17/03/2023 Jane & Patrick

Jane Doe 1989/2016 (48.2%, Malts of Scotland, C#MoS 16044, 159b): nose: phwoar! This is so lush. Minty custard, mellow as a pillow, soft peaches, puffy apricots, fluffy mangoes, a bunch of jasmine flowers. A minute in, it takes an unexpected turn and delivers tart berries: redcurrants, gooseberries, lingonberries, cranberries, and a lick of raspberry-wine nail varnish. Fruity alright, this! That all grows sweeter and thicker, obviously morphing into jams and compotes of all sorts Pear and cranberry jam springs to mind. Further in the back of the sinuses, we have a timid note of lichen and moss on zinc guttering, spongy. It brings a layer of complexity that is most welcome. Soon, we see autumn leaves too, forest soil, tree bark, and pineapple slices. Noyce! Tilting the glass helps push wood stain into the light. The second nose cranks up the apricots and peaches, and adds peeled walnuts and hazelnuts. That aside, I find a soft note of poitín that is rather fitting -- unless it is but my imagination? It becomes more and more ethereal, heady, almost mentholated, which is unusual for something at less than 50%. Mouth: nothing beats a naturally-low ABV, and here is a shiny illustration. It feels warm, not aggressive, and even less weak. The acidity hinted at on the nose (tart berries) is in full display, here, all tinned pineapple, unripe bergamot, and juicy pomelo. Bergamot brought its foliage to a fruit party, which is to say this has a mild bitterness too that will not spoil the fun. The second contact with the palate is like taking a sip of lime-and-orange juice, in which the peels have been soaking. That spells acidic and bitter in equal measure, fruity as a gin-and-lime-tonic, not sweet in the slightest. It is, in fact, borderline leafy, now, and some may find cucumber peels in amongst the citrus. Gone are the mangoes from the nose. Mangone. Finish: acidic, bitter and fruity, here is a very similar procession of tinned pineapple, unripe citrus, green bananas, and herbal custard. I cannot identify said herbs with certainty (chervil? Watercress? Spinach?), but they smoothly elevate this beyond what could otherwise have been just-another-fruity-Irish. Funnily enough, repeated sipping, if it raises the acidity and bitterness, also turns the fruity side louder. It is reminiscent of some cocktails: gin-and-tonic, mojito, Major Bailey. Astonishing how, despite being leafy-bitter, it leaves a creamy feel in the mouth, a mouth that salivates long after swallowing, regardless of how acidic the liquid was. Lastly, it whispers mango peels, to which a few tatters of fruit flesh still cling on. Excellent, if less impressive than upon our first encounter. Happy St. Patrick's Day! 8/10 (Thanks for the sample, elskling)