Triple anniversary, today.
Imperial 1976/2005 (46%, Berry Bros & Rudd Berrys' Own Selection imported by Charles Hofer, C#10171): nose: more brine than I remembered, with capers and garlicky rollmops in, well, brine. It is almost vinegar-y, leaning towards cider or white-wine vinegar, rather than something darker. It even has an ethereal whisper of smoke, and what reminds me of a green-hazelnut infusion (in the loose sense of the phrase "reminds me": I have never had that before). A sweeter hue rises in the back of the sinuses, akin to warm, golden sultanas. It might just as well be Fino sherry, stored at body temperature in a hipflask. Anyway, it is a welcome addition to the initial brine which, without being off-putting, was rather austere. Next up are old-school, red-and-blue erasers (Pelikan BR 40, for the geeks), perhaps green olives and, maybe, oatmeal, punctuated by an immature white wine from the Rhine valley. If I had never had this one before, I might be worried about the way it is going. The second nosing seems woodier, with teak oil and garden furniture in the sun and polished hazelnut shells, in amongst more-pronounced rubber and burnt toffee, bordering on mocha. Mouth: well, there is definitely smoke on display, albeit a delicate one. Some rubbery and woody tones (erasers, cinnamon sticks, maybe cedarwood sheets) and brine-y green olives again. It is rather cereal-y, with oatmeal, raw barley and hops, a drop of iron tonic and chaff. The background smoke does not allow one to forget it is there, and it even somehow helps put the spotlight on pineapple cubes. The texture is juicier with every sip, reaching a sort of grape-and-smoked-pineapple juice that I find excellent, augmented by the heat of gingery peppermint. Finish: bold and powerful, unaware of its own dilution, the finish, again, unfolds the brine, smoke and rubber that have been parading from the off. The second sip presents back some pineapple, wrapped in candied-gingery goodness -- it tickles the gums a, little, -- crushed cedarwood sheets, shaved cinnamon sticks, unripe green grapes (that Rheinwein impression from the nose), garlicky rollmops (not as salty, though) and gently-smoky pineapple. The cereal-backbone is less present in the finish, although one could easily find this mousy. Not an all-round crowd pleaser, but a rewarding dram, provided it is given enough time and attention. 8/10 (Thanks for the dram, JS)
Happy tenth and fifty-second. The third is the 2004 Madrid attacks; it is a commemoration, not a celebration.
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