30/05/2022 Glenlochy

Glenlochy 29yo 1980/2010 (52.8%, Signatory Vintage Cask Strength Collection, Hogshead, C#2649, 265b, b#71): nose: ooft! From the get-go, we have a combination of prune syrup, dark-chocolate coulis and a drop of light coffee. It gives a general breakfast feel, which is very pleasing, on top of being topical. Nail lacquer and hair spray reinforce this perception of a morning dram, then glazed carrots and poached pears add a slightly different aspect. It has something old school about it, something reassuring. Maybe an old iron, from before electricity was discovered and domesticated, a time when irons had to be heated by the stove or the fireplace, before they could be used to straighten clothes. It is a sort of rusticity that really speaks to the Old Man of Huy. A drop of water makes it what I can only qualify as 'inert'. We now have grassy notes and metal, yet they feel inert, on the verge of silence. And I do mean 'inert', not 'vanished'. The aromas are stuck at the bottom of the glass, unwilling to come to the rim. Mouth: on the tongue, it is more recognisable as a Glenlochy, dishing out anaesthetising gravel and a strong bitterness: bay leaves aplenty, oregano thrown into flames, cast-iron pots to make marmalade in (though currently empty), and a mugful of coffee on the side. It is a tin mug, to be sure, cowboy style. Chewing it for a minute, the whisky reveals bitter citrus (unripe bergamot), but it by no means is a fruity drop -- oh! no. The second sip pushes the citrus forward a bit (orange rind, dried pink-grapefruit peel), but retains the austerity all the same. Marjoram in a boiler room. In fact, hot, dusty metal takes off quite a bit. Water makes the palate much juicier and more lively, almost fresh,  with orange juice, albeit served in a pewter cup. Lovely. Finish: well, it seems a lot more welcoming and accessible, at this point. Here, we have a spoonful of marmalade (one that does not contain much sugar, if any) in a cast-iron bowl, and, if one may think of pink grapefruit, it is dried pink grapefruit, soaked in red wine and served in a metal dish (cast iron or pewter). At a push, one might find a dash of mocha, or a pinch of coffee grounds; in truth, I reckon it is closer to steam coming out of a very-old cast-iron boiler or lead pipes. Steampunk dram alright. Water brings little surprise in that it is still fairly herbal, but more surprisingly, it is also fruitier: the marmalade notes are bolder, sweeter, and actually augmented with apricot jam. That is still served in a cast-iron recipient, but all the same. It is always a treat to try a Glenlochy, and this one is particularly to my taste. 9/10

28/05/2022 HM Queen Elizabeth double Eye

OB, Cavalier66 and JS join me on this opening day of the Islay Festival to celebrate something completely different: the opening of the Elizabeth Line (of Crossrail, a new public-transport service in London), the impending jubilee of the Queen, who has been on the throne for close to seventy years, now, and, generally, the royals.

The soundtrack: Imminent - Cask Strength

When the line-up is assembled, I sneakily pour an apéritif for the boys (JS had it last week and does not want to try it again).

Grand Royal Special Reserve (43%, International Beverage Trading Company, LM006/0281N 6027) (tOMoH): OB and Cavalier66, who seem to like it, reckon it is a Lowlander, or an old blend... and indeed. I take no notes, today. Full notes can be found here.

JS offers whisky from a rare Royal distillery.

Glenury Royal 1984/2007 (43%, Gordon & MacPhail Rare Old, JG/AEB) (JS): nose: very fruity (Cavalier66). I have nail lacquer, wood varnish, then seal wax, hot linen, and even a few coffee grains. Mouth: fresh, it has a minor mocha bitterness. Finish: long, acidic, here are some fruits and a pinch of ground coffee grains. "It does what it does brilliantly, which is fruit and malt, not layered. The only potential criticism is that there is a slight harshness." (Cavalier66) Full notes are here. It is still excellent, despite a slightly lower score, today. 8/10

JS [to Cavalier66}: "Your shirt pattern is very subdued, today."
Cavalier66: "It's because I upgraded. I didn't go for Coton Doux, I went for Paul Smith, the queen of fashion."

I will wait for nibbles (a selection of British cold cuts and cheeses).
Cavalier66, of course, has had neither lunch nor breakfast, and is starving

Cavalier66: "This, by the way, is Comté, isn't it?"
OB: "Yes, but British."
tOMoH: "It's Counted."

Soundtrack: Imminent Starvation - Human Dislocation

The Old Man of Huy presents a whisky bottled by a bottler given the royal warrant (the only one, in fact).

Frustratingly, since this was bottled for someone else, the warrant is neither on the label nor on the box. It is on the stopper fold.

Cavalier66 brought another expression from the same distillery, so we have them in parallel. "Mine is just because the Queen has a turret in her castle."

Glenturret 31yo 1980/2012 (42.5%, Malts of Scotland, Bourbon Hogshead, C#MoS12008, 96b) (Cavalier66): nose: more subdued than the other (OB), it has icing sugar, though subdued indeed. It becomes bolder with time, sweet and lovely. Old-school sweets such as red bootlaces and Cherry Gums. Is there a puff of smoke? Maybe. Mouth: it is more subdued on the palate too (Cavalier66). It is tame alright, but well fruity all the same -- melon, plum, even gentle yellow maracuja. Finish: long, fresh and fruity, this sees fruity sweets rolling on the tongue. 8/10

vs.

Glenturret 35yo 1977/2013 (47.5%, Berry Brothers & Rudd for La Maison du Whisky, C#25) (tOMoH): nose: old Fruit Salad sweets (Cavalier66), which is to say artificial fruit aroma. It is immensely more expressive than its young sibling. Mouth: fizzy and amazingly fruity, with fruit sweets, mostly, some chewy, some in a crystallised form. Finish: it has more depth (Cavalier66), but also cooked vegetables (Cavalier66, who adds it is asparagus). JS and Cavalier66 find it an intense fruitiness that turns into liquorice. OB specifies that it is waves of fruit, not an explosion. We all agree it is a fruit tide. Full notes are here. 9/10

Cavalier66: "I think it is even lower than retro-nasal olfaction..."
OB: "Rectal-nasal!"

For the next whisky, OB explains it is an anniversary bottling, celebrating a jubilee of sorts. Also, it is twenty-six years old, and the Queen was born in 1926.

