Poit Dhubh 12 Years Review

Country: Scotland 

Brand: Pot Dhubh

Bottler: Praban Na Linne Ltd. 

Type: Blended Malt Whisky

Age:  12 Years

ABV:  43 %

Date: 03/06/2013

Colour: Dark Amber

Nose: Very clear impressions of Oloroso Sherry and Peat (Smoke) accompanied by Sweet Malt, Custard, Toast and Orange Marmalade, Grapefruit, Dried Fruits, Lemon, Oak, Honey, Old Leather, Brown Sugar, Figs and light Spices. I recognise the same Vegetative (Cabbage) aroma that I also find in the Island Distilleries of Jura and Arran so I'm inclined to think that either one or maybe both are part of this Blend. Initially I thought that this aroma automatically hinted at Sulphur but I am now pretty much convinced that it's the characteristic smell of the Island Peat. I have to confess it's not one of my favourite aromas although it tends to diminish after giving the whisky some extra time in the glass. In any case  it's  different from the more Maritime and Medicinal Peat you find in the Islay whiskies. I quite prefer the latter!

Palate: The delivery is Sweet and a bit thin with Toffee/Caramel, Honey, Oak, Licorice, Sherry, Peat, Orange, Malt, Pepper and a little Salt.

Finish: On the short side with Citrus, light Peat, Licorice, Biscuits and some hot Pepper that clearly hints at the participation of Talisker in the Blend.

I added a bit of Water and the Nose becomes more friendly with Honey, Sherry, Malt, Floral Tones and Citrus in the lead. Palate and Finish become too Watery for my taste. Be careful with Water here!

Rating: 83

Nose:  21.5 - Taste: 20.5 - Finish: 20.5 - Overall: 20.5

General Remarks: Poit Dhubh (Gaelic for Black Pot or Illicit Still) is Blended Malt Whisky, partly matured in Ex-Sherry Casks. It was released in 1984 and is Non Chill-Filtered since 1992. It costs around 45 US Dollars. It is bottled by Praban Na Linne Ltd, located on the Isle of Skye (Hebrides) and founded in 1976 by Sir Iain Noble. It's still a family-owned company. There are also 8 - and 21 year old expressions of the Poit Dhubh.

Drinking Experience Neat: Good

Conclusion: Much better than your average boring Blend. I suspect that Jura, Arran and Talisker are part of it. Some nice Aromas here and there, especially the Oloroso Sherry, the Citrus and the Talisker Pepper. And the price is certainly acceptable. But there are some flaws as well. I'm not too fond of the Island Peat and on the Palate I find the Poit Dhubh a bit too light. The Finish is on the short side as well. So all in all a good effort by Praban Na Linne but not sophisticated enough to consider it as my day-to-day blend.

Jan van den Ende                                                               June, 2013

Crosby and Nash - Another Stoney Evening Review

Songs: Déjà Vu, Wooden Ships, Man in the Mirror, Orleans, Used To Be a King, Traction in the Rain, Lee Shore, Southbound Train, Laughing, Triad, Where Will I Be, Strangers Room, Immigration Man, Guinevere, Teach your Children.

Type of Music: Folk/Pop/Country (1971)

Comments:

After Crosby Stills Nash & Young broke up, buddies Crosby and Nash teamed up for a series of acoustic concerts. Just two acoustic guitars, a piano and their voices. And it works out just fine.

Yes, they are stoned. David´s real flew is probably contained by hash as suggested here by Graham when he refers to David´s Lebanese Flew. But they are in full control, something that can not be said from the even more stoned public. That becomes very clear when they try to clap along in Teach Your Children. They fail completely and David´s  reaction is extremely funny: “ I know you are moved, but you got to be moved in time”.

The Song List is predictable with work from their solo albums and Graham´s best songs from the CSNY period.

The atmosphere is friendly and relaxed. They really come over as good friends and their voices match beautifully although Graham is out of tune a couple of times. But they cover up those moments brilliantly.

The absolute Highpoint is David´s Where will I be, a moving song about his soul mate Christine, killed in a car accident. The versions of Déjà Vu  and Lee Shore are great as well.

But there are no real weak moments here except the before mentioned Teach your Children. Personally I don´t like those  Hello Audience won´t you sing along songs. It´s nice when you are at the concert I´m sure. But on record it´s irritating. That´s the only complaint however.

So what are you waiting for? Light the open fire, open a bottle of wine and enjoy Another Stoney Evening.   

Rating: ********(8 out of 10)

Black = Good Songs

Green = Great Songs

Red = Could Be Better

Who should buy this Record:  A very pleasant album for a romantic evening. The songs are good and the atmosphere and sound quality are excellent. 

Dailuaine 2000 Review

Country: Scotland 

Region: Highland - Speyside

Brand: Dailuaine 2000 (Silver Seal)

Type: Single Malt Whisky

Age: 12 Years

ABV: 56.2 %

Date: 30/05/2013

Colour: Deep Copper

Nose: This is really a Single Malt in the sense that thick Malt and a puff of Smoke are the first impressions. After a little while I get light Peat, Oak, Caramel, Sherry, Tobacco, Leather, Cigar Ashes, Plums, Blood Oranges, Brown Sugar, Herbs and a pinch of Salt. The Alcohol is there of course and that's no wonder given the high ABV but it's not too dominant. I couldn't help but thinking about the Johnnie Walker Gold Label when nosing the Dailuaine 2000. To summon it up, the Nose of this Single Malt is okay but not overly complex and even slightly monotonous.

Palate: The best part of this Dailuaine. Strong Delivery. Quite Dry and still Malty with Toast/Biscuits, Oak, Berries, Caramel/Toffee, Pepper, Ginger, Nuts, Tobacco, light Smoke, light Sherry, Black Tea, Blood Orange and light Licorice.

Finish: Bitter-Sweet, Dry and Herbal with Pepper, Oak, Malt and a hint of Espresso Coffee. Not too much going on in this department which, by coincidence or not, is also a characteristic I find in most Johnnie Walker expressions.

I added a bit of Water and the Nose gets even More Malt, some extra Oak, Red Fruit and a hint of Balsamic Vinegar. On the Nose and in the Finish Oak, Licorice and Pepper start to dominate. Better sip it neat.

Rating: 85.5

Nose: 21 - Taste: 22 - Finish: 21 - Overall: 21.5

General Remarks: This Dailuaine was distilled in 2000 and bottled in 2012 at Cask Strength by Silver Seal Whisky Company/Whisky Antique SRL , an Independent Bottler based in Formigine (MO), Italy and founded in 1979. It matured in Ex-Sherry Cask # 9201 out of which 348 bottles were reserved for Silver Seal (SS). Natural Colour and Non-Chillfiltered. It won't be very easy to find and costs around 145 US Dollars.

The Dailuaine Distillery (Green Valley in Gaelic) was built in 1852 and is part of the Diageo Group since 1998. It has an annual production capacity of 3,4 million litres of Alcohol. Most of the production is used in the Johnnie Walker Blends.

Drinking Experience Neat: Good.

Conclusion: This is my first rendezvous with Dailuaine and it didn't disappoint. The Nose is a bit of a one-trick pony and the Finish is forgettable but on the Palate you will experience a strong delivery and there are enough flavours to discover. From time to time you will get visions of the Johnnie Walker range, especially on the Nose and in the Finish. Certainly a distillery well worth discovering but be prepared to open your wallet!

Jan van den Ende                                                                        May 2013