Someone's ( bonkers maybe ?) appraisal of this particular distillation……
Enjoy the HP Sauce CFH.
One of these famous malts that make us lesser mortals tremble. Batches #11 and 15 have been my favourites so far, let’s see if #20 will join them in the pantheon.
Colour: deep amber with brownish/orangey hues.
Nose: oloroso galore! Very big notes of raisins, chocolate, prunes, cherry liqueur, cloves… All that is nicely dry and even a tad smoky but that may well come from the alcohol. With water: it gets a bit more herbal and slightly wild as well as meatier. Is that English brown sauce?
Mouth (neat): very powerful of course but not undrinkable, quite astonishingly. Big sherry, big raisins, hints of mint and chlorophyll, litres of kirsch (just like when you put your nose over a demijohn)… But let’s not tempt fate – so, with water: gets more herbal again, with notes of thyme and rosemary, sage, bay leaves… Also quite maltier and even a little smoky. Finish: long, coating, elegant (yes) and spicier (pepper and ginger). Shoo, to the pantheon!
