#BTC17 #BlindDrams Tasting Notes

 These are my tasting notes from the Blind Tasting Consortium 17 #BlindDrams evening.

These drams were picked by Billy @BillyCowan

Billy's theme was Santa's Sleigh Ride all ready for Christmas!.

So as usual the other 27 of us worked our way through the 5 blind drams, sharing our thoughts and giving a score out of 5 before they were all revealed at the end.

Dram 1

Appearance: dark gold almost bronze in the glass, swirls leave a thin line which beads up immediately and falls as slow thin legs.

Nose: dunnage warehouse, musty book shop stuff - sherry bomb style. Baked apples / pears with sherry soaked dried fruit, cinnamon, honey, cardamom.

Palate: thick syrupy arrival, warming rye spices, brown sugar, almonds, a little salt and maybe some smoke?

Finish: very drying, leaves a bitter note on the tongue. Finish: medium length, brown sugar and ginger spice. Nice.

Dram 2

Appearance: again fairly dark gold in the glass, swirls clings as thick line, bead up and fall as slow thick legs.

Nose: this one is going down a similar path to dram 1, sherry, dried fruit, spice but it's a little more subdued. There's some orange zest, hedgerow berries and a little hint of smoke.

Palate: thick syrupy arrival, toffee, dried fruit, crystallised ginger. The orange notes from the nose are here too, the peat smoke is a little more pronounced. Blackcurrant jam on burnt toast?  Floral hints as the liquid disappears, very warming.

Finish:  short berry fruit, ginger spice and a hint of smoke.

Dram 3

Appearance: mid gold in colour, swirls cling as a thick line, bead up slowly and fall as slow thin legs

Nose: wow this is a little weird, gin or new make - must be very young? There's a lot of sour grapefruit, some seaweed and a hint of vanilla.

Palate: creamy arrival, loads of vanilla and milk chocolate. 100% grain. A little dry sweet icing sugar and some tropical fruit. Then as the liquid disappears it goes all minty and herbaly - gin like again. very strange.

Finish: lingering juniper and fresh cut grass - very strange dram - not for me. Nose and Finish are weird but the palate was nice.

Dram 4

Appearance: mid gold in the glass, swirls cling as a thick line, bead up slowly and fall as slow thick legs.

Nose: loads of apples, cider even. Stewed apples with dried fruit and golden syrup, a little dunnage funk and some cinnamon spice.

Palate: thick syrupy arrival, orchard fruit: apples, gears, apricots. Honey and golden syrup add a huge sweetness. a little Battenberg cake marzipan and some cinnamon spice. Yummy! a few more sips and you really notice the ABV on this one - mid to high 50s? There's some sweet citrus and a some gingerbread.

Finish: lingering citrus, orchard fruit and a warming cinnamon spice.

Dram 5

Appearance: light gold in the glass, swirls cling as a thin line, bead up and fall immediately as thin legs.

Nose: back on the gin / new make notes here - nose hairs are prickling - high ABV too? Pine needles on the forest floor, distant smoke and salt - are we on Islay here?

Palate: thick oily arrival, very sweet to start and the then ABV and spice hits you. This needs water ! OK calms down a bit : tropical fruit, honey, ginger spice and a kick of salted lemons. A Rum cask maybe?

Finish: dry citrus, minerally, hot. Needed the water! Interesting dram, I'd love to explore it more - which would mean buying a bottle.

The drams were:

Dram 1 was a Thomson's Pinot Noir Single Cask from New Zealand  - 48% ABV

Dram 2 was a Amrut Madeira Cask - 50% ABV

Dram 3 was a Copper Republic single grain from South Africa - 43% ABV.

Dram 4 was a Hepp from France - 45% ABV

Dram 5 was a Glen Garioch 2013 18yo from SMWS - 58.7% ABV

More information about the Blind Tasting Consortium and the scores for all of our tastings can be found here!