Cask No. 7.111 $115
Sweet melody – jazzy harmonics
Speyside, Lossie
The nose trumpeted sweet notes (toffee, jam roly-poly and custard, vanilla, bubble gum; then crooned cherry blossom and pot-pourri – as an after-thought it whispered toasted coconut, raisins, sultanas, nuts and banana chips. It changed its tune slightly with water – fragrant basmati rice, pencil shavings and Scalextric formed a curious jazz chord. The palate ran with the sweet baton – toffee, fudge, caramel, chocolate, vanilla ice-cream, crème brûlée, Oreos and bourbon – just held back from over-sweetness by nutmeg, toasted oak and Camp coffee. With water, we warmed happily to its adult sweetness of dark chocolate Magnums, pecan pie, sweet sherry and chocolate-coated cherries.
Drinking tip: With artisan chocolate and good music as a special Sunday treat – would also provide comforting distraction in a thunderstorm
Colour: Burnished belt buckle
Cask: First-fill barrel
Age: 11 years
Date distilled: September 2003
Cask No. 39.93 $220
Pork chops in red wine sauce
Speyside, Lossie
We all got very hungry nosing this one neat; very lightly smoked pork chops in a rich red wine sauce, grilled apple rings and sautéed red cabbage with raisins. To accompany the meal we either had a cool dry white Port wine or a cold wheat beer. The taste followed on with sweet sticky marinated chargrilled pork cracklings, maple and mustard glazed ham and richly spiced plum chutney. When adding a drop of water, pork sausages with fennel and coriander are on the smoldering barbeque and the taste is sweet, nutty and slightly ashy with a hint of salt – the barbeque has now been doused with a splash of sea water.
Drinking tip: Watching the sun dip into the sea
Colour: 18 carat gold
Cask: Refill hogshead
Age: 29 years
Date Distilled: September 1984
Alcohol: 57.9%
USA allocation: 72 bottles
Flavour profile: Spicy & sweet
Cask No. G7.9 $135
A sultry smoking seductress
Grain
At first the panel found cedar wood shavings, old wood, and then mineralic wet slate and cooling Victory V’s. A delicate oiliness of sewing machine oil and warm ski wax preceded orange zest, barley sugar and warm hay. Grippy aromas of white balsamic and lime pickle came through as aged honey infused grappa on taste. It barreled over the tongue with intense tobacco dryness, snus and then burnt toast. They found North African sweet spices, more orange and perfumed cigarette smoke. Poached fruits in a cardamom infused syrup with a hint of mint on the finish. Unusual and elegant.
Drinking tip: Don’t leave this too long – it becomes sooty!
Colour: Polished trumpet
Cask: Refill barrel
Age: 22 years
Date distilled: September 1992
Alcohol: 57.3%
USA allocation: 48 bottles
Flavour profile: Spicy & sweet
Cask No. 93.63 $140
Unapologetic non-conformist
Campbeltown
To nose, we found venison in a red wine and cocoa sauce, maple syrup on pancakes and salted rum caramel. Then, a furniture workshop was crafting benches for a bodega whilst a mechanic with grimy overalls tucked into a bacon sandwich at the beach. To taste, cranberries coated in chocolate, melted salted butter on Belgian waffles, and hoisin sauce noodles. Water brought brown envelopes, wet seaside rocks, Branston pickle, and memories of smoking a shisha pipe (apple tobacco) in a leather armchair. It was sweet and earthy with papaya, roasted beetroot, salted cashews, mint humbugs and bran cereal. Conformity is overrated.
Drinking tip: While camping on a beach
Colour: Precious amber
Cask: Refill hogshead
Age: 15 years
Date distilled: June 1999
Alcohol: 56.1%
USA allocation: 96 bottles
Flavour profile: Oily & coastal
Cask No. 29.159 $150
Anyone for cricket?
Islay
The panel were transported to a tranquil scene at the cricket pavilion. Old apothecary chests and Germolene merged with gentle applewood smoke and wet, mossy grass. Tuna steak with a crust of wasabi was served with crispy seaweed and posh salt and vinegar crisps. A selection of tea was on offer: nettle, Berber, camomile, Earl Grey. A smirr of rain evoked damp hessian sacks, and sportsman leathers like well worn gloves and knee pads. Sweet pipe tobacco wafted over a old fashioned chest of fresh linen. It finished with cool, ashy flavours and dark chocolate with mint and sea salt.
Drinking tip: Careful with the water
Colour: Peely wally
Cask: Refill hogshead
Age: 17 years
Date distilled: October 1997
Alcohol: 51.7%
USA allocation: 90 bottles
Flavour profile: Peated
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