Since before my oxford days, while visiting England in order to secure a spot in the University, I acquired the custom, pricy as it may be, of walking into Duty Free shops in airports, searching for the Single Malt section, taking a peek at their selectin and purchasing two of them at a time.
As in the case of any healthy habit fed on constant compromise, my single malt search habit has its rewards.
Case in point:
On wednesday I passed through Piarco Airport in Trinidad, and I went into the former British West Indies Airline's (Currently Caribbean Airlines) Sunjet Duty Free Shop. I searched for the Single Malt Section and on one of its bottom shelves, I found a single malt brand that goes by the name of Blackadder, and the name struck me as something oddly interesting.
You see, I am fan of Rowan Atkinson's Blackadder comedic series, as it was aired in the BBC some 20 years ago. In fact, I carry the whole 4 season video series in my Ipod, mainly for traversing through airport lounges with as little stress as possible. So the Blackadder brand certainly beckoned at me.
But there seemed to be somenthing odd about the bottled Blackadder. In the absence of a crafty and nifty box of its own the bottles seemed quite strange, standing about in the counter as mere non-russian vodka bottles would. Although these Blackadders all had a classic "Long Convict" shape, the glass was clear and the colouring of the malt seemed a little bland. Furthermore, the label had a sense of Pre-industrial era about it which helped to make the bottles look unsophisticated on the whole.
Little did I know......
Blackadder is a whisky bottler and dealer. I am not sure where it is located and if it does have a distillery of its own. I am sure that it is dedicated to purchasing eventual casks of single malt
from any scotch distillery, or from any individual party for that matter. Blackadder then proceeds to bottle the contents of the casks and to sell them. All the while, Blackadder especifies in each bottle the procedence of the spirit within, and that they DO NOT use Chill Filtration nor Colouring for bottling.Such labeling would have been very helpful to Aladin while searching for his lamp, and it was helpful for me to decide on the purchase. As I read the writing in the bottle, I found myself staring at something of a first to me. That was not surprising, considering that the world of Single Malt is complex and varied, and that I must recognize that perhaps I am still among the uninitiated, in spite of being a single malt consumer and collector for more than 5 years.
Nevertheless, I decided to purchse the Blackadder 1981 RAW CASK, distilled at Lochside Distillery on 23rd February 1981. One of 314 bottles drawn at CASK STRENGTH from a Single Oak Hogshead No. 614, bottled at 59% Vol. by Blackadder in September 2001 (perhaps before 9/11).
Did you pay attention to this: a remarkable 59% Vol??? In my collection I only have one that superseeds it: Aberlour's A'bunadh, at an astonishing 59.6%. Must confess I have yet to try both, in separate days, clearly. The closest I have been to drinking that volume was an already finished Ardbeg Uigedail Bottle which stood at a 54.2% Vol. But it took me a full year to finish that one.
-RAW CASK?
They say that "Blackadder RAW CASK is carefully bottled as it is drawn from the cask retaining all its natural CASK SEDIMENTS as well as all its natural OILS and FATS thus ensuring the maximum possible NATURAL FLAVOUR in every bottle."
-CASK SEDIMENTS?
Yes, you see them at the bottom of the bottle. Black as tar and/or wood colour splinters and shavings.
-Price?
US $ 55 Dollars. It was on sale. Quite fair for a 2o yr old scotch, although no mention to age is done in the bottle.
At Lindores Whiskyfest – Belgium, 2007 – Part III in a Lochside Masterclass with Bert Bruyneel, a sister bottle of my 1981 was tasted, and these lucky gentlemen concluded that:
Colour: light+
Nose: rubber band, leather, unripe walnuts, light fresh fir notes
Taste: first spicy then strawberry, raspberry, later blood and iron
Finish: medium – long, ends in sourness, bitter and abrupt
Anyway, I went about my business and on Friday, while passing again by Piarco Airport I went back to the Duty Free shop to purchase another bottle, excitedly thinking that it was worth my while to have at least two out of those 314 RAW CASK bottles, eventhough someone in Whiskymag has commented that the sediments are an artificial effort by Blackadder to pass such Single Malts as specially bottled in a suppossedly original and ancient manner. Nevertheless, I went to pay the second bottle and with the bill I recieved a shock of having the bottle's price hiked in my face by US $25 more.
Little did I know.....
It was a different bottle. This one had a slightly different label and no sediments. It was a Blackadder NATURAL STRENGTH 28 Years Old Single Highland Malt Whisky, distilled at Glencadam Distillery on the 29th September 1972, Bottled by Blackadder at 55.4% Vol. on September 2001 (perhaps after 9/11).
-Price?
US $ 80. It was not on sale, but was probably a steal for one of the 222 bottles of 28 years old scotch from Cask Number 7633, which was distilled and bottled as mentioned before.
Glencadam Distillery?
Still running strong. They have offices in Angus, in London, and imagine.... in Shanghai. Glencadam was bottled for the first time commercially in 2005. Up until 2008, only one expression was made available for sale, Glencadam Highland Single Malt Aged 15 Years. It has planned to launch a younger expression during 2008. If this is so, my 1972 28 years old, is actually a rarity and therefore a bargain at US $ 80. There was another bottle in the shelf. I'll see if it is there next time I go through Piarco Airport.
Here is Glencadam:
http://www.glencadamdistillery.co.uk/glen/welcome.htm
Lochside Distillery?
Its production was suspended at the end of last century in 1992, and its bonded warehouses were demolished in 1999.
The people at Royalmilewhiskies.com state that Lochside distillery is "A now lost distillery and something of a hidden gem. The Lochside distillery in Montrose was the main malt in the McNab blend. The distillery which started out as Deuchar's Brewery, distilled whisky from 1957 until it was closed by owners, Allied distillers in 1992. Although the warehouses have been demolished, the distillery still stands on the corner on the way north out of Montrose. Mostly bottled by independent bottlers, Lochside single malt is not widely available. Described by Murray McDavid as "the Springbank of the East"".
A 13 years old LOCHSIDE 1991 Connoisseurs Choice, bottled at 47.3% Vol., carries a current price of £ 30.40 pounds. So I believe it was a good deal for me to have bought the 20 years old Blackadder Lochside RAW CASK 1981 bottled at 59% Vol. for the equivalent of only 27 British Pounds (US$ 55). I hope to not be mistaken to think so, as I am taking age and Volume as my parameters of reference.
How could I compare my 1981 and the 1991. With taste notes or by trying it. But I have not found notes for my 1981, so I will try it and tell you about it later. But the notes for the 1991 are as follows according to Gordon & MacPhail Tasting Notes:
Undiluted:
Nose: Sweet, scented, hint of camphor and a toastedmaltiness.
Palate: Sweet and spicy, malty notes again present.
Diluted:
Nose: Perfumed with nutty aromas, the sweetness isnow in the background.
Palate: Smoky initially with earthy/herbal notes.
Look for it at http://www.whiskycastle.co.uk/section.php/8/0
Finally, some of Blackadder's selection may be found in its internet site or at:
http://www.whiskycastle.co.uk/section.php/8/0
Cheers,
No comments:
Post a Comment