Certified Originals - Tour of the Islands
Whisky clubs are the grass roots of our industry, full of passionate, knowledgeable drinkers that give up hours of their time. Filling small bottles, swapping drams and tasting notes (over a computer screen for the moment).
So, it was a pleasure to be asked to be involved with the Certified Originals. A very active club run by Anthony and Nikki (better known as the YouTube duo New Dram Drinker). A double bonus was that we enjoyed ourselves while raising money for Myeloma UK, a charity close to their hearts as one of the club members suffers from the disease.
Our ‘Tour of the Islands’ involved Arran, Islay and Mull exploring the effects of our own Hebridean island water on whisky.
So first the whiskies:
Arran 18 – 46%
An early example from this relatively new distillery. Opened in 1995 this whisky, by definition (and old branding) will have been made in 2000/01 and is renowned for its richness and complexity.
Signatory Bunnahabhain 11 (2009) – 67.7%
First fill Sherry Butt and quite a monster on the ABV front.
Ledaig 18 - 46.3% ABV
Again, an early example from the reopened (1993) Distillery. Hard to pronounce (It’s Letch-ick), this distinctive spirit this was the peat finale of the evening.
The Arran was a beauty and many noticed the Crème Brûlée, vanilla, orange peel and brioche sweetness. One of the group (Ryan, sorry Ryan) noted dark cherries but then realised he had been drinking Guinness and Black earlier so may have got confused.
Group notes:
Nose: Apple pie, rhubarb and custard, citrus fruit, sweet soy, ginger biscuit
Palate: Bread and butter pudding, juicy raisins, peach cobbler. Larkfire adding spice, fresher fruit towards tropical.
Finish: Medium to long, fruit leaving but spice and baked butter remaining
The Signatory Bunnhabhain was a whisky that transformed in the glass but needed a good splash of Larkfire. Peter noted it was ‘chocolate all the way down’ but at at 67.7% Larkfire was definitely required. Some of the group approached ‘Splash lots in’ levels of wild water and still had a whisky not far off 40% ABV.
Group notes:
Nose: Marmite, soy and Dark chocolate, Larkfire brought blackcurrant jam and a softer hot chocolate
Palate: Raw and funky brown sugar, liquorice and an incredible mouthfeel neat. Larkfire brought out the sherry (Glenfarclas 15 almost) and the dark chocolate and cookie dough now approachable but unusually spice increased.
Finish: Medium, with sherry beginning to dominate
The final dram was a heavily peated Ledaig 18 aged in sherry cask. A whisky rated highly in all the right places but a star that divided opinion in the group. You have to enjoy the delights of rubber, grease, coal lumps and leather. A vintage car convention with funk blasting on the PA.
Group notes:
Nose: Changing oil on my dad’s boat, School pumps, over ripe peach and plums, Raclette, New tyres, farmyard funk
Palate: Incredibly viscous mouth feel, with the peat and sherry working brilliantly together. Larkfire allowed the caramel, black jacks, hay and toasted oak to say hello. Heavily smoked fruit.
Finish: Long, with Savlon, tobacco and smoky manure farmyard returns (in a good way)
The tasting note of the night (and winner of a small prize) was from Jade and was on the Ledaig 18.
“I feel like I’m sat eating mint humbugs next to a dying fire while someone is sat next to me trying to burn plastic”
The Certified Originals are one of the most welcoming groups we have come across. Expertise is mixed with genuine friendliness and humour. They taught us how to say some unusual distillery names, we raised £300 for Myeloma UK and I think we started the process of making whisky friends. Here’s to the next one…