And since it is another abominable, pissy day, let us make it a peaty selection.
Bruichladdich 14yo 2003/2017 (56.8%, Malts of Scotland, Bourbon Barrel, C#MoS17015, 248b): nose: it is immediately smoked ham, then marinated steaks. There is a dark, heavy and heady wine touch, yet it quickly morphs into hot marzipan and warm banana liqueur (not talking about Pisang, here). It is certainly wine-y and musty, even if that does not translate into chestnut purée and sauce grand'veneur. Melted dark chocolate, augmented with squashed berries, a drop of red-wine vinegar, and one of Madeira. Mouth: marinated cutlets alright! The palate feels more wine-y than the nose, yet it remains tolerable. Madeira again, oven-roasted herbs (rosemary), roasted peanuts, Brazil-nut skins, linseed oil. The second sip brings fig skins, dried, wrinkled strawberries and baked clementines, sprinkled with rum. A very thin smoke laughs all the way to retro-nasal olfaction. Finish: the meaty aspect is most pronounced here, with juicy lamb cutlets, dripping with melted fat and caramelised marinade. Soon, a gentle nutty bitterness appears, whether that is unripe almonds or grape pips. Then, Madeira comes back, warming and heady, alongside fruits past their prime (figs, apricots, peaches). 7/10 (Thanks for the sample, STL)
Caol Ila 13yo 2007/2020 (50.8%, Adelphi Selection, 1st Fill Oloroso Sherry Cask, C#301264, 309b): nose: a very different smoky experience of course, this is all kippers and drying fishing nets, smoked mussels and sea spray on a sandy beach. Anchovies, mackerel... Suddenly and out of nowhere, a toasted note appears: slightly overdone popcorn, toasted barley, burnt cake crust. Later, a sherry character develops, with dried dates and fortified wine (Madeira or Oloroso would be my guess), still gently smoky. The second nose brings French toast and omelette scrapings in the empty pan. Mouth: the right continuation of the nose, the mouth sees more smoky and sherried notes than anything coastal or kipper-y, though it does not mean that is absent. Wine (bizarrely enough, white wine, Chablis, probably), dried dates, dried figs... and the kippers appear, after all: smoked halibut, marinated salmon steaks and even wine-y earth (or is that earthy wine?) The second sip is juicy, fruitier, with prunes and blueberries -- smoked blueberries. Finish: earth, greasy and rich, turf, faint dried dates, though little, if any, coastal elements again -- that may still come. The smoke is only discreet, and earthy fruit becomes more obvious, after a wee while, smoked prunes, overripe plums, fallen from the trees, crusted in dry mud, smoked marmalade. At the death, vague remnants of a distant seafood platter hover about; crab shells, hollow lobster claws, anchovy oil, squeezed lemon slices. Only when one looks for it really hard, though! 7/10
66.91 13yo d.2002 Mechanic's workshop by the sea (57.4%, SMWS Society Single Cask, 2nd Fill ex-Bourbon Barrel, 198b): nose: this one is much more vegetal, with freshwater algae, silt and moss water. Suddenly, it changes to display wood varnish, then roasted barley and lemon rind, barbecued algae. Shortly thereafter, shea butter, teak furniture, fudge and sticky toffee pudding join the dance, perhaps with a pinch of coffee, even, though it is more likely melted mocha chocolate. In any case, it works well. Mouth: muddy, murky and silt-y, in a good-enough way, the palate sees pencil shavings, crayon shavings, milk chocolate and wet clay. It has a nutty, almost cardboard-y edge, cardboard paste, rather than dusty cardboard, mind. That and liquorice root. A pinch of ash joins the party late, grilled orange slices, sprinkled with rosemary, and still that earthy undertone between silt and clay, served on nori. Finish: the finish is where this one shines. Next to the earthy, murky character and the pencil shavings come flavours that remind me of plasticine. Of course, it is smoked plasticine, if that makes sense, but not baked clay that would have caught the scent of the oven fire. Smoked freshwater algae make a comeback, not quite nori, here, but not too far off. The second sip brings an unexpected fruitiness, with herbed-up orange slices off the grille. Given the right time and attention, this one reveal quite a few surprising traits of character. 7/10
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