After all those Cognacs, it seems adequate to transition back to ze W gently. Perhaps with a Cognac-cask-matured W.
Linlithgow 25yo 1982/2007 (51.4%, Murray McDavid Mission Gold Series, Bourbon Casks, Cognac Finish, 1800b, b#0553): an old friend for which I never took proper notes. Nose: it has a little fruit and a lot of the traditional markers of the distillery -- in other words: pebbles and dry herbs. Lemon mint, marjoram, lemon thyme, perhaps, cobblestone. It slowly but surely turns fruitier and sweeter, interestingly enough. There are crystallised oranges and lemon drops amongst the stones. Mind you, here are chalk and bleach too, so do not go thinking it turns into a sunny, easy-going thing! A whisper of cork, maybe? The second nose confirms that impression, and adds fruit stones (plum, peach or nectarine), as well as a fragrant, flowery note that is as welcome as it is surprising (cherry blossom, lilac, honeysuckle). Gone is the stone-y austerity, at this point; it is a welcoming, if peppery, Lowlander like one often presumes they all are. Water achieves the stupendous result of making this both fruitier and chalkier, something that reminds me of effervescent Dextro Energy tablets. Mouth: it is bold and muscular on the tongue, rocky at first (as in: 'pebbles,' not 'shaky'), then chalky, desiccating, and pretty hot. The palate witnesses a struggle between sweet and herbal, between fruity and mineral. One second, it is akin to sucking on a hard-as-rock raisin, the next, it is chalk-covered clementine leaves. The second sip is more clearly sweet, with a spoonful of dark-brown sugar and lichen on soaked staves. The mouthfeel is creamy (single cream) and rather numbing, at this strength. Keeping it in the mouth long enough helps red fruits come out (cherries and strawberries). With water, the palate is more mellow, yet also more clearly chalky. It is very close to soluble energy tablets, now, with some fruit (on a chemical tip), and a distinct chalkiness. Finish: that sets the world to rights. All those flavours that were competing on the palate and should not have worked together now combine in harmony. The most obvious may be the lemon mint: the mouth feels fresh and alive, as if covered in minty toothpaste. The second sip dials that down somewhat, which allows fruits to emerge: plums, nectarine slices, grapes soaked in blush-orange juice. That is now met by a pronounced herbal note of lichen and lime foliage, and a dusting of grated chalk. It does not have the bitterness of Aspirin, or other equally-chalky tablets, though, which is good. Water transforms it into pure fruit juice, a blend of orange, clementine and nectarine. It still has a mineral touch (chalk), but it is much less intrusive. Fruity, sweet, herbal and softly mineral. A work of art. 9/10
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