About two weeks ago I put up a message with some tasting notes of  a couple of Blackadders, which I tasted at a Bottoms Up tasting in Den Bosch, at the Whiskykoning. I still had to report on the other non-Blackadder stuff I tasted there, so here it goes!

Caol Ila, Feis Isle 2010, 61.9%
Bacon and sweet peppers, smoke and charcoal. Typically a current day sherried Caol Ila. Quickly it becomes a bit lighter in the nose. Pretty fierce because of the high alcohol.

Longrow 7yo, James MacArthur’s Old Masters (bottled for Japan), 56.3%
Citrus and light smoke are dominant. Quite salty as well. The taste offers more fruit and is a little bit sweeter than I expected with citrus, vanilla, slate and ‘minerals’. The finish is pretty long and flows away more than it stops.

McCarthy’s Oregon single malt, 3yo, 40%
Everybody I heared about this whisky thinks its really good, but to me, apart from the nice and full nose it gives, it doesn’t do much. Heavy smoke and some green tea on the nose. Ash and lime on the palate, but you really have to search for it. The finish is short.

Glenfarclas 1972, 5yo, 40%
The nose is light and fruity with peach and apricot. The taste is a little bitter fruity with lemon and the finish is rather short. Its still a beautiful whisky from times gone by, but it is also still and entry level dram from the past.

Bunnahabhain 12yo, Queen of the Moorlands, Feis Isle 2010, 53.2%
Light peat with a little sweetness, but a bit bland. The taste is rather thin, peppery with some light smoke, The finish has a bit more iodine, sea weed and some peat again.

Lochside 10yo, OB, 40%
A very old Lochside bottle from when it was still operational. The nose has sweet cereal, lots of fruit (apple, pear, banana and sweet tangerine). The taste has some dough but again, lots of sweet yellow fruit. The finish is pretty long but there are not many new flavours.

Maker’s Mark Gold Was, 50%
Typical bourbon, but an improvement over the red waxed regular bottle. All flavours are a bit more expressed, although the only real difference according to Maker’s Mark is the proof. What 10% more alcohol can give you…

Glen Grant Cellar Reserve 1992, 46%
Dusty and a little thin on the nose. Sweet european oak with some peach a bit flowery as well. The taste is more sugary sweet with a little spice in it. A short finish with a little dryness. Nothing special. An improvement over regular Glen Grants, but nowhere near the older indies

Braes of Glenlivet 15yo, 1989, 56.2% (Signatory?)
The nose has leather, a little wood and some light fruit in it. The taste is a bit more fierce than I expected with old fruit, wood and light sherry. The finish is long but not very exciting.

A very very good tasting it was! Some really special bottles were discovered, and it really is a discovery since there are about 150 bottles available and you have to search them closely. In the end I found out to have missed Port Ellens, many many many other Blackadders and lots of other goodness. I hope to be invited again next year!