2025 Christmas super tasting @ Dr Jekyll's

Tommy presenting the whole line-up.

In June and December every year Dr. Jekyll’s Pub in Oslo hosts a special whisky super tasting. Tommy has been the organizer for the past few years, and as always there is one mystery dram in the line-up and a quiz try and decipher what is actually in that glass. Much honor and prestige to the winner of course. Most of the time I am way off on these mystery drams, as I tend to be sidetracked and distracted by Tommy’s (weird) hints, so also this time.

Tommy was more ambitious than usual this time as he had decided to use (five of) the seven sins as the theme. Each dram was assigned a sin and he attempted to find the “good” in each of these sins. I did say it was ambitious!

Nikka Taketsuru Pure Malt 12 YO, 43%

The corresponding sin was Pride: Iconic, perfection, identity, and tradition.

A great start to the tasting. A lovely, balanced and surprisingly complex blended malt from Nikka (86/100).

Balblair 38 YO 1966–2004, 44%

The assigned sin was Greed: Rarity, exclusivity, expensive temptation.

A truly amazing dram!

This was really the star of the show. On the light yet richly expressive nose I found dried fruits, mainly apples and dried apricots. With time it turned waxy and oily, showing citrus hints, earthy cinnamon and soft honey. It was full bodied and rich. Red berries took center stage on the palate, accented by refined spices. Creamy and oily in texture with mild oak influence and a gently dry edge. Very long finish. Vibrant and poised with soft oakiness, a whisper of astringency and a subtle green note (93/100).

Glen Garioch 2008 14 YO OMC – Ardnahoe Launch Bottling, 50%

The selected sin was here Wrath: Raw power, strength and intensity.

This Glen Garioch did not quite make it in this very competitive line-up.

This one fell through a bit for me. It had weird rubbery, bitterish notes on the nose. The palate carried more potential with a dirty and sugary sweet character (83/100).

Laphroaig 1997 18 YO BBR La Maison du Whisky 60th Anniversary Bottling, 53.8%

The sin for this dram was Gluttony: Lots of everything, rich, extreme and passionate.

A lovely Laphroaig!

A classic Laphroaig profile for me. Oily and creamy with lots of iodine, wood smoke and a distinct brininess. Tar, peat, ashes, licorice and iodine to taste. Loved it (90/100).

Mystery Whisky 

Finally the sin for the mystery dram was Lust: Seductive, enticing, sensual and irresistible.

The mystery whisky of the evening.

The mystery whisky turned out to be the Mannochmore 2009 12 YO from The Red Cask Co. Matured in a 1st fill ex-sherry hogshead. I wasn’t too far off in my guesses, but I did not win the contest. As always Tommy was good at giving us hints that were at the same both both revealing and utterly confusing.

A large section of the downstairs area at Dr. Jekyll’s Pub has recently been refurbished, and is looking gorgeous!

More details from the refurbished part of the downstairs area.

Sláinte!
- Thomas