With adc in town, it feels right to share a few of the latest drams. I tried them all recently, yet under different circumstances. Notes, even brief, seem justified, then.
Glen Mhor 21yo 1976 (43%, The Whisky Shop Glenkeir Treasures The Gold Selection, 299b): nose is still agreeable, perhaps more herbal than previous times. Mouth: verbena. Finish: more bitter than usually, still on verbena. Quite different from what I remembered, perhaps because it never was the first in line before. Still a great dram, mind. 8/10
Lochside 46yo 1964/2011 (42.1%, The Whisky Exchange, C#8970, 139b): I was actually looking for Cadenhead's recent 30yo, but it was too hard to reach in the cupboard. Nose: what a pleasure again! This is completely ridiculous, with ripe melon, passion fruit, jack fruit, durian, mango... I could go on. There is also a hint of wood, then some vanilla (much later). Mouth: soothing. Not as complex and rich as the rest, perhaps. That is not meant in a bad way. It feels like fruit juice, just not a mix of sixty different kinds of fruit. Finish: as the last couple of times, it seems underwhelming for a fraction of a second, then BAM! Lychee. adc finds it too complex for now and prefers the Glen Mhor. To me, this is the best buy ever. The ping-pong between fruit and vanilla is simply mind-blowing. 10/10
G5.5 18yo 1993 Rich, Sweet And Comforting (65.4%, SMWS Society Cask, Hogshead, 243b) (reduced): nose: wood shavings, varnish, pinetree planks, hay, bulrush, buffalo grass (?) -- the kind they put in bottles of Zubrowka vodka. Finish: wood juice to me, with loverly vanilla. Excellent dram and best Invergordon I have had. 9/10
Imperial 1990/2000 (40%, Gordon & MacPhail): nose: some herbs, rather bland after the previous debauchery. adc reckons it smells like dust. Mouth: vanilla, dessert rice, custard. Finish: vanilla again. Love that dram, but it is a bit weak in comparison, I suppose. 7/10
Good times.
About Lochside: Your nose is my mouth... To me, the nose was sweet but not overwhelmingly, just right. Once in the mouth, the fireworks set off: very little passion fruit, but I agree with the (yellow) melon, jack fruit, durian yet I would replace mango with papaya. Maybe a hint of guava somewhere too, but I will have to confirm that ;)
ReplyDeleteSoft rush seems to be what I meant, not the bullrush