Glentauchers 34 1989 - 2023 HL, WB: 243114

Nose: Citrus family, mango and other exotic tropical fruits. Caramel and marshmallows – mars offal. Candy factory, honey - fir and acacia, at least a reminiscence.

1h: sawmill, 3h: aged grain, grappa, mountain herb schnapps, mulled white wine, calvados. Candyshop. Youth and freshness alternate with dignified and wise. Confusingly complex. The years reverb in the nose with every passing minute. Like an echo from the cask's past.

Mouth 3h: Slate Riesling, green apple, green tea - more like matcha brewed too hot. Herbal teas, sage, camomile and verbena. Nutmeg, dust, Bach flower therapy. Orange pips bitten through.

Finish 4h: very long. Unripe pistachios, allspice, nutmeg, chestnut skin. Some bitter almond oil. Orange peel zest and a few drops of grapefruit juice. I couldn't elicit any further flavour secrets with water.

Expectations were high. The bottom line is that this Glentauchers remains undersized.

"You have greatness in you. Take your hurt, your loss, take your pain, make it into something useful."  - Fisk.

89/100

 

Hazelburn 15 2008 - 2023 WB: 243069

Nose: What if… rancid nuts are forgotten in a bag for months. Mainly pecan. What if… a woman's perfume drips onto marzipan. What if… someone is served Armagnac and plum brandy with a hearty curry dish at a Vietnamese restaurant. Nose 1h: In a parallel universe, cigars are allowed at the table and tobacco is passed around. What. If someone crushes a grapefruit in the process. Nose 2h: In this universe, I smell date syrup and pencil shavings. Cellar mustiness and a pipe that's been left uncleaned for two weeks.

Mouth 2h: What...is that sticky sweetness? Sugar icing on doughnuts. What happens when doughnuts are pureed with Aachener Pflümli and a  mustard. Ginger and hot paprika form the space-time structure. Spicy cinnamon and bitter almonds. Edges and corners. Bulkiness. In a very tight lift, in too tight a suit. Agoraphobia.

Finish: Spicy, burning, sweet, warming, pondering. Some espresso after the sumptuous meal. Ginger. Many impressions and depressing thoughts.

 

"I See You." - Ultron

 

 87 / 100

Meikle Toir One Slam – Chinquapin (Ch), Original (O), Sherry (S), Turbo (T); WB: 239126, 239124, 239125, 239127

Ingvar Ronde writes: Fermentations are long, up to 160 hours, and there have been trials with a 500

hour fermentation! A smaller proportion of the spirit produced is heavily peated with 80ppm phenol specification in the barley.
The website https://meikletoir.com states: In 2018, we began producing peated spirit - a much rarer style for the Speyside region - for several weeks each year. We only produce around 100,000 litres of new-make annually to create our premium small-batch releases. [...] Using premium mainland peat for an oaky, sweet smoke style; a process of extended fermentation, exacting distillation and expert maturation elevates the spirit to its pinnacle. After years of patient slumber, the spirit within each cask must meet the rigorous standards of Billy Walker and his team in order to reach the bottle. [...] Made with mainland peat from St. Fergus, the flavour contribution is sweeter than that anticipated of coastal peat. [...] The bottles look good, but: A suit doesn't make a man. It's what's inside the suit that counts. Therefore only a sample.
Nose 30min:
 O: Dates wrapped in bacon, Black Forest cake, barley sugar, dried apples, cider, sweet stall at the Christmas market, right next to the herb stall, wholemeal bread. Peat? Doesn't ball around, at least.
Ch: vanilla ice cream, left standing. Very restrained, shy and unpeaty.
Sh: Rice pudding with cherries. Crème brûlée, restrained smoke, yeast dumplings with icing sugar and red fruit jelly.
T: Muff, moss, sweat, sour milk, leather and tobacco. Ribwort cough syrup. Musty, Mordor smell. Tipped red wine, blood orange.
Mouth:
O: Sugar water, round, sage, some umami, encourages smacking, pleasant bitterness.
Ch: Citrus notes, sticky sweet, lemongrass, a bit out of round, smoke and sweetness and duel.
S: Sweet apple juice with herbal sweets, eucalyptic, oily, mouthcoating.
T: Malty, vitamin malt, nice peat. Coconut, ricola, herbal tea.

Finish:
O: Coffee, cocoa powder, little peat.
Ch: Spicy, smoky, maritime, vanilla, dry finish.
Sh: Sweet, strong coffee, herbaceous.
T: Longer than expected, warming, herbal note, ribwort, coconut.
Turbo quick comparison...
Octomore 13.2: The Octomore is overall more balanced and exciting, despite/because of the higher peat and alcohol content.
Ardbeg Smoke Trails: The Smoketrails remains boring, sorry.
'Sometimes the things we seek in life are right in front of us the whole time.' - Winston Scott

O: 87/100 Ch: 87/100 Sh: 88/100 T: 88/100