Граф Орлов
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I was at the Elite Spirits festival on Saturday. Since the festival is 21+, I had the pleasure of watching an ex-classmate fail the face control and quickly retreat from our adult party at the entrance. Although, in reality, there's nothing good about it – unlike me, he looks his age.
I'll give my overall impression of the event later, but for now, I'll start gradually processing my notes. I'll just say that it was very noisy and crowded, so the atmosphere wasn't conducive to detailed descriptions. I even often forgot to give ratings.
I started with whiskey because, without a doubt, Scotch is my favorite strong drink, and I even planned to stick to it, but the selection turned out to be too limited.
Kensei
Nose: sharp, caramel, barely noticeable dark honey, and definitely – the spirit of a bourbon barrel
Taste: watery, caramel, a little nutty
Overall: water is water, to be honest. There isn't even a finish. Due to its drinkability, it's still better than most blends, but not for its price.
71/100
After such a dubious debut, I made a strategic decision to redeploy and unleash my forces on an opponent with whom I had long wanted to clash in every sense, but couldn't find a suitable opportunity – on port wine. I'm almost completely unfamiliar with fortified wines, but, by the way, my first alcoholic drink was kosher wine. So...
Andresen Fine White
Nose: sweet, raisins, a little field herbs, a little honey
Taste: raisin-honey, very sweet
Interesting. Strong and sweet, like a dream on a hot summer day. I don't know about the price, but it would be nice to have a bottle in the bar – at least as a dessert.
Andresen Century 10
Nose: slight alcohol, grape pomace, walnuts
Taste: medium sweetness, plum, grapes, woody finish
This is already more complex, more interesting, more refined. It lacks a little complexity, and it would be a little drier – I would then even pair it with cigars. In general, it's quite decent, but not excellent.
Andresen 2003
Nose: close to cognac, dates, nuts, maybe cedar
Taste: strong, slightly sweet, a slight acidity, fruits and dried fruits
Finish: cedar nuts, musk (??? quite strange, I'm not even sure now)
Powerful, good stuff. All port wines have a bright taste, but this one stands out even among its peers. It's a little heavy to drink, but that's a good thing. It also has a pleasant color. I wouldn't say it's completely amazing, but in any case, it's good that I got my hands on it – you have to grab all the limited editions at such events, otherwise you might never encounter them again.
In general, port wine is fun, but it's not quite clear when to drink it, except at the end of a meal. And if you're going to drink port wine with cigars, you need to try to find a dry one.
Added 27 minutes ago
We're finishing with port wine and moving on to the main object of interest
The Balvenie Double Wood 12 y.o.
+- light-bodied
Nose: sweet, anise, grape pomace, molasses, oak, cinnamon
Taste: I didn't understand. It seems like honey and spices. More or less soft, but burning
Finish: light, malty-woody
Let's say 77/100. It's just not for me. Some people really like it, but I don't. I checked the region – well, of course, Speyside, who would doubt it. I guess I'm allergic to Speyside.
The Balvenie Carribean Cask 14 y.o.
Medium-bodied
Nose: caramel, vanilla, hay, cardamom, slightly alcoholic, acetone, bourbon tones +
Taste: beans, vanilla, spices +
Finish: musk, nuts, quite powerful
The plus is the flavors, very similar to Old Monk rum, which I am a devoted fan of, albeit not a passionate one. I don't remember how I rated it, it seems to be better than the 12-year-old, but I finished the glass with some effort. NOT MINE.
Deanston Virgin Oak
I don't remember, maybe Virgin Oak, but maybe 12?
Quite dense
Nose: field flowers, pears, pine needles, apples. A little harsh, but not alcoholic
Taste: drinkable, apples, melon, other fruits, spices
Finish: soft, enveloping. Plum
Simple, but pleasant. It will be a little over 80, probably.
Added 30 minutes ago
Benromach 10 y.o.
Full-bodied
Nose: peat, smoke, iodine, hay, slight caramel sweetness
Taste: herbaceous-peaty <illegible scribbles>
Finish: iodine, animal notes
This is very good. It's a shame that I didn't write a proper note, this was the first whiskey that I really liked at the festival. And what about Speyside – don't believe your eyes, the taste is in the best traditions of Islay, only a little milder. 85/100
Bunnahabhain 11 y.o.
Full-bodied
Nose: hops, apple jam, beans, sharp perfume smell
Taste: grain, leather, vanilla, pear
Finish: weak, grape pomace
Not bad. Somewhere between 80 and 85, I think.
Ledaig 12 y.o.
Nose: peat, bandages, un-malted barley, oak and campfire notes
Taste: dry, woody, hops, fish
Finish: iodine-bandages, long and very pleasant
Excellent, a classic from Islay. Something like Ardbeg, but with a medical slant and even more intense. Towards the end, I even went back for it. I was already thinking about a CB, but seeing the price, I changed my mind. 87/100
I'll give my overall impression of the event later, but for now, I'll start gradually processing my notes. I'll just say that it was very noisy and crowded, so the atmosphere wasn't conducive to detailed descriptions. I even often forgot to give ratings.
