27/09/2022 Fête de la Communauté française de Belgique

This year, why not try a Walloon whisky? A Walblair. :-)

Balblair 97 2nd Release 1997/2013 (46%, OB Vintage, DL10453): nose: clean, citrus-y, with a serving of golden fudge, honeyed and warm. The citrus is close to antifreeze in its potency. Another way to look at it is that it is obviously antifreeze, in which overripe-pineapple peelings are soaking. It dries up a bit with time, and comes close to chewy candied pineapple cubes, or Turkish delights. A pinch of fresh herbs appears, a couple of sniffs in, discreet or distant (tarragon? Hawthorn?) The second nose cranks up the citrus, a mix of pomelo, grapefruit, lime and lemon, oozing from every ounce of fudge. Mouth: creamy at first, it soon presents a soft bitterness, and reminds one about the late-coming herbs of the nose: tarragon, hawthorn, and bay leaves leave no doubt as to their presence, surfing on a wave of chai that has been drowned in too much milk. Here are also whispered notes of toasted granules, fenugreek, and crushed roots of some kind. That, and citrus-y cream. The second sip seems more bitter, a combination of pine needles, ivy leaves, gentian, and rocket, still doused in citrus juice. Perhaps it has mocha toffee too? Finish: quite surprisingly, we are back in fudge's company, caramel-y, creamy, not sticky, and sprinkled with lime juice and some herbs (dried, this time). A decently-long finish, though in no way insistent, it lingers in a non-invading fashion. As it did on the palate, repeated sipping seems to increase the bitterness somewhat, and we are left with an aftertaste of chicory infusion, albeit one with a dash of citrus juice. Unless all that is unripe hazelnut. In any case, it blends the bitter and the milky convincingly. Pretty good, and rather original dram. 7/10

22/09/2022 Phil Storry x SMWS: Overlooked and under-appreciated

Our good friend PS is hosting a shindig at the SMWS again. This time, he will explore overlooked drams and under-appreciated distilleries. I guess no Brora tonight, then.

It is a strange feeling to see so many of the old faces, after more than a couple of years.

But enough about that.

It goes almost without saying that everything is served blind, with the reveal coming halfway into the dram. I do a first pass on all the drams, and come back to each of them in my own time.

Dram #1

For whatever reason,
we were asked not to post
pictures of the actual bottle

Nose: acetone, new-car interior (MSo), wood oil (some kind of pine essence), and a bit of leather polish too. From the first second, all identify a grain. PS is quick to put everyone right: he did not bring any grain tonight. Clearly, this is from the bar, rather than his collection, then.
Mouth: minty and peppery, fresh, woody, incisive. It has a slight bitterness too, but it is especially strong.
Finish: sharp, narrow and long, it has pine lacquer, wood glue (JS) and unripe-orange peelings.
Comment: I venture it could be a Girvan. As soon as the reveal comes, I bet it gives me a headache (it does not, but I will not be 100% functional tomorrow morning).

G8.10 29yo d.1989 A trumpet blast in a barrel (57.5%, Angus Dundee for SMWS Society Cask, Refill ex-Bourbon Hogshead, 217b) 6/10

PS apologises to me profusely: he considered a Cambus of his own, then decided against it, because of me (how sweet, eh?), only for the staff to offer him another Cambus as a starter. Sincerely, I am glad to try something I have never had, be it a dram that gives me a headache.

Dram #2

Nose: well, it has a small notch of Sherry, but especially loads of flowers (jasmine, cherry blossom, lilac, magnolia), tinned peach (JS), and a pinch of earth, as well as confectionary sugar. Phwoarrrrr! Later on, we have white grapefruit, a lick of light pomelo, chlorophyll, and even blonde tobacco.

