🥃 Whisky Auctioneer

https://whiskylovingpianist.wordpress.com/2020/11/07/worldly-weekend-whiskies/ The only contact I’ve had with Smogen was in 2014 when Hasse Peters insisted I try a sample from his private cask #1, straight after an astounding Karuizawa pair at TWE Show – for £10! Them were the days. I was further astounded by the Smogen. It was as good as I had read, mostly from Serge. Whatever happened to Hasse? N: Similar to [the neck pour of] Springbank’s 12yo CS in the creamy phenol stakes [report to follow], though in this case, it’s creaminess over phenols. Also like the Springbank, there’s a rubbery boing, though it’s softer and sweeter here with a peaty > slightly fishy [tinned tuna] vibe. Further descriptors include linseed oils, [Serge] dark beers, Demerara sugars, Vitam-R, fennel seeds,… plenty here. T: Rubbery/hammy but not quite a sherry syrup rubberiness, more a toasted/charred winey character followed by a plastic-y film-like mouthfeel. It doesn’t sing freely but settles well, the developing mouthfeel becoming even more ‘interesting’ – think congealed white wine, chalk and U-hu glue with one drop of paraffin. The now sweetish yeasty-ish woody-ish winey gluey mouthfeel remains, as does thickening runny glue and chocolatey winey smoky stuff. F: Settles and sits. I can’t decipher the spirit from the cask, the char from the toasting, nor the wood from the previous contents let alone the yeast or the grain variety – though it all adds up. Plastic-y rubber remains, however. C: A unique offering with standards high. With thanks to Phil.

Creamy-phenolic, baked fruit, berries, smoky metallic notes, dirty rags, earthiness. After the first approach 22-21.5-21-21.5