27°C, yesterday. The hottest April day ever recorded in this country.
Auchentoshan 25yo 1992/2017 (44.8%, Cadenhead Authentic Collection 175th Anniversary, Bourbon Barrel, 198b): nose: at first, it is musty dunnage warehouse, clay floors, crushed, black-olive stones, bung cloth and dirty rags. It seems to have lost a lot of its fruitiness (I tried this
when it came out), which is a pity, but let us see... Toast, sawdust, sprinkled with green-grape juice, mince pie and black bun. Madeira wine appears, after a while. It is not an immediate-pleasure nose (read: no exuberant fruitiness), but it is nice in a Connoisseurs-Choice kind of way (the first map livery). Mouth: more accessible on the palate, this feels pretty lively, at such a low strength. It has marzipan and crushed almonds, candied lemon peels, dried tangerine segments, almond milk -- I find the texture very milky, in fact, almost creamy. Brazil nuts, milk-chocolate pralines, perhaps a tiny quantity of pouring honey in thick, chocolate-flavoured cream. This is beautiful. The longer one sips it, the more peppery it becomes; soft pinches of ground white pepper. Finish: crushed almonds and Brazil nuts, macadamia too, augmented with a dash of pomelo juice. The finish is creamy on the mouth, with custard-cream biscuits, butterscotch, vanilla pudding and a slice of perfectly-ripe canary melon. Much later, cut mango and yellow passion fruit make a timid appearance. Cracking dram that could well convince me to rate it higher! 8/10 (
Thanks for the sample, SW)
Glenburgie 1983/2011 (56.3%, Berry Bros & Rudd Berrys' Own Selection, C#9806): I bought this when BBR was like a second residence to me, though the bottling itself predates that by a few months. It is also one of the very last bottlings before the current range/labels were introduced (Selected by Berrys' replaced Berrys' Own Selection). The eagle-eye reader will also note this was distilled in 1983, long before the new Glenburgie distillery was built (2004). Nose: orchard fruit by the wheelbarrow -- pears, apples, peaches. Then, more exotic fruits appear, chiefly baked banana, rum-toft... In fact, this reminds me of the recent Venezuelan rum by Cadenhead, in that it has the same sort of fruitiness, alongside this industrial glue scent, which I think works well. Several sorts of jellies (quince, apricot), marmalade and what resembles a whisper of smoke. As it opens up, the nose becomes more tropical too, with mango slices and crushed maracuja (both shy, yet present), alongside butterscotch, dark fudge and a drop of lime juice for good measure. Mouth: big, with glue and buttery fruit, candied pineapple cubes, pear drops, Chinese gooseberries, peaches, lots of peaches, actually, yellow and white, ginger shavings, lemongrass, Kafir lime leaves and raspberry coulis, which adds an acidic touch (it may read incompatible with the above, but it works). Finish: it is huge, with, again, the industrial glue and lots of fruit of all kind. From the second sip on, the glue almost disappears to leave only fruit (peach, marmalised orange, jellied quince, dried mango slices, pineapple cubes) and a minty freshness, underlined by crushed bay leaves and a pinch of black pepper. Another beautiful dram. I reckon it will open up with oxidation and become even better. 8/10
Caperdonich 16yo 1977/1994 (58.6%, Cadenhead Authentic Collection, Sherry Cask): nose: wine-y from the get-go, this one does not hide its maturation type! At first, it is sun-drenched Claret, but it quickly morphs to reveal fortified wines (Madeira and, well, Jerez, innit). A few minutes later, it becomes chocolate-y, as in: chocolate brownie, augmented with strawberry coulis. Awesome. It retains a certain dustiness as an underlying current, which is very nice indeed. A hint of pine sap, resin, maybe cigar boxes and cardboard. With water, coffee emerges, mocaccino. Mouth: chocolate-y alright! Dark, chilli-infused chocolate. This is obviously quite strong and has toffee, cocoa butter, linseed oil, Brazil-nut body butter, hot cocoa... The palate is not overly complex, but, provided one likes chocolate (and who doesn't?), it does the trick very well. With water, it feels much softer, still (very) chocolate-y, but less in -your-face. Milk chocolate, this time. Finish: the alcohol is a hit on the head, to be honest, with notes of camphor. Once that has dissipated, it is full-on chocolate again, with sticky toffee pudding and hot brownie (though not that killer one that JS makes with tahini). Scottish tablet, fudge, treacle and a dash of fortified wine. With water, it turns into dark-chocolate coulis, poured on wine-infused brownie. Very nice, if a little one-dimensional. I prefer it neat, even at this frightening strength. 7 or 8? Hesitation... 7/10 (
