Our next #BlindDrams selection is being picked by @newdramrising.bsky.social for his theme Grape Expectations in 5 weeks time!

homedistiller.org/wiki/index.p... en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Natural... #BlindDrams #BTC64

thewhiskeywash.com/scotch-whisk... www.drinkhacker.com/2017/10/08/p... #BlindDrams #BTC64

And finally, for the curious peat-heads out there, here's some links for further reading: scotchwhisky.com/magazine/ask... whiskipedia.com/fundamentals... #BlindDrams #BTC64

Thanks for joining in, and don't forget to submit your score summaries to Brian in the WhatsApp group. Feel free to join the video call to tell me what you really thought! #BlindDrams #BTC64

All my selected drams were distillery bottlings (but not the ubiquitous ones), with the last two being 100% Islay barley, just to keep everything as Islay-centric as possible. I hope you enjoyed them as much as I did. #BlindDrams #BTC64

Dram 5 is Octomore 16.3, 61.6% ABV, 189.5 ppm Single-estate Concerto barley grown on Octomore Farm (Islay, obvs.), matured for 5 years in a combination of bourbon, Sauternes, and Pedro Ximénez casks Bought from Master of Malt for £195.25 (still available) #BlindDrams #BTC64

Dram 4 is Port Charlotte Islay Barley, 61.6% ABV, 40ppm Islay concerto and propino barley from 8 Islay farms, mostly first-fill bourbon with second-fill virgin oak and second-fill Bordeaux wine £60 (rrp £80) from Bruichladdich direct, available from Master of Malt for £76.95 #BlindDrams #BTC64

Dram 3 is Ardbeg 10 cask strength, 61.7% ABV, 50ppm 100% bourbon-barrel matured, NCF Bought for £75 direct from Ardbeg, but now sold out :-( Ardbeg 10 is my go-to pub dram , so I couldn't miss trying this at cask strength #BlindDrams #BTC64

Dram 2 is Laphroaig cask strength batch 17 58.3% ABV, 40ppm, added E.150a (blatantly, obvs!) Bought for £46.95 from Master of Malt, sold out but still available from Amazon or Laphroaig direct I've had earlier batches of this, but had not tried Batch 17 before #BlindDrams #BTC64

Dram 1 is Lagavulin 8yo, 48% ABV, 35ppm, NCF Bought for £47.50 from Master of Malt, widely available I love Lagavulin Distiller's Edition, and thought the younger sibling might be a good start to Ileach #BlindDrams #BTC64

And now it's finally time for the Reveal! Let's see what we've been drinking tonight: #BlindDrams #BTC64

What are your thoughts on the Finish for Dram #5, and how would you score it? #BlindDrams #BTC64

And don't forget to try a little water with this one (if you haven't done so already). #BlindDrams #BTC64

And for comparison, some non-Islay distilleries: Glenfarclas: 3 PPM Springbank: 8 PPM Benromach: 8 PPM Highland Park: 20 PPM Talisker: 25 PPM Ledaig: 35 PPM Longrow: 55 PPM Waterford (Woodbrook): 74 PPM #BlindDrams #BTC64

Moving on to the palate, what can we taste from Dram #5? What peaty flavours can we find in this one? #BlindDrams #BTC64

So, how do the Islay distilleries spec their malted barley in terms of peatiness? Bunnahabhain: 2 PPM Bruichladdich: 3 PPM Bowmore: 20 PPM Lagavulin: 35 PPM Port Charlotte (Bruichladdich): 40 PPM Laphroaig: 40 PPM Ardbeg: 50 PPM Octomore (Bruichladich): 80+ PPM #BlindDrams #BTC64

Distillers specify malt at a specific level of phenols, measured in phenolic parts per million (ppm), measured by UV spectroscopy or High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC). Barley peated to 40ppm would consist of 40 parts per million (0.004%) of phenols. #BlindDrams #BTC64

For peat's sake, it's already time for the last dram! What do we get from the appearance and nose for this one? #BlindDrams #BTC64

Phenols in new make are only partially oxidised, but in the barrel they become more fully oxidised over time into more complex aromatic compounds. For example, Laphroaig is known for becoming more tropical and fruity as it matures. #BlindDrams #BTC64

Wrapping up Dram #4, how are we scoring this one? #BlindDrams #BTC64

Many phenols are left behind in feints and never make it through to the spirit, e.g. Laphroaig typically uses barley peated to 40ppm, but only 25ppm comes through into the new make. After 10 years of aging, this drops to about 10ppm. #BlindDrams #BTC64