Mouth: mellow and welcoming, we have similar velvety flower petals, but also a pronounced bitterness (tulip stems). The texture is that of whole milk, or even milkshake, very pleasant. That bitterness will prevent a higher score, yet it is bearable.
Finish: long, sweet, this is teeming with confectionary sugar, peach nectar and apricot juice. 
Comment: amazeboulanger. The pinch of earth on the nose should have been a dead give-away, but I managed to not recognise the distillery all the same. PS explains he had earmarked it for a tasting in June, but brought something else in the end, a certain Girvan, because I enquired about it. Ah, well.

85.18 34yo 1971/2005 Oranges and blossoms (41.2%, SMWS Society Cask) 9/10

Dram #3

Nose: dark forest floor (DH), Cadenhead's tasting room (JS), which is to say black mould on walls. DH finds it does not have much of a nose, just dirty dishwater, or stagnant pool water... in a good way, he is quick to point out. It evokes rubber gloves in said dishwater to me. After a while, pine resin rocks up, as does white spirit. Later on, cardboard, papier mâché, and eggshells.
Mouth: woodworm, and lichen on tree bark, sprinkled with fierce chilli powder. This is hot and lively, yet also rather austere. Mushroom spores, Verdigris-eaten copper, unwashed laundry (JS). It certainly has some funk! Later sips are more floral, perhaps even a tad fruity.
Finish: long, riddled with woodworm, lichen on bark and more Verdigris than on the palate. The second sip has tons of sugar, which is surprising. Later on, it feels much more velvety, with fudge and caramelised squashed apricot. It turns more approachable with time, and ends up tasting like a nice curry (dhansak).
Comment: again, the reveals is a facepalm moment: how did I not see it coming? "The last Pittyvaich bottled by the Society," our host tell us. The smart-arse in me cannot shut the f*ck up and has to tell PS (and the room) that there was one after this, that seems to be exclusive to Switzerland. Anyway, I like this very much. It is divisive, as Pittyvaich tends to be. Once it is all over, DH will declare it his favourite dram of the night.

90.10 14yo 1990/2004 A game of two halves (57.8%, SMWS Society Cask) 8/10

Dram #4

Nose: now, this is very earthy, in a forest-floor way. Humus, dead leaves, pine needles, and fire-roasted red hard candy (could it be Brighton Rock?) Time reveals cocoa powder, and minty toothpaste. A strange combination made even stranger by the presence of a drop of vinegar. Later nosing gives a tiny dust, and bone-dry citrus peels.
Mouth: hot turnover filling (apple or apricot), with a minute drying bitterness. This is well fruity on the palate, with also honey (JS), and a pinch of herbs -- sausage seasoning mix. It turns milky, over time.
Finish: wow! This has chocolate milk, regular milk tainted by chocolate cereals, and a serving of pillow-y flower petals.
Comment: lovely!

106.16 20yo 1984/2005 Intense and moreish (57.9%, SMWS Society Cask, Refill Hogshead, 174b) 8/10

PS [replying to a comment about his booming voice]: "Yes, I have a voice for radio. I have a voice for silent movies too!"

Dram #5

Nose: dusty hay, farm-y tools, coal dust, says DH, who swiftly explains how rural New Zealand, where he grew up, was twenty or thirty years behind everyone else, and how he therefore had to go fetch coal in the basement, for heating purposes, which made him well acquainted with that smell of coal dust. I detect some porridge too, then oilskins, white-wood shavings, and... bile (in a good way). One could probably call it butyric, I suppose. Further nosing displays cosmetic powders of sorts.
Mouth: non-descript, for a second, before it releases pickled onions and carrots, pickled brioche (I know!) with the texture of cranberry seeds. The next sip is more mellow, with confectionary sugar, green-leaf salad and pickled beetroot.
Finish: somewhat drying, like oats, grape stems, and peach stone. Dried pineapple-cube shavings, grapefruit peels, ground into a dust.
Comment: a nice Braes, since that is what it is.

113.38 22yo d.1997 Welcomed with open arms (57%, SMWS Society Cask, Refill ex-Bourbon Hogshead, 215b) 7/10

DW shares a dram from the bar, though he is not able to give us the exact reference. If only they could come up with a simple way to distinguish all their bottlings, the SMWS. I don't know, something like a unique number, you know?

