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Ardbeggeddon 10 - Day 1
Up at 4 am and happy to find the coffee bong locked and loaded in the kitchen. I feel great and we're going to Ardbeggeddon REALLY soon! Along with my first cup of coffee I of course included our first skalk. 1/(9) - Springbank 12 yo, 46%, OB - Old Black Label bottling, Very tasty springer and a great dram to start the A10 Day 1 with. UMMMMM - well balanced classic springer. We warm up the cars and load our luggage to hit the road to MHT. Temp outside is about 7 degrees F with the monster cold front sweeping down from Canada and heading into New England. It's supposed to be in the 60s during A10 - that's shorts weather for us Mainiacs! Uneventful flight to ground zero on Southwest - flight left on time and we plotted our pre-arrival and initial dramming plans when the Ringleaders assemble about 3 pm. We'll collect Peter at the airport and first stop will be Mr Lucky's at the Hard Rock Casino for the unadvertised steak and shrimp special. (still $7.95 last year - we'll see if inflation has hit this insider secret...) Yep, the special is still available and the four of us all ordered it as Mr Lucky's after picking up Peter at the airport. We have lunch and watch the news coverage of the US Air crash into the Hudson River on the TV screens in the restaurant. Hard Rock Hotel and Casino is undergoing some major renovations but the infamous Pink Taco is still running an looks the same.
We head over to the rental house about 2 and find a handful of Ringleaders already set up and dramming in the living room while the cleaning crew wraps up. Ardbeggeddon X formally begins with: 2/10 - Ardbeg 10 yo, 5/98-8/08, 55.8%, Cask 33.71 SMWS - surprisingly none of the early Ringleaders present had tried it yet and it was universally declared PLOWED quality and an awesome creosote-infused Ardbeg. Aye! 3/11 - PLOWED Springbank 32 yo, 1967, 45.8%, Murray McDavid - AWESOME! Thanks S'tan! 4/12 - Springbank 15 yo, 46%, OB - new UK release with updated black labels. Very nice, classic springer that should open up well with a bit of time. First time I've tried this and I'm quite pleased. Buy more. 5/13 - Springbank 10-100, 57%, OB - new UK release with updated black labels. Hint of youngish make spirit on the nose and palate. Better with a bit of water. Has promise and most agreed it will likely get better with time as it opens up. Revisit later in the tasting to see how it changes.
6/14 - Islay Malt, 9 yo, 51.5%, Cadenhead's - 2000 FOAF from our trip to Campbeltown. This is a vatting of older and younger Islay malts that's surprisingly good. Drams much older than 9 yo so I'm guessing there isn't much young malt in this vatting. I forgot just how tasty this dram is and I think we have a 375 ml bottle left in the bunker. Thanks again Tom! 7/15 - Glen Grant 21 yo, 1958 - 1979, 86 proof, OB - Antique raisins on the nose with a bit dryer palate. Very nice and drammed HTH with: 8/16 - Glen Grant 36 yo, Millenium Bottling, 1964 - 5/2000, 52.6% Duncan Taylor - another awesome old Glen Grant. 9/17 - Glenfarclas 1996, 2/15/96 - 7/18/07, 46% OB - Cask Selected and Bottled by Traverso's in CA. Wow, a fascinating 'Farclas with huge cherry notes on the back palate and finish. 10/18 - Brora, 29 yo, 1972 - 2002, 59.5%, Douglas Laing Platinum (aka The Brorazilla). Classic huge older profile Brora. Haven't had this monster in a long time. 11/19 - Brora, 23 yo, 46%, Sherry Cask, Douglas Laing Premier Barrel - held up surprisingly well against the Brorazilla. Probably the best Premier Barrel release I've ever tasted. Need to revisit this dram later during A10. 12/20 - PLOWED Brorageddon, 30 yo, 1972, 50.8% - Douglas Laing - the classic sherry monster Brora. Thanks again Sister Haggis! 13/21 - Springbank Vintage 29 yo, 11/65-1/95, 46%, OB - one of my all time favorite vintage Springers. 14/22 - Ardbeg 25 yo, 10/75, 50%, Douglas Laing 15/23 - Ardbeg 29 yo, 1975-2004, Douglas Laing Platinum 16/24 - Ardbeg 30 yo, Very Old Ardbeg, OB 17/25 - Bunnahabhain Feis Ile Dram, 35 yo, Cask 4379, 5/16/66-3/19/02, 46.1% - Sister Haggis won this festival dram at the Managers Condensor Club party at the end of Feis Ile in 2002. 18/26 - Glenlivet 21 yo, 43%, OB - one of the best Glenlivets I've ever had. Astonishing! This is also known as the Suitcase Glenlivet. 19/27 - Highland Park 40 yo, 47.1% Cask 6687, Douglas
Notable quotes from Ardbeggeddon X - Day 1:
Last update on 01/17/2009 |
