Not just any Glenury, mind.
Glenury Royal 40yo 1970/2011 (59.4.%, OB, American Oak Refill Casks, 1500b, b#0074):nose: the power this nose has, after forty years' aging, is flabbergasting. It has some wood and wood oil, yet also something perfume-y, as well as a note that I cannot immediately decipher, that reminds me of my many 1980s vacations in Italy. Could it be a mix of moka pot on the stove, grappa, and caramel-and-chocolate custard? Quite likely, yes. Beside that, this has the weathered wooden benches of a bothy that has seen so many campfires it smells mildly acrid, even in the middle of the day, the years of wood smoke incrusted in the walls' every particle. It does not stop there, however: the afore-mentioned perfume-y side takes the shape of wild flowers in the Dolomites pastures (and I swear there are a few jasmine buds too), then conference pear peels and decaying apples. It keeps a clear wood influence, yet it is not an annihilating force. All the same, we have hay, ground cumin, ginger powder, cassia bark, and discreet ground cloves -- and then the flowery-fruity scents resurface, alongside lichen on staves. The second nose welcomes fruit stones and hazelnut, not quite ripe, as well as walnut shells -- or is it pistachio shells and a glass of Fino? Over the space of twenty minutes, it effortlessly goes from mountain-side rustic to gentlemen's-club sophistication, not merely at ease in both environments, but setting the tone, whilst never losing touch with its roots. Mouth: the attack is fruity, with a lick of unobtrusive rubber. Apple juice, peach-and-orange juice are next. Wood spices soon join the dance: cassia, ginger, coriander, all ground into a fine powder. The intensity is pretty impressive: here is a concentrated and powerful whisky alright! The second sip appear fruitier, in which orange takes the lead, adds blush orange and the peels that go with it, both fresh and dried, meaning a tad more bitter. It is now rather chewy too, and coats the entire mouth in a dusty-fruity layer, a mix of sawdust and ground dried blush-orange peels, almost ashy, in a fruit-tree-ash way. Finish: warm, warming, and getting warmer. Baked apples, dusted with ginger powder, powdered cassia bark, and white pepper. It is a long, powerful finish, never ending, and, actually, rather numbing. The second gulp feels a lot more orange-y -- an orange that would have been caressed by a delicate smoke for a long while. It also displays lichen on staves, warmed by direct sun rays and embers from burning fruit tree. In fact, it feels as though whole fruits have been thrown onto that fire, with caramelised apples and burnt pears dripping sweet juices to complement the blush-orange touch. Phwoar! Incredible. I cannot even be bothered adding water to this. I am sure it would take it well, but it is so extraordinary neat, today. Only a slight bitterness in the first sip will prevent top score. To think I had this down as a "good, but..." dram, the first time! Our second encounter was more in line with today's. 9/10 (Thanks for the dram, JS)
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