Littlemill 26yo 1990/2017 (52.6%, Cadenhead 175th Anniversary, Bourbon Barrel, 180b) (OB): nose: custard and a general creaminess, lemon curd and crushed Aspirin. I am struggling to put words on the scents, partly because they are well integrated, partly because I am enjoying the company. All the same, this nose, if not overly evolutive, is excellent. Mouth: on the palate, it has mellowed, since last time (Cavalier66). It is not that kaleidoscope of tropical fruit (OB), but it has ripened (Cavalier66). JS points out how creamy it is. They are right and wrong: I find it potent, displaying the bitterness of crushed Aspirin. The second sip focuses on citrus (a blend of calamansi and grapefruit), with Kaffir lime leaves and bay leaves balancing the acidity with bitterness. Finish: big, wide, gently bitter and pretty fruity. Next to that fruit, we see chocolate emerge. The crushed Aspirin remains rather prominent all the same -- something that may bother some. Further sips turns to pudding and custard, both vanilla and mocha-flavoured. 9/10

tOMoH: "[Bottle] splits are a faff. The world is full of self-entitled pricks."
Cavalier66: "As is the royal family."

Cavalier66 [about extensive collections]: "At least, with the Hanyu Cards collection, there were only fifty-two bottlings -- or fifty-four, with the jokers."
JS: "Yeah, it all becomes more reasonable, all of a sudden..."

Soundtrack: Ravi Shankar - Rāgas & Tālas

JS offers an Old & Rare Platinum Selection for the platinum jubilee.

Brechin 33yo 1970/2003 (52.4%, Douglas Laing The Old & Rare Platinum Selection, 479b) (JS): nose: ozone and photocopier ink (Cavalier66), blue ink, and a pinch of dust. A bit of cask (Cavalier66). I have crisp apple and shreds of ginger. Mouth: blush-orange juice, sangria-soaked fruits. JS and I find it spicy, OB finds it more peppery than spicy (Is pepper not a spice, then?). This shows nigella seeds, chutneys and relishes. Finish: intermittent waves of cinnamon (Cavalier66), bread dough, yeast, loads of fruit. This is excellent. It is almost yoghurt-y in the way it delivers fruit, with crushed apricot, peach, squashed cured plum... Phwoar! I am looking forward to spending more time with it, as these notes obviously do not make it justice. 9/10

Cavalier66 tells us the Queen Mary was known as Bloody Mary because she used to kill people for heresy. And how did she kill them? By burning them. We shall therefore have a Millburn. "Also, we all know the monarchy should be bloody silent, like this distillery."

OB: "It is quite alcoholic."
tOMoH and OB: "Well, it is a Rare Malt..."
Cavalier66: "Long."
OB: "Thick, it's got body."
Cavalier66: "Bodies."
OB: "It's got decaying corpses."
Cavalier66: "At this point in the line-up, this is exactly what we need."
OB: "Corpses."
Cavalier66: "Oily, encompassing, developing. It's not actually corpse, which I'm familiar with."

Millburn 35yo 1969/2005 (51.2%, OB Rare Malts Selection) (Cavalier66): nose: a lot fruitier than I remembered it, it has dried apple slices and raisins, with a drop of vinegar. It is also less funky than I remembered it (a memory that made me agree with the corpse note before I even smelled this). It still has hairballs. Also, shoe polish, walnut stain, spicy sweets (cinnamon and ginger, then, I guess). Mouth: wide, invasive, more in line with my memory, it has the taste of corpse, yet that is almost overshadow by an abundant shoe polish. There is plenty of leather and waterproofing grease on this palate too. The second sip is leafier, with hazel leaves and chestnut-tree leaves. It still has a lot of shoe polish, mind. It stays very strong on the palate, fiercely gingery. Finish: long, sweet, and a little bitter, it has cola, ginger-and-cinnamon Boules Magiques, but also a pronounced bitterness, in the long run that flirts with liquorice. 9/10

Soundtrack: Imminent Starvation - Nord

Cavalier66: "The music is quite anarchic, today, which may reflect your anti-monarchy sentiment."

Cavalier66 proudly presents the next one.

Cavalier66: "This is a Hanyu single cask cask for Full Proof Holland, matured in a puncheon. Punching is what I want to do to the monarchy. Also, the label has a picture of the Queen in her early days."
OB: "Thank you."

tOMoH: "Hanyou. The 'T' and the 'k' are silent."

Hanyu 1988/2006 (56.3%, OB for Full Proof Holland, Puncheon, C#9204, 204b) (Cavalier66): nose: an obvious sherry maturation, but a dirtier one (Cavalier66), some more obvious decay in this (OB). It has soot and coal dust, burnt-walnut shells, and hard-as-rock orange peel. Further nosing brings out plastic buckets. Mouth: smoke on the back (Cavalier66), coal smoke (OB). Yes, it is rather dirty, with lots of dusts -- coal dust, sawdust, ginger shavings. It is spectacularly gingery and hot. The second sip is drying, sucking up all moisture from the mouth. That later turns into grape-pip oil, oily and bitter. Finish: big and powerful, rich in ginger and embers, it has a dusting of ash, but little smoke, now. Water does not alter it much, though it does take some heat off the palate and renders it more balanced and more approachable. 8/10

We talk about how there is a contest to decide what the official jubilee food is going to be. Cavalier66 explains that is precisely how the coronation chicken recipe got that name: it was created for the banquet of the coronation in 1953. A piece of trivia the other three of us never knew.

Soundtrack: Pye Corner Audio - Entangled Routes

OB notes that the Queen's name is Elizabeth the Second, therefore, we will have the second official bottling of Brora 30yo. Since I am severely behind, I give the boys the remainder of a sample of Brora 20yo 1982/2003 (58.1%, OB Rare Malts Selection) to have as a sparring partner.

OB [about the Rare Malt]: "It is subdued, compared to the 30yo."
Cavalier66: "You do get some cow dung."
tOMoH: "It has some cow dung alright, but the cow didn't have curry the night before."
Cavalier66: "No coronation cow dung."

