Last week, when I was invited to participate in an internal event in Remi Martin, the brand thoughtfully inserted a small Easter egg (whisky tasting), which were Buchradi's Airey Barley 2012, Guzo Barley 2012 and Innovative Exploration Boscha Barrel's latest work SC:01 2012. I will not repeat the length of the winery, but directly share the tasting experience.
Let's start with Airey Barley 2012. Buchladi is a brewery that represents a special love of experimentation. This unpeaten is made using only barley grown in Islay. The name and location of the farm are indicated on the label. This whiskey has been aged in American oak barrels and French barrels for 8 years in a straw-like golden color.
Smelling fresh, whiskey fruity, lime peel, ripe apples and already slightly fermented pears. Then comes the rich vanilla flavor, and the fermented flavor turns into a bouquet. A faint herbal scent enveloped it, some notes of hay, grass and fresh alcohol, but it didn't sting.
taste
The whiskey is dry in the mouth. There is hardly any fruity aroma, vanilla is drowned in fresh woody aromas, cardamom and light nutmeg are added, and the coconut aroma is in high proportion to the slightly bitter brown skin between the flesh and peel.
Come to an end
The aroma of dry wine remains in the mouth, with a spicy woody aroma and a slight sandal-dusty smell. The aroma of the ocean beach also emanates from behind.
It is a dry, woody whisky that develops a strong, sour Islay character even without smokiness. You're sitting on the shores of Lake Indal below the brewery, sunny but still wearing a jacket and the scent of backwash wafts from across from the brewery. The wind brings the smell of ripe barley, herbaceous plants blooming above the beach, and wood and kelp stems washed down from the washing joints. A perfect Islay whisky that is still young and fresh.
Let's talk about the 2012 Guzhuo Barley. Guzhuo barley is always a real treat. At the same time, after adding some (different) Bere Barleys to the glass, I'm increasingly convinced – if you know your craft – that it doesn't take more than 10 years of aging to make a truly wonderful whisky. 100% In 2011, Orkney College produced Gudjo barley, which was filled with bourbon barrels and was peat free. Alcohol content 50 proof.
Unlike its two predecessors, the 2012 version of Bere Barley doesn't have to wait for it to "appear" immediately. It starts with a strong smell of plums, rhubarb and strawberries, as well as spring flowers and freshly baked bread. It gives a particularly clean impression without losing personality. Fresh yeast dough with a very faint smell of fresh vanilla.
taste
Here it has the same tone as last year's 2011 version: soft and creamy for the first two or three seconds on the tongue, then immediately crisp with malt, vanilla and grain. Oatmeal cookies with a ball of quince jelly, apricot and peach puree. Fill the entire mouth, not just stick to the tongue.
In a further process delicate spices and fresh oak.
Come to an end
With a medium to long aftertaste, it also has something in common with its previous two predecessors. Always be amazed at how relatively young whisky is made. While the woody dryness that has appeared on the tongue continues to spread, it still manages to retain a small remnant of the original cream and luster.
Finally, the 2022 edition of the Cask Discovery Series SC:01 comes from the former Bourbon barrels and the sherry barrels completed in Sauternes barrels. The golden tone of whisky suits Sauternes to some extent. Distilled in 2012, the peat value is 40ppm, the alcohol content is 55.2 degrees. The three batches of Baubon were filled and aged in different sequences, with Sudai and Shirley kegs being filled and aged in different orders, and finally mixed again.
It is also possible to add a touch of French elegance to the rugged Islay smoke. The whiskey has a strong aroma and can be breathed for a few minutes. Then there was a wonderful mineral smell in the smoke, the sea was far away, and the scent of warm, ripe wheat fields came to the nose. In addition, there are ripe and juicy nectarines whose sweetness is always limited by dry smoke. All this is based on creamy vanilla and slightly caramelized crème brûlée. Sherry has a slightly darker end, which favors the sometimes sticky Sauternes character. Some aspects of the glowing walnut shell vibrate in the smoke.
taste
In terms of taste, you can feel the greasy sweetness of Sauternes more than you actually tasted. This is good because I am bothered by the maturation process of a lot of Sauternes. Here, the greasy taste is wonderfully embedded in the bittersweet smoke. There are tropical fruits roasted over dry fires, sweet mangoes and peaches, sage leaves, and some basil.
Come to an end
The aftertaste is long and constantly evolving. After experiencing a mineralic, dry bitterness, the aroma of dark chocolate unfolds in the mouth.
I don't like Sauternes aging though. They tend to be too sticky and sweet for me. But I love Sudai cask whisky in particular this Port Charlotte, which forms the klomplex under the action of air and a small amount of water and creates an interesting interplay between sweet and sour drying. The smoke is thick, but there is a nice elegance. It was a warm, festive summer night in Islay. Maybe PAC:01 is slightly better. Or maybe it's just because I love wine... It's all great whiskey anyway.
Summary: These products demonstrate the brand's support and respect for the native plants of Airey and the island's economy. The alcohol content of conscience gives more praise to foodies, and the constantly innovative barrel aging skills also give drinking friends more delicious expectations.
