GN is, of course, confined and not here with me. Will I have a dram to mark the birthday of everyone I know? Well, that whisky is not going to drink itself, you know.
Glen Grant 40yo 1966/2006 (40%, Gordon & MacPhail): nose the first nosing is all sandalwood and cigar boxes, but the second whiff focuses on juicy fruit: melon, mango, pink grapefruit and cut pineapple. What a start! I remembered this being a big, woody, sherried number. Will it have changed that dramatically in the open sample? (Of course not: I am confusing with
another Glen Grant that MV brought
that night -- that is why I take notes!) It has stewed plums and baked bananas too. Soon, that changes again and makes room for nail varnish, pear drops and 7Up, lime peel and bran, Irn Bru, then back to cigar boxes. Most interesting. Mouth: citric to a sin, the palate sees grapefruit, lime, unripe pineapple and Chinese gooseberry. It is very acidic indeed. Lemonade comes out quite bold, and there is a softly bitter touch on the sides of the tongue. I detect a whisper of sandalwood, but it is minute. The modest ABV makes it a perfect candidate for these torrid afternoons (low twenties outside, twenty-nine degrees Celsius at tOMoH Castle). Finish: the citrus circus continus (ha! ha!) with limoncello, calamansi, Chinese gooseberry, barely-ripe mandarin and lemonade. It does feel sweeter in the finish than on the palate, as that list of fruit may suggest. A sprinkle of ground white pepper, melted milk chocolate (or is it cocoa butter?) and, at the third sip, something woodier, something like ink on hessian sacks, as well as sticky toffee pudding. An entertaining one that covers a wide spectrum of aromas and flavours. 8/10 (
Thanks for the sample, MV)
106.18 27yo d.1984 Bottled essence of summer (52.6%, SMWS Society Single Cask, Refill ex-Bourbon Hogshead, 197b): after pouring this, I realise I was ogling two Scapas and thought: another time. That would have been perfect, seeing as it is GN's favourite distillery... Ah! well. It is not as if he were here anyway. Nose: leafy and floral in the first instance, it turns into a tobacco plantation in Virginia, after a few minutes, sun-drenched and oily Virginia-tobacco plants. It then switches back to greenhouse floral, with jasmine, tagetes, cut green beans, pea pods, celery sticks and green tea. Mouth: green and lively on the tongue, it has lemonade, pomelo segments and green beans again, pea pods, yet no celery that I can detect. Some kind of flowery bush (gorse? Periwinkle?) and a certain heat rises, if it does so gently -- this is not fiery in a the slightest. Lemongrass and lime zest, not chilli nor ginger. Perhaps pine needles? It certainly has a certain freshness, as well as something between almond oil and capers -- what the deuce? Finish: very lemonade-y, almost tonic-like, though sweeter than expected, with brown sugar dissolved in water with Kruschen Salts. In the long run, that is joined by something oilier and nuttier -- peanut butter or Brazil-nut butter, crushed olives (though not salty like tapenade). After a few sips, the green, floral character shines brightest, with honeysuckle sap, sherbet, pine sap and pine cones. This is pretty and perfect, on a sunny day like this. 8/10 (
Thanks for the dram, JS)
Glen Grant 40yo 1966/2006 (40%, Gordon & MacPhail): nose the first nosing is all sandalwood and cigar boxes, but the second whiff focuses on juicy fruit: melon, mango, pink grapefruit and cut pineapple. What a start! I remembered this being a big, woody, sherried number. Will it have changed that dramatically in the open sample? (Of course not: I am confusing with another Glen Grant that MV brought that night -- that is why I take notes!) It has stewed plums and baked bananas too. Soon, that changes again and makes room for nail varnish, pear drops and 7Up, lime peel and bran, Irn Bru, then back to cigar boxes. Most interesting. Mouth: citric to a sin, the palate sees grapefruit, lime, unripe pineapple and Chinese gooseberry. It is very acidic indeed. Lemonade comes out quite bold, and there is a softly bitter touch on the sides of the tongue. I detect a whisper of sandalwood, but it is minute. The modest ABV makes it a perfect candidate for these torrid afternoons (low twenties outside, twenty-nine degrees Celsius at tOMoH Castle). Finish: the citrus circus continus (ha! ha!) with limoncello, calamansi, Chinese gooseberry, barely-ripe mandarin and lemonade. It does feel sweeter in the finish than on the palate, as that list of fruit may suggest. A sprinkle of ground white pepper, melted milk chocolate (or is it cocoa butter?) and, at the third sip, something woodier, something like ink on hessian sacks, as well as sticky toffee pudding. An entertaining one that covers a wide spectrum of aromas and flavours. 8/10 (Thanks for the sample, MV)
106.18 27yo d.1984 Bottled essence of summer (52.6%, SMWS Society Single Cask, Refill ex-Bourbon Hogshead, 197b): after pouring this, I realise I was ogling two Scapas and thought: another time. That would have been perfect, seeing as it is GN's favourite distillery... Ah! well. It is not as if he were here anyway. Nose: leafy and floral in the first instance, it turns into a tobacco plantation in Virginia, after a few minutes, sun-drenched and oily Virginia-tobacco plants. It then switches back to greenhouse floral, with jasmine, tagetes, cut green beans, pea pods, celery sticks and green tea. Mouth: green and lively on the tongue, it has lemonade, pomelo segments and green beans again, pea pods, yet no celery that I can detect. Some kind of flowery bush (gorse? Periwinkle?) and a certain heat rises, if it does so gently -- this is not fiery in a the slightest. Lemongrass and lime zest, not chilli nor ginger. Perhaps pine needles? It certainly has a certain freshness, as well as something between almond oil and capers -- what the deuce? Finish: very lemonade-y, almost tonic-like, though sweeter than expected, with brown sugar dissolved in water with Kruschen Salts. In the long run, that is joined by something oilier and nuttier -- peanut butter or Brazil-nut butter, crushed olives (though not salty like tapenade). After a few sips, the green, floral character shines brightest, with honeysuckle sap, sherbet, pine sap and pine cones. This is pretty and perfect, on a sunny day like this. 8/10 (Thanks for the dram, JS)
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