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| Hello, that is one in every of our (virtually) day by day tastings. Santé! |
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January 14, 2025
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Shifting on with our new little sequence that do not make a lot sense. We have been having a single little Lochside, a 1981, which we’d by no means tasted, and we have been ready on a Ben Nevis from the identical 12 months to pattern them collectively, as the 2 distilleries have been at one time owned by the identical proprietor. Nevertheless, that Ben Nevis by no means arrived. What’s extra, we realised we’d by no means really tasted a 1981 Ben Nevis, regardless of having tasted 360 completely different expressions of BN already, which made the probabilities of ever discovering one even slimmer. So, we determined as an alternative to benefit from the famend Lochside alongside an Arbikie, which, after all, has completely nothing to do with it, besides that each distilleries are (or have been) situated in or close to Montrose on the east coast. Does that clarification be just right for you? I do know, it’s a little bit of a stretch. Anyway, I’ll add that, in concept, each whiskies needs to be extraordinarily fruity.
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Arbikie 5 yo ‘Cask Energy Version 1’ (59.7%, OB, Distillers Sequence, Scottish rye, 966 bottles, 2024) 
Single farm, field-to-bottle rye whisky (thus grain whisky) from 4 casks, from ‘one of the sustainable distilleries on the earth’ the place additionally they make numerous gins and vodkas. Alongside the rye right here they add wheat and malted Concerto barley. Color: mild gold. Nostril: intensely fruity and floral at first, stuffed with tangerines, lavender, and violets, then develops a ‘gin’ aspect and even hints of younger marc from Burgundy for the uninitiated taster. We’re in no way on a rye that smells of rye bread, in the event you see what I imply. With water: it strikes a lot nearer to cereal, in a really pronounced method. A refined whiff of high quality cologne. Mouth (neat): I prefer it, it’s very extreme however the form of imbalance one enjoys. A great deal of black pepper, pink pepper, mandarin zest, coriander seeds, and Earl Gray tea, with a sharper rye profile than on the nostril but additionally hints of buckwheat and an ultra-fruity character. With water: this will get virtually good, extra earthy, grainy, and with a greater variety of fruits and roots. Gentian, pear… Even a curious saline contact. In any case, the North Sea isn’t distant. End: not overly lengthy however very clear and chiselled. Briefly, extra ‘rye’. Feedback: fairly the tasting journey, the place each drop of water counts. You may have enjoyable along with your pipette for two hours—I’d even have preferred to check a number of completely different waters if I’d had the time. Briefly, it began reasonably low however reached…
SGP: 841 – 85 factors. |
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Lochside 1981/2001 (61.0%, Scotch Malt Whisky Society, #92.10) 
I’ve by no means had the possibility to style this Lochside; solely Angus has. I remorse that nobody talks about Lochside anymore, and that it’s completely unavailable these days—it was a magnificently fruity malt, although sadly uncared for by its final homeowners, the Spanish group D.Y.C., who had launched a reasonably uninspiring official 10-year-old expression, most likely tailor-made for southern markets the place whisky was usually consumed with loads of water and ice. The distillery closed in 1992 after being acquired, together with DYC, by Allied, and was later demolished and even ravaged by a fireplace. Briefly, it met a destiny reasonably just like that of Littlemill. Color: white wine. Nostril: I’d virtually forgotten how unique Lochside’s fruitiness could possibly be. Right here, alongside just a little musk, comfortable smoke, and blackcurrant buds, we discover a complete container of ardour fruits plus some pink grapefruits to finish the profile. I don’t suppose any grand fruity malt (previous Bowmore, Laphroaig, Littlemill, Bushmills, Clynelish, and so forth.) ever showcased a profile even vaguely related. With water: the pink grapefruits take the lead, joined by a touch of Petit and Grand Manseng wine. Mouth (neat): a bag of fruit sweets. Lemon, orange, mango, blackcurrant, redcurrant, pineapple, and, after all, ardour fruit. It then transitions right into a pure ‘maracuja sherbet’. With water: its solely, very slight flaw is a contact of monotony. After including water, you find yourself with one thing resembling a mixture of ardour fruit and blackcurrant juice—let’s say a 75/25 break up. End: a lot the identical. Feedback: the Lochside tower was so stunning! Bear in mind, it was initially a brewery.
SGP: 751 – 91 factors. |
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