05/11/2022 Banffire Night 2022

Brig o' Banff (70° Proof, W. G. Paterson & Son, b. ca 1970s): an oddity that even Philip Morrice seems to know nothing about. W. G. Paterson & Son are/were based in Banff, so it is possible that this was sold exclusively locally. It is a blend, by the way, and I have no way of ascertaining whether it contains any Banff. But then, why would it not? In the 1970s, when this was possibly bottled, Banff was not exactly as sought after as it is today... Anyway, today is the day to try this! Nose: OME in full swing, with cardboard, pickled nuts and blotting paper, as well as a soft metallic whiff. That last one grows bolder, with copper coins, both old and new, adjustable wrenches, and tin caps maculated with jam -- stale quince paste and raspberry jelly. It has something spicier and rootier about it too, subtle mustard seeds, and (very) tame horseradish sauce. The second nose has woodworm, a drop of wood varnish, and shy fruits -- baked guava and star fruit share the space with brown apples, now. Yum! That metal lick remains, though it is more and more distant. Mouth: a toffee-heavy attack, caramel coulis, honey-glazed fudge and Mackintosh's Toffee Penny. It is fairly mellow on the tongue (at 70° Proof, and with that fill level, who could be surprised?), but rather pleasant. The second sip adds a minor note of cardboard, or papier mâché, to be accurate, and a cup of oat "milk" with a handful of coins. After several minutes of swirling around the mouth, a gentle fruitiness appears, tinned pineapple slices and tinned peaches enjoying some emphasis. The tin is fairly apparent, yet it does not spoil the fruit. Coming back to it ten hours after opening the bottle, the mouth will pick up gingery orange rinds, and a soft note of menthol. Finish: it appears to have lost none of its potency, despite the low-ish level. We have more toffee (wheelbarrows of it), gooey fudge, and generous caramel flan, yet also other things -- things such as herbs and coins, this time slowly-but-surely covered in Verdigris. The herbs are harder to pinpoint; parsley, maybe? Chives? Probably the latter, juicy, yet discreet. The second gulp is in the same vein, though it welcomes a (blurry) tropical fruit -- tinned pineapple again, baked carambola and Korean-pear slices, all doused in melted toffee, it goes without saying. Well, what an outstanding ancient blend! I would bet it has a high-malt content, and likely plenty of Banff. What else, though? 8/10