Macallan 2000 - 2022 GM, WB: 223324

Glass: Blhas. Series: The Last Kingdom. Mood: War weary. Color: Cola, Black East Frisian Tea.

Wetting: Blended Scotch Whisky Meadowside Blend MBl WB218929 and Wee Mongrel 19-year old LBDS WB222603. Fear Is Within All Of Us. As Is Strength. Very afraid to try this one, afraid to be really disappointed. Courage Is Finding The Will To Overcome Your Fear, Nothing More. Nose after 5h: I underestimated the wetting actors immeasurably, turn out to be true Aethelings. This skirmish has turned into a major war zone and has eaten up a lot of time. A King Must Be A King On His Own Terms. Very elegantly sneaky, the nose develops cola-sinalco, sparkling, caolabraus tablets of ahoy brewed out. Dates and rum raisins overlook the battle from the sidelines. The fight, however, is very un-Danish, very distinguished. The flavors caress the nostrils, finest chocolate mousse. Some orange, cream candy. I hold the sword - pardon - the glass with both hands, trying to sink the nose even deeper, to become one with this smell. A warm carpet of pure bliss. Each perception a bud bursting open, each aroma molecule a firework of dopamines. A hint of tobacco in the air or the last wisps of smoke from the last battle. My Journey Continues, My Path Leads North to Blood Fields. Mushroom pan with cream, allspice, black pepper and 3cl maple syrup. Quinces are cooking in, want to be jam. Cotton candy, Turkish candy store. Heavily ripened peach, burst dried figs with sweetness oozing thickly from them. Herbs such as rosemary and sage perfume ahead. Mouth after timeless hours: Effervescent tingle, allspice heat, cola plant, Coca-Cola, boiled down syrup of 1-2 plums and 2 apples. Danes attack again, One path looks like another. Peppery spiciness, powerful and sweet. A place in Valhalla is safe. Finish - end of battle: burning, lovage, astringent. Espresso, strong coffee, dark chocolate. A bit cardamom does not know where to go. This whisky can caress sweetly or strike mercilessly unexpectedly with fierce flavors. "The future is fate, it won't change. Destiny is all." - Uhtred

Glenfarclas 1991 S22, WB: 222588

Glass: Blhas, Spiegelau Snifter. Series: Invincible, Mood: Avnosatdoonawday. Color: black tea, very black.Wetting the palate: tried various scenarios, bourbon e.g. this WB225512, sherry matured scotch e.g. this WB219589 and old woody grain WB218656. How to start, can't you just enjoy a malt like this? That's the tricky part of the job, balancing what you wanna do, with what you need to do. Nose, caught after about 4h - 7h: Snifter: confectionary shop, next to it a market - stall with Arabic dips, dates, candied ginger, coconut and other dried fruits. Dough. Milk chocolate and a bag of trail mix. Blhas: pencil shavings, sawdust. Dried porcini mushrooms. Wild boars feasting truffle mushrooms dressed with balsamic and soy dressing, plus fermenting dark fruit on forest floor. I feel like I'm standing on the edge of a cliff, and I'm the only one of us who can't fly. Apple juice, tobacco lit from about 10m away. Woooooonderful. Someone Thinks They're Too Clever For Us. They All Think That At First. Dunnage Warehouse, old books in the Biblioteca Medicea Laurenziana. Startled wild horses gallop across the moss. Saddle leather, sweat, black tea Ceylon. Mouth after 4½ h: varies according to pre-wetting. Sometimes milk
chocolate, sometimes bittersweet. Often smooth. Oh, I'm In So Much Trouble. Creamy sweets, espresso macchiato at its best. Pepper. Amazing, now and then bright juices like apple. Fnish: warming, Kentucky Hugh or just hot soy broth depending on the weather. Incessant. Friends Tell Friends The Truth. Exactly - somehow knowing, beginning to understand. Only what. Oily, mouth coating. "Hit Me And Let Me Prove You Wrong." - Mark. 

