The Ardmore 20yo 1996/2017 (49.3%, OB, 1st Fill Bourbon Casks & ex-Islay Casks, L723657A): nose: stagnant water and a camp fire in the damp countryside. This one is ideal to accompany today's wet weather. Peat smoke, a wet bothy, brown toast, logs, resting near the fire place. This is warm and comforting. "One to savour near a stream, foamy and brown with peat," says adc. Gas and cabbage water -- it is vegetative peat, rather than diesel or seashells. Smoked ham, maybe. After a sip, the nose has pencil erasers. Mouth: soft and honeyed at first, it soon reveals horsepower... and a dollop of lemon-scented soap. Grapefruit skins, lemon drops, creamy soap, barbecued meat (pork or poultry), barbecued grapefruit. Finish: the soap recedes, leaving but caramelised honey, lemon juice and waves of refined smoke. Ink, melon skins and smoked Parma ham, lemon-stuffed milk chocolate, cold embers, wet wood. This is lovely, in the right weather. 8/10 (Thanks for the sample, OF)
Jura 10yo 2007/2017 (46%, Langside Distillers Hepburn's Choice, Refill Hogshead, 420b): nose: is that decaying berries, or cured meat? "Kumquat and pear mix," says adc. I find it closer to partridge or pheasant myself, plucked and waiting to be prepared. Sauce grand'veneur, red-wine vinegar... This smells horrible, to tell the truth. A whiff of smoke, rotting elderberry. The smoke grows and hides the other notes -- which is a good thing, in this case. Smoked mackerel, smoked haddock, kippers, and then the wine note comes back. Dry Jaffa Cakes (notice I do not refer to PiM's, this time!) Mouth: wine, wine, wine, wine vinegar, decaying berries, overripe plums. The palate is thin and wine-y, astringent, though that is sort of balanced by some pear juice. Peach skins in red wine, sangria. Finish: simple, it plays back some of the notes of the nose, namely : plums and vinegar. It is acidic, with a drop of milk chocolate. Drinkable, yet far from blinding. 5/10 (Thanks for the sample, Bishlouk)
Highland Park 17yo (58.1%, private cask sample, b. ca 2018): nose: burnt wood, moist earth, turf, a heather hearth (I am pretty sure that is self-suggestion), a cast-iron cauldron that has spent too long on the live flame, and in which the vegetable soup has caked near the bottom. Of the trademark honey, I do not detect much -- and if there is any, it is caramelised. Mouth: hot, gently smoky, with burnt grass, dry hay. This has the heat of the industrial revolution! Burning coal, molten honey, heather, not quite in bloom yet, petrol, warm metal. It never tastes of diesel or hot engines, however. A soft medicinal touch -- gauze. Finish: yep, coal, embers, hot honey, peat fire, ashes. Heather honey and caramelised blackberry jam, too. This is a powerful, no-nonsense, light peater. Good, but but lacks complexity and finesse to score higher. 7/10 (Thanks for the sample, Bishlouk)
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