16/11/2021 Glenturret

Glenturret 34yo b.2012 (47.6%, Berry Brothers & Rudd Selected by Berrys', Cask Ref 2): this is the one that started it all. Nose: it feels a bit faded, after spending so long in an open sample. It gives away cereals, gauze and timid fruits that, to be fair, grow bolder with each sniff. Satsuma, kumquat, bergamot, stewed apricot, dried mango slices. The gears shift pretty quickly, and poached quince and poached pear soon join the party, accompanied by a leafy touch that I suspect is clementine foliage. Further on, flowers take over, a combination of lilac and honeysuckle opening up for abundant jasmine. Shortly thereafter, the whole nose fades out, timid and reserved, if well conscious of what it once was. Orange peels then envelop it all, and it starts all over. The second nose brings a whiff of wood, stripped, not sanded, and shiny hot metal, maybe. Over time, a strong scent of candied fruit grows, simmering apricot jam or a marmalade made of satsumas or clementines. Mouth: part acidic, part bitter, this is reminiscent of the afore-mentioned orange peels, pith and all. It has got apricots, satsumas, unripe tangerines, and dried mango slices in a cardboard wrapper, all counterbalanced by flower petals, which is to say: bitterer than they look. Oh! it is velvety and soft, but it is not that sweet. The second sip is more outright fruity, displaying the same sweet citrus, riper than before, and held afloat by acidic clementine-peel sap. That is supported by a tiny-yet-distinct bitterness, in the long term -- likely the clementine foliage from earlier. Finish: long and unctuous. Aside from the obvious fruitiness, this has cinnamon cross buns, cinnamon doughnuts and... rust!? Yes. It provides the same feel as breathing in a cloud of rusty-metal sanding dust. How weird is that? Soon enough, said fruitiness takes control, bright and creamy. Come to think of it, if it has a squashed-mango-like buttery texture, it is closer to clementine-and-milk-chocolate custard than to marmalade or jam. The finish too is both acidic and bitter, although that is not meant negatively at all: it is induced by fruit, not by anything other. This triggered my appreciation of Glenturret. Almost a decade on, it still does not disappoint. 9/10 (Thanks for the sample, adc)