Long time, eh? Well, JS and I are back. We take bets on the way: is PS going to be there before or after us? As JS opens the door, the first sound coming from the inside is PS coughing. That is that, then. :-)
128.22 6yo d.2015 Muscat gravy (59.9%, SMWS Society Cask, ex-Bourbon Barrel finished in 1st Fill ex-Muscat Barrique, 292b): nose: caramel-covered marzipan, toffee, cured-apricots, and a lick of grain-whisky-like metal. The second nose brings mint and caramel flan, then a little chocolate. Mouth: fierce. It makes me think of a grain again, in that it is hot and has a metallic-vegetal lick: sage, dried freshwater algae, clearly bitter. Treacle and liquorice show up when chewing. The second mouth pushes chocolate forward. Finish: cured apricots or peaches, dripping with boozy caramel. Butterscotch, dessert wine (JS), and lichen. Repeated quaffing sees some liquorice, and blackcurrant fruit gum move to wine gum (PS). It is only after that comment of PS's that I realise this is a wine-cask finish. That will be why I am less enthused than usually by a Penderyn. Good, far from blinding. 7/10
112.124 19yo 2005/2024 Supping on sweetness (50.6%, SMWS Society Cask, ex-Bourbon Hogshead finished in HTMC New Oak Hogshead, 234b): Heavy Toast Medium Char. Get used to those denominations, because they are now everywhere. Nose: cooled-down crème brûlée, panna cotta, fragrant yellow flowers (tulip petals, baked daffodils), but not just yellow (pan-seared rose petals too). Mouth: soft and mellow, it has some flower petals afain, yet chewing reveals an earthy bitterness that walks towards plant sap. It is not intolerable, but it carries a bitter vibe indeed, supporting a slightly-more-pronounced fruitiness. Later on, we have confectionary-sugar-coated mangoes. Finish: rum-splashed custard, rum-soaked tutti-frutti floating in peachy yoghurt. 7/10
2.140 17yo 2007/2024 Calorific nonchalance (56.7%, SMWS Society Cask, ex-Oloroso Butt finished in 1st Fill STR ex-Oloroso Butt, 611b): STR stands for Shaved Toasted Re-charred. A few years ago, that would have been called "wood technology". Nose: burnt plastic, melted liquorice, burnt apricot tart, Sherry on steroids, more Manzanilla or PX than Oloroso (sweet Sherry, in other words). It becomes grapier with each second, and not far from sickly, to be honest. Burnt Christmas cake, charred cake crust, and a dollop of caramel in a cup of coffee. Mouth: ooft! This is a glass of Sherry on steroids, simply. JS finds Fino, this time, with fruity grapes, acidic, and a little bitter. Further sips remain in line. It is essentially Sherry at 100° Proof. Finish: initially neutral, it soon becomes a strong Sherry here too, nothing more. Sipping more of it does not change that impression. This is not my thing. 5/10
134.18 4yo d.2019 Ham and lobster apple crumble (58.4%, SMWS Society Cask, 1st Fill ex-Bourbon Barrel, 228b): nose: JS finds it powerfully tropical, but, for me, it is medicinal jelly capsules, then a resolutely-farm-y scent: mud patties, dark grains, smoked treacle, even. Later on, we find tropical fruits covered in fine white ash, and a hint of nail varnish, at second nose. Mouth: thin and dry, it has leather and suede, then turns desiccating -- it sucks all moisture out of the cheeks rather aggressively. The second sip is pretty fierce, strong and ashy. Finish: earthy fruit, black tea leaves, crispy omelette scraps, stuck to the Teflon pan. Ashes and scorched earth become louder. Water increases the bitterness: now, we have mocha custard. 7/10
163.1 6yo 2018/2024 Smokin'! (58.1%, SMWS Society Cask, 1st Fill ex-Bourbon Barrel, 240b): nose: how farm-y is this!? Tractor diesel, leather saddles, muddy farm paths, and also white caster sugar. It then turns mineral and citrus-y: lemon juice splashed on slate. Mouth: what? It is all maritime, all of a sudden, with smoked whelks and cockles, smoked oyster shells, and fishing nets with kelp stuck in it. The second sip has hardened, very-crisp pine bark. Finish: peppery alright (PS's earlier assessment was correct), yet it also has a sweetness to it, so it is peppery custard, augmented with a lick of mint. Further sips bring out diesel fumes in a mechanic's workshop, sans grease or oil. Perhaps a prolong relationship with this bottling reveals its young age and lack of complexity, but it is properly impressive in a brief encounter. 8/10
140.17 3yo d.2019 Bowled over by cinnamon cola (62.8%, SMWS Society Cask, #3 Char New Oak Barrique, 217b): nose: a whole host of lovely mahogany shenanigans, with bookshelves and treasure cabinets. Then, we graduate to chocolate éclairs, and, well, Bourbon casks, whish is to say custards of all kinds (chocolate and vanilla most obvious), crème pâtissière. Deeper nosing brings forth cola-flavoured sweets and cola-soaked bread. Perhaps an unusual concept, but one that works surprisingly well. Shaking the glass awakens black sands and volcanic stones, still with some sweetness attached to it. Later on, we have pressed raisins, prunes, and dried currants. About thirty minutes in, it turns assertively citrus-y -- calamansi, Ugli fruit, white grapefruit, and blush orange (not as much of a clash as it may read), and citrus turnovers of some kind (kumquat, bergamot, tangerine). Water does not alter it. Mouth: woody-and-a-half, this presents lacquered pencil cases and cabinets. Chewing adds pineapple rings in a cracked-pepper crust, mahogany shelves and wood stain. It is rather intense -- in a good way. Subsequent sips step the fruity path more resolutely, with cured peaches and apricots, but still a hefty drop of mahogany-infused hot water. It is more comforting with each sip, offering pecan-and-maple tart, or sweet-potato tart drizzled with maple syrup and sprinkled with a copious serving of milled black pepper. Yes, this is spicy, drying with time, yet it does not lose its fruitiness. Water dials it down a notch, and it seems fruitier. In truth, it is comparable to the undiluted palate. Finish: super concentrated, here are walnut stain and peach-stone oil. It gets sweeter the more one tries it, almost rushing to one's head: polished wood coated in caramel, dark maple syrup, and a distant minty touch, lozenges of sorts, faded almost beyond recognition. Further gulps have honey-glazed black cumin, cardamom pods in a bath of dark pouring honey made from mountain shrubs. Water changes it not. Perhaps, the woody bitterness of mahogany is a little louder. 8/10
It is good to be back -- with caveats.
I am not a fan of the system in which one has to book a table and a time slot, I must say. It feels less spontaneous, welcoming, and friendly.
Apparently, tasting the new outturn with cheeses is now open to non-members. One can only assume that the objective is to lure non-members in on that day, and give a hint of what they could access every day, were they member. Considering this is the only time some of the bottles will be available to purchase, I do question whether non-members would be tempted back on another day, once their hard-earned has been spent on those bottles. I suppose some treat the venue as a pub, and that is fair enough.
The current configuration of the room means there are fewer than twenty seats. Highly insufficient. Also, the huge sofas are not very comfortable: they are too deep and their armrests too tall. And since the sofas serve several tables, it is hard not to feel like one is sitting in on another table's conversation. Proximity is pleasant when it can be turned off, not so much when it is forced.
On the other hand, if there seem to be fewer cheeses, they come in delicious big slabs (so big that much goes to waste -- not at tOMoH's table it goes without saying). The best part is that one may now request more crackers.
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| Also, this jumper |
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