12/03/2024 North British

North British 45yo 1963/2009 (50.7%, Signatory Vintage Rare Reserve, Hogsheads, C#117362 + 117363 + 117365, 290b, b#19): nose: extremely jammy, this has blueberry jelly, pressed currants, raspberry jam, and blackberry relish, spread on toasted crumpets, or, better, on scones. Indeed, this has afternoon tea in its DNA. With a bit of imagination, one might picture a cat, humid from a trip outdoors, warming itself by the wood stove. Scones turn into buttered toasts, and we have a bunch of dark tulips in a vase, too close to the stove, and slowly wilting. It being a grain, it is little surprise it should carry something slightly metallic, hot pipes, or stainless-steel tanks of hot water, unless it is the circular saw of a meat slicer coming out of the dishwasher (not recommended), and rightly steaming. Buttered baked goods soon come back: scones, crumpets, toasted bread, with jams hot on their heels (blackberry, blueberry, blackcurrant, raspberry, myrtle). Oh! but we also have faint whiffs of mango turnovers, and heated dried papaya cubes. The second nose introduces a cup of cappuccino, but serves it at another table, at the other end of the tea room. There are greengages and Chinese gooseberries on the buffet too. Mouth: thin at first, the palate has a pinch of oily Virginia tobacco, before it unleashes a cascade of dark-berries jam: blackberry, myrtle, blackcurrant. They are a notch bitterer, here, those jams; not as pumped with sugar, in other words. Yet, that sugar appears gradually as one salivates. Hot stainless steel resurfaces, as do papaya cubes (of the dried kind), all while the texture grows more viscous. The second sip seems more drying and bitter, for a moment, until it pushes the dark berries forward again -- this time, in a mocha-infused cake that reminds me of a schwarze Torte. A minute on the tongue gives one the impression of having bitten into a crusty cake. Repeated sipping brings an acidity to the palate, likely white grapefruit, yuzu, or Buddha's hand, and pineapple. Finish: big without being overwhelming, this is fruity-and-a-half. It delivers more of the above (blackberries, blueberries, raspberries, papaya, blackcurrants), with some additions too (stewed strawberries, lingonberry compote). Long and satisfying like an afternoon tea once more, the finish parades those fruits in cordial form, now, which properly coats the mouth. The second sip is even darker, almost earthy, which hints at a crusty cake again -- a mocha-infused, dark-berry cake. Juicy, jammy, toasty, it blends the sweet and the bitter perfectly. It even dies in a modest explosion of grapefruit, pineapple, and grated liquorice root, or lovage seeds. Said explosion is fleeting and tame, yet a fitting reward for the attentive taster. This is one fine dram! 9/10