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| Hi, this is one of our (almost) daily tastings. Santé! |
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April 23, 2020 |
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The Confined Sessions
Day 37
Pachydermic (kind of) Benriach to make amend |
We did a wee Benriach session the other week that’s been a little, say inconclusive. Today we’ll go for it again, and do this quickly and fastly. |
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Benriach 9 yo 2010/2019 (62.4%, James Eadie, Paolo Cortado finish) 
You do remember what Palo Cortado is, don’t you! Indeed, it’s situated kind of between a fino and an oloroso. Excuse me? Indeed, not unlike an amontillado, but a palo cortado went further towards an oloroso. So it's more oxidative than an amontllado, if you will. They don’t make much palo cortado anyway, I’m even surprised they make some for seasoning ‘sherry casks’. Colour: gold. Nose: crikey, don’t they really know how to make these at James Eadie’s? Wonderful metallic, chalky, mustardy, walnutty style. There’s even what we always just adore, olives! Someone should try to distil olives one day. With water: gentle vanilla and brioche dough joining the dance. Mouth (neat): ueber-modern, hyper-extractive style, bursting with oak spices, bitterish herbs (thyme, rosemary, tarragon) and roasted nuts. With water: café latte, Thai soup, oude geneever (aged). Not sure the distillate has got anything to say in this context, and indeed this could be just any young Speysider including The Mac, but I like this rather brutal style that just would not bother with nuances. Finish: long. Spiced coffee, anyone? Comments: a crazy concoction for sure. I’m sure you could use it as an alternative to garam masala.
SGP:372 - 82 points. |
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Benriach-Glenlivet 11 yo 2008/2020 (55.9%, Cadenhead, Sherry Cask, sherry hogshead, 270 bottles) 
I believe young Benriach needs some very active wood indeed. Colour: mahogany. Nose: there, tamarind jam, caramel, putty, a drop of paint thinner, certainly some marzipan, model glue, new sneakers, dried mushrooms, burnt sugar, new leatherette, coffee liqueur, tar, new Macintosh, new Renault, new Ford, new BMW (I think we got a good grasp of your general idea, S.) … What a joyous carnival of petroly aromas! With water: gets gentle as sheep, bizarrely. Twix and Golden Grahams. Mouth (neat): LOL, and I mean, really, LOL. Heavy varnish, heavy glue, plastics, tar, prune concentrate, plywood, molasses… Watch your tongue! With water: very good, gentler indeed, very cake-y, with touches of soy sauce in the back of the background. Finish: long and all on real chocolate. Comments: rather love this little monster of a sherry monster (de la muerte). Cellar it for… like 30 years, for post-Covid generations! It reminds me a bit of the early Glenfarclas 105s. Well done on all accounts Cadenhead, now we’re talking. But don’t forget to add water.
SGP:571 - 88 points. |
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