21/03/2013 Three Tobs

Many reasons to celebrate, lately: on top of it being the official start of spring today, the last couple of weeks have been peppered with anniversaries calling for a special face-to-face session. However, a very busy schedule and long office hours have made me postpone said celebration -- why force it in, eh?
Now, this never-ending winter has finally taken its toll: after three days of soaked sightseeing in my own town, I am crippled with a cold. That calls for medicine, but let us not hit the top shelf, this time, since the nose is not in pristine condition.

Tobermory 10yo (40%, OB): nose: pear drops, distant bandages, something slightly chemical and a whole whiff of wood. Mouth: pear drops again, along with something more citrusey -- lemon chewing gum? There is also a touch of honey. Finish: bourbon-cask goodness, now -- butterscotch, coconut, vanilla. This is simple, but good.

Tobermory 15yo (46.3%, OB, Oloroso Cask Finish): this was my daily dram for a long while, this year: after a disappointing start, it became a lot more balanced and agreeable. Nose: the sherry influence is quite a contrast with the 10. Dark chocolate, instant-coffee powder, yet the dominant note today is dust. There is also dried orange skin in there and drying tobacco leaves. After several minutes (and sips), hot cigar even comes into the mix. Mouth: slightly syrupy, or creamy, with notes of orange (not quite Mandarine Napoleon, though), tarte Tatin, orange sponge cake (think PiM's without the chocolate coating). Finish: cocoa beans and coffee, now, with some more of that lovely orange sponge cake and a taste of coconut to boot. Lovely drop of W, this. 7/10

Ledaig 4yo 2005/2010 (62.7%, BBr Berrys' Own Selection, Sherry Butt, C#900008): nose: peat smoke! Mackerel being smoked on the shores of a sea loch, a bucket that previously contained tar, brine, tinned anchovies, perhaps; it seems more coastal than medicinal to me, but rather glorious, in any case. Mouth: the sherry does a lot of the talking, at first impression, then the peat speaks out. Smoked trout, diesel (not in an invading way). Finish: a killer Italian coffee cake, salted, dark chocolate. The smoked fish is now tame, if not absent -- probably a good thing: there would be a fish in the percolator, which only Lynch fans would enjoy. :-) This is stunning. I have had it before, yet it seems a lot better today. I expected it to be a steamroller, but it is actually quite subtle and complex, especially for such a young dram. Or maybe, it simply goes down very well in this cold (thanks Fixou for the sample). 7/10