Music. Alcohol. Oysters. Books.

The Senegalese kora master Ablaye Cissoko and the French diatonic accordionist Cyrille Brotto in concert at the Freight. They played quite a lot of tunes, some instrumental and others featuring Ablaye's vocals. I had listened to one of the duo's albums and was somewhat puzzled by the constantly shifting moods and the overall experimental feel of the recording, but the live show turned out to be very different. The kora and accordion blended impressively, creating a beautiful melodic tapestry. Most of the pieces were slow, calm, and meditative, though a few fiery ones made it into the mix as well. A charming concert! That said, speaking about the kora, I was more impressed by its weaving with guitar, delivered in the performance by Ballaké Sissoko and Derek Gripper at the Freight back in January, though I still thoroughly enjoyed Ablaye and Cyrille's show. They played for about an hour and a half.

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Kilchoman Sanaig Cask Strength OB 70cl 57.8% ABV
2024 Edition
Matured predominantly in Oloroso sherry casks
Bottle code SCS 20/08/24 24/97



Color: brown.
Nose: peat, tires, dill, iodine, lacquer, chocolate, smoke, nuts, bacon, tar, soy sauce, champignons, baked apples, cocoa, electrical tape, glossy magazine, yellow mustard, tobacco. A lot of familiar notes!
Taste: smoky and oily, with peat, dark chocolate, redcurrants, Lugol's solution, plums, tobacco, black tea, green olives, pepper, and lemons. Not too spicy, with great notes of berries, and really easy to drink.
Finish: peat, smoke, chocolate, blackcurrants, plums, pepper, salt, chokeberries, lemon zest. This is where it starts to feel a bit too young and a bit too sweet.
Score: 8 ¾. Better than just good. +2+2+1.

Conclusion: made using the same cask recipe as their regular Sanaig release, this undiluted version feels significantly better and more intense thanks to the higher ABV. But it is not just the strength. Once again, the Oloroso sherry casks have done a remarkable job of elevating an already strong base. A very good and enjoyable Kilchoman. 88/100.

Pulteney 13YO Signatory Vintage 75cl 56.2% ABV
Cask Strength Collection
Distilled May 27, 2008; bottled March 17, 2022
Initially matured in refill bourbon barrels, finished in a fresh Sherry butt for 44 months
Cask no: 22
Bottle 102 / 635 (different number on the stock photo)

Color: dark amber. Beautiful.
Nose: red apples, paint thinner, eraser, bread, marzipan, roasted nuts, nectarines, sea breeze, freshly ground black pepper, tea, clove, buckwheat, meadow herbs, dates, resin, ash, persimmons, milk chocolate, strawberries, lemons. Quite complex and impressive, maybe even a bit too much going on here. With water: apricots, raspberries, hints of tar.
Taste: red apples, redcurrants, lemons, apricots, chocolate cake, a hint of iodine, peaches, salt, pepper, resin, oak. Not overly sweet, drinks very well. With water: raspberries, more sweetness and oak.
Finish: iodine, red apples, apricots, salt, more noticeable pepper, lemons, chocolate cake, creamy notes, oak. A bit hot, water does not help much.
Score: 8 ¾. Better than good. +2+2+1.

Conclusion: a surprisingly pleasant malt with plenty of fruity and berry notes, much better than Pulteney's official diluted expressions tasted. Nearly four years in a sherry cask have clearly made an impact, but the spicy and maritime base remains noticeable as well. The whisky becomes a bit more berry-forward with water, though whether it improves the dram is debatable. Either way, I'm quite satisfied with this Pulteney. 87/100. A fine way to close the series of three Signatory's decanter bottles I bought earlier this year.

Ledaig 21YO Atom Brands 50cl 47.9% ABV
Darkness range
Finished in Oloroso Sherry octave casks
Sample



Color: amber.
Nose: smoke, distinct notes of roasted nuts, pickles in brine, burnt plastic, peat, orange zest, electrical tape, apples, engine oil, and dried mushrooms.
Taste: smoky and oily, with lemons, salted caramel, smoke, pepper, peat, apples, and mint chocolate. Quite smooth overall.
Finish: lemons, pepper, apples, cocoa, honey, pears, salted caramel, sweet toffee, and lingonberries. Somewhat sweet.
Score: 8 ¾. Better than good. +2+2+1.

Conclusion: a powerful sherried Ledaig. Though it's unclear whether this whisky was bottled at cask strength, it has enough power and character. Darkness is a range of independently bottled single malt Scotch whiskies, part of the Atom Brands group, which also includes Aerolite Lyndsay, That Boutique-y Whisky Company, Rumbullion, and Bathtub Gin, as well as the retailer Master of Malt and the group's distribution arm Maverick Drinks. All whiskies in this series spend a few extra months maturing in small octave casks. 88/100.