Brora 30yo b.2003 (55.7%, OB Natural Cask Strength, 3000b, b#2570) (OB): nose: a sour vinegariness barely conceals a humongous drop of cow dung. This is farm-y to the extreme, with sheep farts, curd, whey, soured milk, rancid butter, horse's behind, baby sick (JS), Comté, cheese rind, butyric. Much later on, it becomes ashier. Not candles (Cavalier66), maybe ass-candles? "They are the best type." (Cavalier66) Horse manure and cow dung are what dominate, though -- by a long shot. Mouth: very peppery, almost too much so. Who swapped my dram of Brora for a Talisker 10yo? Then, it is dried cow dung, ginger shavings and cinnamon-stick splinters. Further sips seem more fruity, with gingery citrus and dried lemon zest. All the same, it does not shake off the farmyard. Finish: lovely, it displays powerful ash, crusty earth, dry as fuck, dried muck, and dried raspberry slices. To wet all that somewhat, we have a dash of squid ink and some juicy berries. Cavalier66 claims it is worth 11/10; I disagree. It is great, there is no debate, but not that great. Perhaps less my preferred style than his. 9/10

Cavalier66 teases me about a famous note I gave a Glen Scotia.

tOMoH: "I'll say behind, because 'arse' is reserved to monkeys."
OB: "How would you call a donkey's behind? An ass's arse?"
JS: "British people call a donkey an ass? Or an arse?"
Cavalier66: "Well, you'll call an ass an arse if it's being a pain. But an ass is a crossing between a donkey and a horse. Like a mule, though it depends which is the mother and which is the father."
OB: "Is that so?"
Cavalier66: "Yes. And both the ass and the mule are sterile. So you can have as much sex with an ass as you want without consequence. Sterile."
OB [indeed, dear reader: it does not stop there!]: "There is also the liger, a crossing between a lion and a tiger, but what do you call the opposite?"
Cavalier66: "A tion."
OB: "It's a tigon, but tion is also accepted."
tOMoH: "What do you call a crossing between an elephant and a rabbit?"
All: "?"
tOMoH: "A dead rabbit with a twenty-centimetre-wide arsehole."
JS: "You took the conversation to a new low."
Cavalier66: "Yes, the level has seriously declined."
tOMoH: "Declynelished!"

Cavalier66 checks his facts online.

Cavalier66: "Actually, the offspring of a horse and a female donkey is called a hinny."
OB: "According to the Cambridge dictionary, the first definition of an ass is a donkey."

Soundtrack: Phelios - Astral Unity

Cavalier66 produces 53.193, because the Queen's coronation was in '53 (1953, obviously). He then points at the name the SMWS gave this: "And the jubilee of our beloved Queen brings a smile to every face." Tomorrow, he will add that our very own OB, in fanboi style, adopted the nom de plume caolivier, and that he is a bit of a drama queen.

In an unequal versus, we oppose it to my own Caol Ila, which, of course, is from Islay, Queen of the Hebrides.

53.193 22yo To bring a smile to every face (49.9%, SMWS Society Single Cask, Bourbon Barrel) (Cavalier66): nose: a bit of hay and lots of kelp and seaweed, then goat's cheese and dry earth. It smells like an SMWS Caol Ila of that era: reliable, good, yet also predictable and same-y. That said, it does have lemon and a lick of limestone, as well as new bandages to boot. Later on, we have... We will never know what, because I do not finish writing my sentence. Mouth: mercurochrome and a dash of citrus juice (lemon and pomelo). It hits pretty hard, in terms of power, though that heat is also balanced by some lemon juice. Finish: long, muddy and kelp-y. It really is muddy, full of silt, sea-harbour bed... and melted chocolate. Repeated sipping adds crystallised citrus drops, wrapped inside kelp and rehydrated nori. This is the weakest dram in this line-up, which says a lot, considering this dram is very good. 8/10

Caol Ila 31yo 1983/2014 (48.7%, Signatory Vintage Cask Strength Collection, Hogshead, C#5300, 248b, b#172) (tOMoH): nose: ripe citrus here too, more mellow than it was on the SMWS offering. Pomelo, ripe lime, smoked preserved limes, and citrus-wood embers. Mouth: lovely citrus again, with lime paste, lime marmalade, and pomelo jelly. It has a big cloud of smoke, yet that does not eclipse the citric goodness. Further sips have a notch of candied angelica, adding a sweetness to the otherwise acrid and acidic palate. Finish: hugely long, it showcases lime juice on oysters, citrus paste, and candied angelica again. The finish has little smoke to speak of, amazingly enough. Probably that is only by comparison with the previous two drams. Full notes here. 9/10

What a tasting! We flew high, today.

Dram of the day:

JS: Littlemill and the two Glenturrets
OB and Cavalier66: Brora and Millburn
tOMoH: Brechin and The second Caol Ila

27/05/2022 Tobermory

Tobermory (40%, OB ceramic decanter, b.1980s): nose: delicate and dusty at first, the nose promises floury apples past their primes, not yet fallen into decay. It soon opens up to let ashes through, accentuating the dusty impression. There is a dash of caramel water ("melted sugar in water, before it turns into caramel" may be a more accurate phrase, but it is a mouthful), distant Turkish delights, and a drop of rosewater so tame it is easy to miss. Maybe shy bergamot hand cream (might that just be my hands?) or tiger balm. Citrus segments appear, both caramelised and crystallised, before it turns muddier, with dust and, well, muddy water. The second nose is bolder: the apples have now transmuted into apple-cider vinegar that is only part of a vinaigrette, which is to say it is blended with oil -- walnut oil. There is something almost mayonnaise-like in this nose that, combined with the above, cannot fail to remind me of a Waldorf salad. Much later on, we have a purple plastic bucket; certainly one that has been used to pick apples and walnuts. Mouth: easy-going, caramel-y, there is something honest about this, something close to earth -- and down to earth. It does not pretend to be more seductive than it really is by dressing up in a cloak of vanillin achieved by careful re-racking. No. This is rustic and comfortable with that fact. Woodworm-eaten dining chairs, dusty caramel, barley water. The second sip reveals a watery texture, punctuated by drops of oil, no more. In terms of taste, it is sugary apple compote served cold. Yes, the water makes way for light-brown sugar. Finish: some wood spices kick the tonsils, now, ginger peel and galangal shavings. Then, caramelised apple compote and caramel join forces with hazelnut or oat faux-milk. It is pretty close to chocolate milk, even if it does not reach that intensity. Perhaps it is milk tainted by chocolate cereals instead? Repeated sipping does not alter it much; perhaps it adds hazel wood shavings and ground walnuts, again, pointing at a Waldorf salad. The death has the gentle bitterness of walnuts, so Waldorf is spot on. The rusticity of the dram throughout is truly charming. If all NAS offerings were this good... 8/10

23/05/2022 St Magdalene

It is late May. Festival-goers have started flocking to the Wee Toon, before moving on to the Queen of the Hebrides.

Here, at tOMoH Towers, spring has arrived, and spring, in mainstream thinking, means Lowland whiskies. Another St Magdalene, then!