Fortunately, I am resourceful and found it.

70.44 31yo d.1989 The loom of time (50.3%, SMWS Vaults Collection, Refill ex-Bourbon Barrel, 128b)

Nose: fruit-infused beer. This is overflowing with berries, rosehip, ripe strawberries and raspberries, even banana and overripe pineapple chunks. What? To some extent, it might even have after-shave balm, or children's toothpaste. At any rate, it is amazing. Rhubarb compote, warm fruit yoghurt, warm vanilla custard all feature too.
Mouth: it is an entirely different story, here, with soft plastic, oilskins, warmed by the sun, and half-baked chou dough. The second sip is both creamy and gently wine-y.
Finish: very grain-like, this has plenty of fruit (grapefruit segments, pineapple chunks, satsumas) and a pinch of grated chalk. Further sips have warm custard, augmented with squashed berries.
Comment: love it. 8/10 (Thanks for the dram, DW)

Dram #6

Nose: ashy and a bit animal, in a cured-meat way. It is influenced by wine for sure, yet it is closer to pan-seared-mushroom juice than to actual wine. This has an intense umami vibe, with red-bean paste and miso sauce. The second nose is very earthy, sprinkled with hay dust.
Mouth: Ovaltine and chocolate milk on the palate, milky chicory infusion, and a drop of hazelnut liqueur to boot. The second sip seems stronger in alcohol. PS keeps mentioning lavender, but I cannot see that. I find it faintly fruity instead.
Finish: it has the gentle bitterness of milk coffee, or milky chicory infusion, with berries slowly added to the mix.
Comment: a smoky, sherried Tomatin is always a bit of a curiosity. This is good too.

11.29 7yo 2000/2008 Lavender smoky surprise (59.4%, SMWS Society Cask, 214b) 7/10

DH: "I'm passionate about hobbies."

GL and JMcG appear. We were talking about JMcG a second ago, so my incredulity reaches ridiculous levels. I try to summon heaps of cash, though that does not make it appear.

At the same time, one of our co-tasters (whose name I did not catch) offers a round.

42.82 14yo The Thing (58.2%, SMWS Society Cask, Refill ex-Bourbon Hogshead, 272b)

Nose: farm-y, this has tractor tyres, farm paths, pastures. In other words: diesel, earth, leather saddle. It also evokes a smoky bothy on a rainy, muddy day.
Mouth: silt, vase water, mud, smoked turnips. This is a bit monolithic, and certainly uncompromising.
Finish: long, full of black tide, dark earth, cork, petrolic sand, and petrol-stained soil.
Comment: not really my style of drams, but I can see others loving it. 7/10 (Thanks for the dram, generous donor)

A nightcap once all is done and dusted.

Springbank 26yo 1995/2022 Edition No. 60b (51.1%, Decadent Drinks for Whisky Sponge, Plain Oak Refill Hogshead, 249b)

Nose: a fruity number. After the Ledaig, of course, any smoke will seem subdued. We have lemon skins, grapefruit peels, and some warm paper.
Mouth: soft, fruity to an extent, though not mind-blowingly so. We have melon first, satsuma and persimmon, then pink grapefruit, loud and clear, even if they are not shouting.
Finish: pomelo and grapefruit. That grapefruit is a bit of a slap in the face.
Comment: I have too much whisky in me to take good notes, of course, yet this is amazeballs, I hate to say. 9/10 (Thanks for the dram, DW)

What a great tasting! Fast-paced, loud, exciting and disorienting in equal measures. Thankfully, it does not happen every day!