Raasay NAS OB 70cl 61.3% ABV
Cask Strength series
2024 Edition
Lightly peated (using Highland peat)
Rye Whiskey, Chinkapin Oak & Bordeaux Red Wine casks
Bottle 3,008 of 8,400 (different number on the stock photo); 1,140 bottles for the US
Bottle code L002183



Color: golden.
Nose: rye bread, canola oil, apricots, smoke, peat, cranberries in sugar, ground black pepper, caraway, rosin, ash, tar, maple syrup, blackcurrants, leather, sprats, blueberries, heather. Powerful and intense. With water: varnished wood, chocolate, figs, and the aroma becomes clearer.
Taste: chocolate, blueberries, smoke, peat, olive oil, vanilla-chocolate ice cream, apricots, pepper, mint, salt, rowanberries, a bit of alcohol sharpness. With water: more chocolate, prunes, more sweetness overall.
Finish: smoke, peat, bread, pears, pepper, salt, rowanberries, chocolate, alcohol sharpness. With water: more sweetness.
Score: 8 ½. Good. +2+1+1.

Conclusion: a solid malt from the Isle of Raasay, a bit more interesting after adding a few drops of water. By the way, finally got around to ordering a Glencairn pipette. This whisky is slightly better than their standard diluted version. 86/100.

British singer-songwriter Bridget St. John opened the show solo, performing Michael Chapman's Rabbit Hills. "Or was it my imagination again?" She sounded gorgeous, delivering folk-rock tunes with a dreamy, psychedelic tint. Her vocals, of course, are no longer what they were in the days of yore, but they remain impressive and haunting. Bridget paired Joni Mitchell's The Fiddle and the Drum with America the Beautiful into a seamless medley. Kevin Ayers' Jolie Madame was performed in French, with Willie Aron joining on keyboards and sticking around. I especially enjoyed St. John's old tune Ask Me No Questions, as well as another Kevin Ayers gem, The Oyster and the Flying Fish. She wrapped her set with a few songs performed alongside Evie Sands and her band. What a gorgeous first part of the night!

Evie Sands's set began immediately, without a break. I have never closely followed her work, as the songs have too often felt lightweight to me. That said, her set turned out to be very pleasant live, featuring catchy, crafty, hooky pop numbers. I do not think I would listen to such music at home, but this did not matter Sunday night at Sweetwater. Evie performed I Can't Let Go, which was her hit in 1965, a year before it was recorded by The Hollies. Bridget returned to the stage to help sing on two more songs.

It was a long and special concert, consisting of two mismatched halves. The first was introspective and folk-oriented, the second danceable and lively. Around fifty people showed up, and seating had been arranged for them. The chairs did not really suit the energy of Evie Sands's set, but there were a fair number of older people in the audience, so I guess it was the best setup to use anyway.

Set list (Bridget St. John, 8:00 PM — 9:07 PM): Rabbit Hills, The Fiddle and the Drum > America the Beautiful, Find the Cost of Freedom > Look at This Child, Jolie Madame (with Willie Aron), The Hole in Your Heart (with Willie Aron), Feel My Love (with Willie Aron), Ask Me No Questions (with Willie Aron), The Oyster and the Flying Fish (with Willie Aron), Fly High (with Evie Sands' band), Castaway (with Evie Sands and her band), If You've Got Money (with Evie Sands and her band)

Set list (Evie Sands and her band, 9:07 PM — 10:28 PM): A Woman's Work Is Never Done, Scandal Du Jour, I Can't Let Go, While I Look at You, I Love Makin' Love to You, Billy Sunshine, Full Dose of Love, The Truth Is in Disguise, My Darkest Days, Brain Damage, Shine for Me, Keep My Lovelight Burnin', Glad You're Gone, I Wanna Fall in Love Again, Angel of the Morning, It's This I Am (with Bridget St. John), If You Give Up (with Bridget St. John), Get Up

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Jorma's second night at Sweetwater. The setlist brought notable differences, with only three overlaps in the solo part compared to Friday's show. It was great to hear the wonderful Hesitation Blues, along with Death Don't Have No Mercy, Come Back Baby, and Good Shepherd, all played on the first night and all exceptionally good, as well as the somewhat unexpected Hamar Promenade from Jorma's Quah album. The sound was excellent once again, just as it had been on Friday. Still, it felt like the previous show featured a bit stronger material. John Hurlbut delivered solid vocals on Daniel Lanois's The Maker, followed by Dylan's She Belongs to Me, and Driftin' Blues stood out as the true highlight of the night, coming out powerful and sublime. They closed with a surprising take on the classic soul number People Get Ready.

Great show! Friday night was a bit more interesting, but Saturday definitely made an impression.

