17/03/2023 Jane & Patrick

Jane Doe 1989/2016 (48.2%, Malts of Scotland, C#MoS 16044, 159b): nose: phwoar! This is so lush. Minty custard, mellow as a pillow, soft peaches, puffy apricots, fluffy mangoes, a bunch of jasmine flowers. A minute in, it takes an unexpected turn and delivers tart berries: redcurrants, gooseberries, lingonberries, cranberries, and a lick of raspberry-wine nail varnish. Fruity alright, this! That all grows sweeter and thicker, obviously morphing into jams and compotes of all sorts Pear and cranberry jam springs to mind. Further in the back of the sinuses, we have a timid note of lichen and moss on zinc guttering, spongy. It brings a layer of complexity that is most welcome. Soon, we see autumn leaves too, forest soil, tree bark, and pineapple slices. Noyce! Tilting the glass helps push wood stain into the light. The second nose cranks up the apricots and peaches, and adds peeled walnuts and hazelnuts. That aside, I find a soft note of poitín that is rather fitting -- unless it is but my imagination? It becomes more and more ethereal, heady, almost mentholated, which is unusual for something at less than 50%. Mouth: nothing beats a naturally-low ABV, and here is a shiny illustration. It feels warm, not aggressive, and even less weak. The acidity hinted at on the nose (tart berries) is in full display, here, all tinned pineapple, unripe bergamot, and juicy pomelo. Bergamot brought its foliage to a fruit party, which is to say this has a mild bitterness too that will not spoil the fun. The second contact with the palate is like taking a sip of lime-and-orange juice, in which the peels have been soaking. That spells acidic and bitter in equal measure, fruity as a gin-and-lime-tonic, not sweet in the slightest. It is, in fact, borderline leafy, now, and some may find cucumber peels in amongst the citrus. Gone are the mangoes from the nose. Mangone. Finish: acidic, bitter and fruity, here is a very similar procession of tinned pineapple, unripe citrus, green bananas, and herbal custard. I cannot identify said herbs with certainty (chervil? Watercress? Spinach?), but they smoothly elevate this beyond what could otherwise have been just-another-fruity-Irish. Funnily enough, repeated sipping, if it raises the acidity and bitterness, also turns the fruity side louder. It is reminiscent of some cocktails: gin-and-tonic, mojito, Major Bailey. Astonishing how, despite being leafy-bitter, it leaves a creamy feel in the mouth, a mouth that salivates long after swallowing, regardless of how acidic the liquid was. Lastly, it whispers mango peels, to which a few tatters of fruit flesh still cling on. Excellent, if less impressive than upon our first encounter. Happy St. Patrick's Day! 8/10 (Thanks for the sample, elskling)

24/02/2019 Whisky Show Old & Rare (Day 2 -- Part 3): the afterparty

The restaurant is another funny affair. Next to the five of us is another Whisky-Show-Old-And-Rare-refugee table, with CB, EG, PT and their acolytes from Dornoch and Catawiki. They take turns coming to our table for shits and giggles. We attract lots of attention in the packed restaurant, none to be ashamed of, fortunately. At some point, one of the sporty waitresses inadvertently kicks the bench we are sitting on. By the looks of it later on, she will never walk correctly again.

Grilled aubergine with tomato sugo, garlic and fresh Parmesan

Roasted red pepper with spinach, tomato sugo, mozzarella, ricotta and evoo

We go back to the hotel through the (now wild) streets of Glasgow. The massive difference of incomes of the United Kingdom is here at its most visible, where tarted-up boys and girls in expensive (and often revealing) clothes share the pavement with visibly heroin-addicted, homeless people in dire condition. A duality that a sensitive being could have a hard time witnessing.

Somehow, we navigate through all that and even find a lift. Oblivious to the reason why CD will not enter it, MR and I storm in. As I press 3, I notice the loved-up couple inside. He cleverly remarks that 3 and 5 are lit, but no-one is going to 4. "You're on the top deck? Well done. We only made it to the third," I say to the increasingly incredulous-looking girl and her (very-)tipsy jock. "Not good enough for the fifth... Unless you invite us, of course." She turns to him: "Happy birthday!"
Sadly, I do not think their whisky cabinet is up to scratch, so we (CD, PG, MR, JS and I) alight on the third.

Auchindoun 18yo (61.3%, The Whisky Connoisseur) (CD): a Mortlach from the same stable as the mythical Largiemeanoch, though after the brand was taken over by The Whisky Connoisseur. Nose: lots of soot and cured meat, coal stoves. Despite what I just wrote, this does not seem like an overly-sherried dram. Mouth: hot, but rather fruity, with dirty grapefruit and an animal quality, brightened up by rose water. Finish: big, with musk and grapefruit. Very ambivalent, this. On one hand, it is light and fruity and sweet; on the other, it is a high-voltage brute with some animal flavours. 8/10

EG and CB join us.

Dailuaine 27yo d.1975 (46%, Direct Wines Ltd. First Cask, C#5526, b#250) (CB): nose: walnut oil, red onion and, later, verbena and sage. Mouth: slightly pickle-y, leathery, with a dollop of fluid shoe polish. Finish: silky and quaffable, it has prune juice, roasted red onion and walnut-oil-based vinaigrette. Very good. 8/10

Rosebank 25yo 1967/1993 (54.4%, Signatory Vintage, C#4393-94, 220b, b#190, 02029303) (CD): CD purchased the dregs of this bottle a few hours ago. Nose: fresh, crisp and clean, fruity, whilst also mineral. Mouth: powerful, fruity and mineral again, with a lot of gravel. Finish: hugely powerful and fruity (yellow fruit and squashed raspberry). 9/10

Things become fuzzy, at this point

The Arran Malt The Amarone Cask Finish (50%, OB, b. ca 2018) (MR): nose: light chocolate, strawberry slices, warm bread, chocolate-soaked raspberries. Mouth: strawberry wine, some chocolate, also, and a good dash of drying spices, including cassia bark. Finish: warm, syrupy and very warm. Hot strawberry all round. 7/10

Case in point

EG [holding a blender's glass]: "These glasses are good only for one thing..."
me: "...Looking like a dick!"

The Arran Malt 14yo (46%, OB, b. ca 2019) (MR): nose: hay, dry, white wood and white grapes. Mouth: sweet, with cut apple, white peach, wet hay and young wood. Finish: lemon-y, custard-y, long and curd-y. I like it. 7/10

Jane Doe 1989/2016 (48.2%, Malts of Scotland, C#MoS 16044, 159b, b#16) (EG): an undisclosed Irish of a certain age. Wonder what that could be. Nose: soft sawdust and delicate exotic fruit (mango), as well as yellow fruit (peach, apricot) with a splash of acidic lime. Mouth: fruity avalanche, with mango, peach and grapefruit, lime and mint. Finish: milk chocolate and luscious mango, soaked grapefruit and peach. This is marvellous and a great way to end this legendary weekend. 9/10

The endangered turtledove agrees

The next morning, JS and I see pat gva at breakfast: he was stuck in another restaurant, last night, and came back at 2:00, too late for the afterparty. We make plans for the future before parting ways. Tomorrow, back to school.

Breakfast of champions