Springbank eat, sleep, dram, repeat tour was absolutely worth the journey and the price. For those of you considering the adventure, here are some tips.
The last few years Armagnac has experienced a small renaissance. The traditional single producer rustic brandy has struck a chord with connoisseurs. At the start..
SMWS 26.151 – Fragrance clings to the hand that gives flowers – Clynelish 26yo 47.3%
Let’s do a SMWS Clynelish tasting! I’ve had very little Clynelish and have heard wonderful things about this bottle. Nose Tangerine, peach/apricot cobbler, honeysuckle, jasmine,..
Nose: Intensely garden patch, violet, green wood, green bell pepper, cedar
Palate: did not expect elegance. such a delightful blend of violets and wood, the mouth feel is velvety and syrupy. Roasted bell peppers and fresh fish on a cedar plank. Quickly sauteed mushroom with browned butter, and coffee grounds. Finish is long and full of leather, coffee, and the lingering violets.
Rating: 7 (Ryan) 6 (Shane) / 10 – Ryan loves the interplay between the floralness and the deep wood character. I acknowledge the beauty of the dram that way I often look at a super model and can see how she is beautiful, but wouldn’t want to marry her.
Glendronach 19 Year 1993 Oloroso Sherry Butt #467 58.1% for Taiwan Exclusive
Nose: cantaloupe, fig newton, ginger miso fried noodles, pickled hearing or anchovies, pencil shavings, sidenote, its harsh on the nose on the initial pour but after 5 minutes calms down and becomes jammy
Palate: We’ve been cooking for each other in my spanish class. Dishes from home. Julie made chocolate cake. Lisa who sits next to her made a russian salad with mashed potatoes, sweet beets, stewed onions and pickled herring. It was gloriously weird and I couldn’t decide if I loved it or hated it, but it 100% was not boring. Like this pour. The lead vibe. The braggs’ amino acids and black tea kombucha concentrate. Chewing on violets. Chicory – not quite coffee, not quite chocolate, just wishes it were both. It both bitter and it offers a sweet, woody, and intense flavor profile reminiscent of nutty, fire-toasted marshmallows with a strong,, dark, and molasses-like finish.
Rating: 5 (Ryan) 6 (Shane) / 10 – Ryan would only accept a pour from me, but not from you or anyone else. And only from me through peer pressure. I on the other hand wish ryan would gift me his bottle, because I wouldn’t pay for one, but I’d gladly drink it.
Palate: Indian spice ball blend, interesting and fun; cardamom, dijon mustard, cinnamon, turmeric, cedar chips, pickling spices: allspice, coriander, bay leaves. Unrefined maple syrup.
Rating: 7 / 10 – Been fasting. Doing bloodwork tomorrow. Perhaps the tasting was unwise. But damn this good. So there is that. What is crazy is how different this is from the 50% release a couple years prior. Both lovely, but this rocks. Its gets better with time in the glass.
Nose: cherry cola bbq sauce, which if you haven’t made it, now belongs at the top of your bucket list. It a tough debate which is better Vs Dr Pepper sauce. But with ribs, the real secret is the balance between your rub and the sauce. The best rubs are brown sugar, celery salt, powdered mustard, paprika and used coffee grounds. And this pour somehow pulls in elements which bring me back. Hands down the best rib combo you’ll ever brew. Deep earth sweetness, talking RJs raspberry licorice. Which has nothing to do with any anise derivatives, just a good old earthy fruit chew.
Palate: This is much better than I was expecting. But as buddhist scripture says expectation is the root of all suffering. And I am not suffering in the slightest, take that optimists. Dang, wish I had a bigger sample. Rasberry was truly on point. Espresso gin and tonic. Little takes me back to grandpas pipe tobacco and scratchy wool sweaters. Gamey biltong with a touch of smoke. Dark chocolate with seasalt. Sojourn continues his deep obsession with Acai. An obsession I dont mind in abstract, but in practice its a pricey addiction.
Rating: 7 / 10 – This is actually quite lovely. I was expecting a mass blended and bitter brew after my disappointment with the 2022 PX release. Instead I found a nice classic springbank dna with great fruitiness and earthiness that palo cortado brings to the table. I do wish I could try it at 16 years, to see how it continues to evolve. At market price this is an easy call. Secondary pricey are silly thought and for what I see people asking (beacause I checked) I’ll take a 1993 glendronach any day.
Glendronach 1993 19 Year Oloroso Sherry Butt #542 60.3%
Nose: grape tootsie pop right after crunching into the middle, stone fruits, vanilla, raisin nut bran, over ripe fig, oatmeal raisin cookies, pfeffernusse
Palate: apricot black tea with an intense tannin bite, raisins, black peppercorn, bergamot, tobacco leaf, intensity 11 heavy roast espresso, black forest cherry, quite syrupy on the mouthfeel
Rating: 6 (Ryan) / 8 (Shane) 10 – the first sip is potent and dark bitterness, but then the rich syrupy fruit explodes and the pairing is pretty glorious for me. Ryan says its too bitter.
