SMWS 35.34 - Moroccan tea-room masculinity

A 13 year old Glen Moray from a "designer" new charred oak cask. It is a dark reddy-gold in colour and has a rather low viscosity in the glass.

Without water, there is a lot of alcohol on the nose. So much that I almost recoiled on the first breath, although this is to be expected at 55%ABV. There are aromas of nuts (unsalted peanuts?), soft toffee and molasses. There is a dry woodiness with undertones of spices; pepper and corriander seed, perhaps. I smell the (vanilla ice cream/lemonade) ice cream float I made at Christmas as a child along with clotted cream and Pepsi Raw.

With the addition of water, it softens up becoming much more floral and fruity. There is still cream on the nose, but there is also 'silver fox' shisha (apple, liquorice, smoke and tobacco) with sandlewood and cola nut. Milk chocolate and Turkish delight (rosewater) linger at the end.

There is a strong sweetness on the palate before the flavours come through, but when they do there are loads of them. Black coffee with lots of sugar and a heavy oak are the main players with ash and treacle on the side. Garam masala and salt beef are hiding in the back with floral perfume, flour and a hint of cloves. There is pipe tobacco and leather with a little pepper and all of this is finished off with a long lemon drizzle cake and single cream left behind.

On reduction, the citrus notes become less sharp and fade into apples and clementines. The dryness remains along with the wood and cloves, but there are also grapes (chardonnay wine?), candied peanuts and butterscotch.

Before reducing with water, it is very fluid, initially causing a coldness in the mouth which warms through and leaves behind a dry woody feeling with a long buttery, lemony flavour. The finish is very, very long. Adding water removes the heat changes in the mouth, but the mouth and finish are much the same.

In essence, this is the most complex and impressive Glen Moray I have ever experienced and only hope that The Society does more like this in future. One bottle will never be enough.