for the rest of my Whisky Journey 2020 posts, do check out the collection label here.
i thought that completing my circuit of the fifteen participating bars was sufficient reward in itself for Whisky Journey 2020, but as it turns out, The Whisky Store had something bigger and better in mind - apart from their lucky draw for completionists, they also opened some slots last week for tastings of the Whisky Journey exclusive bottlings at Copper.
i was curious because even though i had bought pours of all of these to try on my Whisky Journey, this was a great opportunity to experience a guided tasting of them, hosted by Ben from The Whisky Store. sometimes trying a whisky for a second time can give a different perspective; plus, considering that it would be without charge (apart from any food i chose to buy from Copper), who could say no?
first up was the Inchmurrin 2008 (56.1% abv) which was a similar experience to the pour i had tried on my Whisky Journey.
the alcohol definitely made itself known on the nosing, which comprised a pleasantly complex blend of fresh apples, woody pears, and a honeyed caramel to smooth it out. on the palate, this packs an interesting variable bitterness from a rather fickle-hearted wood that appears and disappears as its pleases; the finish has some degree of pepperiness that accentuates the bitter bite from the wood. with a few drops of water, the nosing mellows a bit more with a slight peachiness, but the palate grows harsher, with the bitter wood and pepper joining forces in an assault on the tongue.
i could relate a lot to Ben's personal notes of "orchard fruits, peaches and pineapple juice, some runny honey and chewy toffee and some spicy ground ginger to finish".
verdict on second try: unchanged; still another interesting pour that i was glad to have tried at Whisky Journey prices though i probably wouldn't go for this one again either.
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next up was the 13-year-old Glencadam 2007 (40% abv) which was likewise similar to my experience on my Whisky Journey. i had considered this one very easy to drink, a smooth and subtle blend of vanilla, wood and soft florals with a relatively shorter finish that develops the wood element.
in contrast, Ben's personal notes were that this was "fruity and aromatic with notes of stone fruits, brioche, flake almond and lemon posset. Tannic and sweet with layers of greenage, papaya and panna cotta mingled with cake spices and a lemongrass freshness. Warming and rich with hints of poached pear, lime zest and pink peppercorn fading into a long toasty linger."
unfortunately, i found myself struggling to find any of those; it was almost as if we had two different whiskies. i think it's a nice illustration of how subjective nosing and tasting can be, though this one was especially confusing because green notes, papaya and peppercorn are remarkably discernible notes that for some reason were missing from my glass.
verdict on second try: unchanged; still a lovely pour worth trying at least once, though i probably wouldn't go for this one again either. quite surprised at the large variance between mine and Ben's experiences though, so your mileage may vary.
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third on the tasting menu was the Glen Scotia 2006 (53.1%) which surprisingly felt like an entirely different whisky from that i had tried on my Whisky Journey.
this one had been one of my favourites when i first tried it - on the nose, this was spun sugar and candied oranges with honey, vanilla and caramel toffee, a really wonderfully sweet aroma not unlike that of a confectionery kitchen in full production. the oranges became more tart with the tasting, though this remained tempered somewhat by the thick sweetness of the toffee and honey. towards the finish, a warming spice emerged, a fuzzy cinnamon which amplified the citrus and gave the whisky a bit of a kick that sets the palate up for the next sweet(er) sip.
it resonated pretty well with Ben's personal notes of "creamy sweet fudge, bitter marmalade and honey maple syrup, vanilla, toffee and some spicy ginger and cinnamon notes at the end".
strangely, whether from the tasting sequence or otherwise, the Glen Scotia had a markedly different character this time around - it was harsher, with a strong proliferation of fresh green notes and a sudden slice of bitterness that cut through any enjoyment of the sweetness. of all the whiskies in this flight, it was one that i had the most difficulty finishing.
verdict on second try: previously i had loved this so much that i would buy it even at non-discounted prices, but if this second try is (unfortunately) more representative of the whisky, it definitely would be one of which i'd be wary of having another pour.
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next up was the The Octave Glenallachie 2008 (54.1% abv) which was similar to my previous experience, a full-bodied sweet pour with some robust sherry influence.
Ben described this in sweeping dessert terms: "Toffee sauce, buttercream, hint of sherry, milk chocolate, strawberry jam. Sherry, demerara sugar, chocolate fondue, smores, strawberry tarts."
i wish i could have experienced a quarter of the sweet treats he had described; for me, this one was lightly-sweet on the nose, reminiscent of candied fruit but with a twist of bitter lemon zest at the end. it wasn't a bad whisky though not particularly memorable for me.
verdict on second try: unchanged; still another interesting pour that i was glad to have tried at Whisky Journey prices, though i probably wouldn't go for this one again either.
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last but not least, the pour that i had been most excited for, the Tomatin 2009 Whisky Journey Cask 3389 (61.2% abv). i had loved this one so much on my Whisky Journey that i had to look up the retail price of the bottle, but unfortunately, it was too far outside my budget range to reasonably consider.
similar to my first experience with this, the nosing on this one is incredibly phenomenal, an intense sweetness of plums, cherries and other red fruits layered with golden syrup and honey. the description is pretty accurate on this one, with baked almonds and peach pastries on the palate, and a good lingering sweet finish that transitions well into the next sip.
Ben's notes were pretty similar: "Sweet and bursting with stone fruits on the nose, this robust dram takes on rich baked almond and peach patisserie tones of [sic] the palate, and the finish lingers long enough to leave you reaching for your next sip."
verdict on second try: unchanged, still a whisky that i love very much though it's too far outside my budget range to reasonably consider purchasing.
slàinte!
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this review is of a product that i had purchased at regular price with my own money. i wasn’t asked to review this as a condition of purchase and didn’t receive any incentives for writing this. i’m not affiliated with The Whisky Store, Copper or any of the other participating bars / distilleries, and as always, all opinions remain my own.
Copper is at 167 Penang Road, #01-01 Lanson Place, Singapore 238462.
all information correct at time of publishing.
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