Review #33: Caperdonich 1992/2012, Berry Bros., 55.9%, Cask #121122

the cask number looks fake to me

Anyway, this is Caperdonich, the ugly stepchild of Glen Grant that had its brief moment of glory around 1972 and then became a housing block or something. Cool name, though -- it's the water source.

Nose: not much at all. Some unripe pears and apples, and a surprising amount of smoke. Maybe some crushed leaves and a bit of pepper. Mostly smells light and young, but after a while some cranberries and then some riper, more tropical fruit emerges, but faintly.

Palate is sweet and salty. Odd. Starts off on a mouthful of pear (as in: one big one, soaked in alcohol and then stuffed in your mouth), then moves to an interestingly spicy vanilla custard. The smoke and some oak tannins pop back in occasionally, but it's spicy vanilla on the finish.

This isn't bad, but it's a strange mix of young (pear, smoke, alcohol burn) and old (the riper fruit and the oak). Sort of Decades-like in that way, but it doesn't quite work for me.

score: 82


update: the finish is actually really, really good, in a rich fruit pastry kind of way. but how many points can you give to a whisky that you like best once it's gone?

Review #26: Namring Estate (Darjeeling) FTGFOP1 and Imperial 1995/2013, 46%, Berry Bros. Cask #50348

I have a lot of work to do but I don't want to do it.

Namring FTGFOP1.

This is an older harvest -- I lost track of it but it was in a sealed bag, and it still seems fresh. In fact, it's very aromatic, even before steeping it. (This is a very tippy batch.) All sorts of sweet and spicy potpourri notes plus some orchard fruit (esp. peaches). On the palate it's medium-bodied. It has a nice tannic structure, with dried herbs and peaches against crushed autumn leaves. It doesn't have the extravagant fruit that some first flush darjeelings have, but it does have a nice weight and a very rich fruit profile. I wish I could pick out some individual components of the potpourri nose. Maybe if I go spend some time sniffing around the spice rack -- but I'll leave that for a day when I'm really power-procrastinating.

very good stuff! and not so pricey. highly recommended.


Imperial 1995/2013 BBR C#50348

This is Imperial, which is a dead and gone Speyside distillery, but like many dead things (e.g., the Cleveland Browns) it has the possibility of being reborn. (Of course, only the name, which is the worst part, would continue.) In any case, there have been a lot of indy bottlings of late, as if to mock us over its nonexistence.

Very nice combination of a youthful and powerful Granny Smith apple nose with some older creme fraiche, white chocolate and floral notes. Lanolin, some sharp grassiness, sawn oak, and just a bit of canned pineapple. Apple vs. creamy/floral is really an intriguing contrast.

It's softer and oilier on the palate than I expected, with some (good) yeasty bread flavors joining the party. The oak speaks up a little, but softly. It's all good. I can't decide about the finish -- it's long but the sweet flavors don't fare well against some sourness from the apples and oak. But I do like this -- it's youthful and profound at the same time.

score: 86