Our Tasting "Gatherings": A malt, a beer, a malt, a beer. Who's counting!

Balvenie Tun 1401 Batch 3 nas 50.3% abv

Speyside

Nose: What a nose! Vanilla, ginger, and sherry slam you, then old wood, orange zest, earthy.

Palate: Wonderful sweetness with rich honey notes, orange & spice, cloves, nutmeg, and wood

Finish: Wow! Just goes on and on, very warming, spice, lemon zest, and some old wood creeping in.

Ardbeg Alligator Untamed Release nas 51.2% abv   Islay

Nose: Peat smoke right up front followed quickly by spice, a bit fruity in the middle with charcoal, BBQ, and chocolate on the tail

Palate: Big & sweet with that spice hitting you right away, drying with some late vanilla

Finish: Long & sweet with vanilla, smoke, leather, dry

Springbank Portwood 14yr 52.8% abv

Campletown

Nose: Wine notes, sweet & fruity, dried fruit, oak

Palate: Sweet & creamy, dried apricots, caramel, vanilla

Finish: Long & warming, smooth, with a little dryness

Glenfarclas Movember 2011 9yr 53% abv

Speyside

Nose: Nice vanilla hit with marzipan, some strong citrus notes, orange peel, then some smoke, dried fruit, and cloves.

 

Palette: Wonderful fresh oak & vanilla with some nice honey sweetness moving to fried fruit, then chocolate.

 

Finish: Long and rewarding with oak, then smoke, some spice, leather.

Port Charlotte PC9 9yr 59.2% abv

Islay

Nose: Peat smoke, then sweet peat, pepper, toffee

Palate: Creamy & sweet bourbon, oak tannins, toasted barley, oatmeal

Finish: Long and slightly sweet, then drying, leather

Kilchoman 100% Islay Barley Cask Strength 3yr 61.8% abv Islay

Nose: Peat, oily, morning campfire, salty, bananas

Palate: Sweet & creamy, peat smoke leaning toward that burning campfire, vanilla, and apple crisp

Finish: Long and spicy, smoke, spice

Darkest of darks!

                  

Big & Beefy! (not us - the whisky)

Southern Tier "2X Milk Stout" 7.5% NY

Nose: Malty with a little hop, honey & chocolate notes

Palate: Chocolate malt, slightly sweet

Finish: Medium with milk chocolate

McNeill's "Dark Angel" Stout VT

Nose: Hoppy with dark chocolate notes

Palate: Malty sweetness, dark chocolate, roasted coffee, bitter

Finish: Short & drying, slightly swet

The Lost Abbey "Serpents Stout" 11.0% CA

Nose: Sweet & malty with dark chocolate notes

Palate: Rich, dark bitter chocolate, sweet & creamy

Finish: Short

North Coast "Old Rasputin" Russian Imperial Stout Bourbon Barrel Aged 11.5% CA

Nose: Sweet, chocolate, light malt

Palate: Chocolate, sweet bourbon

Finish: Short

The Lost Abbey "Deliveance Ale" 12.5% CA

A Blended Aged Ale in Bourbon & Brandy Barrels

Nose: Light malty nose

Palate: Chewy, fruity, sweet, with bourbon notes

Finish: Short

Mikkeller "Black" 17.5% Belgium

Nose: Molasses, malty

Palate: Beef bouquet, strap molasses, liquorice

Finish: Short

There are friends who pass like ships in the night,
Who meet for a moment then sail out of sight,
With never a backwards glance of regret,
Friends we know briefly, then quickly forget.

Then there are friends like you that sail together,
Through quiet waters and stormy weather.
Helping each other through joy and strife,
These are the friends who bring meaning to life.

Thanks to all of you for sharing this journey