The first day of the annual Blind Tasting Competition by Best of Wines is almost a week ago, and so far I’m doing insanely bad.

In part because I’m really bad at blind tasting, and in part because I still have a cut-off point of 11 PM in my head, since that was the cut-off point during the Usquebaugh Society’s Blind Tasting Competition. Add to that the fact that I’m quite forgetful, and we’re getting somewhere.

So, 6 guesses in. 1 I forgot, 1 I missed the deadline for. Fuck-all in points (excuse my French).

The first dram of this year’s competition was the 13 year old peated Arran from a Pinot Noir cask that came out last year. It’s an exclusive bottling for The Netherlands which I reviewed before. Of course I didn’t recognize it, but that’s the drawback of the way I do whisky.

At some point, John Beach said something like, you have to get through half a bottle of something before you really get to know it. So, only trying a sample of everything only gives us a first impression, and not a lasting acquaintance with a dram. Hence me not recognizing it (or at least, that’s what I tell myself).

Sniff:
Leathery and old fashioned, a whiff of smoke in the background. A rather highland-like whisky, if I may say so. There’s quite a bit of alcohol to be found on a bigger sniff. Old apples,

Sip:
Dry on the palate, with some white pepper for heat, but a lower ABV than I expected on the nose. Dipping under the 50% now. Leather, old fashioned funkiness. Some leathery apples too, wood and a hint of dry sherry as well.

Swallow:
There’s a long finish that only slowly dissipates. The funkiness remains longest, as does the oak. Still quite dry, and with a whiff of smoke.

What could it be? Benromach? A slightly older one, but not the official 15 and 21. But Benromach is quite a heavy dram and this one isn’t. This makes me try to think of something else. Glen Garioch maybe? Because of its dryness and slight smokiness.

I went with Glen Garioch in the end, at 17 years old and 50% ABV. That was the first zero pointer for me. I never even considered Arran, mostly because I don’t associate peat with the distillery.

88/100, this time.

Still a recommended bottle available from Best of Wines for just shy of € 70. Well worth it!