Only one dram again.
Deanston 35yo 1977/2012 (40.4%, The Whisky Agency & The Nectar, 253b): nose: meow! Purr! Phwoar! Yellow fruit and spring flowers, with, in no particular order, honeysuckle, lilac, lily of the valley, plums, nectarines, white peaches, ripe bananas, melting conference pears and apricot jams. Next to that, cotton candy gives a sweetness that is most appealing. The fresh fruit soon morphs into cooked fruits of all sorts; strawberry and plum jams, yet also apple compote, squashed baked pears, and pineapple-y custard. Timid blueberry coulis shows up at the back of the sinuses too, then a citric side becomes evident with sweet-grapefruit segment (skin removed), kumquat and calamansi. Further back still, and very subtle, a drop of mercurochrome elevates this to more than a "mere" fruit bomb. Mouth: at this magical, naturally-low strength, it tickles the taste buds without distracting from the flowers, nor does it seem weak -- simply perfect for tOMoH. Strawberry jam is the first to appear, softly acidic, soon followed by pineapple slices and cut nectarines. In fact, it is teeming with yellow and white fruits; white peaches, plums, banana slices, even gentle grapefruit, dunked in custard. Custard! Yes, that is the texture: lukewarm custard, liquid, but almost oily, in terms of viscosity. Finish: creamy and fruity again, it has something more, this time; something earthy or root-y. A pinch of soil, a sack of earthy potatoes, straight from the vegetable garden, perhaps leeks. Make no mistake, though: if it permeates even the nose, once the first sip is swallowed, that earthiness is shy and subdued. The most noticeable is that creamy fruitiness that carries peaches, plums, pineapple, nectarine, pear, banana, grapefruit-y custard and a spoonful of strawberry jam. Amazing Deanston. My favourite expression of that distillery, to-date. 9/10 (Thanks for the dram, JS)
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