22/09/2022 The Century of Malts

The Century of Malts (40%, Chivas Brothers, b.2001): Chivas blended and bottled this at the start of the current millennium to celebrate their two hundredth anniversary. For that, they used one hundred different single malts, listed in a booklet that came with the big bottle. It was the first time names like Glenisla and Craigduff were heard outside of Chivas' direct circle. Oh! this is no typo: this one is bottled at 40%, not 43. Nose: faithful to the idea of an ancient blend (this is a blended malt, mind), this has toffee by the wheelbarrow, as well as shovelfuls of earth -- dark, greasy earth from a freshly-ploughed field. It opens up to serve a spoonful of dark orange marmalade, and there is a bunch of flowers in here too, although one would struggle to identify them (red roses, perhaps?) Breadcrumbs are next, mingling with marmalade and candied physalis. This nose has an interesting pastoral allure, augmented with a vague notion of distant smoke and dried oats. However, the note that sticks is that of marmalade on toast. Repeated nosing reveals fleeting notes of heady wine, in a blink-and-you-miss-it way. It ends up fairly dusty too. Mouth: the bitter-sweet marmalade is present here too, now joined by the more-obvious smoke from a clay-oven fire. Said bitterness starts off with orange rinds and moves towards soft rubber in a short time. The second sip seems much more savoury, almost miso-like. It is also copiously sprinkled with a wine or brandy sauce. The more one tries this, the clearer a seared-mushroom note becomes. Pan-seared mushrooms, the pan then deglazed with a dash of brandy. Finish: a logical continuation of the nose and palate, here are smoked oranges and marmalade on burnt toast, rubber, heated just below the point where it starts burning, crusted earth, and a myriad of other things so intricately interwoven they are unrecognisable. Pan-seared mushrooms again, or the resulting juice thereof, to be accurate, rehydrated-shiitake water, forest floor by a camp fire, which means it is drier than the soil one would expect to tread on in a forest in autumn, although it retains some mossy softness. A spoonful of cranberry compote rounds off the picture, fruity, with enough acidity to make one overlook any intrinsic sweetness. The tongue is left thick and heavy, and it feels similar to the way it does after a night's drinking quality red wine. Excellent. To think this was sold in supermarkets, at the time! 8/10

In case you are wondering, the malts in question are: Aberfeldy, Aberlour, Allt-a-Bhainne, Ardbeg, Auchentoshan, Auchroisk, Aultmore, Balblair, Balmenach, Balvenie, Banff, Ben Nevis, Benriach, Benrinnes, Benromach, Blair Athol, Bowmore, (Royal) Brackla, Braeval, Brechin, Bunnahabhain, Caol Ila, Caperdonich, Clynelish, Convalmore, Cragganmore, Craigduff, Craigellechie, Dailuaine, Dallas Dhu, Dalmore, Dalwhinnie, Deanston, Dufftown, Fettercairn, Glen Albyn, Glenallachie, Glenburgie, Glencadam, Glen Craig, Glen Elgin, Glen Esk, Glenfarcles, Glenfiddich, Glengarioch, Glenglassaugh, Glen Grant, Glengoyne, Glenisla, Glen Keith, Glenkinchie, The Glenlivet, Glenlochy, Glenlossie, Glen Mhor, Glen Moray, Glenrothes, Glen Scotia, Glen Spey, Glentauchers, Glenturret, Glenugie, Glenury Royal, Highland Park, Imperial, Inchgower, Inchmurrin, Inverleven, Isle of Jura, Kinclaith, Knockando, Ladyburn, Lagavulin, Laphroaig, Ledaig, Linkwood, Littlemill, Longmorn, Macallan, Macduff, Mannochmore, Miltonduff, Mortlach, Mosstowie, Ord, Pittyvaich, Pulteney, Rhosdhu, Scapa, Speyburn, Springbank, Strathisla, Strathmill, Tamdhu, Tamnavulin, Teaninich, Tomatin, Tomintoul, Tormore, Tullibardine.

