Yup, it is from the Upper Comber distillery that closed in 1953 or 1956. I do feel rather smug about this -- thanks for asking. :-)
Old Comber 30yo (40%, OB, b.1980s): nose: lots of aromatic herbs and moss-covered metal, grasses, flower seeds and herbs-sprinkled custard. Marjoram, sage, oregano, dried flat parsley, as well as a few crushed mint leaves, also dried. It has a certain fruitiness, not too far below the surface: bergamot and its foliage soon turn into ripening mango and drying orange peel. Then, it is shea butter, minty wood pulp or papier mâché. "Do not be fooled," it says; this whiskey has spent thirty years in wood and it has been influenced by it. The herbs gently come back to the fore, however, roasted bay leaves and waxy lime leaves, before a note of melting plastic rises. Nothing annoying, yet it is there alright: oilskins, warm wellies, warm plasticine. Lastly, the nose shoehorns moist kitchen roll. Mouth: mellow plasticine indeed, scented clay, woody custard, limestone moss in a damp forest... The herbaceous character is still present, soon joined by all sorts of fruits, fresh and dry: unripe pineapple, Brazil nut, apricot compote, warm and concentrated, yet not one bit juicy. Mint surfaces on the tongue too, with Dragibus sweets. Galangal yoghurt underlines the wood influence without cranking up the heat too much. Repeated sipping increases the feeling of a yoghurt-y texture, and makes it close to a gingery paste, a subtle one, with added liquorice or aniseed. Finish: soft and quaffable, oily on the way down, it now showcases black-green model paint (Tamiya XF-27 or Revell #40, more than Humbrol #91). Yes, it is waxy, oily, perhaps a tad chemical, and very long too! In a way, this reminds me of kluwak nuts: they are as oily, as sticky, and have the same sort of colour that this evokes. Not much of the fresh fruit is left in this finish -- at a push, one could find citrus peels, sprinkled with some mint, though it feels too creamy to be citrus. Perhaps it is the continuation of the galangal yoghurt from the palate? Toned-down kluwak-nut paste is what I will call it, spun out with yoghurt and seasoned with mint. Excellent drop. 9/10
No comments:
Post a Comment