Girvan 40yo d.1965 (43.7%, Hunter Hamilton The Clan Denny, C#HH2238): strictly speaking, I suppose this could have been bottled in 2006 too, since the label does not state it. Nose: this is dignity personified, with all sorts of furniture made of exotic woods -- teak, mahogany, redwood, lacquered ebony, even. Next to that, it has glycerine, treacle, stewed-fruit-topped sticky toffee pudding, hot apricot compote, stewed pineapple, baked plantains, chou dough, soaked cork, very thick custard and sesame oil. It is a whirlwind of fragrances, and it somehow works fine. Perhaps it has the most liquid manuka honey too, or royal jelly, and candied apple, with a whisper of blueberry, far back. Lovely nose, very enticing. Mouth: a soft and fleeting bite, though, at 44%, it is hardly a fearsome fighter. Hot banana, augmented with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, doughnut, coconut shavings, banana rum, squashed pineapple and warm custard cream. Pineapple grows in intensity, gently acidic, fruity and pleasant. Satsuma and kumquat are there too, more subtle. Finish: similar notes, here, with a wheelbarrow of baked fruit (banana, plantain, pineapple and coconut), pastry (chou dough, doughnut, Berliner Pfannkuchen, that traditional Belgian pastry called something like cream cobblestone) and woody tones (Brazil-nut oil, teak oil, drinks cabinet, lacquered armchair). The last thing to come through is pink ink (do not ask). Marvellous. 8/10 (Thanks for the sample, PS)
Cameronbridge 25yo 1979/2005 (59.9%, Duncan Taylor Rare Auld, C#3523, 194b, b#92, 05/013): at last, I take time to review this properly, before it is empty (just). This is the first grain I bought, on the back of trying (and liking) Compass Box's Hedonism and being told that batch of it was a blend of Cameronbridge and (I think) Cambus. Nose: well, the difference in ABV could hardly be more obvious! This kicks like a mule, initially, then cools down to reveal notes that are not too dissimilar to the previous dram's, actually: pineapple segments (in rum, this time), hot pastry (apricot turnover, straight out of the oven) and wood varnish. Where it differs is the wood; here, it is less exotic and much dryer: sawdust, sandalwood, cigar boxes and cedar-wood sheets. Past that, it has a vaguely medicinal touch, though it is ether, rather than tincture of iodine, yet it might as well be merbromin, Mercurochrome or another disinfectant. At a push, it could be a thyme infusion. An hour of breathing removes the edge and makes this nose pastry galore, with lingering pineapple, soaked in rum. Water brings out warm plastic, rubber boots and an oil cloth in a warm veranda. Odd. The fruit reappears, much shyer. Mouth: it feels thinner and sharper than the Girvan (59.9%, remember?) with glycerine, custard powder, powdered sugar, vanilla sugar, banane flambée, glazed pears, peel zest, rum-soaked pineapple cubes, heavily-acidic lemon marmalade. With water, it is more mellow, with pillow-y apricots, pineapple juice and a minute pinch of verbena. Finish: hugely warming, with a massive banane-flambée flavour again, custard powder, ginger shavings, Scottish tablet, crushed almonds, pineapple cubes -- yes, pineapple cubes from a warmed plastic tub. Water gives it more custard powder, sprinkled on warm, tinned pineapple and lemon juice on vanilla custard. It leaves the tongue a bit numb, to be honest... Excellent dram all the same. There were worse grains (and worse whiskies at large) to start with. 8/10
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