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Please
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me here to comment on any Dram-atics article, I'll include as
many replies as possible
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Malt vs
Malternative
or
A brace
of luxury |
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Now this is what I
call special!
A while ago I
received two samples from those rather selective folk at Wealth
Solutions in Poland. I'd describe them as a kind of modern-day
Gentleman's club seeking out luxury items for their members to
savour. Each year they tend to bottle one rather special whisky
which so far have included a 1953 Glenfarclas followed by a
superlative 1964 Karuizawa, each of which carried a price tag of
£9,999. This year they're really excelling with two bottlings,
or should that be decanterings? Firstly a 1948, 66 year old Glen
Grant bottled by Gordon & MacPhail, followed by a L'Esprit de
Tiffon cognac from the house of Tiffon's private cellar. The
price? This year the prices of these masterpieces have not been
disclosed. Well, if one has to ask the price ..........
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This
Glen Grant is a single cask, number 1369 of 1948, 66 year old
whisky, bottled at a cask strength of 46.6% abv and limited to 160
decanters exclusively offered to Wealth Solutions' own members.
The
L'Esprit de Tiffon is limited to only 150 decanters, also
exclusively for Wealth Solutions' members. This cognac is truly
unique in that it is a blend of various cognacs from the private
cellars of the house of Tiffon and although no specific age or dates
are given, it is stated that all the elements of the blend pre-date
the onset of phylloxera in France's vineyards. Phylloxera is a tiny
insect which is a pest specifically to commercial grapevines
worldwide. It originated from North America but was introduced to
Europe when botanists in Victorian England were collecting specimens
of American vines around 1850.
Welcome to today's challenge; a 66 year old malt whisky from the
house of Glen Grant alongside, dare I say officially an NAS?
Malternative 'blend' from the house of Tiffon, whose components are
known to be from no later than 1850 and, in some cases as early as
1805. |
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Glen Grant, Cask
No. 1369, 1948-2014, 66y, 46.6%
This
has a
wonderful deep golden colour. The nose hints at some very
aromatic floral delights like an English cottage garden in late
spring or early summer. Creamy vanilla begins to develop after a
couple of minutes followed by a little woodiness which slowly
expnads further. The palate just reflects everything from the
nose as suggestions of creamy vanilla and wood overlay that
delicately floral background. The finish is medium to long. My
overall impression is of an amazingly light and delicate whisky,
especially considering its age but also, when considering the
age, the gentle woodiness is no surprise and probably to be
expected. In fact one would probably expect more woodiness than
is there. This really is a magnificent whisky, an absolute
'Great' which I consider to be well worth 93 points. |
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L'Esprit de Tiffon cognac
The
colour here is one of rich oak. The nose immediately offers a medley
or cocktail of fruitiness with oranges, or perhaps even mandarins in
the foreground, then a hint of plum briefly appears to really
confuse the senses. WIth the plum-iness comes something just a
little musty but again in a really kind of fruity way. The palate
offers a really unexpected intensity, again concentrating on orange,
perhaps even oil of orange considering the intensity. This is just
so vibrant, öuxurious and yes, delightful. Can this really be 200
years old? Unbelievable. That finish is to die for, it just goes on
and on and on ........... My overall impression is of a truly
amazing experience. It's delightful, vibrant, so alive .... bloody 'ell,
it's four times as old as I am and I'm in love with it. "Great"? You
bet, 95 points worth of greatness. |
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Two magnificent experiences, two well-deserved and well-earned
magnificent scores, what more can anyone possibly say other than
magnificent and possibly, for the slightly more
financially-challenged amongst us "how much?" |
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A
selection of previous Dram-atics highlights
This section is a work
in progress and will eventually replace the textual 'recent features'
below.
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2009-2014 by Keith Wood - All rights reserved - Whisky-Emporium |
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