Ardbeggeddon VI - Friday January 7, 2005
Friday morning Slur Dave of the Local Barley heard the following announcement on the radio discussing ongoing storm conditions in the New England area as we were preparing to leave for the Manchester Airport:
"Avoid traveling on non-PLOWED roads."
We agree and suggest that this is excellent advice for life in general. At least it works for US!
We met at Manchester airport and boarded our nonstop flight to Vegas on schedule. Fairly empty flight and we had our choice of seats.
Dram on the airplane flying out.
1. PLOWED Springbank - 1967 32 yo
We started with a limo ride over to dram central that we prearranged a couple of days earlier. Once again we hosed UsigeTom when we learned his flight was late (he ALWAYS gets hosed on his Ardbeggeddon arrivals.) This time it was a spectacular hosing because the board showed his flight arriving at ~3:40 and we boarded the limo about 2:55... he called Loco Barley while we were in the limo at 3:05 to let us know he had deplaned and was heading over to baggage.... Hosed again UsigeTom!. Maybe next year.....
We had a stretch limo with a lost driver which gave us plenty of time for drams on the 6 mile ride over to dram central: Mike, FX, Loco and I poured monster Vegas arrival drams of the following on our 20 minute trip to the house.:
2. Longmorn 20 yo, 11/81-11/01, 50%, OMC (Mike)
3. Glentauchers 18 yo, 1976, 63.2% Glenhaven (OSFX)
Both drams were perfect and a great way to kick off A6.. Another huge surprise Vegas had to offer us immediately was SNOW! Much to our dismay we found that Las Vegas was covered in a layer of new snow and looking like nothing we had ever seen before. First snow for any Ardbeggeddon on record.
We arrive at dram central at ~3:30 pm and most of the Ringleaders have just arrived as well.
I took a 500 mg starter dose of B-1 and started dramming in earnest once the bottles were unpacked.
4. Springbank 1965, 29 yo, Cask No. 1296,
Blackadder
5. Highland Park, The Bottlers
6. Springbank Local Barley - time for lipping
7. Ardbeg Kildalton, 1980, 24 yo, 57.6%, OB
8. Springbank 1968, 35 yo, 46%, Berry Bros & Rudd
9. Bowmore, 1969/2002, 32 yo, 49.9%, Cask 6082, Duncan Taylor
Peerless
10. St Magdeline (Linlithgow), 1964/1979, 15 yo, 40%, Cadenhead's
Dumpy
11. Balvenie, 5/79-3/92, 12 yo, 59.5%. Cadenhead's 150th Anniv
Bottling
12. Springbank 32 yo, 46% OB (new release)
13. Springbank 1965, 36 yo, 46%, Murray McDavid
14. Ballentines 30 yo, 43% (blended by WOW - thanks Rodger!)
What an introductory line up... Ringleaders excitedly pulling their contributions off the table and using their best peer pressure to convince you that you MUST try this one next. This is going to be an amazing Ardbeggeddon for sure!
Next I started a more methodical approach and started crosschecking my drams across the predeclared drammage log. I fell back on an old friend and did a slow (read HUGE drams) head-to-head of:
15. Springbank 12 yo, 100 Proof, Light-Dark, OB
vs.
16. Springbank 12 yo, 100 Proof, Double Dark, OB
and the winner was of course - Dr Entropy!
At this point we ate heartily and plotted our next path across the
single malt wilderness in front of us.. Here's where I traveled
next...
17. Glengoyne
18. PLOWED Port Ellen, 2/82-9/04, 22 yo, 61.1% OMC
19. Ardbeg 21 yo Committee Dram, 56.3%, OB
Notable quotes from Ardbeggeddon VI - Day 1:
"My dream is to convince Stuart to bottle a Very PLOWED Ardbeg within the next decade" UisegeTom discussing how he'd love to see Ardbeg bottle the dozen or so casks filled by PLOWEDsters at FEIS ILE 2002
"We don't do women..." FX chatting about his job
"100 mg B-1s? I can't handle that much gelatin." DrE
"De-Liver us from evil." Slur Dave
Last update on 01/11/2005