Party Time!

Not so long ago I noticed that the number of tasting notes was approaching the magic marker of 500. Normally I don't care a lot for markers like this, but it somehow got to me and made me think back and I was a bit amazed must say about hitting this "mark" so "soon". I just started making my first "real" notes a bit over 1,5 years ago? And changed my perception to enjoying whisk(e)y and other spirits so much while doing it, training my nose and palate, trying to learn as much as possible, and write about it. So much fun and still so much more to explore! Thanks all for following and reading my thoughts on it all. 

Wondering about what to do when hitting that mark, what to taste, I just cant let it go by like that cant I...? So, after some thinking and going through the cabinets looking for something of what I did not know I was searching for I found it standing right in front of me. Off course. A sample that was send to us recently of a dram we were wanting to taste for a while now. The General, from the amazing company called Compass Box and creative brain of John Glaser. 

They were nice enough to send us sample of this Blended Scotch Whisky. This was a limited release they put a while back of 1698 bottles at 53,4% not chill-filtered and natural colour. Sounds lovely doesn't it? It was! 

Not only is this my 500th tasting note made here but when doing the math I discovered I probably would be making it around the 23th of November. And that being my birthday, so what a dram and moment, this was going to be it, it was decided. Time to get to work on it, and get you my notes on this beauty.

The nose is at first sweet, spice, very full, very complex, warm fruits and backed apples. Fresh citrus and menthol note in the back, like drinking a fresh mint tea with honey. Just a hint of ginger coming through combined with some sweet liquerish. Vanilla, figs, cherry, dark summer fruits, raisin, maple syrup, buttery, black pepper, aniseed, red apples, celery and wood polish (in a good way)

On the palate the notes of the nose come back beautiful. Aniseed, red apple crunchy mouth feel with a green apple zing byte to it, and some Zeeuwse bolus sweetness of demerara sugar, cinnamon and pastry dough. Spices, wood polish, Christmas cake, creamy, espresso note in the back with dark chocolate and vanilla on the finish. 

The palate and the nose change constantly when coming back to it, and giving it more time, it remains very full and complex, and just releasing more and more delicious notes as I keep going. From a bit dry, sweet and spice feel to a fresh and fruity with in the back citrus/mint freshness feel. And with some more time a hint of good balsamic vinegar on the nose and palate. Just a little bit, pleasantly mixing in with the darker sweet and spicy notes. Giving it almost a light tobacco leaf note to it, keeps going and going. 

The image that came to mind was walking in an old mansion with those enormous stairs with wooden railings polished and shiny. Wooden floors waxed, big paintings on the walls with golden mirrors and chandeliers sparkling from the ceilings, large libraries stretching to the top op the high ceilings filled with books. 

A great complex dram full of different layers and flavours. Giving it an 9 out of 10, and bashing my head into the wall for not having tried harder to get a bottle of this one when it came out. But many many thanks to John Glaser for sharing this one with us! Slainte Mhath!