15/12/2019 A few disparate samples

CD sent me a sample, a while ago. My intention was to review it before anyone else. I failed when whiskyfun.com posted a review for it. Nae matter. Time to try it regardless. Let us make it a session, whilst we are at it.

Littlemill 28yo 1990/2019 (50.7%, Cadenhead Single Cask, Bourbon Hogshead, 282b): this one, I did manage to get my hands on, before it was sold to someone else by mistake, much to my disappointment. At least, I get to try it. Nose: watercolour and waxy fruit (apricot), yet that quickly disappears to make room for a herbaceous touch that harks back to bottlings of Littlemill from fifteen-twenty years ago. Geraniums (should be gerania, really), flowering currants, green tomatoes, Kafir lime leaves and agave. The second nosing brings creamy cheese to the fore -- cheese made from cow's milk, that is. Mouth: fresh and rather leafy (with ivy, agave again, laurel), it still has the acidity of citrus, ripe lemon, to be precise, accompanied by lemon mint (mentha aquatica), apple mint and pear pulp. Perhaps the palate sees some pine influence -- Douglas fir, in that case, lemon-y and fresh. Finish: here is where it is at, with a discharge of sweet fruits: kumquat, persimmon, yellow peach, greengage, Chinese gooseberry and grapefruit, in the back, gently bitter, on top of the acidity associated with the fruits. Even further back, a drop of mocha seems to materialise, which is as pleasant as it is unexpected. The whole gets creamier with every sip, giving fruity yoghurt. Yum! The nose and palate suggested a slightly-lesser Littlemill. The finish brought it all back in line. 9/10 (Thanks for the sample, SW)

Fettercairn 30yo 1988/2019 (56.9%, Signatory Vintage for C. Dully Selection, Hogshead, C#2007, 219b): nose: oooh! Old nuts! It has polished dashboards, linseed oil, crushed Brazil nuts, roasted peanuts, walnut oil, hazelnut paste -- this is nutty, nutty, nutty! The second sniff brings more floral and herbal tones, such as Marigold tagetes, gorse bushes, tomato stems, and a pinch of soil. Lastly, a mix of satsuma foliage and spinach enter the scene, as well as mercurochrome. Odd, but it works. Much later, it is unripe apricot that rears its head. Mouth: a distant bitterness of plant stems (dandelions) and foliage. That only lasts for seconds, though, as ginger is quick to take control -- not intrusively, but assertively. Orange zest, sandalwood, pistachio shells, and a tiny glass of dry white wine (Riesling). It warms the tip of the tongue, this one! The second sip is more bitter, with ivy leaves (back to herbaceous, then). Finish: nuts, here too, with lots of walnuts (skins on), almonds (skins on), crushed Brazill nuts (skins on), butterscotch, treacle, even, and still a leafy note; not quite sure if it is ivy or Virginia creeper, but it brings complexity and originality. The second sip welcomes more wine-y notes: fino sherry, Pedro Ximénez or Port, sweet, syrupy and fruity. Not an easy one! It can feel all over the place, even shaky. However, if one is not looking for an obvious malt that plays one loud note, this is hugely interesting and, ultimately, rewarding. 8/10 (Thanks for the sample, CD)

The next one blind.

Nose: the bouquet of a well-aged Burgundy. Earth, leather and dried grapes. Soon, it morphs to reveal farm-y tones -- farm paths, tractor saddles, dry fields, hay bales under the August sun. Salt then joins in and it it is focaccia, with sea salt and rosemary. Next up are cardboard, old books and blotting paper. It could very well be the library in an old Italian farm, in the kitchen of which the farmer's wife has been making focaccia. Three sniffs in, it becomes a blend of ink and merbromin, softly medicinal, on top of being farm-y and literary. Mouth: the attack is subtle and I have a hard time believing it is north of 60% (the ABV is written on the label). It has apple juice, hessian sacks, strong wine, Madeira style, though much dryer. Baked potatoes, sea salt and timid smoke -- Lapsang Souchong, bonfires, gunpowder. Finish: the supposed pedigree (remember: I am trying it blind) is more obvious, here, with a lot of dry, ashy peat (Ardbeg?) and noticeable horsepower. It is by no means overly peaty; quite balanced, on the contrary, with very-dry earth, hay, spent incense, fishing nets (Caol Ila?) and hot sand. Maybe a little coal gas, with a drop of diesel, exhaust fumes, cordite and an old tractor's engine, rusty and smoky. This might very well be from Campbeltown, actually. Ballechin 12yo 2005/2018 (61.5%, Signatory Vintage The Un-Chillfiltered Collection selected for the Whisky Barrel, Refill Sherry Hogshead, C#160, 291b) 8/10 (Thanks for the sample, Gaija)