The last chapter of 'Story of Decadence'. I didn’t become a beggar; I
found a new way to make money by selling organs. Did you know that a kidney can
fetch anything from US$50,000 to US$120,000 on the black market? But I'm not an
idiot; instead of buying the new Glengarioch 52 Year Old DeDr, I bought two of
this bottling.
I once asked the tour guide at the Cairn distillery regarding the very old GM bottlings and how GM manages to
bottle such old whisky. He replied that GM matures the whisky in different
types of barrel, including storage and supply barrels. He explained that these
barrels were denser, thicker and more solid than standard whisky barrels. This meant that the loss by the angels' share was very small. The
Glengarioch is beyond my reach anyway. However, the Bunnahabhain paralysed me
when I read 'Canasta', those very aromatic, sweet sherries. Words like
'Canasta', 'Palo Cortado', 'PX', 'Oloroso', 'Amontillado' and 'Manzanilla'
trigger an instinctive search for ways to buy this bottle, so I promised a
Russian oligarch my left kidney and pulled the trigger (jklol).
Nose: Fresh Coriander, dried juniper, very sulphury
sultanas or those dried sulphured apricots. Fireworks and devilish bathing in
hot volcanic pools. In the background, you can smell rum raisins, milk
chocolate, fudge, sticky toffee, Christmas cake, rum-soaked muscovado sugar and
lavender.
Palate: Unfortunately, there is yet another South
American soap opera telenovela with endless seasons. Coriander dominates the
palate, along with dried juniper, cardamom bitten, lavender and various herbs
and spices that taste of soap and perfume. There is also orange zest and
candied orange and lemon peel, as found in some Christmas cakes. Many people
like these sulphury aromas and even long for them. I don't. For me, it is
definitely an off note.
Finish: Unfortunately, it is long and sharp. The
sweetness lingers, though, as does a lot of coriander. My expectations were
high, but Bunnahabhain keeps disappointing me. Of course, this is just my
personal opinion. But, as a great man or woman once said, 'Disappointments are
not meant to destroy you. They are meant to strengthen you and make you
resilient.' But I am still triggered by the above sherry related words and keep making
the same mistakes until I donate my brain.
87/84/86