97 / 100

Glenfarclas 1990 S22 WB: 222589

Glenfarclas 1990

The moon rises, night is settling over life, into the glass viscously flows the precious oil even darker, spreads into your heart and thoughts. In the background Amy Winehouse whispers 'Blaaack, Black,
black. This is what I live for, that is what I’m looking for, this is what I give the shirt off my back for, I'm addicted to this dark mysterious potion. To get excited about it ---is a loosing game. Should I go to Rehab But I say nooo, no, no...The ritual must begin, let go of all thoughts. Inhale, exhale, the price! Okey - that's seppuku, doing it later. As Amy performs in top form, the GF1990 S22 calms down in the glass, watching humbly and knowingly. Preparing my palate with the GF1991 S22, an incredibly elegant malt, but the GF1990 is a completely different world, speaking of my astral journey is about to begin. How quickly 3 hours can pass, but I can't think of any terms for this. From a rating beyond 96, my olfactory cortex refuses to connect with the honourable cognitive lobes.  Neocortex, amygdala, striatum in top form, but the cerebral cortex is awash with Wittgensteinian neurotransmitters, which I can't talk about, shall I keep quiet. There's enough dopamine - if it weren't for seppuku, which brings tears to my eyes and makes my D-level drop. The nose: a haiku, incomprehensible yet beautiful, mysterious and captivating. Today I could die - I will, later. What's keeping me in this world, anyway? Amy did everything right. Wait! A drop of this heavenly drink holds me, says: Stay! Mouth: When Bodhisattvas declare enlightenment - a koan. The finish is sweet poison, eternally long, every millisecond a universe passes, the Almighty touches your heart - all will be well. The closer you get to the magic mark of 100, everything dissolves into blurriness, Heisenberg sends his regards, Schrödinger drinks with his cat. Causality no longer exists; I name dried porcini mushrooms, dark fruit, but these are just letters - don't come close to reflecting what I feel. I write toffee and tobacco in the nose, dark chocolate in the mouth and espresso in the finish. But I couldn't have found more irrelevant words. How do you describe a symphony in A minor and D major at the same time, piano and forte, largo and presto? Filigree strings despite timpani and trumpets, melancholy oboe accompanied by sad clarinets, double basses massive, violin gossamer and a timidly plucked guitar and harp complete the picture. Every day different, every day a new page. Now and then a soprano belts out an aria. Amy is quiet now. The glass is empty. Somewhere in the house, Einaudi Una Mattina. Life, sometimes sad, goes on after all. "I don't ever wanna drink again I just, ooh, I just need a friend." - Amy Winehouse

97 ( - 98)/ 100

Malternative: Cognac Daniel Boujou 1984/2022 C. Dully Selection 52,8 % Batch 2

Cuvée from the vintages 1974 to 1984. This Cognac was produced from the grapes of the Grand Champagne growing region. The region belongs to the highest of the 6 quality levels and the grapes

Cognac Daniel Boujou 1984/2022

enjoy the reputation of having a particularly long storage life. Music: Mathieu Lamboley - Le secret, Series: Lupin.
Colour: dark crimson - You underestimated me. You didn't look at me. You saw me, but you didn't really look. D'accord, rather cola brown. Glasses: Cognac snifter and blhas. Nez: During and after 3h, very friendly greeting - le gentleman. Completely unexpected a coup, syrup from light fruits, very sweet smell, fairground tour past various sweet stands. Balsam made from figs, how do I know that? A good journalist never reveals her sources. Mon Dieu a mine with all kinds of mineral extraction. Chalk cliffs NON ? SI ! OH ? Tamari soy sauce, the famous rancio and the thickest balsamico there is. The truth can always be found in libraries. Yes, library, old books, but a bunch of philosophy students have been sitting and working for hours. A cigar - unusually worn under the armpit, yet fresh forest meadow, wafting smells of cellar mustiness, forest floor, maple syrup.
In the swirl: cosiness, hygge, open fire and comfort, a little truffle in the background.
Bouche: After 5h: sorrel, black tea, some sage. A tannin company with a pipe discusses the meaning of life. Sparkling conversation. The worst feeling in the world is giving all the love you have and knowing it will never be returned.
Sortir: Les Cigarettes low tar Gauloises Blondes Gold, just a petite puff. Very mineral - calcium, magnesium, iron tablets. End of a shisha night? Do you believe me? What a pity that I am not an honest man!
"La pendule égrenait le chapelet infini des secondes." - Maurice Leblanc, Arsène Lupin, Gentleman cambrioleur.