I started with whiskey because, without a doubt, Scotch is my favorite strong drink, and I even planned to stick to it, but the selection turned out to be too limited.
Kensei
Nose: sharp, caramel, barely noticeable dark honey, and definitely – the spirit of a bourbon barrel
Taste: watery, caramel, a little nutty
Overall: water is water, to be honest. There isn't even a finish. Due to its drinkability, it's still better than most blends, but not for its price.
71/100
After such a dubious debut, I made a strategic decision to redeploy and unleash my forces on an opponent with whom I had long wanted to clash in every sense, but couldn't find a suitable opportunity – on port wine. I'm almost completely unfamiliar with fortified wines, but, by the way, my first alcoholic drink was kosher wine. So...
Andresen Fine White
Nose: sweet, raisins, a little field herbs, a little honey
Taste: raisin-honey, very sweet
Interesting. Strong and sweet, like a dream on a hot summer day. I don't know about the price, but it would be nice to have a bottle in the bar – at least as a dessert.
Andresen Century 10
Nose: slight alcohol, grape pomace, walnuts
Taste: medium sweetness, plum, grapes, woody finish
This is already more complex, more interesting, more refined. It lacks a little complexity, and it would be a little drier – I would then even pair it with cigars. In general, it's quite decent, but not excellent.
Andresen 2003
Nose: close to cognac, dates, nuts, maybe cedar
Taste: strong, slightly sweet, a slight acidity, fruits and dried fruits
Finish: cedar nuts, musk (??? quite strange, I'm not even sure now)
Powerful, good stuff. All port wines have a bright taste, but this one stands out even among its peers. It's a little heavy to drink, but that's a good thing. It also has a pleasant color. I wouldn't say it's completely amazing, but in any case, it's good that I got my hands on it – you have to grab all the limited editions at such events, otherwise you might never encounter them again.
In general, port wine is fun, but it's not quite clear when to drink it, except at the end of a meal. And if you're going to drink port wine with cigars, you need to try to find a dry one.
Added 27 minutes ago
We're finishing with port wine and moving on to the main object of interest
The Balvenie Double Wood 12 y.o.
+- light-bodied
Nose: sweet, anise, grape pomace, molasses, oak, cinnamon
Taste: I didn't understand. It seems like honey and spices. More or less soft, but burning
Finish: light, malty-woody
Let's say 77/100. It's just not for me. Some people really like it, but I don't. I checked the region – well, of course, Speyside, who would doubt it. I guess I'm allergic to Speyside.
The Balvenie Carribean Cask 14 y.o.
Medium-bodied
Nose: caramel, vanilla, hay, cardamom, slightly alcoholic, acetone, bourbon tones +
Taste: beans, vanilla, spices +
Finish: musk, nuts, quite powerful
The plus is the flavors, very similar to Old Monk rum, which I am a devoted fan of, albeit not a passionate one. I don't remember how I rated it, it seems to be better than the 12-year-old, but I finished the glass with some effort. NOT MINE.
Deanston Virgin Oak
I don't remember, maybe Virgin Oak, but maybe 12?
Quite dense
Nose: field flowers, pears, pine needles, apples. A little harsh, but not alcoholic
Taste: drinkable, apples, melon, other fruits, spices
Finish: soft, enveloping. Plum
Simple, but pleasant. It will be a little over 80, probably.
Added 30 minutes ago
Benromach 10 y.o.
Full-bodied
Nose: peat, smoke, iodine, hay, slight caramel sweetness
Taste: herbaceous-peaty <illegible scribbles>
Finish: iodine, animal notes
This is very good. It's a shame that I didn't write a proper note, this was the first whiskey that I really liked at the festival. And what about Speyside – don't believe your eyes, the taste is in the best traditions of Islay, only a little milder. 85/100
Bunnahabhain 11 y.o.
Full-bodied
Nose: hops, apple jam, beans, sharp perfume smell
Taste: grain, leather, vanilla, pear
Finish: weak, grape pomace
Not bad. Somewhere between 80 and 85, I think.
Ledaig 12 y.o.
Nose: peat, bandages, un-malted barley, oak and campfire notes
Taste: dry, woody, hops, fish
Finish: iodine-bandages, long and very pleasant
Excellent, a classic from Islay. Something like Ardbeg, but with a medical slant and even more intense. Towards the end, I even went back for it. I was already thinking about a CB, but seeing the price, I changed my mind. 87/100
E si sui vius, er mi grans benananza,
e si ieu muoir, er mi grans deliuriers
e si ieu muoir, er mi grans deliuriers