15/05/2024 Tullibardine

Tullibardine 42yo 1965/2007 (41.8%, OB, Hogshead, C#2337, 112b): nose: a burst of fruits, fresh and candied, then a pouch of Virginia tobacco, and dunnage warehouse. Candied apple slices, strawberry jellies, candied papaya and pineapple cubes, dried mango slices, sliced fresh banana dusted with confectionary sugar, and fresh greengages converse with dusty floors and stone walls, in the moist atmosphere of a cellar that has glassless windows. Candied fruits seem to have the upper hand, for a minute, even pointing at Turkish delights. Then, the nose switches back to blonde tobacco, and there is even a whisper of rubber, oilcloth, or electric cables in the background -- something that takes us firmly back to the 1980s. Later on, crocuses and hyacinths tickle the nostrils. The second nose injects some beeswax into the equation, as well as jars of set light honey (Meli or Rowse, nothing boutique-y). Later yet, the dunnage scents from the beginning become terracotta cooling at room temperature, mixed peel so dry it has lost most of its scent, and old pine cones. Mouth: the attack is almost soapy, for a moment, then we see meadow flowers, such as dandelions and cornflowers join the crocuses from the nose. Chewing confirms the soapy lick, and, despite it not being awful, it definitely has apricot-scented shampoo. The second sip has the character of a honey-glazed almond paste, sweet and bitter at the same time. A minute on the tongue (less, if chewing) brings back the shampoo, however, which could prove challenging for some. Chamomile-scented Garnier Ultra Doux for blonde locks. Finish: pure golden goodness, now, between dried apricots, candied dandelions (candelions?), butter croissants, and peach jelly. No soap here, yet it presents a soft bitterness, more ash, or spent-wick-in-lukewarm-candlewax than shampoo. Repeated sipping is in line, a tennis match between honey-sweet and dandelion-bitter, with enough yellow fruits to keep it balanced. A chewy paste appears, in the long run, a blend of clay, porridge, dried apricots, and honey, splashed with a yellow-flower broth. Re-reading my notes from our first encounter, I feel as if the remainder of the sample took a turn for the worse, over the last five months. As it stands today, it would score higher without that shampoo note. 8/10 (Thanks for the sample, OB)