02/03/2021 Craigellachie

44.56 23yo d.1989 Sweet and sour creative tension (51.8%, SMWS Society Single Cask, Refill ex-Bourbon Hogshead, 300b): nose: lots going on, here, with encaustic aplenty, beeswax, hazelnut oil, but also Barbour grease and engine parts. It has a whiff of Brandy too, though not Monica a very fruit or vulgar one; it is all gentlemen's clubs, wood-panelled dining rooms and libraries. A note of tiger balm, in the back, then we enter a shoemaker's workshop, inhaling sole glue, polish-stained brushes, waterproofing spray for leather garment, new shoe laces (a blend of nylon and plastic). It then changes again, this time to deliver marmalades and hot saucepans. Ultimately, the Barbour grease re-appears, accompanied by tame after-shave lotion and ceramic-hob cleaner. I catch a whisper of damp, cardboard bog rolls in the summer sun (I know!), linoleum, and a dollop of some kind of relish. Very comforting. Mouth: unctuous and oily, the palate displays some of the same characteristics as the nose (beeswax, Barbour grease, metallic bits, in an engine sort of way), yet also Virginia tobacco and iron filings. This is big, growing bigger, with small industrial touches and cauldrons full of simmering marmalade. It is oilier with each sip, reminiscent of old record inner-sleeves, yellowed by years of being smoked next to -- it is terrible for your record collection, yet it brings an undeniable charm to this dram. It feels perfectly balanced too, pungent, not punchy or aggressive, with nuanced spices, then bitter-sweet marmalade and a metal touch that adds a gentle bitterness. Finish: the finish is impressive, to say the least. An explosion of Virginia tobacco and all sorts of tools, straight from a mechanic's workshop. The second sip ups the antes, with a discharge of creamy chocolate coulis (sixty percent cocoa) and tiny notes of aromatic herbs (sage? Rosemary? Thyme?) There is less marmalade, at this point, and what is left is more a glazing than something to spread on a crumpet -- and that works too! The aftertaste is that of glowing embers, and it goes on forever and a day. Proper warming stuff. What a dram! Despite a minute metallic bitterness in the finish, I find it at least as good as 44.53. 9/10 (Thanks for the dram, JS)