Glenrothes 8 Gordon & MacPhail “the wood makes the whisky”

Tasting notes: 
As Glenrothii normally go, this one really doesn’t. It’s the silk pajama pants designer in a family of barristers. There are hints of woodiness, but not too much, and it’s sweet, like a cherrywood straightjacket in a friendly dominatrix’s dojo. At times, we detected the classic Glenro beef stew note, but it was always enrobed in hard candy, rendering the overall effect one of prunes sprinkled with stardust. It’s the movie Big turned on its head: an overweight middle-aged stock broker rekindles his inner child after a fortune teller machine grants his wish “to be little” by turning him into an 8 year-old.

The mouth is unique. Imagine a skein of geese in flight. What does that taste like, you ask? VICTORY, that’s what! (I don’t even know what that means, but it’s accurate.) It’s savory, and there’s a note that reminds me of watching a quail take flight from your reedy redoubt. What does that taste like, you ask? Well, it’s like that time when I was out hunting with Antonin Scalia, and I used a reed to get something out from between my teeth. Afterwards, I said it tasted a little reedy. He said, “What the hell does that mean?” And I replied, “A little reedy. That means it’s a little reedy. Geez, I would’ve thought you of all people wouldn’t be so apt to over-interpret.” Then Dick Cheney came out from behind a tree and shot me. Anyway, we also found a couple of notes of youth and uncomplicatedness, that played more as vigor and straightforwardness. It’s also a bit thin in terms of mouthfeel.

The finish is quite attractive and strong, even if it doesn’t modulate much once you get there. There’s lemon and hints of chalk eraser that belie its utter smoothness. A little water releases the beef burgundy note like a last minute comeback in a championship match. MacPhail for the MacWin.

Rating:

 
 
 
–Our thanks to Gordon & MacPhail for the sample!