21/09/2022 Highland Park

Highland Park 18yo 1960/1978 (43°, OB imported by G.F. Ferraretto): nose: a delicate smoke cloaks an otherwise sweet first impression, whether it is caramelising compote or Golden Syrup sticking to the pot. We also have chewy strawberry sweets (that will be a chemical fruitiness) and scented soap. Oh! it is not a 1972 Edradour, but it has a faintly-soapy side alright. That is well balanced by drying heather sprigs and that refined smoke. Far in the background are desiccated pineapple and hollowed-out coconut shells, slowly growing louder, yet they never overtake the soapy-smoky layer. There is probably a pinch of dust somewhere too, that seems to morph into ground white pepper, with time. Strange. Then, we go back to jam (orange marmalade) and flower-scented hand soap. The second nose adds toasted notes to the lot: black cumin, black cardamom, hot (not burnt) tyres. It then goes back to scented soap, a blend of lavender and black cumin. It is fresh as an early-morning walk in the woods in autumn -- yes, there is some humus in this. Mouth: soft and darker, the attack is all about dark honey, setting in the jar. A thin smoke subtly hovers over it, but that is swiftly swapped for rose-petal jelly. Not for long, mind! The smoke comes back promptly, although it is still delicate. Over time, set honey turns into pouring honey, whether acacia, prickle-pear, or manuka, and sees the addition of dusted charred wood -- just a sprinkle, but still. It is blissfully elegant, and integrated exquisitely. Repeated sipping adds a heather-smoked-ham note, even if that stays very much in the background. Fruits also appear, that become riper and juicier with time (from crisp apple chunks to decaying apple dipped in wine). Finish: mellow and perhaps hard to pick apart. The same notes do another round: honey, marmalade, scented soap, gentle smoke. A certain bitterness appears, in this finish. Far from a nuisance, it is the obvious influence of the Sherry cask, rather than strong rubber. A diluted Kluwak-nut broth might just be the closest equivalent. The second sip brings back honey of the pouring kind, very light and liquid, and adds dried leaves, crumpled, trodden-upon, and broken down into minuscule bits, almost a powder. In fact, that lavender-and-black-cumin hand-soap aspect turns into a forest-clearing-in-autumn feeling, which is rather topical, considering autumn starts today. Further sips reinforce that feeling with seasonal fruits -- heirloom apples now replace the pineapple from the nose. At a push, it has cured peaches, or smoked plums. After a full dram, the soft bitterness does take off, and does turn into new rubber -- again, not a nuisance. At no point do I detect the marijuana that some people I know found in this. Excellent dram, without a doubt, yet I cannot help but feel I should be more excited about it than I am. 8/10

14/09/2022 Poit Dhubh

Poit Dhubh 12yo (46%, Pràban na Linne, L3314MD455 1 18 14): the proprietors of Torabhaig have been making this since long before they had their own distillery. Strangely, they appear as Phraban na Linne on the label of the big bottle of the same era, as opposed to Pràban na Linne here, and on the Web site. Nose: saline and peppery, this smells exactly what one could expect of an Island whisky. Rollmops, anchovies, and cardboard in brine (what?), which serves as a reminder that this has spent over two decades in a bottle. Still, behind that vague cardboard-y feel is a force of nature; sea-hit rocks, surf, driftwood. If someone were to claim that this is full of Talisker, I would gladly believe them! It is not over, though: freshly-applied shoe polish, a bowl of crème brûlée, and warm metal (cylinder head of an Aston Martin DB5, to be precise). Yes, the more one sniffs this, the more steel is given. To a point, in fact, where we discover orange marmalade, and it is stained by the tin lid. Then, coins and Murmeltier Salbe rise -- the coins are none too old, and probably not made of copper, rather an alloy of sorts. I want to say it is smoky, but I actually struggle to detect any smoke in this. It is simply assertive without smoke. The second nose does away with the cardboard, and comes closer to smoked mackerel fillets, covered in cracked black pepper. India ink is the last thing to come forward. Mouth: velvety at first, it has an initial honey-like texture, soothing and comfortable. Swirl it around the palate for a fraction of a second, and coins come charging in. This feels like licking nickel or brass, a proper door-handle story. It is warming, too, as a good chicory infusion would be, and, although the coins are clear headliners, honey does not entirely go away. Chicory infusion plays a strong second role, sometimes accompanied by infused thyme. There is indeed a gentle leafy bitterness that the second sip alleviates with a tiny drop of jam or compote (cranberry is a decent approximation). Still, it is very much a chicory-and-coins number. Finish: big and bold, though still not smoky. Here are chicory granules, fenugreek, annatto seeds, and cat litter. Honey is reduced to a bare minimum, here, yet it provides a soft sweetness that is most welcome. We have some cereals, such as stale porridge, toasted Horlicks, warmed flapjacks, and oat milk. One can still detect some metal, deep down the oesophagus, nowhere near as prominent as it once was. On the other hand, if black pepper is not in your face, it becomes clear, after a minute or two, that it is one of this dram's strongest undercurrents. The second sip leaves a creamy bitterness in the mouth, quite close to a sip of milk chicory infusion, augmented with almond liqueur. Or Amaretti biscuits. In any case, it is nice. Terribly well made. I like it more than the couple of more-recent versions that I have tried. 8/10

