22/02/2025 Clones

BA and PS call off on the day, but OB and JS join me all the same in commemoration of the 22nd February 1997, when Dolly the sheep became the first mammal to be cloned from an adult cell.

...and t-shirts were made

The soundtrack: DJ Gert - Boccaccio Life Vol. 3 (CD2)

The soundtrack: Various - Dance Opera Empire 4

JS presents: Dollybardine.

Tullibardine 33yo 1972/2006 (43.1%, Dewar Rattray Cask Collection, C#2597, 141b): nose: it still delivers! All sorts of fruits -- carambola, wine-soaked orange segments, cured pineapple, cranberries, lychee, pomegranate seeds, and a lick of pine cone. OB finds it sour -- the pomegranate, surely. Some wood comes out at second nose. Mouth: soft, it is clearly woody, and just as fruity. Cured strawberries, wine-soaked orange segments, pomegranate seeds, red grapefruits. OB nails it with Fraise Tagada. Phwoar! We start with this? Finish: long, elegant, sparkly, it has ginger beer, decaying wood (a little bitterness, then), and sour apples. Full notes here.  9/10

tOMoH presents Dalaruan. Not the original, of course (the distillery closed a century ago, after a century of existence), but the Lost Distillery Company's, who cloned the original's flavour profile.

Dalaruan (46%, The Lost Distillery Company Archivist’s Selection, B#1/i, b#298): nose: meaty and gamy to the point I would not be surprised to learn it contains Mortlach. Pickled pearl onions too. It becomes more cardboard-y over time. Mouth: stewed fruits here, lingonberries and apples, yet it retains some of the meat and pickled-onion brine. 'Briny' is the word. Further sips are drier: a pinch of chalk sprinkled on steaks. Finish: long, it sticks to the gums, and is more acidic and fruitier here than it is meaty. Cranberries and lingonberries, rather than game. Full notes here. 7/10

The soundtrack: Noir Désir - 666.667 Club (this one is from 1996, but I listened to it a lot in 1997)

OB tells us that, in the film Attack of the Clones, we learn that the clones in question all come from Django Fett, whose son is Bobalvenie Fett. He actually wanted to make it a triplet and offer BowmoreBalvenie Fettercairn, but could not find a Fettercairn and threw the towel.

The Balvenie Tun 1401 (49.2%, OB Tun 1401 imported by Acla da Fans, 11 x Traditional Whisky Casks + 2 x Sherry Hogsheads, C#15914+5033+14824+7051+15342+15336+5823+13453+442+6440+5173, B#7): nose: so elegant! Full of prunes, polished dashboards, dried figs, shoe polish, as well as Tableau sticker-removal spray, and seared mushrooms. That is right: there is something a little earthy to this that tickles liquorice-root shavings. That, blueberry jellies and cashew paste. The second sniff has fragrant trees (thuja? Maple?) and marshmallow. Mouth: a masterclass of Sherry maturation. Dried fruits (dates loudest, on the palate), earth (button mushrooms) and rubber (faint bicycle inner-tubes). That rubber turns mildly drying at second sip, but it is, again, balanced, with dark honeys and maple syrups dusted with ashes. Finish: assertive softness, total control, extreme elegance. This is a little sweet, in a dark-honey style. Dark cough drops, grated candy necklace. It all dies with a minimum amount of mulled-wine spices (not the wine itself) and tar-black maple syrup. Excellent. Even though it is not necessarily my style of predilection, it is clearly extremely well made. 9/10

tOMoH presents a 1997 distillation, the year Dolly was created. Does it matter that we had it the same day as the Tullibardine, in the past? Answers on a postcard.

Arran 17yo 1997/2014 (51.6%, The Whisky Agency & Acla da Fans Acla Selection specially selected for Whisky-Schiff Zürich 2014, Refill Sherry Cask, 120b): "much more whisky than the previous," says OB. Nose: citrus-y and rich at the same time, it has cosmetic powder, today. The second nose develops cigarette smoke, which is a surprise. Mouth: crystallised orange segments. It is chewy and a tad chalky in further sips, and very-softly bitter too. Finish: a gulp of milk coffee, lukewarm and diluted, totally tolerable for this non-coffee drinker. We also have warm metal (zinc pipes) cosying up to warm custard. Full notes here. 8/10

The soundtrack: Speedy J - Public Energy #1

OB presents Dolly... Parton - Jo-Linkwood. Wow.