St.Magdalene 23yo 1982/2006 (56%, Hart Brothers Finest Collection imported by Marsalle Company): nose: oh! it is a mineral one, this. Flint, slate, scoria, extra-dry lichen on stone, desiccated moss. It has a faint whiff of white wine, yet it is definitely a rock-face nose, with more bleached bones than green grapes -- by a wide margin! A little later, we have cut grass, cut weeks ago and left to dry into hay. A vaguely-juicier note emerges after that, probably turnip juice, so do not get too excited! Ten minutes in, at last, lighter scents develop, discreet and distant; cut flowers left out of the vase to dry, sweet mint drops, then kumquats, sliced nectarines and a drop of blush-orange juice. None is loud, none is obvious, all require time and attention, but they all contribute to this tantalising hide-and-seek nose. The second pass seems more herbaceous, with thick, wild grass in dry climate (it still is not juicy!), peppery watercress or rocket, even if it comes across as less bitter than either of them. Perhaps there is a dash of juice in which plums have macerated? All of a sudden, we have lime drizzle, icing and all. It is as clear as it is unexpected! Water makes the integration more complete, to a point it is impossible to pick nuances apart. It is generally less mineral and more citrus-y, fresh and comforting, if less characterful. It brings up daffodil petals, actually. Mouth: the attack is mineral again, full of quarry chippings. It opens up more quickly than the nose, delivering mint lozenges, spearmint, cassia bark and a pinch of cinnamon powder too. Next are flower stems, softly bitter, and a drop of daffodil nectar. The second sip is marked more clearly by citrus (unripe mandarin, sweet lime, bergamot), and perhaps leafier too. It has the bitterness of leaves, in any case, though it is now met by the acidity of fruit. It is spicy as well -- ginger and lemongrass, rather than chilli, mind. The texture is relatively thin, but lacks for nothing all the same. Remarkably, water cranks up the citrus, now a blend of lime, pomelo and unripe mandarine, acidic and bitter in equal measure. Lovely. Repeated (reduced) sipping shifts the citrus from green to orange, with tangerine and crystallised clementine segments now joining in. Finish: minty and fresh, juicy in a barley-water sort of way, and sweet as a dusting of cinnamon on vanilla custard (or, to be accurate, on βανίλια that would have the creamier consistency of custard). Reaching the sinuses through retro-nasal olfaction, we have daffodil petals, which make for a soft, pillow-y general feel. Of the pronounced minerality, naught seems to remain, other than the remote, almost imperceptible bitterness of limestone. The second sip is mildly salty and reminds me of a lime soda on a boat in the Alleppey Backwaters, in which the crew had mistakenly poured salt instead of sugar. Freshness, acidity and salt marry up to showcase a version of the tropics that does not involve luscious fruit. A drop of water balances the salt to allow stem ginger to appear, fresh, spicy and syrupy. Oh! the salt does not entirely go away; it is merely adequately matched by the spicy sweetness. And it does become sweeter with each sip. This is a masterpiece. 9/10 (Thanks for the dram, JS)

20/05/2022 Linlithgow

Linlithgow 22yo 1975/1998 (51.7%, Signatory Vintage Silent Stills, C#96/3/01, 335b, b#243, 98/0632): nose: meow. This is ethereal in the extreme, with lovely fragrances, such as women's perfume and white-flower shrubs (magnolia, lilac, and honeysuckle, to a lesser extent). Then, it becomes more vegetal, leafier, exhibiting ornamental-vine leaves and hazelnut involucres (cool word, huh? You're welcome). There is a drop of white-wine vinegar too. Deeper nosing makes this very close to a semi-dry white wine, fruity and unashamedly fragrant (Petit Chablis, perhaps?) That, in turns, becomes wider and sweeter, and ends up delivering a thin peach juice, maybe even umeshu (a Japanese plum wine). Not that it becomes sweet, mind! Simply sweeter. It is still a St. Magdalene, and it still has a clear mineral structure: granite chippings, limestone and slate are behind the leaves and the white wine. In fact, the leaves are soon loud enough again to cover up the stones. And they are augmented with recently-mown grass, one of the most pleasing scents in the world, if you ask the Old Man of Huy. What a nose! The second pass is deeper yet, softly earthier, and it also seems more herbaceous (it has dried tarragon and marjoram alongside apple mint). In the long run, the nose even develops a cured-meat touch. Water brings it back to bare essentials, with apple mint and pineappleweed, peach skins and foliage. Mouth: it is a totally different story upon entrance, austere as a rheumatism-crippled octogenarian. In no particular order, we have limestone, bone-dry white wine (think: Sauvignon Blanc), and even ashes. It has a hefty dose of white pepper too. All the same, it feels strangely and devilishly mischievous, as if it were proud to have lured you with the nose, then caught your palate off guard. The texture is thin, yet the spices (ground ginger and white pepper) wrap every single taste bud. The second sip, just like the nose did, adds a drop of subtle peach juice or umeshu. That does not do away with the spices: they are balanced, but well noticeable. Even a single drop of water has a dramatic effect: the spices have all but gone, and the impressive austerity now feels like orchard fruits. Ripe, squishy apples, conference pears, ripe citrons, the soft bitterness of ripe-citrus peel... or spinach. Weird. Finish: it is now a blend of the nose and mouth, in terms of feel: Here are herbs and dry white wine, slate and desiccated peach skins, vine leaves and, well, still a lot of pepper. The second sip is sweeter and fruitier to a degree, though that does not make this an easily-accessible dram, all of a sudden -- oh! noes. It is complex and challenging alright. On top of the spices and the minerality comes a bitterness conveyed by the generally-herbaceous character of it all. Water has the same effect it had on the mouth: vanished are the slate and the tarragon. It does retain some bitterness, but nothing, in comparison to what it had when unreduced. It is now a much more approachable dram altogether, one that has not lost all its complexity with water, yet one that feels less elitist and intimidating. Whether that is good or bad, I will let everyone decide for themselves. There are similarities with the two that we tried recently (the numbers suggest sister casks), yet this is even better. Wunderbar! 9/10 (Thanks for the dram, JS)

19/05/2022 Belgium #6

Another virtual tasting with another group of Belgian friends. red71, STL, Bishlouk, Gaija, JS and myself, tonight. JS and I have distributed blind samples to everybody for maximum surprise effect.

Dram #1

Nose: unexpectedly and amazingly fruity from the outset, with distinct mandarin peels, borderline dusty. "It smells nice," says Bishlouk, prompting stopping everyone in their track. Rice tart, milk rice, and a whisper of smoke, much later on (STL).
Mouth: Gaija and Bishlouk find it lacks horsepower. It is milky, woody and gently fruity to me, though certainly old school. I admit it was bottled at 40%, and probably lower, now.
Finish: a bit dry and austere (Gaija), with a lick of lacquered wood that gives it a strong bitterness (red71).
Comments: Gaija ventures it could be an Inchgower.

