18/05/2026 Coleburn

Coleburn 47yo 1972/2020 (62.4%, Gordon & MacPhail 125th Anniversary Edition, Refill Sherry Puncheon, C#3511, 363b): nose: old and mysterious, this has old bandages and embrocation, mummy bandages, gauze strips, old plasters. Then, suddenly, cured pineapple and juicy orange segments leap out of the glass, completely unannounced. But that changes quickly to unveil cast iron and rugged sandstone. That also disappears: now, we have a spoonful of vanilla custard augmented with a couple of drops of lemon juice. Ha! It settles on lemon mint and pineapple weed for a second; they are presented in an old beige plastic container -- the kind that smells of melted plastic when opened. Next is a drop of weak disinfectant, akin to diluted mercurochrome, followed by gauze and muscle straps splashed with pineapple juice and spinach cooking water. How peculiar this nose is! The second nose is more indistinct, more Coleburnian, with dusty cardboard and grist, though that is overtaken by piping-hot strawberry jam which is incredible. That jam is enjoyed on a thick woolen picnic blanket heated by the sunrays and loaded with desert dirt. Mouth: incredibly behaved, considering the strength, it is creamy and fruity. Peachy custard, baked peaches. A certain heat rises, of course, but one would be remarkably astute to guess the ABV. Chewing renders this immense -- not in that it burns; it simply confidently asserts its flavour profile. We have smashed fruits (pineapple, peach, cured apricot) and a few mint leaves, perhaps spearmint. It is warming and comforting, never overwhelming. The second sip has the "whisky" quality of some bottlings from the 1980s, which means dusty, cardboard-y, with bitter fruit stones to boot. Chewing confirms an old-style concoction, yet one augmented with hot peach jelly, would you believe it. Indeed, despite a more-austere start, it claws back its fruity notes. Hot pineapple cubes in a metallic colander are not far behind. Finish: It kicks a bit more, here, and leaves the throat numb, for a minute. Nevertheless, similar notes abound: pineapple (dried slices, this time), a drop of mercurochrome and a soft bitterness in the far back that reminds one of hot metal (tin? Aluminium? Stainless steel?) Mind you, it could also be the spinach from earlier. In any case, the lips are tingling with fruit juice. The second gulp has sweetened orange or tangerine juice, lukewarm, sprinkled with a pinch of grated Aspirin and spilled on minty gauze. It is not strictly speaking tarry, but it has a gentle fresh bitterness that one may associate with bitumen. It sticks to the gob in a comparable way too. Stupendous dram. What a ride! 9/10 (Thanks for the sample, adc)