Fable Whisky is a brand new bottler that’s getting fairly some consideration for its collection referred to as The Ghost Piper of Clanyard Bay. Initially a set of 5 whiskies telling the story of an outdated Scottish people story, with lovely woodcutting-inspired labels.
I need to admit I’m not fully getting the idea. There are chapters, however these appears to observe a non-linear launch path? Additionally every chapter has a number of whiskies, most of which come from Diageo distilleries. A package deal deal? They’re all fairly younger and nearly completely from refill hogsheads. If somebody would have instructed me I’m beginning as an impartial bottler and within the first yr I’ll launch 9 Benrinnes casks and eight Mannochmore casks, I’d have sworn they have been out of their thoughts.
Whereas a primary Fable Whisky session was not a giant success, let’s begin with an open thoughts and take a look at among the newer releases.
Initially a giant thanks to Whiskay for providing me these samples. He’s promoting most of those bottles, go take a look.
Linkwood 12 yo 2009 (53,5%, Fable ‘The Ghost Piper of Clanyard Bay – Chapter 2’ 2021, refill hogshead #548160, 203 btl.)
Nostril: banana sweet, grape sugar and pineapple in syrup. Hints of Frosties and light-weight vanilla sugar. Some tart inexperienced apples. Wee minty notes and lemon zest. Very contemporary and shiny.
Mouth: the same steadiness between acidity and sweetness, making it actually juicy. Orchard fruits, lemon sweet and lemonade. Some greener notes too, like mint and inexperienced tea. A lightweight bitter, gingery edge in the direction of the top. Easy however to-the-point.
End: medium, inexperienced, with grassy notes and kiwi fruits, in addition to a touch of toasted wooden.
start line. You’ll be able to’t be in opposition to this refreshing, spring-like profile of sweet sweetness and inexperienced fruits.
Blair Athol 13 yo 2008 (53,8%, Fable ‘The Ghost Piper of Clanyard Bay – Chapter 6’ 2021, hogshead #300529, 290 btl.)
Nostril: fairly impartial, exhibiting a candy malty core with apple crumble, shortbread and cake, in addition to some gooseberries. Candy lemons. Only a trace of mashed potatoes.
Mouth: similar feeling of fruit eau-de-vie. Plums, apricots, apples. Mid-palate it turns into extra caramelly, with hints of butterscotch and latte. Wee hints of pencil shavings and a refined trace of walnuts.
End: medium, clear, nonetheless malty and candy, now with a rising zesty edge and a inexperienced oaky word.
Too malty and impartial for my style. Certainly that is actually a grain eau-de-vie with minimal wooden interventions. Rating: 80/100
Mannochmore 11 yo 2010 (55,7%, Fable ‘The Ghost Piper of Clanyard Bay – Chapter 5’ 2021, hogshead #4880, 308 btl.)
Nostril: clear and contemporary, on inexperienced melons, pomelos and a few grassy notes. Some chalk and moist wool. Lemon curd. Once more a agency trace of yeasty dough at its core.
Mouth: citrus and minerals, nearly a Lowlands model, together with the slight austerity that goes with it. Mint, lemongrass, extra chalk and moist gravel. Oily notes. Hints of lavender honey, leafy notes and white pepper.
End: fairly lengthy, with hints of lemons, ginger and cinnamon bark.
Properly centered and clear. In the event you’re right into a barely greener, zesty Lowlands profile, this Mannochmore could rock your boat. Rating: 82/100
Glen Elgin 13 yo 2008 (55,8%, Fable ‘The Ghost Piper of Clanyard Bay – Chapter 7’ 2021, hogshead #805339, 139 btl.)
Nostril: contemporary, bare, tart fruits with a grassy contact. That’s the theme alright. Grapefruits, gooseberries, apple juice and rhubarb. Hints of panettone. There’s a pleasant oily layer, refined chalk and a touch of sage as nicely. My favorite nostril thus far.
Mouth: a pleasant fatty construction. Additionally this inexperienced sweetness once more, assume inexperienced apples, unripe peach, inexperienced melons. Grapefruit. Peppery notes. Just a bit vanilla and brioche, though you’ve in all probability guessed that is by no means a wood-influenced malt.
End: fairly lengthy, zesty, extra inexperienced fruits.
I’m positive they solely eat inexperienced fruits on the Fable places of work. The thick construction and underlying sweetness makes this extra to my liking than the earlier three although. By all means good whisky. Rating: 87/100
Dailuaine 12 yo 2009 (55,8%, Fable ‘The Ghost Piper of Clanyard Bay – Chapter 3’ 2021, hogshead #312084, 139 btl.)
Nostril: malty, yeasty. After the Glen Elgin this appears to wrestle exhibiting its fruits. Hints of moist cardboard and inexperienced herbs (parsley). Chalky hints, linseed oil, perhaps a little bit nougat. Tough thus far.
Mouth: loads of cereals, with chalk, earthy notes, hints of roasted nuts. Little or no fruits once more. Grist, sunflower oil, grassy notes. Dough as nicely. Nonetheless troublesome.
End: good lenght, nonetheless on cereals, contemporary barley, mild vegetal notes.
I didn’t appear to get linked to this Dailuaine. To me this can be a blender’s whisky, a reasonably uncooked distillate that fails to excite me. Dare I say boring whisky? Rating: 76/100
Teaninich 12 yo 2009 (56,6%, Fable ‘The Ghost Piper of Clanyard Bay – Chapter 8’ 2021, refill hogshead #705321, 301 btl.)
Nostril: extra barley-driven character. Gristy, with flour and a beer-like yeasty word, apples, grass and damaged branches. Additionally pine needles, mint leaves and lemons. Hints of concrete and paraffin.