Glen Mhor 8yo b.1989 (40%, Gordon & MacPhail, HI/CAH) 7/10

Full notes here.

Bishlouk: "It smells nice!"
STL: "Make a note! Bishlouk opened the evening with a compliment!"
tOMoH: "Well, his cat has been waving her arse under his nose for twenty minutes, so..."
Bishlouk: "I could scratch it..."
tOMoH: "Please don't. It's funny on [1990s Belgian programme] Strip-Tease, not with people I know."

Dram #2

Bishlouk: "The nose is lovely. This is my trip."

Nose: banana and very-ripe plantain (Gaija), "I thought this might be the Littlemill, but now, I think it is Irish instead" (Bishlouk). "The nose is almost rum-like" (red71), banana bread (Gaija). STL notes it smells more powerful, a little boisterous, even. red71 finds it exuberantly fruity, almost too ripe. Standing green wheat (Bishlouk), porridge (Gaija). On my side, I detect butter and fudge.
Mouth: Bishlouk says it is very, very different, dry and bitter, with fruit peelings, not the fleshy fruit of an Irish or a Littlemill. The second sip, on the other hand, puts the spotlight firmly back on the fruit, he says.
Finish: the gang agrees it leaves a distinct dryness in the mouth, except Gaija, who sees a lovely fruitiness all the way. STL reckons the markers are compatible with a rum cask, i.e. punch, arranged rum (Gaija), coconut. There is a big bitter touch at the end that is gently drying.
Comments: "if the cask has done its job well, it could even be a very good grain, knowing the hosts..." (Gaija) The big reveal will make all jaws drop. :-)

Grand Royal Special Reserve (43%, International Beverage Trading Company, LM006/0281N 6027) 6/10

Full notes here.

This is the sound of jaws dropping

We are all glad the above was served blind. The boys all agree they would have judged it more harshly and dismissively, had they known what it was. Trying it blind was a revelation. As for JS and I, we are delighted that it caused such confusion and enthusiasm. Something that would have been unattainable without the surprise effect.

Dram #3

Nose: "Am I obsessed, or is this a grain" (Gaija). Acetone, sesame (Gaija), pineapple skins, wallpapering glue (STL). A few seconds onward, I note squashed strawberries and coconut cream in the midst of that glue.
Mouth: "typical grain, with wood spices" (Bishlouk). STL finds it more austere on the tongue. Gaija enjoys the palate very much, as does Bishlouk, who says it is better than the nose. STL, on the other hand, finds that the mouth is the right continuation of the nose.
Finish: pineapple and grapefruit pudding, lots of coconut-y custard, and just extreme goodness, we all agree. Amusingly enough, no blackcurrant.
Comment: the audience guess virtually every active grain distillery (and a few inactive ones), though Gaija dismisses Invergordon as unlikely. The fool.

Invergordon 37yo 1972/2009 (46.6%, Càrn Mòr Celebration of the Cask, Bourbon Barrel CC#60478/63675, 259b, b#236) 9/10

Full notes here.

Dram #4

Nose: "very, very industrial," says Bishlouk, with solvents (Bishlouk) and hazelnut oil (Gaija). red71 agrees it smells quite chemical, with a tin of paint and decking stain, strawberry bubble gum (Gaija and me), artificial flavouring (STL). Gaija finds it a Glenisla touch, while red71 notes liquorice roots. For my part, it is limoncello-infused fudge. Water adds wine gums to the mix.
Mouth: stripping (Bishlouk), teeming with violet sweets (red71), specifically the chewy Agent de change. This whisky clings to the mouth. Water brings spring over the party, with jasmine (Gaija) and sangria.
Finish: bitterness and lots of nutmeg. Button mushrooms (Gaija), turpentine (Gaija), limestone in a Bladnoch way (Gaija again, who turns more and more lyrical -- the alcohol going to his head, certainly), dry white wine, Sancerre style (Gaija), saké (Gaija).
Comments: Gaija suggest it could be a Mortlach, before claiming it is a Bladnoch, or maybe a Springbank. Bishlouk doubts the Springbank hypothesis very much. "This cannot be a Bladnoch at any rate" (red71).

Bladnoch 20yo 1990/2011 (60.6%, The Scottish Liqueur Centre for Càrn Mòr Celebration of the Cask, Bourbon Barrel, C#30005, 194b, b#131) 8/10

Full notes here.

Needless to say Gaija is ecstatic to have recognised his favourite distillery.

STL observes that Gaija specialises in early-1990s Bladnoch: he brought one to this year's Burns' Night. A narrow niche indeed.

I underline that Gaija specialises in Bladnoch distilled on 26/01/1990, an even narrower niche.

Dram #5

Nose: tapenade, loud and clear, capers, rancio, and lots of earth, of both the dry and the greasy kinds. It starts out with a whiff of sulphur (Gaija), ash, and clay floors. The nose evolves a lot, shooting in all directions, covering all bases (Bishlouk). Gaija has chicken broth, I have ground ginger. Further nosing reveals cork shavings and lots of earth.
Mouth: subtle cork indeed, clay floor, and an explosion of spicy mandarins (a generous dusting of cinnamon powder). Gaija finds it oily, with peanuts and cashews. It is voluptuous, coating, full of flavours, but they are caught up by a slightly-ill-integrated alcohol (Bishlouk).
Finish: a faint note of liqueur (red71), resin (STL), a drop of cough syrup. Water makes the mouth more balanced, but it weakens the nose a bit (Bishlouk).
Comments: Bishlouk likes this a lot; he calls it complex and complete. As for myself, well, it is the masterpiece I know it to be.

Linkwood 26yo 1975/2002 (56.1%, OB Rare Malts Selection, b#5373) 9/10

Full notes here.

Excellent session. Well pleased with how well the drams were received. Most, I liked more today than previously. Poor JS is the opposite. Nothing tasted as good for her.

