APRIL SHOWER

The Club got back to doing what it does best this week – meeting, greeting and talking drams. The club night benefited from a raft of half full bottles (or half empty if you’re a natural-born pessimist) left over from the Tasting Panel’s exertions at the end of the year. This was supplemented by some samples The Disciplined Disciple had managed to wheedle out of exhibitors at the Edinburgh Whisky Festival earlier in the spring, plus a bottle of the Glenrothes 92 Ray Urie kindly donated and a very interesting rum-finished Caol Isla 19 from Bobby Banford which won it by a nose. Early birds also sampled Ian Black’s Ben Nevis 13, which is just about to go into bottling and is so new it doesn’t even have a name (How about Ian Black’s Ben Nevis 13?) Or Andy Clark's I can't get my nose far enough in 13?)

No speeches spoiled the flow of the evening, or the drams. We enjoyed Jura –
Superstition (modelled here by the handsome Fergus) and a fine 16YO – Glenfiddich Toasted Oak, Highland Park 12, Auchentoshan 10, Glengoyne 17 (about the most popular of the night) Bruichladdich Flirtation and Old Pulteney 12. In addition there was a Yamazaki 18 from Nicki at Morrison Bowmore. Most thought this was like a Lexus; just about perfect to drive, but strangely, with nothing terribly memorable at the end of the journey. Does that sound like a contradiction? Well it was getting on and the drams were flowing.

There’s another Whisky Supplement coming up for the Herald, so I’ll let the tasting panel know the dates, and sometime in May we can do the free club night all over again.

Incidentally, Ken at the Pot Still was happy to have us on the Tuesday evening. Our presence gave the pub a real buzz and didn’t do his takings much harm either! He was telling me the other day he’ll be getting in some Duncan Taylor bottlings, which club members can buy at their 10% discount.