And any comments on the Finish? Does reduction have much impact on nose or palate? #BlindDrams #BTC64

The differences in fermentation time, still shape, fill level, speed of distillation and cut points contribute to the overall differences in flavour and specifically to the different phenol mix in the final product. #BlindDrams #BTC64

If we compare Caol Ila and Lagavulin, both distilleries use the same malted barley peated to @40ppm. But Caol Ila seems less smoky, and has a different nose and palate to Lagavulin. #BlindDrams #BTC64

For Dram #4, how is the palate? How does the peat taste for this one? #BlindDrams #BTC64

The capture of Phenols in new make depends on the cut point set by the distiller; the wider the cut, the more gets through into the new make. #BlindDrams #BTC64

Distillation and maturation has a large influence over Phenols in the final product. Phenols are big molecules with a high boiling-point, and only released as vapour towards the end of the distillation cycle. #BlindDrams #BTC64

Time for our penultimate peaty Islay delight, Dram #4. What do we get from the appearance and the nose? #BlindDrams #BTC64

Any thoughts on Dram #3's Finish? And what would you score it? #BlindDrams #BTC64

Eugenols can also be extracted from oak during maturation, giving a spicy and bitter flavour (clove, cinnamon). The main influences on phenol extraction are 1) oak species, 2) toasting/char level and 3) maturation time. #BlindDrams #BTC64

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What are you picking up from Dram #3 on the palate? And how does the peat come across this time? #BlindDrams #BTC64

3N - dusty, mould, Barterbooks (Alnwick), dettol, damp air, oiled wood, #BlindDrams

It's not only the drying of malted barley that contributes phenols to whisky; maturation can also add phenols. For example, guaiacols can be created from lignin (polymer found in wood) breaking down during maturation, adding a smoky flavour. #BlindDrams #BTC64

Now to the third Dram, what do you think of the appearance and the nose on this one? #BlindDrams #BTC64

How do we find the Finish, and how would we score Dram #2? How does it com-peat with Dram #1? #BlindDrams #BTC64

The human nose can detect 1ppm of most Phenols, but it's more sensitive to some. From an evolutionary perspective, it's an advantage to be able to detect wood smoke, so we're genetically more sensitive to Guaiacol than some of the other phenols. #BlindDrams #BTC64

Does reduction make a difference to Dram #2 on the palate? And does adding water make this one more or less peaty? #BlindDrams #BTC64

And what do we get on the palate for Dram #2? Is this more or less peaty than #1? #BlindDrams #BTC64

Phenols are naturally occuring compounds. Cresol: medicinal, found in coal tar and creosote Eugenol: cloves and cinnamon Guaiacol: wood smoke Phenol (aka carbolic acid, phenolic acid or benzenol): carbolic and antiseptic flavours Xylenol: coal tar #BlindDrams #BTC64

The main Phenols for whisky flavour are Phenol, Cresol, Xylenol, and Guaiacol. There are many other aromatics, but not all are Phenols. Some don’t have any effect on flavour but may affect the volatility (and nose and palate) of some of the other flavour chemicals. #BlindDrams #BTC64

Moving on to Dram #2, what do we think of the appearance and the nose? Does the peat smelling different from Dram #1? #BlindDrams #BTC64

Using the #BlindDrams scoring scale, how would you rate Dram #1? #BlindDrams #BTC64

Also, try Dram #1 with some water. Does it make a difference to the nose or palate? And does the finish peat-er out earlier when diluted? #BlindDrams #BTC64

Peat releases a class of cyclic aromatic compounds called Phenols when burnt. When used to dry barley after malting the oily phenols stick to the surface of the moist barley. #BlindDrams #BTC64

Time now to taste dram #1, what are you picking up from the palate? And any thoughts on the Finish? #BlindDrams #BTC64

Peat starts as small plants in bogs or moors; as they die and decompose they get compressed and pushed deeper, growing at 1mm per year. It takes thousands of years to get to a useful (cuttable) depth and is 80% water when first cut, taking 4-5 weeks to dry out. #BlindDrams #BTC64

So why is peated whisky linked with Islay? Whisky needs heat for malting, mashing and distillation, and Islay has few trees. Burning wood is not economically viable, but peat burns well and has been used as heating and cooking fuel on Islay for centuries before coal arrived. #BlindDrams #BTC64

So, let's sharpen our peat palates, and get down to the dramming. Dram #1, how does it look, and what do you get on the nose? #BlindDrams #BTC64