Side by side tasting notes 02.2, 02.1, MP6 #0022
first of all, sorry for the long text. I have taken the tasting specifically to compare all 3 different maturations of the same distillate and posting them separately without the comparative notes would somehow diminish the intended impact and value.
Freshly opened:
Nose:
02.2 has the most earthy nose of the three, with very apparent red fruit (mostly strawberries)
02.1 a bit sharper - the same earthy note, but with citrus, pear and a small bit of vanilla scent, combining in something like a animal-like smell on the back of the nose
0022 the most restrained, almost no feeling of peat on the nose, the ribeira del duero gives only soft caramel smell with some gentle wood notes (sandalwood?), slight hint of sulphur? sawdust
Palate:
02.2 amazing strawberry pie sprinkled with fresh earth which hosted a fire. "Hell yeah" is an understatement. This is definitely my dram.
02.1 actually more fruit on palate than on the nose. Pear with citrus zest, the smoke attack soon enough, then lingering honey with sweet grapefruit
0022 quick heated mouth coating, salivating - wood from the start, but not bitter, slightly astringent
second sip gives less heat and more sweeter notes from he wood. sour cherries perhaps?
dark caramel or coffee, not burnt. tannins from wood, still not really bitter. the sweet, yet older wood stays on the tongue for a long time
Repeat after letting it breathe in glass for 40 minutes:
02.2 strawberries take the front, together with some darker sweet fruit, perhaps plums? sweet oak appears, earth/peat settles to the background.
02.1 pear and grapes on the front , but the earth (and peat smoke) weaves around them and interacts.
0022 more wood and sawdust on the nose, with sugar topping (for real, still not that drunk:-)
With a few drops of water:
Nose:
02.2 strawberry mixing with a suddenly appeared waxed wood note - like table in a victorian study room. cigar smoke just lightly lingers on old draperies
02.1 additional grassy or heathery note, with soft honey
0022 additionally some fruit also coming out, grapes? mirabelle plums? peat gets back, more earthy then initial. burnt match sulphur remains as undertone, bud not in a bad way. complements the rest
Palate:
02.2 even on palate the wood is coming out, in quite a settled way, not killing the red fruit (fresh strawberries not that apparent now - looks like they got pickled in the meantime;-). All the parts intertwine nicely, peat, fruit, wood. Amazing balance. On finish the fruit leaves first, wood remains with ash and slight sweetness
02.1 settled down really well, candied lemon peel with added sweet citrus (not precisely identifiable). The most fresh feeling of the 3 after more than an hour in the glass. The grass stays on the nose, perhaps a bit of rosemary on the palate. The finish is shorter but the earth comes out again and supports the sweet lemon peel. Together they taste almost waxy.
0022 sweetness comes out now, sweet sugary wood with grapes and a bit of caramel (not salty) topping linger on tongue forever. Unfortunately a slight bitterness comes back into play here, which, for me, spoils it a bit (but that might be just the mood-of-the-moment thing)