Tullibardine 26yo 1990/2017 (44.4%, Edition Spirits The First Editions, Refill Hogshead, C#HL14177, 143b): nose: ha! ha! The trademark dusty fruits. Red apple, poached apple, even , dark grapes, plums and figs, all covid in a thick layer of dust (er, covered): sawdust, pollen, hessian sacks and old newspapers. The fruit is quick to come back, however, with maybe an additional note of plasticine. Waxy apricot, walnut paste... chewing gum? I vaguely remember a 1980s pink paste coming out of a tube; I cannot have seen it that often and never had my own tube of it, but I am sure I tried someone else's, occasionally. Well, this reminds me of that. Looking it up (t'Interwebz is amazing, innit), it might well be Tubble Gum. Anyway, that disappears from the third sniff to only leave ripening apricot and polished wood, as well as something more plastic-y, in the back: oilskins, saffron capsules, rubber boots -- is this the same dram? Mouth: sharp, it has red chilli on the tongue, supplementing melted milk chocolate. Fruit subsists, with grape juice, plum flesh and discreet persimmon, as well as almond milk and almond oil. This is a plum tart, with cut plums resting on a custard-y base spread on shortcrust. Creamy/oily texture, despite the spiciness and a vague acidity. It feels like soft bubble bath with the water ever so slightly too warm. Nevertheless, it is welcoming and comforting. One simply needs to get used to it (the warm bath, that is). Finish: creamy here too, it blends walnut oil or paste and persimmon flesh very nicely indeed. The spices from the palate have mutated into a distant, green bitterness to complement the wonderfully creamy mouthfeel -- imagine a couple of spring onions in a cheesy sauce, or a couple of green hazelnut shells in melted milk chocolate. This is really good! 8/10 (Thanks for the sample, Bishlouk)
Tamdhu 1966/2006 (43%, Gordon & MacPhail The MacPhail's Collection): hard to believe this one has been waiting in my cupboard for almost four years. Anyway. Nose: at 43%, this one has a presence that simply knocks one over. Amazing what a forty-year-old whisky can turn into! Floral, fragrant, leafy, it has ivy leaves, honeysuckle, bluebells, yellow tomatoes (or are they green?), apple mint, pear lassi, grated apple flesh, peach juice, yet also buttery custard (not quite curd, though), aniseed-infused vanilla pudding, ripening watermelon (whole, that is) and, coming back to yellow tomatoes, it is the whole plant in a green house. Violets, fresh and coarsely-peeled pineapple chunks in custard, topped with green leaves -- but what are they? Lemon mint, perhaps? Bang on! Mouth: a little drying in a mouthwash sort of way, it has sherbet, pine sap, mint and white peach. The mouthfeel is creamy, which is welcome, considering the mouth is significantly more influenced by the wood than the nose. Candied ginger makes a late appearance, but it is subtle. Lemon mint again -- actually, it just turns citric, with pomelo and lemonade. Finish: a tranquil force, with the same pine sap and the minty tone, Gocce-Pino style, but also tamed fruit (physalis and white peach). Sherbet is still here, spearmint, unripe pomelo. In the medium term, pomelo does take over, with the chalky dryness of quinine as an undercurrent. Do Schweppes make a pomelo-flavoured tonic drink? Maybe they should! This is great. 9/10 (Thanks for the sample, PS)
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