Mouth: nonetheless pretty uncooked. Barley eau-de-vie with loads of apples and lemons, hints of wax and vegetal oils. Gentle echoes of Campbeltown. Then the cask comes ahead, with hints of mocha and fudge. Natural notes and white pepper.
End: fairly lengthy, grassy, bready, with a pure fatness and many barley notes.
A high-quality malt, actually. Just like the others, it stays actually near the uncooked supplies however with sufficient complexity and enjoyable. The Glen Elgin left a much bigger impression however that is additionally one of many highlights thus far. Rating: 86/100
Glen Spey 13 yo 2008 (56,8%, Fable ‘The Ghost Piper of Clanyard Bay – Chapter 11’ 2021, hogshead #801891, 284 btl.)
Nostril: barley water, citrus and natural touches. Some linseed oil and hints of caraway seeds. Aniseed. Actually pure once more, albeit a little bit uncomplicated and alcoholic maybe.
Mouth: ripe gooseberries and apples, shortly taken over by caraway seeds and hints of mocha and butterscotch that remind me of the Blair Athol. Candy liquorice and pepper. Hints of natural tea and juniper as nicely. Now extra advanced and extra highly effective than the nostril urged.
End: lengthy, with some medicinal notes, grass and lemons.
Granted, you don’t get a lot Glen Spey, actually from an inactive cask. Whereas it’s not a foul whisky both, the excessive alcohol isn’t fully built-in. Rating: 81/100
Caol Ila 11 yo 2008 (56,8%, Fable ‘The Ghost Piper of Clanyard Bay – Chapter 1’ 2021, hogshead #309952, 294 btl.)
Nostril: fairly thick and fatty, with the same old mercurochrome, chalk and mezcal-like earthy smoke, but additionally rounder fruits, pastry cream and a little bit plain oak. Mislabeled Kilchoman? A rising saline word over time.
Mouth: once more not as sharp as different Caol Ilas. Candy lemons, seaweed and brine, but additionally white chocolate, vanilla pastry and a dollop of honey. Good integration of the peaty notes, with faint chilli in the direction of the top.
End: lengthy, deeply smoky, with some ginger warmth, vanilla and brine.
Whereas the opposite whiskies on this line-up are all very bare, this feels thicker and fewer vertical than most different Caol Ilas… Easy pleasures once more. Rating: 88/100
Inchgower 12 yo 2009 (58%, Fable ‘The Ghost Piper of Clanyard Bay – Chapter 10’ 2021, hogshead #801616, 277 btl.)
Nostril: malt, vanilla, shiny and candy lemon juice and yellow fruits. Hints of Belgian tripel beers. Refined linseed oil. Fairly near the uncooked supplies, however freshness is coupled to good depth right here. Moderately good spirit.
Mouth: nice steadiness once more. Lemon sharpness, rounder vanilla, brioche and loads of inexperienced and yellow fruits (pears, plums, peaches). Hints of pepper and inexperienced tea. Additionally lemon pie and a spoonful of floral honey.
End: lengthy, half fruity and half natural, with vanilla custard and inexperienced tea within the aftertaste.
For me that is on the identical degree because the Glen Elgin when it comes to fruitiness and all-round pleasure. That is clear, there’s no make-up and it’s completely made spirit. Rating: 87/100
Auchroisk 13 y0 2008 (59%, Fable ‘The Ghost Piper of Clanyard Bay – Chapter 9’ 2021, hogshead #806196, 264 btl.)
Nostril: rather a lot sweeter and extra candied, with extra vanilla and yellow gummi bears. Pears, hints of bananas and marzipan, in addition to custard. Extra heat woody notes too, apparently, with a light-weight waxy contact.
Mouth: highly effective, nonetheless this waxy and fruity physique mixed with aniseed, mint and pepper. Candy apples and lemons, barley and sugary cereals. Rising oak and candy grasses in the direction of the top.
End: lengthy, somewhat spicy with a gingery undertone. Probably the most lively cask thus far on this collection, and the excessive ABV amplifies this sense.
A very nice nostril on this Auchroisk, with the oak bringing pastry notes and highlighting candy fruits. On the palate the wooden affect turns into extra distinguished. Rating: 86/100
Benrinnes 12 yo 2009 (60%, Fable ‘The Ghost Piper of Clanyard Bay – Chapter 4’ 2021, hogshead #307949, 286 btl.)
Nostril: related. Breakfast cereals with banana and apple, a dollop of marmalade and candy lemon juice. Hints of sourdough and grape sugar. Some honeyed notes as nicely.
Mouth: nonetheless a giant candy facet (now extra in the direction of peaches and oranges) but it surely additionally exhibits snappy spices, peppercorns and grassy / natural notes. Some warmth and eau-de-vie character, with a refined trace of nougat.
End: lengthy, now somewhat bittersweet, with lemon zest, lime and warmth.
Additionally fairly good, however when you attain 60% the warmth offers you a tough edge. Now enjoying round with water helps to open up this good dram. Rating: 84/100
After this monster session, I’m nonetheless having issues with these extraordinarily bare casks. Whereas it’s a pleasant thought to spotlight the standard of a lesser identified blender’s malts generally, this quantity of extremely related, distillate-driven whiskies with minimal variation turns into a difficult expertise. Plenty of work went into the storytelling, and it really works, however I wanted they put the identical effort into the choice of attention-grabbing whiskies. I don’t get this choice, to be trustworthy. In brief these are all high-quality whiskies with no flaws, however I’m having an overdose of inexperienced fruits and malty notes now.
I want one thing with peat and sherry tomorrow…