Linkwood 23yo 1998/2021 (53.3%, Gordon & MacPhail Connoisseurs Choice Cask Strength Exclusively bottled for TyndrumWhisy.com, Refill Sherry Hogshead, C#13808, B#21/214, 267b, 211030): nose: spicy, it has sumac and ground cloves. That morphs a few minutes in to develop dried rasp- or strawberry slices, wrapped in a veil of smoke. Said smoke is the result of burning oak bark. There is a spoonful of pine needles in this nose too. Subsequent sniffs have a plastic element, blended with dark-fruit jellies. Water tones down the spices and allows berries to shine brighter -- fresh berries too, now. Mouth: it starts out mellow and pleasant, then grows in spicy intensity, with sumac and crushed dried cherry stems. Strawberries of the dried kind appear here too, and, if one searches with intent, so does a soft sulphury note (OB). Juicy and lively, the second sip has darker-berry sweets, jellies, cough drops or other, a little bitter, perhaps, and delicious all round. Water makes this mellower, believe it or not, fruitier. Gone are the sulphur and the bitterness of cherry stems. It is all fruit jellies and jams. Finish: tree bark introduces dried raspberry slices and dried wild strawberries. Darker berries show up upon repeated quaffing, and it is gradually juicier, on the blackcurrant tip. Water cranks up the dark berries, juicy, if still a little bitter. That never becomes a distraction. Blueberries, myrtles, blackberries. This is a terrific swimmer. 8/10

tOMoH and JS present a grain from the Clone Denny range. Groan. Ha! Ha!

Port Dundas 21yo 1992/2013 (55.7%, Hunter Hamilton The Clan Denny, Refill Hogshead, C#HH9452): nose: very grassy and metallic. Welcome to Port Dundas. It also has rubber boots. Mouth: very rubbery (in a good way), it showcases ancient bike inner-tubes, old plumbing joints (rubber seals), old corn cobs, and oilskins faded by years in the sun. Finish: caramelised corn coated in syrup of sorts. It is less grassy and metallic here and deserves a perhaps-generous score. Full notes here. 8/10

tOMoH: "What did you think of the Port Dundas?"
JS: "It was nice."
OB: "Not sherried enough."

Soundtrack: Richie Hawtin - Pete Namlook - From Within III

tOMoH presents (with a little help from JS) a Baaaaah!-clones (for Balcones, see?)

140.17 3yo d.2019 Bowled over by cinnamon cola (62.8%, SMWS Society Cask, #3 Char New Oak Barrique, 217b): nose: "cinnamon cola is right" (OB). I find Werther's Original and maple toffee. It slowly reveal melted toffee ice cream and a lick of pine bark. Perhaps it is the memory of Clementine's Ozark Cabin ice cream. Mouth: a lot of cinnamon (OB). Almost drying, with crushed cassia bark, a clove or two, and Dr. Pepper. It is desiccating at second sip, like biting a stick of chalk. Finish: root beer, followed by warm chocolate custard and melted Mokatine. Wonderful finish. 8/10

OB: "The ABV is not crazy. [Looks at the bottle] Oh! Right."

To round off this superb tasting, we have a drop of Clynelish 12yo d.1973 (56.9%, OB exclusively bottled from original cask for Whiskyteca Edward & Edward, b#198) (or Clone-lish, as OB rightly points out). It slays. Funnily enough (because completely coincidental), we had it a year ago, almost to the day.

25/01/2025 Burns' Night 2025 -- Exit the Dragon (Part 1)

2024 was the year of the Dragon -- and that year is ending in a few days. Too late for Enter the Dragon, just in time for Exit the Dragon.

