#2: after Friday's cock-up, let us do a double take. Yes, it is #2. Nose: preserved strawberries, oily mahogany shelves, and an oilcloth heated by the sun in the conservatory. This is not at all a subtle nose! It shouts and yells, bombastic as any. It has an addition of woodworm-ridden bookshelves, with lichen slowly taking hold. That said, mahogany, strawberry and oilcloth remain the loudest. Shaking the glass adds candied mace, and a drop of rocket-infused grappa. The second nose doubles down on oilcloth, though no longer heated. It has more herbs too: thyme, marjoram, tarragon, all dried. Astonishingly, oilcloth further grows in stature and prominence. Mouth: candied mace and rocket are right. The powerful (sharp) attack introduces a bitter-sweet taste, part candied lusciousness, part green bitterness. Candied angelica would be an accurate descriptor, probably. Chewing brings a dose of wood, and we just may see blue Venetian chocolate, or lovage seeds. The second sip still kicks, sweet, yet also peppery. Cracked white and pink peppers, sprinkled on some mint-and-mayonnaise jelly (for those who know), candied herbs and rocket. How original! Finish: fresh, it is also custard-y. Picture melted blue chocolate, or a dollop of mint cream, candied mace that veers towards stem ginger, and jellied tarragon (and why not?) The second gulp carries on, perhaps with more emphasis on candied-or-jellied herbs and shards of cinnamon bark coated in syrup. Indeed, the wood influence is undeniable, if well under control. In the long run, one may be convinced to spot pine jelly (not quite Gocce Pino), and dried mixed peel, sweet, yet also softly bitter. A Speyside Distillery 18yo 2001/2020 (52.3%, Cadenhead for Virtual Open Day 2020, Bourbon and Sherry Casks, 552b) 7/10
I hear we have time for another one.
Springbank 16yo 1991/2007 Rum Wood (54.2%, OB Wood Expressions, 8 years in Refill Bourbon / 8 years in Fresh Rum, 5100b, 07/176): would it come as a surprise if we said this is entirely different? Immediately, one is slapped in the nose by an assertive farmyard scent. Damp cobblestones, mud, muck trickling into the gutters. Underneath that, we find a crystalline minerality, flint or slate, and, for those who care to look for it, the characteristic sweetness of a white rum. Next up is a lettuce wrapped in an old newspaper that becomes a glossy magazine turning damper by the second. But it is a Springbank, so we also spot an old smoky-dusty boiler, in the background. Initially, I could have sworn it had barley too, but I am no longer so sure. On the other hand, dried dill makes a timid entrance. The second nose is more vegetal, with vine leaves, citrus foliage, and a generous serving of cane-sugar syrup paving the way for oiled white wood (birch or acacia). Lastly, we note a thin smoke from a herbs fire (gentian, sage, juniper, lemon thyme). Mouth: mineral-and-a-half, this is like sucking on gravel, for a moment. Then, we see a lot more sweetness invade the mouth: candied angelica, candied lemon peel, stem ginger. Chewing does not alter it much; it remains a mineral, sweet, bitter affair. Maybe we have more citrus foliage, drowned in a syrup of sorts. The second sip is bitterer, almost a car-glass-cleaning spray. That cools down (phew), and candied goodies come back, mixed peel and candied angelica in front. Finish: interestingly, it feels more acidic than expected -- the citrus, without doubt. Apart from that, it is a tad indistinct. Mineral and softly bitter, sure, but beyond that? I suppose we have warm caster sugar, caked to the bottom of a stainless-steel vessel. The second gulp is very much in line, with a bitter side somewhat louder than before. It is definitely stainless steel, Swiss army knives and pencil-sharpener blades, or the circular blade of a meat slicer. All that is coated in caster sugar, which is an interesting combination that one only gets from a rum-cask maturation. Case in point. Very competent effort. 8/10 (Thanks for the sample, CB)
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