Notes on Padlipsky collection

Abelour 10 VOHM

This bottle is fascinating because Aberlour is the best selling whisky in France – which exports Cognac and drinks whisky – and the bottle style is so very brandy-esque, complete with VOHM marking.

Mike's rating: Aberlour 10 DOB Good/Above Average (√- check-minus).

Mike's commentary: “("Very Old Highland Malt") Like Mortlach, but less sharp; decent flavor/"smoke," somewhat thin, but better than remembered.”

I wonder whether Aberlour or Mortlach has changed more in 20 years, since I wouldn't compare them today (although I like both).

Cardhu 12 (box)

Recently re-introduced to the USA, but this is unopened old stock.

Mike's rating: Cardhu 12 DOB Good/Above Average (√- check-minus).

Mike's commentary: “Marked light and pleasant during C1 (Cairngorm research trips #1, back in mid 1982); probably lacks depth based on later acquisition on bargain sale (with rebate, even).”

Ezra Brooks Bourbon wooden six pack

Wooden box of 6x200mL bottles

Label: “Ezra Brooks Rare Old Genuine Sour Mash Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey Real Sippin' Whiskey Charcoal Filtered Aged 7 years 90 Proof” 200ml embossed.

Gordon & Macphail Tartan nip cartons

The G&M Tartan 5cl nip boxes are foil-stamped with the tartan pattern's
name, but only Red Grant around Glenfarclas (8yo 100bpr 57%abv)  seems appropriate to the
whisky contained. Macallan (10y 40%) wears Urquhart, the tartan of the owners of G&M; Linkwood (15y 40%) wears Fraser, Mortlach (15y 40%) Black Watch. The Mac and Glenfarclas appear to be official releases in G&M wraps. (G&M were primary official source for some distilleries in the Age of the Blends. Note that the Glenfarclass says 100° proof, 57% -- that's old ° degrees British Proof.

Mike's rating: Macallan 12(not 10 as in Nip) DOB Excellent (√+ check-plus), so interpolate √ Very Good for this 10y nip

Mike's rating: Glenfarclas 8 DOB Very Good (nearly) (√ / √(-) check or check (slight minus)).

Mike's rating: Linkwood DOB (not 15 as in Nip) Very Good (√ check)

Mike's rating: Mortlach 12(not 15 as in Nip) DOB Good to Very Good (√ / √- check or check(minus)).

Haig Dimple, Pinch

Haig's dimple bottles are classics in design, whether sold as Pinch or.

Note “Scots” as well as “Scotch”.

Label “The finest Blended Scots Whisky content 4/5 Quart

100% Scotch Whiskies

Haig & Haig alcohol 86.8° proof.”

Blended, no rating.

Pinch “This whisky is 12 years old” “Blended Scotch Whisky”

Blended, no rating.

Macallan 25, Anniversary, Wooden Box

Label: “25 Years Old. Established 1824. The Macallan Anniversary Malt

A Special bottling of unblended Single Higland Malt Scotch Whisky

25 Years Old-fashioned

25

In the heart of the Speyside, … incomparable experiences.

86 Proof 750 ml

Distilled and Bottled by

Macallan-Glenlivet PLC Graigellachie Scotland

Imported by

Bermen Imports, Los Angeles CA

Product of Scotland”

Also, this is from before The Glenlivet requested other Speysiders stop using Hyphen Glenlivet to indicate their Speyside-ness.

Priced $65.00. (back when the $ was worth something)

Mike's rating: Macallan 25 DOB Superb ([*]), which puts it top-ten lifetime, only two higher.

Mike's commentary: “Ever so slightly smoother than the 17/18 y.o.; possibly fractionally less peaty; not really "worth" twice the price, except to a fanatic. Probably a bit more nose than the 17; at any rate, certainly Top Five. [96: And now it's three times the price....]”

Oban 12 Tear-drop

This pre-mergers Oban bottle is tear-drop shaped with a diamond lozenge label. Note use of “unblended” on the label.

Label: “Bottled in Scotland 12 years old 750ml Oban 86 Proof Unblended Highland Malt Scotch Whisky John Hopkins & co, Glasgow Scotland”

Mike's rating: Oban 12 DOB Good/Above Average ( √- , check minus).

Mike's commentary: “Smooth, very slight bite, not long on flavor but barely worth a mark after entering the Reference Collection by virtue of being on sale at Trader Joe's for $8 and getting more exposure. [Upgraded after '91.]”

Tormore-Glenlivet Hexagonal

Noteworthy that the glass is hexagonal but shipped in a round tube.

Also, this is from before The Glenlivet requested other Speysiders stop using Hyphen Glenlivet to indicate their Speyside-ness.

Label: “10 Years Old. The Tormore Glenlivet. Unblended Higland Malt Scotch Whisky. Product of Scotland. 750ml. 86 US proof.”

