Apparently, this one came out in the last few days. Oh! and today saw a snow storm at tOMoH Towers.
Laphroaig 24yo 1996/2020 (51.8%, Elixir Distillers The Single Malts of Scotland, ex-Jack Daniel's Cask, C#1-104, 217b): nose: a pleasant whiff of waxes (seal and candle, predominantly), scented pencil erasers and envelope glue. Naturally, there is a fair bit of peat as well, yet it is not invasive. Tractor diesel in a plastic jerrycan, stored in a barn. Then, it turns more medicinal, with gauze, embrocation, old tincture of iodine and carbolic soap. The sort of things that would make one fall in love with Laphroaig again -- or remind one why one hates it so much, I suppose. Very dry hessian sacks, smoked hay, bloomy-rind cheese. It reminds me of reading yellowed-out parchment scrolls by the fireplace (not that I have ever done that...). Ink, old cardboard, merbromin, and that is where the medicinal lot picks up. The second nose has polished furniture, chesterfield sofas, the smoking room of gentlemen's club, hot cigars, and still those wonderful cherries. Mouth: huge, and also rather sweet, the mouth has caramelised cherry jam, simmering in the cauldron, on the naked flame, soot, more seal wax and dusty charcoal. The texture is fruity-sweet, yet sooty-dry at the same time. At times, it feels like munching on a piece of old gauze, sprayed with antiseptic; at others, it is a spoonful of cherry jam -- how weird is that dichotomy? That sweet, caramelised, fruity touch is impressive to say the least, though it never completely eclipsed the medicinal dimension. Think of a bandage dunked into jam and soot. Reads odd? Well, it works a treat! Finish: big, it combines the fruit and soot from the palate, with a little more emphasis on the soot, I would say. Grated charcoal, ash, burnt paper, hot metal and seal wax. The finish sees a gentle bitterness, certainly imparted by the metal (is it cast iron, by the way?), which is not a bother at all. It leaves the mouth salivating and as if coated in a thin layer of mossy, boggy peat that comes out of nowhere. Bandages, gauze and rubbing alcohol, neoprene, Reflex spray (the athletes will know) round off the picture, even though they remain background nuances, here. Very weather-appropriate a dram, this. It warms one up with the heat and smoke, promises more comfortable days with fruity jam, and heals with a collection of medicinal ointments. 8/10
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