13/09/2022 Convalmore

Convalmore 22yo 1984/2007 (52.2%, Gordon & MacPhail Cask Strength imported by Classic Wine Imports Inc., Refill Sherry Hogshead, C#1538, JG/CJG): nose: rather medicinal in an alcohol sanitiser way, this has ether and gauze, alcohol swabs and white spirit (as in: unaged, not the paint remover). That only lasts for a second, however. Then, we have delicately-fruity overtones, though it is not fresh fruits -- rather pink ,fruit-scented pencil erasers, or even scented crayons. Underneath that, and not really hidden, is a pinch of soot, which adds a layer of old-school dirtiness. Toasted cereals, borderline burnt, smashed strawberries on rusk, and the return of alcohol, in the form of a stencil machine, or xylene. A schizophrenic nose, with attractive and (some might say) repulsive aspects, probably. Of course, that makes it interesting! There is even a waxy note, after a while (crayons again). The fruits become bolder on the second nose, though they are not riper. We have mixed nuts and raisins (hazelnuts, coconut shavings, Brazil nuts, sultanas, almonds), served with a shot of Manzanilla that grows in intensity. Mouth: the soot is obvious from the attack onwards, which is at odds with the pouring-honey-like texture and sweetness. This would be a velvety dram, were it not for that bold soot. It has a faint drop of pickle brine too, unripe gooseberries (cue bitterness and acidity), chipped burnt wood, and green hazelnuts. If anything, the second sip increases the soot-y impression, carpeting the tongue with the black stuff. That overshadows the undeniable fruitiness and makes it appear less ripe. The whole grows to a comfortable heat, like a cauldron on a coal fire. Finish: yes, green hazelnuts it is, mashed into a paste. Cider vinegar comes up through retro-nasal olfaction, as does hazel wood. This has something green about it, without the remotest suggestion of immaturity. It is a long finish, and it comes with that green hazelnut paste, creamy enough, yet it cannot shake a certain bitterness. The second sip is much sweeter and brings back honey (dark and set, this time), and throws lots of raisins and currants into the mix to accompany the lingering heat and soot. I really like this, yet I can see it dividing opinions. It is an instant strong 8 for me that may become 9 under different circumstances. In fact, I had it as such, the first two times we tried it (in 2016 and 2017). My notes from then were quite different. 8/10