Mike's rating: Tormore 10 DOB Average ( - , minus).

Mike's commentary: “Slightly sharp; light; somewhat fuller than Jura, which it resembles.”

Red Glass empty, unknown

This peculiar specimen was with Mike's empties. I don't know that it was a Bourbon decanter, it might have had some other spirits, or have been merely decorative. But it's certainly distinctive bottle packaging. If anyone recognizes it, please share the word!

Laphroaig 15y with tin

Label “Laphroig Unblended Malt Scotch Whisky from the Isle of Islay. 15 years old”

Mike's rating: Laphroig 15 DOB Excellent (or better), [√+(+)]

Mike's commentary “A revelation compared to other bottlings of it; almost as smooth as Port Ellen, almost as peaty as Lagavulin! Very limited supply, though. [Ages badly.] {Added 4th Ed.(July 1996): Supply has picked up since C2/3, (Cairngorm research trips 2&3, back in late '80s or early '90s) but price has been obscenely jacked up; and the "(+)" isn't really deserved, except in historical context.}”

Lagavulin 15 in Clay jug

Silkscreened Label “Lagavulin. Islay Malt scotch whisky. The Lagavulin disillery was founded in 1742. In general in means 'hollow of the mill.' Mountain air,n moorland peat and pure spring water give this malt it's distingtive characterf. Specially Selected. 45% vol. 75Cl 750ml Limited Edition.”

Sticker “45% Alc/Vol” because “45%vol” wasn't bureaucratically precise.

Mike's rating: Lagavulin 15 DOB merely Very Good [√]

Mike's commentary “The one in the crock; a somewhat disappointing New Year's Eve self-present.” Mike's favorite Islay was Lagavulin, but much younger, the “original white & black packaging” of Lagavulin 12 DOB, rated Excellent [*] (top ten); he preferred older 16 DOB to mid-90s 16 DOB, but rated both current above Laphroig 15, which he preferred to this crock – all Very Good or better.

Glen Grant, pyramid decanters

These look rather like Retsina bottles? They are rather old, since they were already old when Mike got them. Were these imported for Greek and Italian restaurants' bars? Glen Grant was the single malt of Italy.

Label: “Glen Grant Glenlivet Highland Malt Scotch Whisky 10 Years Old. Specially reserved and bottled by Moray Bonding Co 100 % Scotch Whisky 4/5 Quart 86 Proof”

Label (neck): “Distilled by J&J Grant, Glen Grant Ltd Rothes Scotland / Imported by Jack Gross & Co. Baltimore Maryland ”

Tartan paper-clad box has duplicate of above labels.

Cast into neck: “Federal Law forbids sale or re-use of this bottle”

Sticker “New York Distributors Star Liquor Dearlers Inc Long Island City, N.Y.”

“Importers and Massachusetts Distributors Chas. L. Richardson & Co. Inc., Boston / Established 1861” on the 15yo.

Note no zip code. 15yo main label identical to 10yo other than 15.

Note “Glenlivet Highland” was former name of the Speyside region.

Note “Moray Bonding” sounds initially like an independent bottling to a modern ear, but Moray was a (?the?) major source for Glen Grant in the Blended Era. Moray Bonding was active 1947 – 2003, subsumed into Chivas/Pernod, as was Glen Grant.

Mike's Rating for both Glen Grant 10 and 15 in Decanter: Good/Above Average ( √- , check minus).

Mike's Commentary “These two were courtesy of Marty (of Marty's Fine Wines etc.), in a very old packaging of nice decanters; both drinkable, though somewhat corky by now. (Found in father's basement by some other customer of his; sold to me for token price.)”

And alas very, very corky by the time i tasted the remnants - no alcohol nor other detectable aromatics; about all that was left was E150a industrial karamel and Water.

Auction records for this expression show this if unopened these would be quite valuable today. McTears Lot 340 28 June, 2006 £920; Christies Glasgow Lot 362 / Sale 6253 25 November 1999 £2,530 ($4,069) incl.premium Two 15y appear to match, but without photos.

Jameson Dublin

This is a piece of history – Jameson once had a Dublin distillery.

Label “John Jameson & Son limited

Pure old pot still established ad 1780

JJ&S Bow St Distillery Dublin Ireland

DUBLIN WHISKEY”

Bottle number “N 167192”

Label(lower) “Not a drop / is sold till / it's seven / years old”

(Mike would have appreciated the rhyme wasn't forced by line breaking.)

Reference Mark Gillespie's WhiskyCast interview from Dublin - Eps #328 2011-08-07, on location in Dublin   MP3

Mike Padlipsky's Scotch malt whisky obsession and proto-blogger note-taking was covered on Whiskycast Eps 349, Dec 24, 2011.