Because why not?
Lochside 1981/2010 (50%, Ryst-Dupeyron Captain Burn's): nose: waxy tropical fruit, with mango skins and lychee, yet also citrus: blood orange, pink grapefruit, bursting with juice, satsuma and calamansi, lemon-tree bark... Yes: it has a woody side to it, which balances out the fruit adequately. Cigar boxes, holding crushed Kaffir lime leaves. In fact, the nose even seems to have ash. Certainly, it is ash from burnt fruit tree,
orange tree. A whiff of fusty cork, humid cardboard, then dried orange peel, ground into dust. Later nosing helps discover banana and apricot yoghurt. Mouth: juicy-thin in texture, it has ginger powder and a pinch of white pepper, sprinkled over similar fruits: oranges, satsumas, calamansis, pink grapefruits, as well as lychee and tatters of mango flesh, stuck to the skin. As the liquid coats the mouth, it reveals more and more gingery oranges. Just like on the nose, the second sip puts the emphasis on banana -- banane flambée, probably, with ground cloves and ground cardamom. Lovely. Finish: phwoar! It is in line with the nose and mouth (citrus and soft spices), until a timid kick of tropical fruit comes tickle the taste buds (pineapple, here; no sign of the lychee, at this stage). If banana there is, it is not ripe. On the other hand, the citrus is bold, with grapefruits of all colours, ripe oranges and mandarins. It is juicy, crisp and a tad acidic too. Cedar-wood sheets give the wood spices that one should expect in a whisky of that age, yet it is clearly a solidly fruity drop, first and foremost. 9/10 (
Thanks for the dram, JS)
Lochside 52yo 1963/2015 (48.1%, Hunter Laing The Sovereign, Refill Hogshead, C#HL11835, 83b): that is not a lot of bottles, is it? Nose: lots and lots of blackcurrant, blackcurrant jam... Did I pour an Invergordon by mistake? It is a masterclass in dark berries, really; blackberries, blueberries, myrtles, and a spoonful of elderberries to complete a picture that is mostly painted with blackcurrant juice. Speaking of painting, oil paint makes a brief appearance, then recedes to make room for blackcurrant turnovers, slightly overly baked, leaving caramelised jam and gently-charred crust. Time puts the focus on that charred profile, with charred fruit tree and burnt pastry to complement the caramelised jam. Mouth: by the great Cthulhu! This is so jammy it is unreal. Blackcurrant jam through and through, with a note of smoked blackberry in the back of the throat. Treacle and molasses are joined, after a while, by burnt wood. Or is it oiled wood in the sun? It cannot shake off a comforting warmth, a glow, even, perhaps of wood lacquer? Finish: the finish is in keeping with the previous, full of caramelised blackcurrant jam, molasses and charred cherry wood. Spent matches, spent fireworks, dirty shotgun barrels, lubricated with blackcurrant jam ("Why would anyone do that?" I hear you ask). Excellent, yet perhaps borderline too woody. Since it is
charred wood, it might not agree with everyone. 9/10
Lochside 1981/2010 (50%, Ryst-Dupeyron Captain Burn's): nose: waxy tropical fruit, with mango skins and lychee, yet also citrus: blood orange, pink grapefruit, bursting with juice, satsuma and calamansi, lemon-tree bark... Yes: it has a woody side to it, which balances out the fruit adequately. Cigar boxes, holding crushed Kaffir lime leaves. In fact, the nose even seems to have ash. Certainly, it is ash from burnt fruit tree, orange tree. A whiff of fusty cork, humid cardboard, then dried orange peel, ground into dust. Later nosing helps discover banana and apricot yoghurt. Mouth: juicy-thin in texture, it has ginger powder and a pinch of white pepper, sprinkled over similar fruits: oranges, satsumas, calamansis, pink grapefruits, as well as lychee and tatters of mango flesh, stuck to the skin. As the liquid coats the mouth, it reveals more and more gingery oranges. Just like on the nose, the second sip puts the emphasis on banana -- banane flambée, probably, with ground cloves and ground cardamom. Lovely. Finish: phwoar! It is in line with the nose and mouth (citrus and soft spices), until a timid kick of tropical fruit comes tickle the taste buds (pineapple, here; no sign of the lychee, at this stage). If banana there is, it is not ripe. On the other hand, the citrus is bold, with grapefruits of all colours, ripe oranges and mandarins. It is juicy, crisp and a tad acidic too. Cedar-wood sheets give the wood spices that one should expect in a whisky of that age, yet it is clearly a solidly fruity drop, first and foremost. 9/10 (Thanks for the dram, JS)
Lochside 52yo 1963/2015 (48.1%, Hunter Laing The Sovereign, Refill Hogshead, C#HL11835, 83b): that is not a lot of bottles, is it? Nose: lots and lots of blackcurrant, blackcurrant jam... Did I pour an Invergordon by mistake? It is a masterclass in dark berries, really; blackberries, blueberries, myrtles, and a spoonful of elderberries to complete a picture that is mostly painted with blackcurrant juice. Speaking of painting, oil paint makes a brief appearance, then recedes to make room for blackcurrant turnovers, slightly overly baked, leaving caramelised jam and gently-charred crust. Time puts the focus on that charred profile, with charred fruit tree and burnt pastry to complement the caramelised jam. Mouth: by the great Cthulhu! This is so jammy it is unreal. Blackcurrant jam through and through, with a note of smoked blackberry in the back of the throat. Treacle and molasses are joined, after a while, by burnt wood. Or is it oiled wood in the sun? It cannot shake off a comforting warmth, a glow, even, perhaps of wood lacquer? Finish: the finish is in keeping with the previous, full of caramelised blackcurrant jam, molasses and charred cherry wood. Spent matches, spent fireworks, dirty shotgun barrels, lubricated with blackcurrant jam ("Why would anyone do that?" I hear you ask). Excellent, yet perhaps borderline too woody. Since it is charred wood, it might not agree with everyone. 9/10
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