Decoration courtesy of ruckus

JS, adc, Gaija, kruuk2, ruckus, dom666, Psycho, sonicvince, Mrs. sonic, STL, red71, Bishlouk, ydc, GD, and I meet up for the yearly celebration, loosely connected with the Bard.

Record number of guests, this year

The line-up...
...before any guest arrives

adc stuck a note on the door asking not to talk about politics to avoid getting worked up.

STL [when the front door opens on him]: "May we talk about arse?"

We have an early theoretical start (17:30), but one does not see fifteen people turn up on time, do they? Arrivals are scattered between 17:09 and 18:30. Fortunately, JS brought an aperitif.

...and red71 and STL brought appetizers

St. George Single Malt Whiskey Lot 17 (43%, OB, B#SM017, b.2017) (JS): I do not try it; it is appreciated by all who do. My notes are here.

Psycho: "One can tell it is Californian: it is smoky."

With that questionable joke out of the way, we are ready to start for realz. The menu is (very) ambitious, so my notes are sometimes scant.

Full line-up, with lots of undisclosed bottles

sonicvince presents Green Douglas. 'Douglas' contains 'glas', which is made with heat: one blows fire on sand to "do glass". Groans.

Green Douglas 5yo (40%, OB The Douglas Fir for Aldi) (sonicvince): nose: light and surprisingly herbal, it has verbena and dried sage. Mouth: dried sage sprinkled on custard cream. Chewing injects crème anglaise. red71 and Gaija astutely call out violet and pékèt au cuberdon. Doubtful at first, I becomes convinced they are right with a little careful analysis. Finish: soft and dry, shortly submerged by violet-flavoured pékèt (gin, to keep it simple). Unpretentious first dram. It does the trick. 6/10

dom666: "Look! I've been playing Dungeons & Dragons since 1984."
ruckus: Those are fantasy dragons, not real ones."

Psycho: "Nice, that little grain."
tOMoH: "And to think you used to not like grains!"
Psycho: "Only idiots never change their minds"
ruckus: "Only idiots don't like grains."

Bishlouk and Psycho talk about work.
red71: "Can we keep those discussions for ten drams from now?"

Soup is served.

Sweet potato and carrot soup.
I almost forget to take a picture, hence the nearly-empty plate.

Psycho explains that "the Dragon" is a nickname for Bruce Lee who went to secondary school to E-Deanston Technical School. Wow.

Deanston 17yo (40%, OB, Oak Casks, 7156 97/0331 L16, b. 1997) (Psycho): nose: apple juice (sonicvince), acidic (Gaija), Turkish delights, OBE and beeswax (Gaija), greengages, marzipan and ground almonds (ruckus). Mouth: funnily enough (because it is not in line with the nose), this has toffee and dusty furniture, as well as lovely wax. Finish: toffee, dusty wax, thickening beeswax... This is delicious! Better than I remembered it (from another bottle). A generous 8/10

Also, the cork breaks -- one of many tonight

tOMoH: "There's greengage, here."
sonicvince [who half-committed to bringing a greengage tart]: "You're really stuck on that greengage."
tOMoH: "I'm going to make you feel it all night."
all: "!?!??!?!"

We talk about Houte-Si-Plou [pronounce: hoot-see-ploo, Walloon for Listen-if-it's-raining, and also the name of a village].
dom666: "There is a Houte-Si-Plou in Savoie [a region of Southern France]."
tOMoH: "Isn't there one in Burundi? Or Rwanda? Ah! no, that's Tutsi-Plou."
dom666: "Ain't that a film with Dustin Hoffman?"

Dinner is served.

Haggis Parmentier

Vegetarian haggis

Roasted seasonal vegetables

Potato purée

ruckus presents two Scapas, each with a longship on the label. In French, a longship is called 'drakkar', clearly related to 'drakar', Swedish for 'dragons'. A certain type of longship is known as 'dreki'. Wikipedia tells us: "The word dreki for a ship derives from this practice of placing carved dragonheads on ships."

Anyway, this Scapa longship is small, but it has a dragon figurehead.
Bizarrely, it sems to be on the back of the ship.

