Ben Nevis 7yo 2010/2018 (46%, Signatory Vintage The Un-Chillfiltered Collection for TastToe, Bourbon Barrel, C#419, 264b, b#33, L18/559): nose: it seems quite austere, at first, with chalk, limestone and ground peach stones. Old leather sofas do show up, alongside lacquered jewelry boxes, then caramelised nuts and warm corduroy. Later yet, fruits arrive, juicy and pretty exotic (ripe apricot, mango and persimmon). It even has a little note of smoke too, surprisingly. Mouth: delicate and fruity, it has squashed peach and jack fruit. The texture is milky, with some acidity, though it retains a certain mineral touch too... augmented with a pinch of dried sage. All over the shop, but not in a clumsy, scattered way: it works! Finish: an unexpected slap of tropical fruit on the tongue, with jack fruit and mango leading the dance, persimmon, carrot juice, mangosteen, dragon fruit and, finally, dusty rags. It is a Ben Nevis, after all; it has to be a bit weird. It feels a bit shy (new bottle) and I can only imagine the madness this would be at cask strength (hi, Cavalier66!) To be perfectly honest, a contemporary 7yo Ben Nevis is not exactly something my radar would usually pick up. It would have been a mistake to overlook it, however! 8/10 (Thanks for the dram, adc)
Bunnahabhain 28yo 1989/2018 (43.5%, The Nectar of the Daily Dram): you may remember, dear reader, that this was one of my favourite drams at Burns' Night, this year. Nose: this one has acrid orchard fruits, if it makes sense. Warm gingerbread-man biscuits, chocolate pudding, then lime zest, softened speculoos, as if kept in a non-airtight plastic box, grapefruit... The citrus grows bolder and bolder, with dried satsuma peels and pomelo. The nose then morphs to give sultanas and dried dates alongside fruit stones. Much later on, a touch of burnt wood makes its way to the top. Mouth: mildly acidic, it soon turns velvety and soft, with the modest ABV causing no feeling of loss whatsoever. Satsuma juice, pressed mandarins, tangerine peels, barely-ripe nectarine and a drop of lemon juice. It is milky in texture, with daffodil petals, which points to a distant bitterness. Yum! Finish: it shines, here, with more citrus, vanilla custard, almond paste, putty and pencil erasers, covered in green-hazelnut paste. Soft pears, past their prime, squashed blackberries and stone filings, ground cassia bark in Greek yoghurt. Phwoar! This is still excellent. 9/10 (Thanks for the dram, adc)
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