29/12/2023 Glenturret

Glenturret 35yo 1977/2013 (48.1%, Hunter Laing Old & Rare A Platinum Selection, Refill Hogshead, C#HL13323, 246b): nose: ha! ha! Lovely pouring honey and honey-glazed peaches. This smells mellow and luscious. Then, we have propolis, liquid wax, squashed physalis, honey-glazed lemon-drizzle cake, maybe some furniture wax or oil. A little later, we see darker tones emerge: oily roasted chestnuts, and pan-fried hazelnuts, and a whisper of new leather boots. It has some berries too, namely cranberry sauce or lingonberry compote, though it takes some work to unearth them -- one could say they are buried berries. An acidic note rears its head, at some point, and, although it is hard to pin down, I will venture baked yellow maracuja with some herbs sprinkled on top -- dried parsley, or oregano. Those herbs then become dried lavender coated in honey. The second nose sees honey-coated magnolia, a droplet of indistinct laundry detergent, and then that honey goodness grows into its own thing. When all has settled, we reconnect with flowery scents in the form of (faded) pot-pourri pouches, augmented with a breeze of ageing butter (butyric, innit), then dried peach slices in liquid wax. Lastly, we have dried raspberry slices, which is always a bonus. Mouth: ooft! Acidic it is, and not half bitter either. It feels as though it is melting the enamel of one's teeth. Loads of dried lavender, pot-pourri, and (green) hazel wood team up, pushed by an alcohol heat that is totally unexpected. It calms down a bit, and allows peaches to re-appear, though peach stones are clearer than the fruit's flesh, now. Honey-glazed nuts are here too, as are walnuts with their skin on. The second sip is more palatable; it remains bitterly acidic, but it is less aggressive. Tart berries surface, mostly cranberries, yet it has the odd raspberry too. We have heather and saxifrage on limestone, and nutshells, splashed with a drop of honey (only a drop, mind). Dusty shelves and nutty wild mushrooms crawl to the top, in the long run, enhanced with a spoonful of pouring honey and butter. Finish: it regains a fruity composure in the finish: Golden Delicious-apple peels work hand in hand with unripe peaches and blanched hazelnuts. Following the stripping palate, the mouth is still in shock to a degree not unlike being smacked in the kisser with an oxidised copper pan. That leaves faint notes of Verdigris and lichen in this finish, and they detract from the fruit, a bit. The second sip seems nuttier. Here are ground walnut shells, ground apricot stones, and chopped almonds. This warming finish is comfortable, in the long run, with a mixed compote of lingonberry and apricot, from which moisture has evaporated. Indeed, it is fairly dry. Even the underlying nutty current has little oil to speak of, and, if there is any honey left, it is caramelised and stuck to the pan, rather than dripping or flowing. It anaesthetises, overall, and remains bitter. However, it it a satisfying feeling. Good. It really benefits from repeated sipping. 8/10 (Thanks for the sample, DS)

Happy birthday, FN!