30/09/2021 Speyside again

Speyside Blended Malt 22yo d.1997 (55.4%, Chorlton Whisky, Hogshead, 133b): a teaspooned Kininvie, allegedly. Nose: mostly-intact distillate, seemingly untainted by the cask or what it contained before. This nose is fruity, dry and a little cereal-y, perhaps. White wine (Riesling), white peach, plum, red Anjou pear, gently-toasted barley. There is something of a dried bunch of flowers too; it is far from perfume-y, yet it has that unmistakable dry-stem sort of air about it. And then, a gentle note of candlewax rises, in the distance. The second nose surprisingly brings about dark grapes, and it dials up the candlewax. At times, it flirts with plastic... in a good way! Oilskins, perhaps? As I nose it further, acetone becomes clearer and clearer. Acetone-cleaned windows (not recommended), windows that are guarded by heavy velvet drapes. Mouth: oily and peppery. The first impression is that it is unctuous, silky. Then, the taste buds pick up green peppercorns, loud and clear. What follows is, in no particular order, dried flowers, candlewax, dried fruits (almost-juiceless green grapes, dried peach slices, oily walnuts), membrillo, and something vaguely leafier and bitter. Hard to identify. It is not quite ivy; perhaps vine leaves? The back of the mouth sees a minute, blink-and-you-miss-it woodiness. Even after a few sips, it is amazing how peppery this is! It remains balanced, but it is distinctly peppery. Finish: velvety, this seems dangerously drinkable. The fruits are juicier, here: fleshy plums and nectarines in the lead, and it still has a drop of candlewax too. Repeated sipping makes the fruits go darker: blueberries, dark plums (black splendor), cassis. Actually, yes, this reminds me of crème de cassis. The pepper is very much in the background, now, if it is even present at all, and the plastic and oilskins are superseded by waxy plum skins. Och! aye, this is a delicious plum tart, after all, and that in no way means the plum-eau-de-vie that often comes with too young a whisky: it is ripe plum on a crust with a dollop of custard. What a pleasant surprise this dram is! 8/10 (Thanks for the sample, WK)