28/03/2025 Mystery sample #7

Last in the series, although one more is coming soon.

Nose: this must be a wine cask! It smells of red wine, cork, and a wooden winepress. It is fairly elegant, a lightish Bordelais Claret, but wine all the same. Deeper nosing brings forth some manner of vegetable -- steam-baked red onions and stewed red kidney beans, -- before fleeting crayons and empty saffron capsules enter the scene. A little later on, dried, crackled oilcloth comes under the spotlight to introduce earthier notes of potting soil and tagetes or gerania in a planter. The second nose welcomes citrus, orange in colour (oranges, clementines, tangerines), many of them soaked in red wine. Some pastry is also at play, here, hard to identify. Blueberry muffins dipped in red wine? Let us go with that. Mouth: very wine-y in texture, this is a tannic number, fruity, but drying. Chewing unleashes a bucket of plums intertwined with dark earth. One could call it rancio, probably, and marvel at the dunnage-warehouse quality of it. Tannic and spicy, it is, though, with sumac, ground cloves, and just a pinch of ground cinnamon. The second sip is juicier, more focussed on (blush-)orange segments, Shaddock pomelo, and hardly-ripe mandarines, bitter and acidic in equal measures. When chewing, one notices the wine influence again, almost minty, so woody and tannic it is. Finish: big and wine-y in the finish too, it has plenty of fruits in various forms (lingonberry compote leads the dance, dark grapes in its wake), counteracted by at least as much tannin. It is as if someone had rolled all the fruits in ground sumac. Fortunately, the lingering note is one of bitter-blush-orange marmalade augmented with a more-approachable pinch of ground cloves. Towards the death, we perceive a kick of wine-cured cantaloupe skin. Unusual. The wine influence is a bit much for me, in this one.

Old Perth 12yo (46%, Morrison Scotch Whisky Distillers Aged Collection, Sherry Casks, b. ca. 2025) 6/10 (Thanks for the sample, Whisky-Online)

24/03/2025 Mystery sample #6

Nose: subtle and discreet, this has candlewax and pouches full of faded dried herbs (distant thyme and oregano), though not pot-pourri. Deeper nosing doubles down on those herbs, and adds a spoonful of vanilla custard. It veers towards metal, with empty tin cans and old cheap cutlery to supplement the (lemon) thyme and dried hawthorn. The second nose is as subtle; a whiff of flowers in a greenhouse, cactuses on a window sill, faded leaves in a planter, and an old sheet of cardboard. Mouth: lukewarm and bitter, this is a herbal infusion drunk from a tin can. Pencil-sharpener blades follow, new razor blades, moving to quarry chippings and street pebbles. It is rather desiccating, and, well, not the most-approachable whisky there is. Chewing reveals its warmth, yet it does not become more welcoming. Warm metal is all. The second sip has grist so dry it may as well be medieval dust, and the bitterness of green hazel leaves. That is somewhat balanced by a minty nut paste that does not fully convince. Finish: the same herbs and metal crash the gob for a second, and, fortunately, open the door to a much more pleasant minty custard, and even some fruits. That turns out to be fleeting, however: soon, bitter tin is all that stays on the tongue, with quarry chippings filling the gaps between the teeth. Gritty. The second gulp is bolder with the minty custard. It is trying to offer a pine-tree freshness, but never gets there. The death sees glossy paper, which anyone who has tried to chew it will know is not exactly delicious. Original, though! This is interesting alright, if not too pleasant. Could it be a Fettercairn?

M & H 4yo 2019/2023 Series 023 (64.2%, North Star, Refill Hogshead, 198b) 6/10 (Thanks for the sample, Whisky-Online

22/03/2025 A few drams at the SMWS

Just JS and me, today. Incredibly, PS is not there. He is, in fact, sunbathing at the seaside, something so out of character it needs to be mentioned.

121.114 8yo d.2015 Citric peppermint smoke (61.9%, SMWS Society Cask, 1st Fill ex-Bourbon Barrel, 230b): this comes recommended by the staff as a substitute for 163.2, which is sold out. Nose: spring flowers on steroid. Daffodils, forsythia and yellow tulips. However, there is also a veil of earthy smoke that I initially blame on the next table's drams, but is definitely from this one. The second nose has a vague rubbery note and softer earth, maybe potting soil. Water turns this ashy. Mouth: bright and sharp, it pushes a delicate whiff of scorched earth, or smoke in a bothy with a clay floor. The second sip is still lively, sparkly, with sherbet and lime zest. Finish: warm and flowery, here are heated forsythia and honey-glazed lemon zest. In the second gulp, we have a soft vegetal note, mint tea or otherwise. Water makes it too hot. Another good (peated) Arran. 7/10

149.8 8yo d.2016 The fable of the tortoise and the hare (61.3%, SMWS Society Cask, 1st Fill ex-Bourbon Barrel, 174b): nose: powder puffs, cosmetic powders of all sorts, old oilcloth tablecloths, clean linen, and a whiff of tame coffee. As one tilts the glass, metal rises. Mouth: sweet upon entry, it quietly takes on a kitchen-y profile, with clean Scotchbrite pads. The second sip has oily dolmas and a nice vinaigrette. Finish: the strangest combination, part sweets, part sparkling mineral water, part Alka Seltzer, part flower stems. Desiccating as fook, though it kind of works. JS finds it juicy, on the other hand, showing once more that perception is a very personal thing. 7/10

59.89 17yo d.2007 Tempura toast (56.4%, SMWS Society Cask, American Oak ex-Oloroso Butt + 1st Fill Spanish Oak ex-Oloroso Butt Finish, 498b): another staff recommendation. Nose: it smells like an empty oven, initially. Then, smoked currants appear, which is as enticing as it reads. It remains a hot-metal affair all the same, despite the clear sweetness. Baked prunes, baked plums, stewed nectarines. The second nose has a nice hazelnut chocolate. Mouth: thick, coating, oily and fruity in the way of prunes or currants. Velvety, rich, faintly earthy. Perhaps we spot trifle, or sticky toffee pudding. The second sip seems earthier and more drying, desert dirt and crusty earth. Finish: the kind of dram people not in the know call: "Christmas in a glass." It has clotted cream topped with a berry coulis, caramel cream, and maybe some chocolate. The dominant is easily prune, though. 8/10

52.45 30yo d.1993 Sea breeze through quince trees (51.7%, SMWS Vaults Collection, 2nd Fill ex-Bourbon Barrel, 187b): nose: light and ethereal, it has a whiff of weed, but that is fleeting. Soon, it is submerged by jasmine, lily-of-the-valley, snowdrops, and white magnolia. Regardless of what the label reads, I find nothing coastal or maritime, here. Instead, it is poached apples and baked peach slices. The second nose brings raspberry into the mix, but also fresh butterhead lettuce and scented talcum powder. Mouth: soft and light, what strikes first is a certain chalkiness. Oh! it is nothing too drying, but it certainly has chewy powder -- speaking of which, chewing unleashes some fruits, baked apples and sliced nectarines with a splash of pomelo soda. The second sip is richer, juicier for a second, with squashed raspberries augmented with a drop of lemon juice, then served on limestone. Finish: a lovely woody touch introduces citrus-y tonic water, lime or pomelo Schweppes, which means it is pretty chalky and bitter, I suppose. The second gulp is just as good, long with a subtle bitterness in an otherwise increasingly coastal dram (battered fried fish, of all things!), sprinkled with chalk and lemon juice. This is obviously not in the same league as the first three, yet I flip-flop between a strong 8 and a weak 9. Bah! 9/10