Thanks for the sample, SW)
Auchentoshan 25yo 1992/2017 (44.8%, Cadenhead Authentic Collection 175th Anniversary, Bourbon Barrel, 198b): nose: at first, it is musty dunnage warehouse, clay floors, crushed, black-olive stones, bung cloth and dirty rags. It seems to have lost a lot of its fruitiness (I tried this when it came out), which is a pity, but let us see... Toast, sawdust, sprinkled with green-grape juice, mince pie and black bun. Madeira wine appears, after a while. It is not an immediate-pleasure nose (read: no exuberant fruitiness), but it is nice in a Connoisseurs-Choice kind of way (the first map livery). Mouth: more accessible on the palate, this feels pretty lively, at such a low strength. It has marzipan and crushed almonds, candied lemon peels, dried tangerine segments, almond milk -- I find the texture very milky, in fact, almost creamy. Brazil nuts, milk-chocolate pralines, perhaps a tiny quantity of pouring honey in thick, chocolate-flavoured cream. This is beautiful. The longer one sips it, the more peppery it becomes; soft pinches of ground white pepper. Finish: crushed almonds and Brazil nuts, macadamia too, augmented with a dash of pomelo juice. The finish is creamy on the mouth, with custard-cream biscuits, butterscotch, vanilla pudding and a slice of perfectly-ripe canary melon. Much later, cut mango and yellow passion fruit make a timid appearance. Cracking dram that could well convince me to rate it higher! 8/10 (Thanks for the sample, SW)
Glenburgie 1983/2011 (56.3%, Berry Bros & Rudd Berrys' Own Selection, C#9806): I bought this when BBR was like a second residence to me, though the bottling itself predates that by a few months. It is also one of the very last bottlings before the current range/labels were introduced (Selected by Berrys' replaced Berrys' Own Selection). The eagle-eye reader will also note this was distilled in 1983, long before the new Glenburgie distillery was built (2004). Nose: orchard fruit by the wheelbarrow -- pears, apples, peaches. Then, more exotic fruits appear, chiefly baked banana, rum-toft... In fact, this reminds me of the recent Venezuelan rum by Cadenhead, in that it has the same sort of fruitiness, alongside this industrial glue scent, which I think works well. Several sorts of jellies (quince, apricot), marmalade and what resembles a whisper of smoke. As it opens up, the nose becomes more tropical too, with mango slices and crushed maracuja (both shy, yet present), alongside butterscotch, dark fudge and a drop of lime juice for good measure. Mouth: big, with glue and buttery fruit, candied pineapple cubes, pear drops, Chinese gooseberries, peaches, lots of peaches, actually, yellow and white, ginger shavings, lemongrass, Kafir lime leaves and raspberry coulis, which adds an acidic touch (it may read incompatible with the above, but it works). Finish: it is huge, with, again, the industrial glue and lots of fruit of all kind. From the second sip on, the glue almost disappears to leave only fruit (peach, marmalised orange, jellied quince, dried mango slices, pineapple cubes) and a minty freshness, underlined by crushed bay leaves and a pinch of black pepper. Another beautiful dram. I reckon it will open up with oxidation and become even better. 8/10
Caperdonich 16yo 1977/1994 (58.6%, Cadenhead Authentic Collection, Sherry Cask): nose: wine-y from the get-go, this one does not hide its maturation type! At first, it is sun-drenched Claret, but it quickly morphs to reveal fortified wines (Madeira and, well, Jerez, innit). A few minutes later, it becomes chocolate-y, as in: chocolate brownie, augmented with strawberry coulis. Awesome. It retains a certain dustiness as an underlying current, which is very nice indeed. A hint of pine sap, resin, maybe cigar boxes and cardboard. With water, coffee emerges, mocaccino. Mouth: chocolate-y alright! Dark, chilli-infused chocolate. This is obviously quite strong and has toffee, cocoa butter, linseed oil, Brazil-nut body butter, hot cocoa... The palate is not overly complex, but, provided one likes chocolate (and who doesn't?), it does the trick very well. With water, it feels much softer, still (very) chocolate-y, but less in -your-face. Milk chocolate, this time. Finish: the alcohol is a hit on the head, to be honest, with notes of camphor. Once that has dissipated, it is full-on chocolate again, with sticky toffee pudding and hot brownie (though not that killer one that JS makes with tahini). Scottish tablet, fudge, treacle and a dash of fortified wine. With water, it turns into dark-chocolate coulis, poured on wine-infused brownie. Very nice, if a little one-dimensional. I prefer it neat, even at this frightening strength. 7 or 8? Hesitation... 7/10 (Thanks for the sample, SW)
No comments:
Post a Comment