Also, one of the two bottlings was distilled in 1988, which was a year of the Dragon.

Scapa 2005/2017 (43%, Gordon & MacPhail, 161983) (ruckus): nose: custard cream and crème anglaise come out at first, then it develops a little herbaceous quality. Gaija talks about Parmesan cheese, though I cannot see that. Mouth: a little mineral, with some bitterness and a lot of pepper (or is it the haggis we just had?) It has a delicious milky-creamy texture. Finish: beautiful, loaded with oat milk and cinnamon powder. 8/10

vs.

Scapa 1988/1999 (40%, Gordon & MacPhail, II/BGE) (ruckus): nose: custard cream and custard powder, cocoa powder and coconut milk, a hint of mint too. It mellows out in the long run, with carrot soup or sweet potato (or is there some soup stuck in our teeth? Because it is not just me) Mouth: βανίλια, vanilla custard, just a pinch of quarry dust... In fact, it becomes rather dusty over time, and adds tar to that. JS finds it well fruity. Finish: wonderful custard pudding, with a sprinkle of cocoa powder or powdered cinnamon. 9/10

red71 struggles with the notion that these were distilled seventeen years apart. "Ah! You add the ages of both and you divide by two," he exclaims. We tease him about his miscomprehension mercilessly.

red71: "Is there any more haggis? The more haggis [ruckus, Gaija and tOMoH] eat, the less cake they'll eat!"
ruckus: "That's what you think!"

nth serving

The soundtrack: _Ruckus_ - Exit The Dragon

We all marvel at ruckus's shirt.

ruckus: "Wait! [unbuttons his shirt to reveal a green/yellow dragon t-shirt] See?"
tOMoH: "Wait! If you remove the t-shirt, do you have a dragon tattoo underneath?"
ruckus: "Yeah! On the prick!"
Bishlouk: "Ah! A dragonet, then."

sonicvince's effort

tOMoH's effort -- it has a larger dragon in the back
and both glow in the dark. Of course, it will never
be dark enough for others to see that

GD's effort

sonicvince says that, if Enter the Dragon was a film with Bruce Lee, Enter the Tiger was a film with Bruce Li. In other words: a knock-off of a Bruce Lee film. Or a Knock-and-off.

Knockando 18yo d.1994 (43%, OB, Sherry Casks) (sonicvince): nose: caramel and coffee (sonicvince), black tea (Gaija). It will be cappuccino for me, then it turns to porridge, thick, creamy, but drier than the real thing. Mouth: thick, coating at first, then a tad metallic, like a warm chocolate milk drunk from a tin mug. Finish: big, full of cinnamon, augmented with a pinch of ginger powder, and it settles on chocolate and millionaire shortbread (adc). Another generous note: it works so well, tonight! 8/10

dom666: "We have been cracking the same jokes for twenty years. I know: I do it too."
red71: "No, not twenty years."
dom666: "Yes, since 2003. That is more than twenty."
red71: "I have only known you for four years, and I have already heard the same jokes. Not twenty years."

kruuk2 reminds everyone of a 1980s arcade game he used to go watch people play at the fair. It was named the most-difficult video game ever, in which necessary moves were hard to predict and execute. He is, of course, talking about Dragon's Balb-lair.

Balblair 15yo (46%, OB, ex-Bourbon American Oak Casks + First Fill Spanish Oak Butts) (kruuk2): nose: smoked citrus rinds, blood orange, then tawed leather and some hay. Mouth: toffee and a pinch of dust make way for spices, with lots of pepper and crushed red chilli. The following sips are full of cocoa powder. Finish: long, full, chocolate-y again, and it has a dash of rich fruit eau-de-vie. 7/10

red71: "I cannot hear dom666 anymore..."
dom666: "I'm here."
tOMoH: "It's the Balblair [that suppresses him]."
red71: "Give me a case of six!"

tOMoH [talking about Cthulhu]: "It's impossible for a human mouth to pronounce it well."
red71: "A human mouth! As if there was anything else [that could speak]."
tOMoH: "There are other dimensions, folks."
Psycho: "A chihuahua sphincter does not sound the same as a rottweiler sphincter."

tOMoH unveils the first group bottle of the evening, for which the link is obvious. We have it alongside STL's contribution, who says: "I tend to drink great things with good people, here (except Bishlouk), so I thought I'd bring something nice." It was distilled in 1973, the year of Bruce Lee's death.

