Early February 2015 Outturn Offerings
Cask No. 35.106 $145
Fantastically floral
Speyside, Lossie
The nose was fantastically floral – grand gardens, creamy carnations, frivolous freesias, rampant roses and even courgette flower fritters. We also got Crunchie bars, donuts, peach cobbler, apple turnover, vanilla candles, and oak sawdust – very attractive. The palate was Bourbon-sweet and nutty (popcorn, marzipan, sugared almonds, coconut) – with peach, putty and pot-pourri and mildly bitter notes of perfume, grapefruit, oak and walnut. The reduced nose offered peach melba, honey on rye, fresh figs, custard creams, lady-finger biscuits and cedar sap. On the palate, ice-cream sundae sweetness was barely restrained by dry and mildly bitter flavours. The distillery is near Elgin’s ‘gallows-hill’.
Drinking tip: A sweet celebration of 4th July – especially if enjoyed in pleasant garden surroundings
Colour: Deep honey gold
Cask: First-fill designer barrel
Age: 16 years
Date distilled: December 1996
Alcohol: 54.4%
USA allocation: 120 bottles
Cask No. 1.179 $210
The Artists Studio
Speyside, Spey
The panel had a collective memory of an artists studio with aromas of wooden easels, paintbrushes, linseed and canvas. Our painter had arranged white lilies in a pewter jug. While he contemplated his subject he enjoyed a slice of toffee sponge cake and a cup of sweetened espresso. To taste they found figs, dates and fresh almonds, then chocolate brownie and coffee cake. Water released runny caramel, golden syrup and advent calendar chocolate. The texture was deliciously coating and salivating and one panel member was reminded of licking the bowl after baking. A hint of mint completed the masterpiece.
Drinking tip: For inspiration
Colour: A ships bell
Cask: Refill hogshead
Age: 27 years
Date distilled: December 1986
Alcohol: 47.2%
USA allocation: 60 bottles
Cask No. 29.154 $185
Camping with M*A*S*H
Islay
Wow – the nose had so much – hessian, canvas, leather, bandages, first aid boxes, surgical soap, seashells, sea-weed, tar, bonfire smoke – it was like M*A*S*H set up camp on an Islay beach. The palate spoke confidently of harbours and hospitals – lobster pots, fish boxes, fishing boats, salted macadamias, heather and mussels lined up against Big Red gum, elastoplasts and sweet peat-smoke. After reduction, the nose twitched at a breeze carrying heather, peat and crab claws over the machair. The palate became easy-drinking; medicated sweetness, both cooling (menthol throat sweets) and with pleasant heat on the finish. The distillery looks out to Texa.
Drinking tip: An end of the pier sundowner.
Colour: Sinister gold
Cask: Refill hogshead
Age: 23 years
Date distilled: October 1990
Alcohol: 49.8%
USA allocation: 90 bottles
Cask No. 84.16 $130
‘A beaker full of the warm south’
Speyside, Spey
The nose was ‘a beaker full of the warm south’ – heady flowers on a midsummer Canary Island breeze; various sweet wines (Madeira, Sauternes, muscat, sweet pale sherry), Müller fruit corner and honey dribbled over ice-cream. The neat palate (completely un-aggressive) was deliciously warm and tasty – hibiscus flowers in syrup, spun sugar, candy floss and flooding honey intensity – but all complexified by the glow of a dying charcoal fire and some muted orange zest and lemon rock. The reduced nose – lemon bonbons and honey was ‘sweet delight on a summer’s night’. The palate – wood sap, lemon drizzle cake and honey – Ab Fab.
Drinking tip: On a summer night, in the garden, counting shooting stars.
Colour: Frascati in the moonlight
Cask: Refill barrel
Age: 13 years
Date distilled: October 2001
Alcohol: 56.6%
USA allocation: 90 bottles
Cask No. 123.9 $145
The big fat tipsy wedding
Highland, Southern
Imagine a feasting table set with sweet mashed potato with butter, rye bread with beef dripping, figs and balsamic and hoppy IPA to wash it down. Deserts of chocolate and ginger, spiced treacle tart and sticky toffee pudding served with lashings of Turkish espresso. To taste, a knuckle of lamb with a wine jus, pork crackling and beef soppet (cooked juices), then curiously Bonjela and cola cubes. Water reminded the panel of Bovril broth and roasted pumpkin. A bathroom cupboard with talcum powder, violet fresh towels and shaving foam on the nose and walnuts and Jaffa cakes on the final taste.
Drinking tip: Better neat. Just get on with it!
Colour: Buffed mahogany
Cask: First-fill butt
Age: 16 years
Date distilled: July 1998
Alcohol: 56.6%
USA allocation: 120 bottles