89 / 100

FR 

Cuvée des millésimes 1974 à 1984. Ce cognac a été élaboré à partir de raisins provenant de la région

Cognac Daniel Boujou 1984/2022

Grand Champagne. Cette région fait partie du plus haut des 6 niveaux de qualité et les raisins ont la réputation de pouvoir être conservés particulièrement longtemps. Musique : Mathieu Lamboley - Le secret, Série : Lupin.
Couleur : rouge carmin foncé - You underestimated me. Vous ne m'avez pas regardé. You saw me, but you didn't really look. D'accord, plutôt brun cola. Verres : verre à cognac et blhas. Nez : Pendant et après 3h, accueil très sympathique - le gentleman. Coup totalement inattendu, sirop de fruits clairs, odeur très sucrée, tour de kermesse en passant devant divers stands de confiserie. Baume de figues, comment je le sais ? Un bon journaliste ne révèle jamais ses sources. Mon Dieu une mine avec toutes sortes d'extraction de minéraux. Roches de craie NON ? SI ! OH ? La sauce soja tamari, le fameux rancio et le vinaigre balsamique le plus épais qui soit. The truth can always be found in libraries. Oui, bibliothèque, vieux livres, mais une bande d'étudiants en philosophie* sont déjà assis et travaillent pendant des heures. Un cigare - porté de manière inhabituelle sous l'aisselle, mais tout de même une fraîche prairie forestière, des odeurs flottantes de moisi de cave, de sol forestier, de sirop d'érable.
Dans le verre : confort, hygge, feu de cheminée et sécurité, un peu de truffe en arrière-plan.
Bouche : Après 5h : oseille, thé noir, un peu de sauge. Une société tannique avec une pipe discute du sens de la vie. Une conversation pétillante. Le pire sentiment au monde est de donner tout l'amour que l'on a et de savoir qu'il ne nous sera jamais rendu.
Sortir : Les Cigarettes low tar Gauloises Blondes Gold, juste une petite bouffée. Très minéral - comprimés de calcium, magnésium, fer. Fin d'une nuit de chicha ? Vous y croyez ? Quel dommage que je ne sois pas un homme honnête !
"La pendule égrenait le chapelet infini des secondes". - Maurice Leblanc, Arsène Lupin, gentleman cambrioleur.

89 / 100

 

Orchard House The Signature Range CB, WB: 203347

Glass: Blhas, Authentis Spiegelau, Mood: expectant, Colour: finest sunshine yellow, Series: The Bad Batch.