18/05/2022 St. Magdalene

St. Magdalene 26yo 1982/2009 (59.1%, Douglas Laing for The Whisky Shop Glenkeir Treasures Cask Strength Selection, 144b): nose: a superb mix of dried herbs and heady flowery bushes. It is hawthorn, honeysuckle, oregano and tarragon, in no particular order. The herbs are quickly overtaken by the fragrant flowers, however, reduced to macerating twigs in a posh grappa. There are squashed bunches of green grapes that give the nose a sweet air, and then the herbs come back in full force -- thyme, rosemary, marjoram and citrus foliage. When looking hard for the minerality that St Magdalene often displays, one may detect a whisper of flint, very subtle. More fruit comes up, straight after that; prunes, macerated plums, and even peaches in their velvety skin. Strangely enough, the second nose smells like a cheap blend, for a second. Leafy tones then takes over to introduce peachy marzipan. A couple of drops of water turn the nose into a bed of yellow flowers, not particularly fragrant, but unmistakable. Maybe, just maybe, there is now a hint of sulphur, before dark-grape juice appears. Mouth: it is assertive from the get-go, full of caramelised peaches, dried herbs (thyme and marjoram), spices, and also a tiny smoke. The spices in question are chilli powder, ground cloves, ground cinnamon, barely noticeable, ginger powder, and smoked paprika. It has more flint on the tongue than the nose promised, yet it is coated in juicy peach flesh. The second sip seems fresher and fruitier; it stays spicy, less hot. This now has hot metal and strong lemon thyme. Water tames it entirely: it is now a charming, juicy, fruity number with an added drop of manuka honey. Finish: bold, warming, impressive and, ultimately, comforting. Here is a tart made with underripe plums, sprinkled with oregano, and served on slate (or flint) plates. It is pretty spicy in the finish too, even if it is not off the scale. Ginger powder, ground cardamom, sawn hazel wood. The flowery notes from the nose are nowhere to be found, and the fruit, if present, is very much stone fruit (peach, plum) -- and the stone comes out louder than the flesh. The second sip changes that: it puts some juicy fruit flesh back onto the stones and shakes the flowery bushes, allowing a few honeysuckle and magnolia petals to fall from the tree. It has got mint lozenges too, by now, which harks back to the newfound freshness of the palate. The death brings a herbal bitterness to mind (rosemary, grape-pip oil), and leaves the mouth dry, as if one had been sucking on rocks. The effect of the serious ABV, certainly. Water confirms the mint lozenges. Apple mint rocks up, sugar in copious doses (amazingly, it does not turn sickly) and lashes of fruit that are now more subdued. There is a ghostly charcoal-y or sulphur-y presence, slightly-burnt marmalade, though, even if paying close attention, one could easily miss it, or not identify it (hence my use of the word 'ghostly'). This is amazing. 9/10

15/05/2022 Belgium #5

With some help from the network, tOMoH dispatched samples at the latest Burns' Night, so as to have a chance to do a tasting with a faction of the Belgian contingent. We do not really see much of one another, these days.

Then, we spent several weeks trying to find a suitable date for a virtual shindig. Unfortunately, it became apparent there would not be one that everybody could make: ruckus often works weekends, while everybody else works during the week. We would therefore have it without ruckus.

Then Psycho called in sick. He is off the sauce until further notice, because it is incompatible with his medication.

Then, a couple of hours ago, PSc called in sick too. He has the plague. sonicvince did the same half an hour later; sinus infection for him.

adc, JS, Gaija, dom666 and kruuk2 join me, fortunately. So does sonicvince, who will stay for a bit, but will not drink.

dom666 is recovering from the plague and his senses are not yet back to normal (not to mention he has no taste to begin with). Gaija partied last night and has had little sleep. Even I am coming to the end of a minor sinus infection (it could be the plague; now the tests are no longer free, we will never know).

What a ragged bunch! All that planning, and we are all poorly all the same.

Faces red with illness! (no idea what happened, there)

Anyway.

Dram #1

Nose: mineral (adc), fruity (dom666 and kruuk2), powerful (Gaija). dom666 finds hints of sulphur, while I detect caramelised mandarin peels. The second nose has spices, according to Gaija -- curry and ginger. kruuk2 notes that it opens up with breathing and lets sponge-cake smells come out, something that Gaija mentions too.
Mouth: mineral again, says adc, who tastes slate. Gaija has quatre-quarts cake and exotic fruits, namely whispers of mango; adc reckons it is lemon instead. It is acidic and a little bitter, pushing forward a citrus-peel air. adc calls it lemon curd because of the smooth texture.
Finish: sweet and fruity for starters (adc), it turns more acidic (kruuk2), unveiling lemon curd again (adc) and leaving the mouth feeling a generally creamy texture (Gaija).
Comment: my co-tasters reckon it is a 16-or-18yo from the 1980s, bottled at 49-52%. After much overthinking, Gaija guesses a Glen Grant.

Coleburn 17yo d.1965 (40%, Gordon & MacPhail Connoisseurs Choice imported by Co. Import for Giacinto Nicolai of the Club delle fattorie, Series 27, 120b) 8/10

Full notes here.

Dram #2

Nose: fresh and light, fruity and herbaceous. Gaija calls Haribo bananas, then kruuk2 asks if it is triple-distilled. I have leafy, flowery bushes, such as forsythia and fragrant magnolia.
Mouth: light, adc finds it unnoticeable, and dom666 inexistent. Gaija likens it to a half-limoncello, half-Bailey's concoction, triggering dom666 into an explanation of why such a combination is a bad idea. In that time, I note honey, honeysuckle, and diluted calamansi juice. Gaija, after being educated on the cocktail scene in Liège, says he notes flour. dom666, by this point, realises that his sense of taste is definitely not reliable, today.
Finish: sweet and full of blossoms of all sorts (honeysuckle or cherry blossom are the obvious ones that come to mind), but also apple mint and minty custard.
Comment: no-one dares guess anything.

Bladnoch 10yo b.1991 (43%, OB, L1H 270686) 8/10

Full notes here.

We talk about a miracle migraine cure that kruuk2's other half sometimes uses.

dom666: "It is not the first time a medication has been repurposed to do something else than what it was designed for. Take Softenon, for example..."
tOMoH: "...It is now being used to prevent pickpocketing!"

Dram #3

Nose: glue, plasters and a cattle farm (cow leather). There is also a fairly strong scent of young alcohol. adc says it has more of a bite, something kruuk2 confirms by saying: "cask strength!" The nose makes adc cry (because it is obviously so strong). For me, it presents a broth of cut yellow flowers. The second nose has a distinct smoke, which is strange, since I know what it is. adc calls it a charcoal kiln, and, while I think that is one step too far, I can see where she is coming from.
Mouth: citrus (dom666). It is powerful, with lots of lemon and leaves (bay or laurel). Gaija finds it very complex, going in all directions and covering many bases.
Finish: big and citric indeed, yet not bombastic. kruuk2 notes a hint of sulphur, and I have a touch of white grapefruit.

Hazelburn 9yo 2008/2018 (59.9%, OB Duty Paid Sample, Refill Bourbon Hogshead, Warehouse 15, Rotation #4) 8/10

Full notes here.

