Glenrothes d.1997 (49%, Cask Sample, Hogshead, C#970717939): nose: a sharp number that promises to be both (mildly) acidic and fruity. Here are cured peaches and nectarines, dusted with fizzy sherbet, the likes of which one can find in those flying saucer sweets. That is soon joined by sliced wholemeal bread, then promptly submerged by a flood of strawberry jam. Once that flood stabilises, we find fruit-scented shaving foam too, which is as fresh as it is unexpected. Slowly but surely, peaches climb back into the spotlight, supported by polished wood -- or is it peach squash and sparkling water? The second nose has strawberries in a thicker consistency, somewhere between jam, jelly, and compote, and a fleeting note of mosquito repellent -- so fleeting it is hard to decide whether it is Autan spray, or Baygon mats. Either way, it is not a common note! Mouth: the attack is at once fruity and woody. Next to cut peaches and nectarines, we have bits of a smashed walnut dashboard, the edges of which have been filed smooth. It also has polished peach stones and stewed berries (gooseberries, white currants, logan berries). The second sip comes across as more powerful, and has a mixture of juicy fruits (still peaches and nectarines), and mosquito repellent applied on the skin, then inadvertently licked (tOMoH was never dumb enough to lick Baygon mats, inadvertently or otherwise). How quaint! Unripe strawberries stand watch in the background. Finish: warming, the 49% give a decent kick without any burn. It is just comfortable. Here, we find more of that lovely fruitiness, and just a little wood. The latter produces a bitterness that, although gentle, is way clearer than on the palate. It is reminiscent of unripe currants, if not green hazelnuts. Oddly, the second gulp is less bitter, more-clearly jammy, and a little tropical: Chinese gooseberries and remote lychee are having an over-the-wooden-fence discussion with unripe gooseberries and currants. It may well have chopped green pepper too. On the other hand, all trace of wood seems to have vanished. This one is probably even more to my liking than Monday's. 8/10 (Thanks for the sample, JW)
Glenrothes d.1997 (50.7%, Cask Sample, Hogshead, C#970717942): nose: to claim it is hugely different would be a lie, which is logical, considering it is a sister cask. It also has peaches and nectarines, yet the whole is perhaps tarter, as if punctuated with unripe mirabelle plums and greengages. Indeed, we have mirabelle-plum turnovers made with unripe fruits. There is also a lick of acrylic paint applied a few days ago, leading to a fading scent. A couple of minutes in, it settles on familiar ground: ripe peaches take centre stage, supported by shelled hazelnuts. The second nose seems sweeter, as well as more citrus-y; candied kumquats, old mixed peel, tangerine marmalade. Over time, the nose develops a certain floral quality, with dark roses, burgundy tulips, carnations and peonies. Mouth: the attack is a departure in that it is pure peach jam, warm and lush. Astoundingly, it feels mellower than the previous dram, despite its higher ABV. Well! Keep it in the mouth for a minute, and it will prove it is not yet flat -- far from it. Tickling the taste buds and the roof of the mouth, we see ginger powder and a minute sprinkle of asafoetida, which adequately complement that lovely peach jam. The second sip is more stripping; less spicy, but more-overtly acidic. Maybe it is closer to grape juice that contains some unripe grapes. Repeated sipping introduces an oilcloth dusted in powdered ginger and ground mace. Finish: probably a tad woodier, this one points at virgin white-oak staves: vanilla pods, white-wood sawdust, and bakery shenanigans, yet nutmeg too. In fact, it is unexpectedly spicy, this finish. Not hot, but rich in spices. The second gulp brings back more fruits, albeit less than ripe, and therefore bitterer. Unripe plums, peaches, mirabelle plums, maybe even green bananas. We also find yellow-tulip petals and daffodils to match the fruit, after a while. 8/10 (Thanks for the sample, JW)
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| It would appear tOMoH likes Glenrothes, now. |
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