Orchard House

Oi, is the series an indication of the taste? There are several batches of this that taste different in nuances. Let's blow something up, yeah!
Nose: Wow wow, immediately after pouring basket full of tropical fruits, mango, papaya, the whole melon family, kiwi, some fir, acacia honey. Fire from birch bark - some 10 m away. 30 min: Vanilla and other bright flowers support the mission. I like you. You don't fit in here either. Some Turkish delight, I was hoping for the whole squad, but you'll do. Honeydew melon takes the lead, a star fruit doesn't know where to go.
Mouth after 40 min: cinnamon and ginger heat, sharbat. Curry and other Asian spices, but only hesitantly.
Finish: surprisingly long sweet finish, some white pepper lingers on the palate. A little tannin still wriggles in the throat and disappears. Some oil films out. Wax covers the teeth but dries up. Grassy. Let's leave the glasses a little longer. Good soldiers follow orders.
Nose after 1h: Hay, a walk through the Lüneburg Heath, just before the big bloom. Heidschnucken have passed by... - and two e-bikers, a bit sweaty.
Mouth: A tropical fruit salad with a little sunflower oil, some grated coconut, grated with white violet and whole milk tonka chocolate. In the dressing, elderflower syrup and some citrus fruits. Change takes getting used to. You'll see. Just give it time.

Finish: Oaky, ginger lingers. It's okay to break the rules sometimes. A shoe polisher from Istanbul works diligently in the mouth.
With water - what for? The war is over. Depends on when you read this. There's always war somewhere. We try 1 tsp: Oi, nose gets extremely faint but stays fresh, meadow after a light shower. Many flowers in spring compete for the favour of bees. Other insects get some too. In the mouth, oak dominates, something about roasted in a sesame coat. Some vanilla pudding with chilli mixed in. Vegan coconut cream topping. The finish shortens, cinnamon nutmeg ginger clove spiciness, just a reminiscence.
"You of all people know it's all about the price." - Fennec Shand

Clynelish 1996 SV, WB: 223662

Old Stories Are Bound To Repeat, They Just Need The Right Person To Tell Them. Mood: buoyant vengeful, Series: Blood Origin. Glasses and colour: I admit I don't have many gifts and talents, I often buy whisky by the appearance. I had great difficulty with this broth, black as night, what to see takes great effort. That's why I choose glasses that are diverse and many, to see what I like the drink in any.

Clynelish 1996

Nose: Immediately after pouring the drink, I have to contort myself, I think, nose to nose, nose to nose, it's going to be hard, I'm going to crawl away by the bard. So I let some time pass, good two hours no fuss. Then I'm in a herb garden, rosemary, sage and other - says the warden, essential oils mix with the alcohol, tingling in my nose is the menthol. I got these smells in the blenders glass, small dried dates in others, less blatant, nothing comes out of the tall glass. Sugar is caramelizing in the pan, a basket with peach, apple and a fir cane, half a banana, the apple is overripe, coconut jumps in, was waiting in the pipe. Mere Tokens Beget Mere Tastes. Mouth: An orgy of herbs and espresso, two grains of salt and muscovado. It tingles, waxes and occupies, everything sticks together, in the mouth flavors get better but weirder. Thought You'd Be Shorter. Still, It's Not Your Fault. Finish: In the first act now the finale, reminds me of Bordelaise Cannales, very dark baked, black caramelized, what remains are numbed lips, paralyzed. The three hours were stormy, I found amazing aromas blimey, but that's not enough for me - I smell and taste a few more rounds, don’t blame me. Mouth after 3h: Strong black coffee heavily sweetened with sugar, feeling an effervescent tablet in the pocket. A spoonful of cough syrup, spinach and holla, now I taste rocket. Finish: This finale starts with mag(g)i(c), soy sauce oily down, rosemary, ribwort wants be shown. Greek mountain herbs and laurel bite on it. Hmmm, unfortunately bitter and shitty to say the least. Waxed up with Campari, quinine, ginseng and cascarilla bark, I feel dark. South goes the story, is there any chance for glory, did I expect too much, we try 2 tsp of water in such. In the nose, umami joins eucalyptus and mint. In the mouth, I taste orange peel and spices, not just a hint.

Now the story does not end here, the next days and nights will bring insight more severe. This malt becomes more intense and powerful with time. It needs attention and rewards more and more, that’s no crime.

But who am I poor lowborn, judging, sometimes it tastes fine or it just doesn't me notching.

'The ignorant are always jealous of anyone with gifts.' - Éile

 91 / 100