Speyside Region – 58%ABV – 70cl bottle – €85 (could not find a UK source and at 70cl rather than 750ml, you’ll never find this in the US)
First off, a special thank you to OK for this sample!
About 21 years ago, at the ripe old age of 15, I started really getting into a band from England called the Smiths.
Morrissey, the amazingly flamboyant front man of the group, had a strong effect on me as well as my other friends around the time. It was quite amazing really. During a Smiths concert (or Morrissey concert, when he went solo), men and women, girls and boys would throw flowers onto the stage, run up there and hug and kiss Morrissey – like he was a modern-day gay Jesus or something. While I never threw flowers or jumped on stage to hug and kiss him I did listen to his lyrics quite attentively. They really stuck in and made an impact on me – Come on I was an impressionable 15yr kid!!
Well, it was the 1985 album, and the title track from it, “Meat is Murder“, which started me on my vegetarian kick.
I’ve been a vegetarian ever since. While I’m not preaching my beliefs anymore, I still keep the lifestyle and feel quite healthy for it; 21 years later.
Tasting this next whisky really brought back memories for me! You see, before I became an herbivore, I was quite the omnivore with serious, SERIOUS carnivorous leanings. Steak, tongue, pastrami, fish, corned beef, chicken, turkey, venison… You name it, if it was made of meat, I would eat!
As mentioned in a previous post, I am only 3 years into tasting whiskies. This one, the Mortlach Sherry butt (tee-hee) from the C&S Dram Collection, is quite new to me. Not just this expression or brand of whisky but more the style. As my friend Oli from Whisky Ratings calls it, it’s the Oxtail soup style of whisky. Perfect for a vege-ma-tarian, right?? Let’s taste!
On the nose – Grandma Betty’s Passover Brisket, Beef Gravy, Fried Onions and potatoes (think home-fries at a Greek diner), daisies, dates & figs and turpentine – very drying nose
Palate — Tannic beyond belief! With water, french onion soup and a lot of what I got on the nosing. A bit grassy and earthy (with the water only)
Finish — Long & meaty, still drying and then, after sometime (maybe a minute or so) I get a little bit of marzipan.
In sum – While I am amazed at what true artisans can accomplish with water, barley, a sherry butt and time, this puppy is not up my alley. The flavors are all there. They are just flavors I prefer not to drink. Not because it’s so meaty and I’m a vegetarian. I loved and miss the taste of meats I just would never drink my meat.