Description
Cask 60.49 Crisp surprise
The initial impression was of a highly fragrant and aromatically complex dram. It had lots of green fruit sherbet notes, with ripe orchard fruits, chocolate limes, candied citrus rinds and red cola bottle sweeties. We also registered some firmer hints of starched linens and putty. With water we agreed it was still highly expressive. Various notes of heather flowers, sandalwood, cut grass, barley water and mossy tree bark were all noted. The neat palate was richly malty at first, with clear spiciness, hessian and more putty, before displaying intriguing notes of salt and vinegar crisps, grassy rapeseed oil and muddled parsley. Water revealed a more generous sweetness, with lots of pineapple in syrup, bubblegum, orgeat syrup and hints of tropical fruits. This was matured in an ex-bourbon hogshead for nine years before being transferred to a second fill French oak Jamaican rum barrique.
Cask 71.116 Tropical paradise beach bar vibes
The nose had tropical paradise beach bar vibes – pineapple, melon, peach and citrus fruits, beautifully complicated by ginger, cinnamon, coconut and mint – it was DIY cocktail time! The palate encompassed sweetness (coconut buns, shortbread, vanilla sponge and honey), the sharpness of lime juice and sherbet fountains, and a wee subtle spice kick from humbugs and black pepper oatcakes. The reduced nose kept the fruit of pear belle hélène and limoncello but discovered more wood – sandalwood, cedar, bookcases and coriander seeds. The delightful palate delivered brown sugar, golden syrup and custard sweetness, balancing the warmth of spiced fruit cake, candied fennel seeds, pink peppercorns and pickled ginger.
Cask 138.30 Lunchbox luxuries
On a stroll through a lush pine forest, with sticky sap coating everything we touched, we were surprised to see tangerines, clementines and grapefruit dangling from the trees. For this expedition we had brought a few treats – coconut cake with a layer of raspberry jam, crumbly empire biscuits, and bakewell tarts with the cherry on top. A dash of water uncovered further goodies in the lunchbox. We were delighted to find chewy toffees, banana fudge and white chocolate bars, plus salted caramel spread on to sourdough rye toast. Sitting on a stump for a rest, we uncorked a bottle of brandy, the perfect accompaniment to juicy chunks of dried mango.
Cask 8.50 This cow enjoys swimming
Initial nosing revealed beef bourguignon, camphor, pineapple cubes and old-school boiled fruit sweeties. We also got tonka beans, cinnamon sticks and sweet beef jerky. Some water enhanced these meaty vibes and brought out some further notes of wood varnish, cola cubes, orange zest and herbal extracts. The neat palate was robust and punchy. Up front, notes of grape must, fruit syrups, cinnamon and baking spices mingled with toasted fennel seeds, buttery popcorn and toffee sauce. Reduction made everything more relaxed and brought some lovely notes of orange pop, foamy fizzy drink crystals, cinnamon buns, rum fudge and milk chocolate ice cream.
Cask 4.399 Fish platter on a clyde puffer
A breath of fresh sea air filled the nose, and the scent of creels, crab apples and wicker picnic baskets evoked a day’s excursion along shell-strewn beaches. A seafood platter of mussels and rollmops was unpacked on deck in the salty breeze. The palate was oily, briny and complex, layering honey-smoked ham, tart candied fruits and peppered mackerel with wasabi peas and a whisper of coal dust, like a niçoise salad served aboard a Clyde puffer. With water, hibiscus jam washed over mussel shells and samphire, while the palate turned sweet and herbal, delivering dill pickles, charred lemon salmon pastrami and a medicinal finish of plum and old-school cough syrup on burnt toast. After spending 12 years in an ex-bourbon hogshead, this was transferred to a first fill Pedro Ximénez-seasoned barrique for the remainder of its maturation.
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