No sooner had the Jaguar been parked in the yard of the distillery Benriach, we were already in front of a series of samples for a morning tasting. Thierry, Marc and I looked at each other and gave the same smile, which meant “wow, this is going to be good...” You know the rest….. Thierry Benitah told you about it in the three chapters dedicated to this trip.

Less poetic than him, I firstly made a list of all the whiskies we tasted during our stay (in which I think you will agree, it will make you dream about travelling back in time ).

Later, I will give you the results from our in-house tastings which will help us to establish our final selection.

Which one(s) will you end up being crazy about?

Enjoy.

Lire la suite

Monday, 9th January 2006, whisky tasting at the Berry Bros’s independent bottler. Thierry Benitah, Thierry Daniel and I have tasted for you 8 whiskies and 2 rums in the “parlour” (back room which was located before near the kitchen and was designed for secret talks). This parlour was the place where Mr Berry and Mr Rudd decided to launch their business in the whisky trade.

Lire la suite

Color : old gold with a hint of orange

Nose : delicate, deep. Smells of ripe fruits (apricot, peach), citrus fruits (candied lemon) and scents of undergrowth (chestnut, leaf). Its rare sweetness (almost oily) makes you want to walk in the forest in autumn. After the smell of fruit, the smoke gradually develops and one will taste a hint of leather and ash.

Palate : creamy, silky. Its fruity taste is enhanced by its exoticism (mango, passion fruit). It refers to a ripe plum. Like the nose, the peat (to be precise, the smoke) gradually develop. Taste of a cigar that has already been lit. It has a chocolate flavour and has a light earthy taste.

Finish : oily, it takes us to a recently cut field of peat. Nice liquorice.

I mark this whisky 92/100. It is divided up in the following way : 48 for the nose and 44 for the palate. The ageing in sherry cask of first fill is particularly successful, but not pervasive. Although Craigduff is unique in itself, due to it sweetness, when sherry is added, it reminds me of a Mosstowie produced by the distillery Miltonduff, always made with lomond stills. This vintage 1976 was bottled by Signatory Vintage for La Maison du Whisky a few years ago.

Texte original : Jean-Marc Bellier, traduction : Corinne Pénisson

Last night, when I was abroad at some friend's place, I tasted the Strathisla 30 years old, recently selected and bottled for La Maison du Whisky, which I offered to my best friend Stephan. Stephane R. is an epicurean passionate of cigars, great wines (the day before we drank an excellent Côte Rôtie La Turque 1996 by Guigal), classical music, literature and so on... But I am wandering. Stephane offered me a cigar to go with my whisky. Not yet recovered from the Whisky Live and even less after a meal washed down with plenty of wines we had the day before, I declined his offer. Much more used to it, he took a Lusitania by Partages, one of his favorites. While watching the DVD "36 Quai des Orfèvres" - Gérard Depardieu playing the perfect role of a bastard, Daniel Auteuil as a good unfortunate cop (the word is weak) in a credible role - the tasting took place. In a word, a wonderful evening with a great single malt.

Lire la suite