Banff 24yo 1976/2001 (55.8%, Signatory Vintage, C#2251, 284b, 01/665): this is one of the now-famous velveteenies. Nose: it starts off delicately, with warm cloth, line-drying linen and hay. Soon, spices arrive: pepper and mustard powder. The mustard becomes increasingly assertive, though never invading. It is joined by an earthy, root-y quality, dry and fragrant; Japanese mayonnaise, horseradish, mild wasabi. Smokier things come through: incense, dry fishing nets, dry crab shells, even. This is surprisingly peaty for a Banff, yet that is welcome, when it is this refined. Dry bung cloth, Lapsang Suchong, bonfires (good timing, eh?) and cigar boxes. Not much fruit to note -- perhaps remnants of barbecued grapefruit slices. The second sniff brings out wax and heated metal stamps (for the wax, see?) Mouth: gentle and balanced, tame, even, it has a little of the barbecued grapefruit, alongside incense ashes, iodine, salty cockles and dry hay bales. It feels confusingly tame, given the stated ABV. Charred cassia bark is there, dried shellfish too, and a rather thick veil of smoke -- thick as in: omnipresent; it is refined, cigar smoke, still with that coastal touch, much like smoked seafood. Finish: meow: the finish is a continuity of the nose and mouth, with ashes, incense, cigar boxes, dry bung cloth, bonfires, smoked, gunpowdered black tea, smoked crab shells and cigar smoke, shortly joined by warm cigar leaves. The second sip helps grapefruit emerge, though, again, it is barbecued grapefruit. The tingle on the tongue stays long after swallowing, oscillating between that lovely-if-distant grapefruit, cigars and smoked crab shells. This is exquisite. 9/10
6 November 2018
05/11/2018 Banffire Night 2018
Guy Fawkes, Parliament bombing, blowing stuff up, yippee-ki-yay, boom. Time flies.
Banff 24yo 1976/2001 (55.8%, Signatory Vintage, C#2251, 284b, 01/665): this is one of the now-famous velveteenies. Nose: it starts off delicately, with warm cloth, line-drying linen and hay. Soon, spices arrive: pepper and mustard powder. The mustard becomes increasingly assertive, though never invading. It is joined by an earthy, root-y quality, dry and fragrant; Japanese mayonnaise, horseradish, mild wasabi. Smokier things come through: incense, dry fishing nets, dry crab shells, even. This is surprisingly peaty for a Banff, yet that is welcome, when it is this refined. Dry bung cloth, Lapsang Suchong, bonfires (good timing, eh?) and cigar boxes. Not much fruit to note -- perhaps remnants of barbecued grapefruit slices. The second sniff brings out wax and heated metal stamps (for the wax, see?) Mouth: gentle and balanced, tame, even, it has a little of the barbecued grapefruit, alongside incense ashes, iodine, salty cockles and dry hay bales. It feels confusingly tame, given the stated ABV. Charred cassia bark is there, dried shellfish too, and a rather thick veil of smoke -- thick as in: omnipresent; it is refined, cigar smoke, still with that coastal touch, much like smoked seafood. Finish: meow: the finish is a continuity of the nose and mouth, with ashes, incense, cigar boxes, dry bung cloth, bonfires, smoked, gunpowdered black tea, smoked crab shells and cigar smoke, shortly joined by warm cigar leaves. The second sip helps grapefruit emerge, though, again, it is barbecued grapefruit. The tingle on the tongue stays long after swallowing, oscillating between that lovely-if-distant grapefruit, cigars and smoked crab shells. This is exquisite. 9/10
Banff 24yo 1976/2001 (55.8%, Signatory Vintage, C#2251, 284b, 01/665): this is one of the now-famous velveteenies. Nose: it starts off delicately, with warm cloth, line-drying linen and hay. Soon, spices arrive: pepper and mustard powder. The mustard becomes increasingly assertive, though never invading. It is joined by an earthy, root-y quality, dry and fragrant; Japanese mayonnaise, horseradish, mild wasabi. Smokier things come through: incense, dry fishing nets, dry crab shells, even. This is surprisingly peaty for a Banff, yet that is welcome, when it is this refined. Dry bung cloth, Lapsang Suchong, bonfires (good timing, eh?) and cigar boxes. Not much fruit to note -- perhaps remnants of barbecued grapefruit slices. The second sniff brings out wax and heated metal stamps (for the wax, see?) Mouth: gentle and balanced, tame, even, it has a little of the barbecued grapefruit, alongside incense ashes, iodine, salty cockles and dry hay bales. It feels confusingly tame, given the stated ABV. Charred cassia bark is there, dried shellfish too, and a rather thick veil of smoke -- thick as in: omnipresent; it is refined, cigar smoke, still with that coastal touch, much like smoked seafood. Finish: meow: the finish is a continuity of the nose and mouth, with ashes, incense, cigar boxes, dry bung cloth, bonfires, smoked, gunpowdered black tea, smoked crab shells and cigar smoke, shortly joined by warm cigar leaves. The second sip helps grapefruit emerge, though, again, it is barbecued grapefruit. The tingle on the tongue stays long after swallowing, oscillating between that lovely-if-distant grapefruit, cigars and smoked crab shells. This is exquisite. 9/10
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