By now, dom666, tacitly acknowledging he has no taste, seems more interested in talking about what is happening in Liège than about the whisky. The others either encourage him, or dare not/cannot steer the conversation in another direction. Notes become sparser.

Dram #4

Nose: Golden apples, bergamot, cologne and vetiver (Gaija). As I get a fleeting, but very clear wave of cashew paste, Gaija asks: "am I being ridiculous, or do you also get that note of cucumber?"
Mouth: hay for adc, chives for Gaija. adc finds the texture akin to a thin bechamel sauce, prompting dom666 to note nutmeg.
Finish: long, sweet, fruity and a tad tainted by verdigris or lichen.
Comment: I love this one. kruuk2 says it reminds him of a Glen Scotia we had "a while ago" (he is talking about Glen Scotia 17yo (40%, OB, L4/332/97 402), which he has not had for over a decade -- notes are not even on this blog). I can see why, now that he says so. He says he was not taken by that one, and he is not by this one either. Astonishingly, he has the right distillery.

Glen Scotia 12yo Full Proof (54%, A. Gillies imported by F&G, b#0983, b.1980s) 9/10

Full notes here.

Dram #5

Nose: dense wood, gunpowder, flint, a dash of lemon juice. adc finds it industrial, with burnt tyre (or Nürburgring, as she calls it). Gaija says it reminds him of the 35yo Strathisla bottled for the bicentenary of the distillery. I have ginger paste, Gaija has muck and camphor, something kruuk2 agrees with.
Mouth: the ginger paste carries on, soft and dough-y, and it has a lot of wood spices to boot. Pine cones, pine needles, roasted grapefruit skins and tons of peppermint.
Finish: huge, anaesthetising. Peppermint comes through again. It is bold to a point adc finds it invasive. There are indeed big doses of wood spices, namely nutmeg, ginger shavings, cinnamon bark, apple mint, and even a lick of liquorice root. adc detects dried cow dung as well.
Comment: with no surprise, dom666 likes this. It is powerful enough to ruffle his taste buds, even in their current state of underperformance. JS nods admiratively too, while Gaija and kruuk2 wax lyrical about it. adc is less enthused. Each to their own.

Strathisla 24yo 1972/1997 (62.6%, Gordon & MacPhail Cask Strength imported by Giuseppe Meregalli, C#7534-7536, AG/AIJ) 8/10

Full notes here.

Reassuring to see that, even years apart, even in a different sequence, I rated everything the same as when I tried them previously.

In order of preference:
adc: Glen Scotia, Hazelburn, Strathisla, Coleburn, Bladnoch
Gaija: Strathisla, Coleburn, Hazelburn, Bladnoch, Glen Scotia
kruuk2: Strathisla, Hazelburn, Bladnoch, Coleburn, GlenScotia
tOMoH: Glen Scotia, Strathisla, Coleburn, Bladnochm Hazelburn,
JS: Strathisla
dom666: Strathisla, Strathisla, Strathisla, Strathisla, Strathisla

Good times. Pity about the call-offs, hope they get better soon.

11/05/2022 Strathclyde

This one meets a huge success every time JS pours it. Only the most entrenched grain-haters see little charm in it, while more than one grain-tourist (occasional grain drinker) reckon it is a very good thirty-something dram, only to be baffled by its relative youth.

Strathclyde 13yo 2001/2014 (64.4%, Chivas Brothers Cask Strength Editions, B#ST 13 002): nose: hot mandarine segments, tangerines, clementines, warm pastry on a baking tray, straight out of the oven. Next are pineapple chunks, sprinkled with some herb (is it sage? Verbena?) The high ABV shows and gives a feeling of warmth, though it does not turn heady, in this instance. Herbs seem to gain ground, maybe joined by thyme, now, lemon thyme, to be precise. Nevertheless, it is the pineapple that vibrates the most. There is a lick of seal wax too. The second nose has chou dough that has only been baking for a minute, and still that pineapple -- pulped, this time. Further nosing brings a sweetness to the fore, and fresh-egg biscuits -- ladyfingers such as Madeira or Boudoir. Water increases the fruit and makes jam out of it. It actually takes me back to the smell of sweet shops from the early 1980s, with their mix of flying saucers, red bootlaces, edible paper sheets, cuberdons and candy canes of various colours, none natural. In the summer, in those wonderful days before shops throughout Europe became air-conditioned nightmares, the smells were amplified. Well, this is that combination of smells. Mouth: wide and fruity for a second, it turns into a blade in no time, splitting the tongue in half, and pouring citrus juice into the open wound. Here are grapefruit, mandarin, orange and calamansi juices, in which a few clementine leaves have macerated. Said juices are warm, by the way. The strength is noticeable, though one would be hard pressed to guess it is that strong. The second sip is still strong, not spicy, and, on the tongue  too, frankly sweet. A bowl of caster sugar heated in the oven, not melted into caramel. Hints of citrus remain (clementines, tangerines), but it takes a much longer while to detect the bitterness of citrus foliage, now. With water, we have boiled sweets here too, and a more pronounced bitterness. Nothing bothersome, but it is there, as if the pineapple had been turned into a pulp before it was fully ripe. Finish: a fairly similar story, at this stage, in that this goes down in a puff of fruity esters, then comes back up with a massive warmth. It leaves the tongue slightly numb and swollen, anaesthetised, which I connect to a metallic touch, or lemon-juice-infused verbena. Repeated sipping cranks up the sweetness, yet it does not entirely do away with a tiny bitterness. A metallic bite subsists, which gives the whole an added complexity. The alcohol still hits, but it is perfectly tolerable. Strangely enough, water fleetingly puts the emphasis on the alcohol kick, before the mouth is left with a sugary-water coat. Candied pineapple cubes emerge from that, dusted with icing sugar. In the long run, sweet clementine segments join the party, as does clementine foliage for an added bitter touch. Well, I love it to bits. 8/10 (Thanks for the dram, JS)

