For Pork Dundas, see?
Port Dundas 22yo 2000/2022 (53.8%, Fib Whisky for the Fife Whisky Company Permutations, 4mo finish in 1st Fill Rivesaltes Ambre Cask): nose: well, well! Industrial glue, linoleum, and the glue they use to lay down linoleum. This is glue-y indeed! Maybe there are chunks of dried fruits behind all that glue, dried apricots, dried papaya cubes kept in cellophane, yet it is a struggle to see past the glue. It is rather monolithic, if not unpleasant -- provided one likes glue and linoleum, that is. The second nose presents rubbery pineapple, as if cloaked in a latex onesie or a dry suit. It remains full of plastic products, then, whether that is glue, rubber, or neoprene. Mouth: fleetingly juicy and fruity, it quickly becomes drying, and, despite a lack of experience in that department, reminds me of munching on a strip of linoleum. Chewing gives it a rum-like character, fierce, glue-y, and ripe with synthetic fruits. Turkish delights devoid of confectionary sugar and starting to dry out, hardened, sugarless fruit jellies. The second sip is even drier, frankly chalky, now. It sucks all the saliva from the mouth; the gums are particularly affected. That cools off to an extent, and we have unripe-apple juice, with a dash of unripe-citrus juice too (tangerine?) The peels of that citrus make a late appearance. Finish: oh! wow! This really is sugar-free fruit jellies turning hard -- the yellow and green kinds most prominently. It has a little acidic note complemented by a pronounced green bitterness, in other words, the latter close to candied angelica, both in taste and in texture. The second sip is fruitier, with red fruit jellies -- which spells strawberry, does it not? We find fruit pastries, filled waffles or turnovers, yet it all feels rather industrial or artificial. The whole is decent enough. 7/10 (Thanks for the sample, DH)
Port Dundas 21yo 1992/2013 (55.7%, Hunter Hamilton The Clan Denny, Refill Hogshead, C#HH9452): nose: it is not very talkative, but it already comes across as more grassy. Sage, at first, then bales of tea leaves. A minute makes it fresher and sweeter: meringue, citrus-flavoured fruit jellies, crystallised kumquat. Mind you, it also has a dollop of strong glue -- shoemaker's glue, to be specific, used to stick a thick, five-centimetre-tall square heel onto a white shoe for ladies of a certain age. At times, that glue could pass for pineapple, but, yes, glue. It has a minute funkiness to it as well, so discreet, I cannot be more precise. Even after fifteen-or-so minutes, the second nose remains relatively quiet. Builder's grip gloves, some kind of cola, and drying haybales from last week's mow. Mouth: ground mace and dried pineapple ground into a powder. The balance isa remarkable, and the ABV unnoticeable, even though it is higher than the previous dram's. Chewing reveals lots of candied dried fruits (papaya cubes, pineapple cubes, apricots), and tops them with all-purpose glue. The second sip uses that glue to stick bits and bobs together: pineapple leaves, yuca leaves, old cough drops, hardened jellies, leek greens, lycra tights, jellied eels served with lime zest. Finish: amusingly, it is at its fruitiest here, with the same dried, candied fruits, yet also at its bitterest, rolling our rubber and latex wallpaper. All in all, it is a much-fruitier, less-bitter number than its predecessor. What we are left with are mango skins and chayotes. Repeated quaffing unlocks an unexpected blend of leek greens and green jellies, sweet and less sharp than candied angelica. Preserved greengages and candied pomelo zest. This flirts with 8, at times. 7/10 (Thanks for the sample, WhiskyLovingPianist)
Port Dundas 35yo 1978/2013 (58.1%, Hunter Laing The Sovereign, C#HL9864): nose: a deeper nose, if not necessarily an exuberant one. We find oilskins, oiled tablecloth, paraffin, and old buffets, which is to say: a mix of wood, faded wallpaper or oilcloth, and dust sprinkled on ceramic and cutlery (or tin, for a less-posh interior). Virtually no glue, this time, and leather shoes instead that have been fixed a few times (new soles, new cords, new buckles) and worn more than once since. Looking hard for them, one may detect stewed apples, and broth simmering in a tin pot -- or is it galvanised metal? Something more chemical shows up, closer to black watercolour than any kind of glue or rubber. The second nose has earthy-fruity tea leaves, tangerine-scented infusions and black cumin, subtle, elegant, marvellous. Mouth: ah! On the palate, it is a different story, all juicy fruits and timid all-purpose glue. Just one chew makes the fruits tropical, and we suddenly meet yellow maracuja, papaya, baked cherimoya, and preserved Buddha's hand, vaguely salty. How unexpected! Chewing some more brings up rosehip, flower petals and fruit tea, much to one's delight. The second sip sees rose-petal jelly, bone-dry potting soil, and a drop of rose water. It also has juicy kumquat and a minuscule chewy bitterness, likely citrus peel. Finish: phwoar! An avalanche of baked tropical fruits, served with a dash of Kalhúa. The latter comes back through retro-nasal olfaction, hand in hand with dark-wood dust, which give it an earthier vibe, and increases complexity. Pulped pineapple, cocoa powder, and ground sumac complete the picture. Every next sips is better than the previous, more balanced, fruitier, earthier, simply fulfilling. Sumptuous! It seems I missed the point, the first time we had this. 9/10 (Thanks for the sample, WhiskyLovingPianist)
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