Highland Park 1961/1997 (48.1%, S & JD Robertson Group The Dragon, Hogshead, C#4493, 216b) (group): nose: incense (Gaija), gunpowder, mustard (Gaija), ground stone, dried oregano, dried marjoram, ashes, burnt tea leaves, wax seal, spent matches... The second nose mellows that out with some custard cream. Mouth: how does it manage to be at once juicy and ashy like this? It is distinctly ashy, with hot embers and hot seal wax -- rhaaaa! Finish: wow! A humbling mix of damp, riparian vegetation and extremely-fine white ashes, bananas and ganja (JS). Juicy plums make a late appearance too. I do not spend nearly-enough time with this tonight. It already is obvious that it is a killery. Incredible drop. 10/10

vs.

Tomintoul 39yo 1973/2003 The Day of Pearly Spencer (46.6%, La Maison du Whisky Belgique, C#1486) (STL): another missing 's' in the title, just as the Strathisla in the same series. Nose: leather toffee (sonicvince), smashed speculoos (sonicvince). Then, it turns very juicy, with peaches and nectarines on rye crackers. Mouth: considerably stronger than expected, almost drying, before the fruity character comes out with plums and greengages (again). Quite the exploit! Finish: long, explosive, it has spearmint and fruits (greengages, Mirabelle plums, honey-glazed plums) to precede salted-butter caramel (Psycho). Phwoar! 9/10

Bishlouk [about The Dragon]: "I expected more."
ruckus: "A label in full colours!"

Bishlouk: "The Highland Park is good, but it doesn't transport me. It does not give me a hard-on. I'm still half soft."
STL: "You still manage a hard-on?"

Bishlouk: "It's good. I have had younger and more-recent Highland Parks that impressed me more."
Gaija: "I'm listening to your references."

Dessert #1 enters, courtesy of STL's daughter

tOMoH and friends present a series. The longest series we have had, in fact, equalling the mighty MiMi-CraCra-Lo-Ellen-Sca from, ahem, a decade ago.

Anyway, this year, we are having seven bottlings for the seven crystal balls of Dragon Ball. Or Dragon Bal, as it will be known tonight.

Balblair d.1989 (46%, OB) (kruuk2): "another Balblair!" some marvel. We rarely have any, let alone more than one, in any given tasting. Nose: caramel and honey, oilcloth, and dried apple skins. That apple turns juicier with subsequent sniffs. Mouth: walnut kernels (Psycho), a soft nutty bitterness, peanut or so. The second sip sees some quarry dust and crushed peanut shells. Finish: dry, astringent (Bishlouk), acrid (Psycho). With its roasted walnuts, it is a very-long finish, warming, remarkable for this ABV. 7/10

The second bottling was supposed to be sonicvince's own Balblair 1989, which we have been meaning to try alongside its more-ancient sibling for many years. Sadly, he did not bring it, and kruuk2's bottle is now empty. It will never happen. Bah.

Ballantine's 30yo (unknown ABV, George Ballantine + Son, unknown volume, b. late 1970s/early 1980s, SB 161 L5) (group): nose: a little meaty, it presents a wicker basket full of decaying fruits. Old socks at the bottom of the drawer (kruuk2) develop into a sooty number. Mouth: rotten fruits turns juicier and fresher with each second. Soot grows in intensity too, as do meat and charred fruit. Finish: cranberries, lingonberries, and a shovelful of soot. tOMoH thinks of Bowmore Bicentenary, but then it could just be hs305's comment on whiskybase that suggests that. In any case, it is magnificent. 9/10

Talking about jellyfish stings, and how one should pee on the wound to soothe the pain.
dom666: "The best thing to do is pour vinegar on it."
tOMoH: "Yeah, I always have a bottle of vinegar with me, when I go to the beach."
dom666: "Another thing that works is lemon juice."
tOMoH: "Yeah, I always have a lemon in my swimsuit."
dom666: "Italians wear cotton pads [in their swimsuit] to boost their masculinity."
tOMoH: "Aren't you Italian?"