09/05/2022 Bladnoch

Bladnoch 20yo 1990/2011 (60.6%, The Scottish Liqueur Centre for Càrn Mòr Celebration of the Cask, Bourbon Barrel, C#30005, 194b, b#131): nose: a big alcohol kick that, for some reason, reminds me of a Marc de Champagne. A whiff of green grapes, perhaps? Then, we swap that for a dusty cigar box and old cardboard, both of which quickly morph into soft-leather jackets. Papers, warmed by the sun, and a grassy eau-de-vie (not gin) appear a tad later on, as do roots of one kind or another. There is something spicy and gently fruity trying to pierce through the slab of alcohol, hardly detectable. The second nose adds a drop of rosewater, yet it struggles to make itself known. Meadow flowers show up here and there (daisies, buttercups). A couple of drops of water really help this open up: it suddenly dishes out corn flowers, periwinkles, blue flax and other blue meadow flowers, maybe apple mint too. Further nosing gives this an almost jammy or marmalade-y touch that is most pleasing. Mouth: flowery pastry, if such a thing exists -- and if it does not, why not? We then have the typical Bladnoch-of-the-era markers, which is to say plant sap (vine, ivy), flower bushes (forsythia) and meadow flowers (dandelions), as well as a drop of milk chocolate, mocha Mignonnettes, to be accurate. It is also pretty potent! The second sip sees a blend of peach and fierce lemon juices, nectarine slices with pepper sprinkled on top, all surfing on a milky texture. Water turns the palate more overtly fruity, with peaches, calamansis, Korean pears, not-totally-ripe clementines -- yes, there is citrus, still, though nowhere near as powerful as it was before reduction. Repeated sipping cranks up the jam on the tongue too, sweet and fruity like a good tangerine paste. Finish: bold and muscular, it is nonetheless elegant, with lilac and chocolate custard working hand in hand. Although it remains as powerful as the ABV promised, it is well integrated. Warming: yes; numbing: no. It keeps the acidity of pressed citrus, yet the texture that sticks to the mouth remains milky, somehow. Lactic Acid? Woody notes develop, subtle, yet present alright, and we have ginger yoghurt, galangal shavings and turmeric root. Without surprise, water tones down the alcohol and allows more milk chocolate to come out in the form of clementine-infused chocolate custard. Very pretty it is too! Further sips bring back some mocha, a fading memory, more than a dominating colour. Beautiful. 8/10 (Thanks for the dram, JS)

07/05/2022 Daftmill

Daftmill 11yo 2008/2019 Summer Batch Release (46%, OB, Bourbon Casks, C#056+058+060+062+065+066, 1760b): nose: oatmeal and warm porridge, caramel flan and butterscotch. The sweetness dissipates, making room for dry cereal, hot straw bales and hay. That newfound dryness veers towards dusty cardboard, which is not half surprising, considering it was caramel-y only minutes ago... And, actually, the caramel comes back too! Along with it are marinated apricot slices (subdued, mind) and, ultimately, chocolate. The second nose adds a dusting of vanilla sugar on all of the above, and a spoonful of ground almonds. Mouth: mellow and sweet to start with, it soon blends the cardboardy caramel from the nose with the initial silk. Butterscotch joins the dance too, making this a little heady. The second sip brings in fudge, Scottish tablet, and so much butterscotch it feels borderline nutty (Brazil nuts). Finish: butterscotch and caramel in the finish again, as well as warm porridge and a twist of the peppermill. Puzzlingly, it combines an overly-sweet side with a softly bitter and drying one, which, I suppose, could make one think of white-chocolate liqueur praline, to an extent, unless it is latte (lait russe) or hazelnut milk. In any case, it feels very different to the first time I had it. 7/10 (Thanks for the sample, DC)

Daftmill 11yo 2008/2019 (55.5%, OB for the Whisky Bars of Scotland, 1st Fill ex-Bourbon Barrel, C#068/2008, 160b): nose: maybe a bit darker, with pot ale and toasted oats, or black sesame seeds. A minute in, chocolate-y tones appear, and we have Rolo and Toffifee. A little later, crumbly mortar appears, dry stone walls, and a polyester watering can, baked by the sun. And then, it comes back to a profile similar to that of its predecessor: dusty cardboard, hay and straw bales. The second nose has cut quince and Korean pear, fruity and a little floury, sprinkled with confectionary sugar. Mouth: a fruity and acidic entrance, with crystallised pineapple and orange boiled sweets, quickly joined by gently-bitter mixed peel, grapefruit skins and candied angelica. The second sip reiterates, with a sprinkle of ground white pepper and ginger powder to boot. The pepper, especially, is coming through retro-nasal olfaction, cloaking all the other flavours, after a while. They are still all there, simply pacified by the (relatively-gentle) pepper. Finish: a citrus-y number in the finish as well, it is now augmented with cereal dust (the kind that remains at the bottom of a breakfast-cereal bag), and a spoonful of honey on porridge. Repeated sipping seems to make this fruitier, interestingly enough, and ripe peaches join the pineapple and citrus. Citrus, which, by the way, is sweeter, now; calamansi or yuzu, rather than the earlier grapefruit. Pepper grows in intensity, over time, yet it never feels as coating as it did on the palate. I like this one better than the first time I tried it. In fact, I like it better than the other. 8/10

I still cannot understand the hype around Daftmill. It is good; I do not question that. But good enough to guarantee every release sells out before it is actually released? Ich don't think so.

06/05/2022 Cragganmore

37.64 30yo 1985/2015 A real charmer (51.3%, SMWS Society Single Cask, Refill ex-Bourbon Hogshead, 188b): nose: flowery and a half from the off, this is full of honeysuckle, irises, daffodils and yellow tulips. Sappy flowers, then. Almost immediately, that is met by juicy yellow fruits (peaches, mirabelle plums) and beeswax. Yes, this smells waxy alright. In fact, soon enough, that is the dominant aroma, with encaustic, waxed rustic chairs and oiled shelves. A bit further on, flowers come back, more pink, this time (peach flowers, oleander, hydrangea), then a leafy canopy appears, before it starts all over again. The second nose is overtly waxy, maybe with quince and Golden-apple skins thrown into the mix, though that does not disturb the encaustic and patina-covered dining chairs. Flowers still tickle the nostril from the sideline, now predominantly white (deutzia, white azalea). Mouth: juicy and sappy in texture, the mouth has a soft leafy bitterness to support yellow fruits (mirabelle plums and peaches again, perhaps physalis too). Waxy wood subsists, though it only becomes clearer after thirty seconds or so swirling around the mouth. Sappy flower petals grow in intensity at second sip, which is to say there is a gentle bitterness at play, not at all offset by a pinch of caster sugar. Repeated sipping underlines the freshness of the palate -- a perfect spring-morning drop. Finish: powerful, yet elegant. Cracked green pepper augments the now-expected yellow fruits and tulip petals. Some juice survives this far, more acidic than previously. The second sip is a little sweeter, still very much on a yellow-flower tip without that ever being too much. Each sip seems spicier and warmer than the previous, bringing cedarwood and banana-leaf cigars to the table. All the same, it never loses its freshness or spring-like character. Come to think of it, that might be apple mint, lively, yet fruity and fresh. Very, very good. 8/10 (Thanks for the sample, adc)