#BTC14 #BlindDrams Tasting Notes

 These are my tasting notes from the Blind Tasting Consortium's 14th #BlindDrams evening.

These drams were picked by Callum @glen_scotia & Kate @kccjf

They had also included a little party box which we opened on the night:

We were all set for a party!

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: pale gold in the glass, swirls cling as a thick line and fall as slow thick legs.

Nose: tropical fruit - pineapple, mango, icing sugar, honey and a little hint of smoke - must be in Campbeltown?

Palate: thick oily arrival, honey, tropical fruit and ginger spice. Pineapple and mango from the nose are back, there's a little kiwi and a kick or sour grapefruit. Drying as the liquid disappears. Nice

Finish: Lingering tropical fruit, a little milk chocolate, some citrus and some ginger spice.

Dram 2

Appearance: very pale gold in the glass, swirls leave a thick line which beads up and fall as thick legs.

Nose: gentle peat smoke, maritime salinity, some orange marmalade and a little tropical fruit. Hate to say it but this smells a little like a 

@GlenScotiaMalts

Palate: sweet syrupy arrival, tropical fruit, gentle smoke and a love orange marmalade note. The salinity has gone. There's some stewed orchard fruit here too - with a generous dollop of honey. nice.

Dram 3

Appearance: dark gold almost bronze in the glass, swirls cling as a thin line of beads which take an age to fall as slow thick legs.

Nose: Sweet honey, toffee, milk chocolate, dried fruit and vanilla. A little air offers brown sugar and varnish. There's hints of smoke here too.

Palate: Sweet syrupy arrival, the ABV hits you and then the spice - loads of ginger. Red fruit comes to the fore - cherries, plums, strawberries - a little drying, there's some smoked nuts and herbal notes. Yummy.

Finish: lingering ginger spice , honey sweetness and some tropical fruit - Yummy!

Dram 4

Appearance: dark gold, again almost bronze in the glass, swirls cling as a thick line and fall as slow thick legs.

Nose: BBQ burnt ends, smoky bacon crisps, maritime salt and a kick of ABV oakiness. There's a big herbal / medicinal note on this one - are we on Islay?

Palate: thick treacly arrival, drying on the tongue - salted BBQ meat. A few more sips offer strawberry jam, berries and orchard fruit Christmas spices - cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger - YUMMY!

Finish: lingering sweet smoke,  sherry and a little salinity - Yummy!

Dram 5

Appearance: dark gold almost bronze, swirls cling as a thin line, take an age to bead up and fall as slow thick legs. High ABV?

Nose: huge orange notes - zest juice and pith - it's all here. Loads of smoke and sherry too.  Peated Sherry - rich strawberry jam, nutty milk chocolate and a high ABV which tickles the nasal hair!

Palate: thick strawberry jam (Fortnum & Masons not Tesco). dried fruit, cherries, dates, figs, plums. It's not quite dunnage funk but a few more years would have got us there, Peat smoke and damp pine needles finished off a well rounded dram!

Finish: Lingering sherry and smoke with a hint of citrus - Yummy

The theme was #WeeTownPartyNight with Callum & Kate taking us through whiskies from towns with a small population, not Campbeltown as we'd all expected!

The drams were:

Dram 1 was Old Pulteney SC#1448 - 54.1% ABV

Dram 2 was James Eadie Trade Mark X - 45.6% ABV

Dram 3 was Cotswolds Pineau de Charentes Red Wine - 55.2% ABV.

Dram 4 was Raasay Peated Bordeaux - 59.5% ABV

Dram 5 was Bunnahabhain SMWS 10.215 - 59.3% ABV

As you can see from the pictures at the top they had also included a couple of mini samples for us to try before the party! These turned out to be a yet to be released Raasay Peated Rye and Watt Whisky's 7yo Campbeltown Blend.

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