Gourmet Evenings, Whisky Tastings & Private Parties

Late Summer and Autumn 2009 to Spring 2010

This series of tastings will offer the chance to enjoy not only the excellent bottlings of today, but also many lost treasures from the past. In fact, the first two tastings include some wonderful examples of bottles which are just no longer generally available and are now very hard to locate.

The first two events are now scheduled and pre-bookings are being accepted! These two tastings will be run in a very cosy, intimate and relaxed atmosphere at a location just a few minutes walk from the Erding S-Bahn station. There will only be 6 places available for each date, therefore each tasting will be offered on two different days to give everyone an opportunity to sample these great drams. If you would like to have more information, or pre-book any places, send your details by E-Mail to Sales@Whisky-Emporium.com

Tasting No. 1; The Power & the Glory

Friday & Saturday 11th & 12th Sept. 19:30hrs, Price € 50 p/p which includes 2cl of each whisky, water and bread with the drams for clearing the palate, a platter of selected hams and cheeses in the mid-tasting break, plus a selection of rich chocolate and smoked salmon to accompany the whiskies.

Six very limited edition bottlings which are very hard to find and which all have gloriously powerful flavours, in their own ways.

Glenburgie; 15 years old, 1992-2007, CS (distillery only) edition, 58.8% ABV

Nose: Finest Stollen (German Christmas cake with light fruit and marzipan) and those wonderful little Vanilla Christmas biscuits.

Palate: Light fruit, marzipan and vanilla (as per nose), but this one is smooth and long with the flavours hanging from the roof of the mouth.

With 5 drops of water: Even longer!

Overall Impression: I once ran a tasting where I offered a Glenfarclas QC as my definitive Christmas dram. This is also a typical Christmas dram, but for a German as opposed to English palate as the flavour is fruity, but softer and gentler with more marzipan.
An excellent whisky!

Dallas Dhu; 21.2.1978 - 2.8.2001, 23y,  cask 344, Bottle 109 / 844, 46% ABV

Nose: In complete comparison to the very pale colour, the nose is extremely strong and powerful. It offers a little malt, some liquorice and quite a heavy dose of aniseed.

Palate: This is initially much friendlier than the nose suggests. It is smooth and very gentle. No real trace of aniseed - thank goodness. But there is some malt, just a little liquorice and hints of something quite floral.

Overall impression: This one is difficult, it is a lovely dram with strong flavours, but I struggle to identify them individually. It's definitely an after-dinner dram as it is so strong and would overpower any food eaten afterwards or alongside it.
I like it!

Macallan 18y, 1979-1997, dated classic label, 43% ABV

Nose: Wonderfully rich raisins, sultanas, oak and a little hint of walnuts

Palate: smooth and creamy texture with a melody of oak, raisins and sweet English Christmas cake fighting for prominence.

With 3 drops of water: The water allows the raisins to win prominence as they now linger long and luxuriously on the palate.

Overall Impression: I am tempted to say they don't make them like this anymore, but in fact, they do, thankfully!
A lovely rich sherry-cask classic, exactly what a Macallan should be!

Ardbeg 1974, Signatory (dumpy bottle), Casks 662 & 1034, bottle 50 / 362, distilled 22.3.1974, bottled 6.4.1998, 51.2% ABV

Nose: A Winter evening in front of an open fire in my favourite Yorkshire Dales pub. This whisky has a delightful mixture of both peat and wood smoke on the nose.

Palate: An initial tingle of peat and smoke on the tongue soon expands to include a touch of warming apricot.

With 3 drops of water: The nose is mellower and the palate is slightly smoother with a strengthening of the peat and smoke which replaces the earlier fruitiness.

Overall Impression: I have never been disappointed with any 1974 Ardbeg that I have tried and this is no exception.
A wonderfully smooth whisky with much more than just peat and smoke.

Bowmore 17y, First fill Sherry Butt, cask 2060, 19.8.1991-3.11.2008, 56.2% ABV

Colour: Wonderful rich oak

Nose: Currants, raisins, old oak and a little smoke.

Palate: Those raisins and currants are present, but the smoke also makes an appearance along with wonderful Scottish heather.

Overall Impression: This really is an extremely good Bowmore, possibly one of my favourites.

‘Port Charlotte’ PC7, 7 years old, 61% ABV

Nose: Peat over (that typical Bruichladdich) passion fruit.

Palate: Much sweeter and smoother than I expected. The initial flavour is that of the passion fruit, but this soon grows to include peat and smoke which lingers on the palate for a long time.

With 4 drops of water: The fruit rather than the peat increases on the palate with water. This is quite surprising.

