Ben Nevis 43yo 1970/2014 (44.7%, Berry Bros. & Rudd, C#3): nose: it smells ancient and a bit dank, somewhat reminiscent of a Valley-of-the-Kings tomb, minus the suffocating heat. We note stale air, dusty floors, orchard-fruit offerings, dried to a stone mass, and old staves leaming against a wall for decades. Minutes of breathing pump it up with some moisture, which makes wood come out more: a 1950s-automobile dashboard, polished walnut, mahogany drinks cabinets, then coffee and biscuits baked for a little too long. None of those is dominant enough to be a nuisance. Deeper nosing gives caramelised marzipan, and a dash of fruit-based alcohol (liqueur or eau-de-vie, I dare not say). It is a little funky, unsurprisingly for this distillery, though that aspect is easily overlooked. The second nose has a slice of mocha sponge cake, served with a shot of espresso. Then, it becomes sweeter, and introduces fruit jellies, far from the initial stale-air scent. Mouth: more cutting than anticipated, even if it is not exactly sharp. In seconds, we discover nut paste (hazelnut? Macadamia? Cashew?), doused in a nut liqueur of sort. It has indeed a clear bitterness to it that flirts with Alka Seltzer, at times, yet stays closer to ground nuts from which the oil has vanished, and is therefore bone dry. The second sip is sweeter too, and delivers (green) fruit jellies and citrus foliage, chopped and candied. This time, the whole has a discernible heat to it, and a bitterness too, both of which hint at metal. Then, fruits appear that may be tinned pears, apples, green grapes, or a combination of all -- 'tinned' is the key word, here. Finish: another twist: the finish is a lot juicier than the nose and palate. It retains a clear bitterness, and it is closer to a warming almond liqueur than almond milk, but still. It is less dry, and more welcoming. Retro-nasal olfaction captures a stick of butter softening at room temperature on a sunny day, which is original, and goes well with newly-found walnut kernels. The second sip has more fruits, namely Golden Delicious apples, pears, green grapes, carambola (at a push), pomelo and yuzu. This goes from bitter to acidic, even if its sweetness keeps both in check. Delicious! It certainly benefits from breathing and repeated sipping too. 8/10
Ben Nevis 24yo 1996/202 (52.1%, Berry Bros. & Rudd exclusive to Royal Mile Whiskies, Refill Sherry Butt, C#1196): nose: in pure 1996 tradition, this one is funky and earthy, farm-y, even, offering loamy fields recently ploughed, and pastures next to that, home to happy cows. Surely, an imaginative mind will find lots of fruits here, but tOMoH will remain contained, today. The farm-y notes likely encompass orchard fruits (apples, mainly), fallen from the tree, and decaying in the tall grass, but a 1981 Lochside this is not. A minute later, and just to prove tOMoH wrong(ish), sink funk and hiking boots appear, shy, wrestling with a mineral facet. Indeed, flint and decaying fruits become louder with each sniff, and draw attention away from a funkiness that one would otherwise associate with musk. Menthol emerges from the tilted glass. The second nose sees an oilcloth from the 1980s kick the taster in the nostrils, for a second. Then, a spread takes over, made of nuts and orchard fruits -- walnuts, peanuts, apples, pears, white peaches. Much later, we rush back to the farm, with a fleeting-yet-strong scent of bull (not cow), gone as quickly as it was vivid. Mouth: menthol alright, vivacious, refreshing. Then, suddenly, it is all fruit: white peaches, lychees, dragon fruits, Comice pears, none too juicy, but tasty. Those fruits are augmented with grated star anise, which confers a fresh bitterness to the mouth. The second sip bursts with juicy fruits, adds a heaped spoonful of caster sugar, and pushes menthol to the background. It is creamy in texture, just fruitier. A tame bitterness re-appears too. Further sips seem more acidic, and generate more heat again, with stewed fruits and jams. Finish: here too, we find a fresh number, and a juicier one at that. It is a finish that grows in intensity, if not complexity, and goes from menthol to peppermint in the space of twenty seconds. It may not anaesthetise the taste buds, but it strongly radiates warmth from the core.. Perhaps one could liken this to all the afore-mentioned fruits, stewed for so long they provide texture rather than taste. They come with menthol and toasted aniseed. The second gulp presents a paste of smashed banana and pineapple, slowly overtaken by lichen on ex-Bourbon-cask staves, and raita past its prime and starting to split. This one also benefits from extensive breathing and repeated sipping. 8/10 (Thanks for the sample, RMW)
 |
| Parts of both drams easily deserve 9/10. However, on the whole, they are 8/10 material for tOMoH. |
In other news, that is another notebook filled up.
No comments:
Post a Comment