12/07/2021 Mosstowie

Mosstowie 33yo 1975/2008 (48.4%, Duncan Taylor Rarest of the Rare, C#5816, 184b, b#008): nose: ripe yellow citrus-y fruit shoots up immediately; pineapple, yellow kiwi, calamansi, Sicilian lemon, as well as physalis. Pretty soon, all that is joined by a lovely custard-y wave that carries not only vanilla powder, but also woody tones: balsa-wood sawdust, lemongrass, and the softest swirl of toffee. The citrus is quick to reply, this time with pomelo and lime peels, mandarin foliage, chewy mandarin paste (if such a thing exists), accompanied by a drop of teak oil. This is a rollercoaster nose that only has peaks, not a single trough. The second nose has combava leaves and apple mint, which is as refreshing as it is unexpected. Mouth: from the get-go, it is sweet lemonade and delicious fruits -- as expected: pineapple, calamansi, yellow kiwi -- bathing in a river of creamy custard. The alcohol integration is flawless, the 48.4% giving just enough of a spicy kick to make this the perfect breakfast dram, for a gentle-but-resolute wake-up. The second sip produces a greener hue, less ivy than citrus foliage, perhaps, yet it is certainly leafier. Some kind of mint, maybe? Why! yes, it is lemon mint. In the long run this mouth also becomes chewier, which hints at leaves as well. Finish: for half a second, it seems in danger of showing a bitter side, gained from thirty-three years in wood. For half a second only, though: the cavalcade of ripe fruits nips that bitterness in the bud with an assertive level of acidity. Again, it is pineapple, pomelo (perhaps even grapefruit, here), calamansi and Sicilian lemon, and they are more acidic with each sip. It is a medium-long finish that leaves the mouth as if coated in lemon zest. In the long run, sawdust grows in influence, with custard powder, baking soda and ground white pepper, yet the woody side wisely remains in the shadow of the aforementioned fruit. Winner. 9/10