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

Glenfarclas 1965 43yr (yes 43) 50%  One of only 583 bottles

Nose: Big sherry hit, oak tanins, orange rind, butterscotch

Palate: Sherry, stewed fruit, dark chocolate

Finish: Long, warming, bit spice, toffee.

Extremely satisfying and complex from start to finish. Amazingly well rounded.

Pittyvaich 12yr 43% (Flora & Fauna)
Speyside

Nose: Fruity, spice, orange, cooked raisins

Palate: Orange zest, citrus, smooth

Finish: medium & spicy

Bowmore 2000 7yr 46% abv ncf

Nose: Peat, fresh sea air, citrus

Palate: Toffee, dried fruit, smoke

Finish: Medium, spicey, peat on the tail

Exceptional for a 7yr old.

Mortlach 16yr 43% abv (Flora & Fauna)
Speyside

Nose: Sherry and toffee, sweet

Palate: Candied fruit, spice, sherried, very complex

Finish: medium with a bit of spice

Aberlour 18yr 43% abv
Speyside

Nose: Butterscotch, chocolate, ripe peaches, orange zest

Palate: Great sherry hit, apricot, oak, honey

Finish: Long, toffee, bit of oak, well balanced

As an intro to this final Ardbeg in the series we’ll taste two of the bottling’s leading up to this one, the “Still Young” and the “Almost There”.

Ardbeg 1998 Renaissance nas 55.9%

Nose: Fresh peat, baked apples, smoke, a bit spicy

Palate: Smoked peat, coal, spice, bit fruity

Finish: Smoke and spice, slight dryness, burnt oak, honey.

Rating: 4.5

Excellent!

The surprise of the evening was this next single malt. It was the last malt of the evening so our taste buds were shot, but this one still came through with flying colors. So much so Deb and I had another dram the next evening just to have a go at it with fresh taste buds. Even more fantastic. However I did not take any notes, so here I am now tasting it again. Tough job!

Ben Nevis 1997 10yr Port Wood Finish 46%

Nose: Wine, dried fruit, dark chocolate, spice

Palate: Port, stewed fruit, chocolate pudding, spice

Finish: Long, spice, apricots

Rating: 4

Very complex and much more going on there than I can pick up. Just gets better with every sip. One not to miss.

Great selection we managed to taste somehow. Always some great surprises.

Southern Tier “Jahva”: Imperial Coffee Stout
11% abv, NY

Nose: Malty, coffee

Palate: Coffee, chocolate, roasted malt, good carbonation

Finish: Medium, bit of hops on the tail

“1809” Berliner Weisse 5% abv, Fritz Briem Germany

Nose: Hoppy, citurs, fruity, bit malt

Palate: Lemony and light

Finish: Short with a bit of dryness

Left Hand Brewing Co “Smoke Jumper” Smoked Imperial Porter, 2008 Bottle Conditioned, no abv listed

Nose: Smoke, roasted malt

Palate: Dark malt, toasty

Finish: Medium, smooth

Stone Brewery “13th Anniversary Ale” 9.5% abV
Calif

Nose: Pine, citrus, hops

Palate: Light fruit, sweet

Finish: Short, refreshing

Troegs Flying Mouflan Ale, 9.3% abv
Troegs Brewing Co. Harrisburg, PA

Nose: Citrus, hops

Palate: Bitter hops

Finish: Short

What can I say other that WOW! The 43 Yr Old Glenfarclas was just superb. We started off with this one and it was hard to move on, You just wanted to savor every sip.

Mouth-watering to say the least.

Another “first-timer! It was great to have my son Jamie at the tastings for the first time and hope he can join us again soon.