Set list (8:01 PM — 9:45 PM): Second Chances, Letter to the North Star, Broken Highway, Trouble in Mind, Let Us Get Together Right Down Here, Death Don't Have No Mercy, Heart Temporary, Hesitation Blues, Hamar Promenade, Come Back Baby, Sleep Song, Good Shepherd, Where Have My Old Friends Gone, Take This Hammer (with John Hurlbut on lead vocals), The Maker (with John Hurlbut on lead vocals), She Belongs to Me (with John Hurlbut on lead vocals), Driftin' Blues (with John Hurlbut on lead vocals), This Land Is Your Land (with John Hurlbut on lead vocals), People Get Ready (with John Hurlbut on lead vocals)

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Harmonica player Quique Gómez from Madrid, Spain, and guitarist Kid Andersen, a long-time US resident originally from Norway, performed as a duo at Biscuits & Blues Club in San Francisco. A great version of Little Walter's Everything's Gonna Be Alright came early in the set, followed by the jazz and popular standard I'm Confessing (That I Love You), presented on the final album by the late Little Charlie Baty, a track both musicians had contributed to.

My personal highlights were two numbers with Andersen on acoustic slide guitar: Muddy Waters' Long Distance Call and Sonny Boy Williamson I's Good Morning, Little Schoolgirl. Kid switched to bass for Help Me, a classic from the other Sonny Boy, the second one, which came out surprisingly amusing, while Quique brought out a mandolin for a charming rendition of How Long. Andersen sang his own tune The Civilized Life, and the set wrapped up with a lively version of Nappy Brown's Don't Be Angry. Between songs, the stage was full of banter and good-natured jokes.

All in all, a solid show, especially strong instrumentally, with great harp and tasteful guitar work. The vocals did not make quite the same impact for me, but the overall vibe was warm and enjoyable. I could not stay for the second set.

Set list (6:37 PM — 7:52 PM): Blues Medley (Sun Gonna Shine), Everything's Gonna Be Alright, I'm Confessing (That I Love You), I'm Gonna Keep What I've Got, Long Distance Call, Good Morning Little Schoolgirl, Help Me, How Long, Sugar Sweet, The Civilized Life, Don't Be Angry

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Glenlivet 17YO Signatory Vintage 70cl 62.2% ABV
Cask Strength Collection
Distilled August 15, 2006; bottled August 23, 2023
Cask type: 1st Fill Oloroso Sherry Butt
Cask no: 900810
Bottle 356 / 623 (different number on the stock photo)

Color: dark amber.
Nose: figs, pink peppercorns, strawberries, nougat, roasted almonds, mandarins, floor polish, clay, heather, oak, cherries, rum raisins, tobacco, plums, tea, leather, and dried mango slices. Dense and intensely aromatic.
Taste: caramel, a generous dose of chocolate, plums, cocoa, strawberries, lemons, black pepper, tobacco, salt, oak, and green apples. Never cloying, despite all the chocolate. And salt! Fairly smooth overall. No need to add water, the ABV is barely noticeable when tasted neat.
Finish: dark chocolate, black pepper, tobacco, green apples, wood, strawberries, tea, salt, and chokeberries.
Score: 9. Between good and excellent. +2+2+2.

Conclusion: a sherry bomb of exceptional quality and a great ABV. The Cask Strength collection in decanter-style bottles might just be my favorite line from Signatory, although over the past ten years I've only managed to purchase four from this series, not counting this new one. Those scored 85, 92, 90, and 93. This one is 90/100.

Ben Nevis 21YO Blackadder 70cl 46.4% ABV
Ingelred series
Distilled 10.2001, bottled 04.2023
Initially aged for 10 years in a Bourbon cask, and then matured in a Californian Red Wine cask for an additional 11 years
Cask no. 1300
Bottle 18 / 210 (different number on the stock photo)



Color: amber with a reddish tint.
Nose: apricots, eraser, a touch of lacquer, caramel, freshly cut grass, tar soap, chocolate-covered marshmallows, clay, damp wood, strawberries, blackberries, cloves, pomegranates, cherries, and lemons. Opens up slowly, but is very good.
Taste: chocolate, raisins, melon, salt, plums, a bit of pepper, apricots, peaches, vanilla ice cream, and cinnamon. Very smooth. Somewhat sweet and slightly lacking in ABV, but the salt notes are remarkable.
Finish: dried apricots, mint chocolate, a bit of pepper, salt, herbs, plums, marzipan, and lemons.
Score: 9. Between good and excellent. +2+2+2.

Conclusion: eleven extra years in a wine cask paid off beautifully. An excellent malt, though it falls a little short of the younger Ingelred 17-year bourbon cask tasted just before. 90/100. My 40th Ben Nevis.