Overall Impression: I remember this distillation as the PC5 and it was a real monster. This has now experienced 2 more years of maturation and I have to say, it is better for it. This whisky is much more civilised, smoother and yet it still contains lots of smoke and peat for the peat-heads amongst us.

Tasting No. 2; Smooth, Sophisticated & Subtle

Friday & Saturday 9th & 10th Oct. 19:30hrs, Price € 50 p/p which includes 2cl of each whisky, water and bread with the drams for clearing the palate, a platter of selected hams and cheeses in the mid-tasting break, plus a some extra delights, specially selected to accompany the whiskies.

Six very desirable drams which show Scottish single malt whisky at some of its best. With complex, smooth, subtle and sophisticated flavours they will surely make us all wish that these editions were more readily available and not so rare!

MiltonDuff Glenlivet, Late 1980’s bottling (green tube & label), 12y, 43% ABV

Nose: Malt and some fresh herbs, with an emphasis on the freshness.

Palate: Delightfully soft and smooth with some very gentle hints of creamy toffee. Thankfully, the finish is really quite long and persistent; in fact I would be happy for it to stay around all day long!

Overall Impression: Wow, I love this whisky, possibly and unbelievably, even more so than the earlier (brown tube) bottling

Clynelish, 32y, March 1971 - Nov 2003, Cask 2704, bottle No. 108, 54.2% ABV

Nose: Very floral with hints of liquorice and malt

Palate: Deliciously smooth with an immediate nutty fruity tingle. This is extremely intense and you can tell it's CS at over 50%! The rich flavours of nut and fruit (apricot / peach) last almost forever on the front middle of the tongue.

With 3 drops of water: The nose had gained a little vanilla. The flavours are the same, but fiercely more intense.

Overall Impression: I love this whisky!!!

Glen Garioch, 1980’s bottling, 8 years old, cream label, brown tube, 43% ABV

Nose: Hay, grass and perfumed malt

Palate: Smooth and warming with slightly perfumed, flowery toffee which is very short on the first sip, but stays much longer on the second.

Overall Impression: I really like the modern Glen Gariochs with their full-on toffee flavours but this one is much more subtle, encompassing some delightful soft touches of perfume and flowers over the slight toffee flavours which remain in the background.

This is a delightful dram and I am so sorry that they don’t make it like this any more!

Glenallachie, cask strength edition for distillery sales only, 57.1% ABV

Nose: Toasted raisins on an open camp fire.

Palate: Rich raisins coated in marzipan which linger forever.

With 4 drops of water: The nose intensifies and so does the taste. The marzipan is brought to the fore and it lasts even longer on the middle of the tongue, tingling and warming for an extremely long time.

4 More drops of water liven this even more, although in retrospect, I think the first four were enough.

Overall Impression: If you like full-bodied, sherry-cask drams, then this is a must as it just goes on and on …….

Lochside, V. Rare (G&M) 'CC' white map label, distilled 1981, bottled 1996, 40% ABV

Nose: Butterscotch, barley and marzipan (almond) with the slightest hint of aniseed.

Palate: Smooth and warming on the tongue with a delightful butterscotch flavour slowly giving way to the almonds.

Overall Impression: I like this whisky, very much. If I were to criticise it, I would probably comment on it being just a little watery and short in aftertaste. But this is a G&M ‘CC’ bottling at 40% and I am sure if it were 46% then it would be near to perfect.

Port Ellen, 2nd Annual Release, Bottle No. 1141, 59.35% ABV

Nose: Linseed, Scottish sea air, grass and straw

Palate: Very smooth and surprisingly sweet, but lots of burn from all that alcohol. The aftertaste is very herbal. Let's try with a little water now.....

With 4 drops of water: The sea air and straw are enhanced on the nose. Deliciously smooth on the tongue and tingling the front and rear of the tongue simultaneously, whilst leaving the middle alone! Lovely herbal flavours whilst slightly oily and wonderfully smooth with the sweetness remaining, albeit not quite so prominent now.

3 Further drops of water: A little smokiness is starting to develop amongst that straw. For a fleeting second I had a slight taste of one of those liquorice allsorts which comprises liquorice wrapped in a coconut tyre.

Overall Impression: This is an excellent dram!

When booking please specify which tasting and also your preferred date for that tasting!

Payment is due when booking, so you will be given bank / payment details by return E-Mail.

All enquiries; Sales@Whisky-Emporium.com

Private Parties or Whisky Tastings

Are you having a party and would like a selection of whiskies?

Would you like an actual whisky tasting as part of your party / celebration?

Would you like a whisky tasting in your area or home town?

If you would like to know how Whisky-Emporium can help your party, or create an individual whisky event to your own specification, then please just E-Mail me for further details.

Sláinte,

Whisky Emporium

Contact details:

E-Mail: Sales@Whisky-Emporium.com