Yup, heat is on again. :-(
Bladnoch 30yo 1989/2019 (40.8%, Cadenhead Sherry Cask, Sherry Hogshead Finish, 144b): nose: ooft! This is nothing like all those early-1990s honeysuckle-and-rosehip juices. No! This one is all encaustic, furniture wax and polished dashboards, to start with, though it soon turns into brandy of the fruity kind, with plump grapes, bursting with juice. Cognac-y to the extreme. Pressed figs, pressed apricots, an almost minty freshness of pine sap, then hazelnut oil and raspberry vinegar. This will carry some wood on the tongue, there is no doubt about it, yet the nose is much fresher than what one could expect of a whisky that has spent thirty years in oak -- some of that in a sherry cask, to boot. Chlorophyll chewing gum, toothpaste, sap and much Cognac. Later on, weathered leather rocks up, discreet and distinguished. Mouth: ZOMG, it is just as fresh as the nose, at first! Srsly. who swapped my sample for Cognac? Dry grapes (Sauvignon blanc?), pine sap, minty gel, pomegranate seeds and fresh figs.Quickly, fresh ginger of the grated variety appears, yet it is not fierce; it merely reinforces the freshness of the whole. A touch of preserved kumquat, candied pomelo slices, juicy figs, slightly-acidic plums, blueberries and raspberry jam. Finish: a winning combination of minty gel, candied citrus (pomelo, kumquat and sweetened lime are my guess), pomegranate seeds and fruity brandy. At this point, even strawberries join the grapes, figs and blueberries, alongside mirabelle plums and candied kumquat. The ginger is now preserved, Japanese-restaurant style, and the pine sap has adopted a remarkable discretion, not a cloak of invisibility. Very fresh, dangerously easy to drink, this is a perfect all-weather whisky. 9/10 (Thanks for the sample, SW)
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