15 June 2015

14/06/2015 One imperial dram

One dram to celebrate those who recently became citizens of the British "Empire" and those who turned 37 today. You know who you are.
How could we kill the two birds with just one stone, though? With this, perhaps.

Imperial 37yo 1977/2015 (53.5%, Cadenhead Single Cask, Bourbon Hogshead, 204b): this one flew off the shelf even faster than any other before it from this esteemed bottler. Expect to see it soon at auction at inflated prices. Nose: Virginia tobacco, cold wood stove (cold ashes from wood fire), prunes, dried apricots, a wooden dashboard (polished walnut), a bucket of soot in an adjacent room, even roasted barley. After the first sip, juicy fruits timidly emerge (peaches, ripe apples, quince jelly) and still a pouch of Virginia tobacco. Cold tea makes a late appearance as well. Mouth: lively and youthful as a Kawasaki Ninja 250R (a 1984 motorcycle). Some honey? No! Raspberry jam and orange marmalade, green chilli heat. It is coating and velvety, bar that green-chilli heat. Everything is so well-blended that I am finding it difficult to detect specific flavours. Finish: long and warming, with hot cocoa and a spoonful of honey, hot toddy-style. Once more, the individual characteristics are so tightly woven together it is hard to tell them apart. Good whisky. Cannot help but wonder if it should have been bottled sooner. I feel this cannot decide whether it wants to be catchy (fruit) or austere (ash). It should be right up my alley, yet simply leaves me puzzled. I was expecting more from this. It is good, not blinding. We will see what further tastings give. For now, it is 8/10

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