Few drams at the local (3 October 2010)

Friday was spent in the local pub (Maltainen Riekko) where is a rather good selection of single malts (approximately 40). Nice modern pub with friendly atmosphere. First I tasted Dougie MacLean's Caledonia Selection's 12 Year Old Edradour. It was a nice whisky with winey, honey, fruity and apricot aromas. After water there were also some grassy scents. On the palate was sweetness, leather and fruity flavours. Nice starter for the evening: 81 points (21+20+20+20) and that's grade 8 whisky on the scale of 4-10. I also had Belhaven's Robert Burns Scottish Ale which was interesting ale with rye and malty flavours. Like liquid bread and it also smelled like peasoup. On the scale of 0-5 perhaps this was 2. Next whisky was Douglas Laing's Bowmore 1983 (Old and rare, a platinum selection, d 3/1983, b 8/2008, aged 25 years) that brought me just beside a sea. Very beautiful salty, sea climate and spicy aromas. Just like breathing wind that was coming from the sea. The main flavours were smokiness, salmiac and spicyness. This whisky had a nice long, smoky and salmiac-flavoured finish and aftertaste. But definitely this doesn't need water at all. Ruins the whisky totally. 89 points (22+22+23+22) which is 9-. Then I had Glenmorangie's Madeira wood finish and William's Midnight Sun porter. Well, to me Glenmorangie's whiskies have never been favourite ones and this one's definitely not going to the top of my list. It was winey (of course) and fruity but there also was scents from plum and some interesting autumn aromas. It was medium-bodied and it had strong madeira wine on the palate. But this whisky was also destroyed when I added water. That's why I usually add water to the last drops and not earlier. Points are 83 (21+21+20+21) = 8+. The beer was funnily black nevertheless it's called Midnight Sun. It was very very licorice flavoured with salmiac in the back. Very nice beer. On the 0-5 scale it's rating 4. Last whisky was Laphroaig Aged 25 Years (2009 edition). Nice amber coloured whisky with leathery, smoky lamb, plum, floral scents. Full-bodied whisky with spicy and smoky and tarry notes. Very long and smoky finish. Great whisky to be enjoyed in the autumn by the fireside. If you have one. Points: 92 (23+23+23+23) = 9. This was definitely the best whisky I had that evening and it was good to stop there. 'Till the next time...