Our wine group has members that go both ways - wine and whisky aficionados. We
all pick up oddball malts when we get the chance, and to share the experience,
we do a single malt whisky tasting about 3 times a year, as a change from wine
tasting, and these are the notes from our autumn event.

There were 3 groups of malts - a trio each of Lowland, Speyside, and
Campbeltown malts. Notes are taken both straight (1), and with the addition of
a very small aliquot of water (2).

Lowland:

Rosebank Signatory - 1). very light in colour, with a hot medicinal nose with
no detectable peat. 2). the nose improved and became more floral with water.
There was no significant change on palate. Some really liked this malt - I was
pretty neutral about it.

Auchentoshan 21 year old - 1). 55.4% alcohol! Medium colour, sherry nose, hot
in the mouth but smooth and complex. 2). Sweet caramel in the mouth, smooth and
rich and very much like a good Brandy. My favourite of the night.

Auchentoshan Three Wood triple distilled - 1). even darker, with a rathe odd
nose more like Bourbon than you'd expect given that they mature it in Pedro
Ximenez Sherry casks. 2). water tames the heat on palate considerably, does
nothing for the nose.

Speyside:

Glen Keith 1983 10 Year Old - 1). clean spicy nose, balanced and finished well
with a salty note. 2). water sweetens the malt in the mouth but harms the nose
- best not to dilute this one.

Singleton of Auchroisk 10 Year Old - 1). fresh wood nose, pithy, and neither
Bourbon nor Sherry in style. Starts off slightly sour in the mouth, then
improves. 2). water changes the nose to vanilla and fresh hay, mellows it on
palate and brings out a subtle anise note at the end - better with water.

Longmorn 15 Year Old - 1). Nose not very expressive - some barley sugar
perhaps? Bit hot in the mouth. 2). Not much change in the nose with water, but
it tones down the heat. This one was a bit one dimensional, so we tried more
water yet, which did bring out the fruit, but killed the nose.

Campbeltown:

Springbank 10 - 1). nice pervasive nose, and good in the mouth without water.
2). water makes it sweeter in the mouth, doesn't harm the nose.

Glen Scotia 1990 (from the MacPhail Collection) 11 Year Old - 1). a nose like a
cross between low tide at the marina and a tire on fire was more than a bit
off-putting. Peat and seaweed in the mouth. 2). water mellowed this monster a
bit, but it was still hard to get past that nose. One person wanted more, the
others wanted to get rid of what they had!

Campbeltown Loch 25 Year Old - this is a blend from Springbank - 1). sweet
candlewax citronella nose with some vanilla, bit hot, sweet in the mouth. 2).
water mellows the heat nicely, but this one isn't up to the single malts. Nice
dram if you don't have a single malt handy, mind you!

Very impressive. I liked reading this as a change of pace. I am also
starting to get into single malts and compared this to the malts that I do
drink. But I also like a good brandy on occasion and sitting down and
reading these reviews and questions including Brandies and Single Malts
would add a nice completion to the wine knowledge that is here.

Just my two cents.

Mark
Not4wood

"Bill Spohn" > wrote in message
...
> Our wine group has members that go both ways - wine and whisky
aficionados. We
> all pick up oddball malts when we get the chance, and to share the
experience,
> we do a single malt whisky tasting about 3 times a year, as a change from
wine
> tasting, and these are the notes from our autumn event.
>
> There were 3 groups of malts - a trio each of Lowland, Speyside, and
> Campbeltown malts. Notes are taken both straight (1), and with the
addition of
> a very small aliquot of water (2).
>
> Lowland:
>
> Rosebank Signatory - 1). very light in colour, with a hot medicinal nose
with
> no detectable peat. 2). the nose improved and became more floral with
water.
> There was no significant change on palate. Some really liked this malt - I
was
> pretty neutral about it.
>
> Auchentoshan 21 year old - 1). 55.4% alcohol! Medium colour, sherry nose,
hot
> in the mouth but smooth and complex. 2). Sweet caramel in the mouth,
smooth and
> rich and very much like a good Brandy. My favourite of the night.
>
> Auchentoshan Three Wood triple distilled - 1). even darker, with a rathe
odd
> nose more like Bourbon than you'd expect given that they mature it in
Pedro
> Ximenez Sherry casks. 2). water tames the heat on palate considerably,
does
> nothing for the nose.
>
> Speyside:
>
> Glen Keith 1983 10 Year Old - 1). clean spicy nose, balanced and finished
well
> with a salty note. 2). water sweetens the malt in the mouth but harms the
nose
> - best not to dilute this one.
>
> Singleton of Auchroisk 10 Year Old - 1). fresh wood nose, pithy, and
neither
> Bourbon nor Sherry in style. Starts off slightly sour in the mouth, then
> improves. 2). water changes the nose to vanilla and fresh hay, mellows it
on
> palate and brings out a subtle anise note at the end - better with water.
>
> Longmorn 15 Year Old - 1). Nose not very expressive - some barley sugar
> perhaps? Bit hot in the mouth. 2). Not much change in the nose with
water, but
> it tones down the heat. This one was a bit one dimensional, so we tried
more
> water yet, which did bring out the fruit, but killed the nose.
>
> Campbeltown:
>
> Springbank 10 - 1). nice pervasive nose, and good in the mouth without
water.
> 2). water makes it sweeter in the mouth, doesn't harm the nose.
>
> Glen Scotia 1990 (from the MacPhail Collection) 11 Year Old - 1). a nose
like a
> cross between low tide at the marina and a tire on fire was more than a
bit
> off-putting. Peat and seaweed in the mouth. 2). water mellowed this
monster a
> bit, but it was still hard to get past that nose. One person wanted more,
the
> others wanted to get rid of what they had!
>
> Campbeltown Loch 25 Year Old - this is a blend from Springbank - 1). sweet
> candlewax citronella nose with some vanilla, bit hot, sweet in the mouth.
2).
> water mellows the heat nicely, but this one isn't up to the single malts.
Nice
> dram if you don't have a single malt handy, mind you!
>
>

"not4wood" > wrote in message
...
> Very impressive. I liked reading this as a change of pace. I am also
> starting to get into single malts and compared this to the malts that I do
> drink. But I also like a good brandy on occasion and sitting down and
> reading these reviews and questions including Brandies and Single Malts
> would add a nice completion to the wine knowledge that is here.
>
There is the alt.drinks.scotch-whisky, of course. Main focus is indeed
single malts, with some interesting asides on Canadian and U.S. whiskeys.
Anders

Thanx just asking LOL.

Mark G.
Not4wood

"Anders Tørneskog" > wrote in message
...
>
> "not4wood" > wrote in message
> ...
> > Very impressive. I liked reading this as a change of pace. I am also
> > starting to get into single malts and compared this to the malts that I
do
> > drink. But I also like a good brandy on occasion and sitting down and
> > reading these reviews and questions including Brandies and Single Malts
> > would add a nice completion to the wine knowledge that is here.
> >
> There is the alt.drinks.scotch-whisky, of course. Main focus is indeed
> single malts, with some interesting asides on Canadian and U.S. whiskeys.
> Anders
>
>