Second dessert enters, courtesy of JS. And I do not even take a picture!

Secret Stills 02.02 40yo 1966/2006 (45%, Gordon & MacPhail Secret Stills, Sherry Hogsheads, C#1204+1449+1452, 600b, JF/CHH) (tOMoH): an undisclosed distillery from the Ballindalloch Castle Estate. Nose: unmistakeably an old distillation, a blend of fruits and soot. Mouth: dry as sawdust, yet juicy as marmalade, soft but spicy. Phwoar. Finish: long, assertive... Better notes here. 9/10

vs.

Balmenach-Glenlivet 19yo 1961/1980 (46%, Cadenhead) (JS): nose: initially metallic, it soon turns old-school, with soot, old plastics, and a grandmother's pudding. Mouth: acidic, waxy lemon rinds. Finish: once again: phwoar! Metal and lemon sign a pact and sing in unison. Cannot wait to try this again. 9/10

St. George 3yo The Baller (47%, OB, Ex-Bourbon, French Wine Casks + Umeshu Finish): and there is a dragon on the label -- w00t! Nose: lychee syrup (red71), soap (STL), waxy soap bars, citric powder, sherbet, rose water (ruckus), cola (sonicvince). Because of the label, I want to say açai berries: "Même si la peur m'açai / Je partirai comme un samouraï". Mouth: ridiculously lychee-like, choc-full of citric powder, scented candles and fruit-scented handwash. JS cleverly points out elderberry cordial, which is spot on. Finish: Paic Citron (Bishlouk), limoncello, lychee, rose water. This is original, if divisive. It does a perfect job of resetting the palate after the old glories. 6/10

As a side note, it works fantastically in a highball (hence the name). Interestingly, ruckus prefers it to the first St. George he had earlier.

vs.

140.17 3yo d.2019 Bowled over by cinnamon cola (62.8%, SMWS Society Cask, #3 Char New Oak Barrique, 217b) (tOMoH): this is a Balcones. Nose: big, cola-like, it has coffee too, though that may be the sludge brewing in the kitchen. Mouth: it strips the enamel (Psycho). It is hot and very woody, tonight. Cassia bark coated in red-chilli paste. Finish: sweet Demerara. Do not be fooled, though: it is huge, hairy to a point, with hot boilers. It warms the oesophagus all the way to the tonsils. Brutal. We have clearly moved from the 40s to the 60s without pausing for breath. As a side note, this is known in the States as Bowled over by something beautiful, because any mention of food or drink in the US sets the FDA in action, therefore raises costs and increases timelines. 7/10

adc goes to bed.

Dessert #3 enters, courtesy of Mrs. sonic.

The sountrack: kruuk2's Exit the Dragon playlist.

70.62 10yo d.2013 Honey and dragon fruit sangria (60.8%, SMWS Society Cask, 1st Fill ex-Bourbon Barrel, 204b) (kruuk2): that is right. kruuk2 brought a third Balblair -- one that has the word 'dragon' in the description. Double w-jambon-my.  Nose: so custardy! It has tons of peach and melting mango flesh. Mouth: an explosion of buttery fruits, with dragon fruit, persimmon, mango, and cherimoya. The second sip has a chalkier feel, perhaps sherbet. Finish: confectionary sugar, sherbet (flying saucers), mango slices, hot plums. This is very good. 8/10

After this wonderful epanadiplosis, red71 and STL take a bow. One of them has a crochet competition in a week and needs his beauty sleep. The other follows. Tsk.

Bishlouk goes for a nap on the sofa.

If we chant the right incantations, a dragon should appear

Continue reading here.

07/12/2024 December outturn at the SMWS

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 prolonged 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.

Also, this jumper