JS and I have a couple of hours to spare before our train back to the big(ger) city. The rain is the perfect excuse to shelter at the SMWS. But first, breakfast. At Dishoom.
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| Hadli Doodh (me) |
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| Oat flat white (JS) |
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| Haggis Pau (me) |
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| Veg. Sausage and Egg Naan Roll (JS) |
Replenished with food, we board the SMWS ship a few minutes later.
We take a while to select. They stopped doing the Vaults Collection of the month "because no-one was buying it". They do flights of Creators' Collection, though, and will be lax regarding what Creators' Collection mean. Woo!
72.125 29yo 1995/2025 Whispers of Spring: A journey of reawakening -- Blossom reverie (49.1%, SMWS The Creators Collection, Refill ex-Bourbon Hogshead, 318b)
Nose: seal wax and lit candles. Melted crayons follow, plump apricots, a whisper of smoke. Indeed, we have lit wick, smoked plums and hot wax applied to a scroll. Hints of leather emerge on the second nose, as if a cowboy had laid a bag of plums on a saddle, then sat on it. It would be a waste of good plums and make for an embarrassingly-looking pair of trousers, but that is what we have here. Mouth: mellow, elegant, it peddles similar themes to the nose, with smoked plums (including of Mirabelle variety), white candles and seal wax. Chewing pushes more waxy fruits to the fore, barely balanced by a pinch of grated burnt wood. The second sip sees a timid whiff of tobacco ash (cigarette) and fruit tea (peach). Finish: nail varnish, yellow fruits (mainly apricots, not fully dried, but neither fresh nor juicy), earth, wick coated in paraffin... Yes! Paraffin! That is what dominates, here: bitter, waxy paraffin. the second gulp presents rose-petal jelly dusted with cigarette ash. Excellent! 8/10
105.41 31yo 1992/2023 Lemon de luxe (58.2%, SMWS The Vaults Collection, Refill ex-Bourbon Barrel, 184b)
Nose: crushed mint and menthol, mentholated cigarettes and ashes. It then moves towards pot-pourri pouches, dried lavender and cotton candy cloaked in cigarette smoke. Even that evolves until we see blue cigarette smoke billowing in a closed automobile. Further on, we we find crème brûlée. The second nose introduces some metal, lead or steel, and pastry stuck to the tray it was baked on. Mouth: caramel coffee, for a second, or melted toffee. Chewing gets rid of the coffee (phew!) and makes this a deluge of toffee, sweet, yet perfectly controlled. Heat builds up and seems to bring about a plume of smoke -- smoke from a caramel-making factory, certainly. JS detects almond croissant and marzipan. The second sip has croissant, slightly burnt and sticking to the teflon baking tray. We also have hot apricot turnovers charring in the oven and turning black. Finish: long and powerful, it rolls out caramel presented on a hot, shiny metal plate, which is to say it has a gentle bitterness. The second gulp leaves a pleasant glow, hot pineapple rings, hot teflon tray, a fruit turnover left in the oven for too long. Dram of the day. 8/10
70.48 33yo 1989/2023 Espresso Romano (62.3%, SMWS The Vaults Collection, Refill ex-Bourbon Barrel, 150b)
Nose: despite a noticeable alcohol bite (see the ABV?), it showcases a bold fruitiness (baked plums and stewed apricots) to cover a whisper of black coffee. It acquires metal as it goes (tin, aluminium) and underlines its earthy roots. Potting soil in a planter, milk chocolate, albeit one filled with an apricot paste. The second nose is more openly coffee-like, if one with cream. A coffee in which one would have pressed a few drops of apricot juice. Mouth: milk coffee? Chocolate milk? Hadli Doodh? It has something earthy and creamy alright. It takes a bit of swirling around the mouth to realise how strong this is, because it initially appears friendly and relaxed. When it wakes up, we have chicory infusion and braised endives. The second sip is a tad mellower, with caramel-coated ginger shavings and chicory granules appearing slowly to desiccate the palate. Finish: big, never-ending, possibly earthy, but so creamy that is swiftly excused. Chicory infusion, milk coffee, latte, cappuccino, a vague memory of the tin pot that was made in (this is the reason for the bottling's name, one may guess). The second gulp has caramel and fudge. It is a little less earthy and a little sweeter, which is good. 8/10
4.396 25yo 1999/2024 Peat Plants: The essence of Scotland's untamed landscapes -- Heather ember (49.5%, SMWS The Creators Collection, 1st Fill ex-Bodega Oloroso Butt Finish, 591b)
Nose: leather and animal skin, probably pig, because there is no sign of hair. It is very dry, with roasted coffee beans, waxed walnut shells. With a bit of imagination (or a lot of suggestion), one could picture heather brush and old brooms. On the other hand, extinguished stoves do appear, comforting. Tilting the glass reinforces the brush aspect. The second nose is meatier and winier, yet it also presents a chalkier side that absorbs all moisture from the above. Later on, we have nuts and dried mushrooms. cavalier66 would probably call this 'tertiary'. Mouth: cured ham, a smoky bothy. Chewing turns it into a meaty one, with cold pastrami, smoked beef with a dried-herbs crust (rosemary, oregano, juniper), and elderberry compote and rancio. It turns very desiccating, after a moment in the mouth, like chewing on ground bones. The second sip has punes and dried dates. It is rather drying, really, if not unbearably so. It is closer to the acridity of a fire whilst enjoying a winy barbecue (as in: marinated meats and lots to drink). Finish: cured meat here too, pastrami again, and a big puff of smoke. Opposed to that is a juicy touch, part cranberry sauce, part meat juice (including blood). It has a faint vegetal touch as well, perhaps a bay leaf or fresh rosemary. Something with with rough leaves, in any case. It gives rich wine at second gulp, Cahors or a New-World red that has seen too much sun for my taste, and is rather tannic. 7/10
Good wee sesh! Time to go.
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