Talisker 30yo 1987/2017 (45.8%, OB, Bourbon & Sherry Casks, 9078b): delicate-ish, but assertive, it is an iron first in a velvet glove. That means elegant and refined, yet it knows exactly what it is good at -- and that is cockles, warm sand, drying fishing nets, dried crab shells, sea water, mussels, kippers -- oh! it is kipper-y alright. Over time, the nose turns waxy, with candles, hot wax seals, even warm bakelite and electric cables. Behind all that, finely-ground black pepper, pencil shavings, desert dirt... Later, dried lime zest makes an appearance. Mouth: refreshing as a gust of seaspray at first, it soon unleashes the pepper that is the distillery's trademark. Not to worry: it does not last. The attack is powerful at 45.8% (so much for the widespread complaints that it is no longer bottled at cask strength), though it quickly becomes not just tolerable, but pleasant. At that stage, it is all matters of cockles, mussels and other shellfish, a bucket of sea water and soy sauce-- Scratch that! Fish sauce. Smoked tea, gunpowder and guaicol tickle the taste buds. The second sip brings some citrus to the fore, with grapefruit and lime, oysters and crab meat. Finish: a superb mix of peat smoke (peppery and earthy more than maritime, it seems) and fleeting tropical fruit (ripe-pineapple chunks and grapefruit zest). Sea water kicks in at the second sip, competing with the fruit and preventing a stratospheric impression. Still very good, mind! 8/10 (Thanks for the sample, florian09)
Bowmore 17yo 2002/2019 (53.6%, Cadenhead Single Cask, 1 x Bourbon Hogshead, 294b): nose: it could hardly be more different from the Talisker. This one reeks of peat bogs and soggy earth, moss water and humid bread. Perhaps a farm-y touch (ploughed fields) and a soft whiff of raspberry. The second sniff unveils mortar, newly applied and drying, and distant manure. Far away, very, very far, raspberry jam is simmering in the cauldron. Mouth: assertive in terms of strength, it is nonetheless gentle, in terms of taste. Raspberry is here, in the form of jelly in a hot jar (tin cap). Retronasal olfaction gives more peaty tones (burning cinnamon sticks, bog myrtle, burning wood). In fact, the wood note grows in intensity, with cherry-tree floorboards, just laid down and oiled, polished dashboards and wood panels. Finish: it falls a bit flat, here, with the raspberry all but disappeared, leaving dry earth, stagnant water and silt to fight for the scraps. Not that that is bad; it simply does not play in the same category as the nose. The final impression, after a while and via retronasal olfaction, is that of fruit-tree-fire smoke (apple tree, cherry tree). Redeeming to a point. 7/10 (Thanks for the sample, SW)And a blind sample.
Dram #3
Nose: but, but, but!... This is fruity!? Cut apricots rub feathers with gardening tools, drying in the sun. Dusty, musty cellars and pear trees, taken over by lichen. Limestone dry walls and overripe, wild pears (Packham or Limonera). I am back at my childhood house, which had pear trees growing next to a limestone wall. This nose has a whiff of burning candle and spent wick, before oilskins also appear. Leafy laurel leaves or ivy, sprinkled with white wine (Sauvignon blanc). This is fresh, complex, fruity and just a little smoky for good measure. Hell! It even has methane, in the back. Mouth: white wine alright, and it is still Sauvignon blanc, fruity and rather dry. It retains a certain mineral character (limestone wall, innit), though not so much the lichen. If pear there is, it has turned out to be unripe and chalky. In the long run, grapes join in for some welcome sweetness. A minute drop of (unripe-)apricot juice completes the picture. Finish: it kicks one in the gut without one's noticing, dim-mak style. Only after a few seconds does one realise it has punched a hole in one's stomach. Dry and fruity, this could as well be a brandy, were it not for the remotely-smoky touch. More mineral notes (limestone, brimstone) alongside drying pine wood, burning pear-tree wood, acidic pear drops. Boy! Every sip makes me feels like I have swallowed a brick. This is good, interesting and challenging too. I cannot see myself drink more than one dram at a time, though. I venture a Glenlochy. Caol Ila 33yo 1979/2012 (53.7%, The Whisky Agency & The Nectar, Refill Hoghead, 241b) 8/10 (Thanks for the sample, Gaija)Upon revealing, Gaija will admit he gave me his only sample of that Caol Ila, meaning he has never tried it, which is more generous than it is silly, all things considered.
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