Kilkerran 8yo b.2019 (57.1%, OB, Re-Charred Oloroso Sherry Casks, B#4, 15000b, 19/354): nose: initially fairly muted, with Verdigris and lichen on limestone, at a push. That slowly and timidly opens up to reveal chocolate-flavoured whipped cream and a dash of apricot nectar. Mind you, that apricot nectar is a little stained by the fruits' stones -- unless it is nuts? It may well be: oily macadamia or Brazil... soon joined by hemp and nut shells. The second nose is suddenly very tertiary, exploding with potting soil and wild mushrooms. We find mushroom-cooking water augmented with a few drops of pressed-prune juice and, at last, a minute sweetness that seems to come out of a spoonful of hoisin sauce. Mouth: punchy and winy, this has oxtail broth, Bovril, strong beef stock, Maggi sauce. It is as concentrated as tamarind concentrate, but savoury, at least to a point. Keeping it on the tongue for long enough adds melted chocolate, very concentrated again, which makes for a rather intense sensory experience. Chewing releases woody notes, oily exotic woods and Kluwak-nut broth. The second sip insists on those oily-wood notes; iroko, ebony, black walnut, African blackwood. It is a leeeeeeedle drying in the long run, yet surprisingly balanced, all things considered. Finish: a big, heavy Sherry maturation in the finish as well, with more melted dark chocolate mingling with beef stock, oxtail stew and tamarind concentrate. It is a warming finish, the kind one cannot shake off, which, once again, reminds me of Kluwak-nut broth. The second gulp, again, balances the darkness of nuts (Brazil, Kluwak) and wood (ebony, black walnut) with the gentle sweetness of prunes, now accompanied by raisins. It retains an earthy dryness without being desiccating. For those who like this sort of profile, this is hard to beat. Others will be entirely unmoved by it. I will have another dram to decide where I stand on the question. 7/10 (Thanks for the sample, OB)
Springbank 8yo 2017/2025 (54.7%, OB Springbank Society, Fresh Madeira Cask, 1761b, 25/169): nose: well, the type of cask is not trying to pass for something else, here! We have a blast of grape juice, yellow wine, orange wine, but also cured peaches. It has whispers of rambutan trying to compete with a rising scent of magnolia and pink-grapefruit peels, followed by cured lychees and ethereal pickled pearl onions. Somehow, it then musters up memories of the men's changing room at a sports club, an indescribable mix of shower gel, deodorant, acrylic fabrics and leather from the trainers and kit, and sweat. In a way, this reminds me of the wave of Glengoyne bottlings at the SMWS that were all from Sherry gordas (even the pink colour points in that direction!), fruity, winy and oxidised, somehow. It is also remarkably different from the first time we had it: no farm-y note to speak of, today. The second nose is überperfume-y -- an explosion of magnolia, enriched with dried meadow flowers in a flower foam block. In a way, one may find this rustic, probably. 'Farm-y' or 'earthy' would be a dozen steps too far. Three drops of water increase the cured-lychee and magnolia scents, and add a faint whiff of hipster coffee -- the kind they describe on blackboards as having notes of lychee and peach. Mouth: soft and fruity, very much in the same vein as those Glengoynes again, it has grapes soaking in wine that is slowly turning into vinegar, pickled pearl onions, a pinch of earth at last, and cured lychees left in booze far too long. It is potent and softly astringent, yet that is not really a distraction. Chewing long enough adds a pinch of chalk, a trowelful of loamy soil, confirms the orange wine and magnolia, and pumps Bourbon-stave vapours via retro-nasal olfaction. The second sip is mellow and pillow-y at first, then develops a mineral aspect -- mostly limestone dust. It quickly returns to fruity acidity, with pink grapefruits, this time the flesh as well as the peels and pith, and cured peaches or nectarines, with perhaps a bit too much wine involved. Adding water somehow injects a micro-dose of cereals into this (toasted barley, toasted wheat puffs) and still allows lychee to come out on top, even if tempered by a minute bitterness. Finish: pretty winy again, this remains very pink. More magnolia and lychees, this time supported by white peaches (some cured, others not), wine-soaked pineapple, pink-grapefruit peels. Pearl onions, if present at all, are in the far back of the bus, and there is no mention of earth or peat whatsoever, interestingly enough. The second gulp has a boozy-pastry note, rum baba, crème caramel with a dash of liqueur, or liqueur chocolates. It is nowhere as sickly as Edle Tropfen; probably closer to milk chocolate with a Cointreau syrup core. One can even feel the bitter orange bark, in the long run. There is also a certain spiciness at play, likely cracked black pepper, that could be mistaken for a pinch of dry earth. However, it is syrup or liqueur that sticks to the gob, though it may as well be wine. In any case, it is balanced enough for tOMoH, who is not usually a big fan of wine or liqueur notes in his whisky. A few drops of water tone down the wine to help focus on fruits, it seems -- cured blush oranges join the peaches and lychee. 8/10 (Thanks for the sample, SOB)
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