07/09/2022 Arran

Arran 9yo 2012/2022 White Stag Dinner (59.9%, OB specially chosen and bottled for the Arran Whisky Festival - Malt and Music 2022, First Fill Bourbon Barrel, C#2012/2457, 120b): nose: a gentle slap on the chin, naturally, considering the strength and the announced peat levels (42ppm). Here are coarse grain, toasted and roasted, thick and greasy peat smoke that knocks on the door of bituminous coal, and dusty draff. Behind all that rusticity, we find a dry white wine from Mâcon, fruity and ashy. The coal impression grows, as the nose starts giving steam-train tenders and 1920s basements in any significant city in Western Europe (coal reserve, innit). The second nose is more or less in line, yet deeper sniffing reveals sea rocks and shingles, drying ashore, out of reach of the tide. Suddenly, a creamy caramel custard storms in to balance the whole thing, served in a plastic tub that has a rubber seal. There are also fleeting tarry ropes and fishing nets, just for one second. Mouth: boom. It is robust, as expected, yet not exceedingly brutal. The texture strikes between Mercurochrome and grain eau-de-vie, with a heat that makes coal and ash the centres of attention again. Oh! this is ashy alright. Not at all in an ashtray sense; more like the ash at the bottom of the hearth. And then, that acrid  peat smoke rises gently, yet inexorably. On the palate too, dry white wine is to be found, even more subdued than on the nose, but still. The second sip has a similar rubbery note as the nose, though it is so well concealed as to be almost unnoticeable. The wafts of smoke cover it all up rather nicely. The whole feels astonishingly approachable, despite the somewhat frightening ABV. Finish: a surprise, here: sweetness. Lush green grapes, ripe greengages, and macaroon cream filling do a quick little dance, before ash and smoke take over. There's a raging fire (in my heart tonight) in the stomach, the flames of which tickle all the way up to the tonsils, and that brings us back to a fireplace in a grandmother's cottage. The second sip sees us firmly seated in that cottage, and said grandmother has just pulled a tray of fudge, milk-chocolate custard, or some caramel-glazed cake out of the oven (ooooooooh!) That warming feeling of a comfy fireplace and the resulting smoke are like a pat on the back and a warm blanket. Wow. This is how old!? 8/10 (Thanks for the dram, JS)

06/09/2022 Glendronach

Glendronach 23yo 1990/2013 (49.5%, Cadenhead Small Batch, Bourbon Hogsheads, 534b, 13/468): at twenty-three years of age, it is at that stage where spirit-y turns fruity, and -- surprisingly -- only at that stage. In other words, we have fruits, sure, yet we also still have fruit eau-de-vie. Plums, mirabelle plums and greengages, sprayed in Quetsch. Behind that fruit is a warming impression that does not come from the eau-de-vie, rather from a tame coal fire. It gives this an industrial-era dimension that will certainly please some, however faint it is. Several minutes later, and out of nowhere, a clear note of strawberry appears, then a leafier touch, akin to a herbs poultice, held down with gauze. That actually opens the door to a flood of further herbal notes, though we are now in a kitchen, smelling jars of oregano, rosemary and marjoram. The second nose welcomes the leather outer soles of posh shoes, and the leather seats of a new Jaguar (tan coloured). Raw grain ends up front and centre, in the long run, or is it faded wooden camembert boxes? Mouth: well, the herbs have followed us thus far. The attack has the bitterness of too generous a pinch of herbs (oregano, marjoram, crushed bay leaves), and the freshness of spearmint, not too far from peppermint, in terms of intensity. It mellows down a bit, yet retains the strong freshness of mentholated lozenges. Oh! It packs a punch too, by the way. Not a dram that knocks one's teeth out, yet it is not a mild tickle either. The texture is thin at first, then, once the alcohol bite has been overcome, it turns into the mentholated gel of lozenges. The second sip seems to have more black pepper, while being creamier at the same time. A peppery mint-and-plum paste, if that makes sense. Looking really hard and with intent, one could find traces of the strawberry from the nose too. Traces. Patience rewards the taster with shards of cassia bark. Finish: it is sweeter, here, for a moment at least. The mentholated freshness soon catches up, from which point it is cough lozenges aplenty, eucalyptus-and-mint fruit jellies, and fluoride. In the finish too, repeated sipping adds traces of strawberries, though it may be the creamy ginger paste topped with cinnamon dust that stands out, now. Coal fire is reduced to a memory, kept alive by the warmth only. As for the plums from the beginning only towards the death do they manifest themselves in the form of soft fruity sweetness. Very good! 8/10