard in fact, with more than a suggestion of apple strudel and stewed rhubarb. In the glass it becomes quite woody, and almost vegetal, with a hint of chamomile tea with honey in it. Finish: Good length, tangy and spicy, with a little orange zest and some cocoa. Overall: Spicy and rich, leave it in the glass and it opens up beautifully. Really a very complex whisky indeed

  Nose: Sweet, promises of vanilla. Palate: Thick and sweet, MOM’s description of an ‘alcoholic custard’ is a good one. Finish: Spicy and a sweet blackcurranty flavour at the end. Overall: Surprisingly fruity, maybe a good summer (if we ever get one!) malt?

• Dalmore 14 Year Old (1996)
  

  What Master Of Malt Says	What I Reckon
  Eek! No tasting notes. I’m on my own then.	Nose: Well it’s very pale looking (bit like me.) I know it’s a sherry maturation but it smells bourbony to me. Palate: Sweet xmas cake with lots of currants (posh make), mixed spice. Almost like a liquid cake mixture. Finish: Spicy aftertaste and the sweetness lingers. Overall: Nice malt. You could almost use it as a dessert malt. Fantastic for Xmas.

• Dailuaine 27 Year Old
  

  What Master Of Malt Says

  What I Reckon

  Nose: Lots of musty ginger spice and a hint of motor oil, which meld beautifully with classic old Speyside malt and honey on buttered burnt toast. Palate: Oily and very spicy. This oozes complexity and sweetness, with a big hit of honeycomb, gingerbread and Golden Syrup. Also, stunning notes of barley and a hint of something vaguely dessert wine-like. There is a gorgeous development of oak that appears with hints of vanilla, and rum and raisin. Finish: More ginger and syrup, something akin to cookie dough with a hint of ice wine on the tail. Overall: So decadent; one of the sweetest sherry-casked Speyside malts of this age that we’ve ever tried. Glorious!

  Nose: Certainly nice and spicy, not sure on the motor oil. Palate: Oily is certainly the word here, with loads of hot spice that attacks the tongue. Followed by a mixture of sweetness and wood. Finish: Love the sugar n’ spice! Overall: I wasn’t really sure at first, but then had another sip (or three) and it grew on me. I loved it!

• North British 20 Year Old (1991)
  

  What Master Of Malt Says

  What I Reckon

  Nose: This is definitely bourbon. Yup, that’s bourbon alright. Bourbon. Oily, laden with vanilla, hints of barrel char, some freshly ground espresso beans, a touch of cedar perhaps, and more sweet vanilla spice. But certainly bourbon. Palate: Intensely sweet, and still bourbon-like. There’s just a soupcon of something else that confirms that this actually isn’t bourbon, and is in fact a grain whisky! It’s hard to describe what that something else is though. You’ve got all the classic US whiskey flavours in there, with a big corn oil note, and plenty of butter. Actually, there’s something akin to buttered carrots done with just a pinch of ground cumin – that same kind of oily semi-sweetness and spice. It develops a lot, and offers up notes of date and walnut cake, and turmeric. Finish: Huge and intensely spiced. Something vaguely malty on the finish too (which is odd!). Maybe even a hint of hops. Very sweet, all the way through though. Overall: Astonishing. This is the most bourbon-y whisky we’ve ever tasted, and it was made in Edinburgh! Fabulous.

  Nose: Quite heavy vanilla mixed with bourbon. Palate: Very sweet and lots of vanilla. Like a JD & vanilla coke! Oily but not unduly so. Carries the other flavours well. Finish: Very spicy, stays sweet all the way through. Overall: Never tasted a malt quite like it. For me, it has a smoothness bourbon doesn’t have. Amazing.

So there you have it, all completely different with more than a few surprises.

And I have to say the Dailuaine is to die for!

As for the Ron De Jeremy, it disappeared soon after the other half saw it, so I’ll have to get my good lady to review it.

(Don’t hold your breath though, she’s denying everything. Apparently she was out of the country at the time of it going missing.)