„Защо шотландците са кръстили уискито си на нещо толкова неприятно?!“ – би попитал някой. В действителност, значението на „парламент“ в случая е като синоним на ято, или голяма група от животни и е инспирирано от полските врани, които векове наред живят и гнездят в горите около дестилерията на Glendronach. Хората там не са искали да мърсят уискито си с политиката, затова спирам да я намесвам и аз. Какво мога да ви кажа за течността? В България засега съм я виждал единствено в Tobacco bar, откъдето я закупих, за около 200 лв /редакция от юли 2016г: вече се внася официално/. Дестилатът е 21-год /най-младият, възможно е да има и малко по-стар/. Не е студено филтриран и идва при нас в натуралния си цвят, дължащ се единствено на красивите химически процеси на взаимодействие на течността с бъчвата/бъчвите. Алкохолният градус е 48. Всичко до момента сочи само едно – предпоставките за качествено ревю са налице. Трябва ни само качествен ревюиращ. Не разполагаме с такъв, затова ще ви предложа моите бележки, поделени в групи „аромат“, „вкус“ и „финал/ послевкус“.
Оценка: 87-88/100. Цена: между 180 и 190 лв.
Glendronach 21 y.o. „Parliament“ single malt whisky
Parliament – a political institution consisting of representatives of the citizens in the country, directly elected by them and possessing legislative powers. Most definitions of the term „parliament“ sound somewhat like this. And how does my definition sound? „Parliament“ – 21 year old whisky produced by Glendronach distillery, matured in Oloroso and Pedro Ximenez sherry casks, which I’ll gladly present you in the following lines. Not to sound egocentric, but as if my understanding of „parliament“ is more pleasant and tasty. What do you think?
„Why do Scots have named the whisky after something so unpleasant?!“ – someone would ask. In fact, the meaning of „parliament“ in this case is synonymous with a covey or a large group of animals, and was inspired by the rooks that have been living and nesting in the forests around the Glendronach distillery for centuries. The people there didn’t want to pollute the whisky with politics, so I stop talking about it too. What can I tell you about the liquid? In Bulgaria I have seen it only in Tobacco bar, from where I bought it for about 200 lv. The distillate is 21 year old /the youngest, as it is possible to contain and a little older/. Non chill filtered and it comes to us with its natural color, due only to the beautiful chemical processes of interaction between the liquid and the barrel/ barrels. Its alcohol content is 48% by volume. Everything so far indicates only one thing – the prerequisites for a qualitative review are there. We need only a qualitative reviewer. We don’t have one, so I’ll offer you my notes divided into groups „aroma“, „taste“, and „finish/ aftertaste“.
Aroma – El Dorado rum. What I mean? Delicious flavours I met in the 15-year-old rum – dark fruits, vanilla, dried blueberries, apricots, plums, raisins, dark fruit cake, strawberry jam and plum jam. Woody note. With water /I was careful with the water – after all the whisky is old/ – more sherry, brandy, creme brulee, coffee note, honey, the presence of dried fruits increases, as subsequently appeared and caramel. Taste – initially was noticeable dry, then became somehow sweeter. Light piquancy. The liquid triggers salivation, providing hints of honey, sherry and light memory of something toasted. With water – sweetness is enhanced, as well as the piquancy. Gradually, the whisky changes its profile and becomes sweeter /the aging in Pedro Ximenez casks has the word/. Finish – medium length. Soft and velvety aftertaste. Vanilla, cake, light mint – mint chocolate /“After Eight“/, honey. The sweetness, however, is not as strong as I expected. The addition of water strengthen it. Also appeared a taste of pancakes spread with butter and fruit jam /plums, strawberries/, as well as light pepperness. Later I noticed and perceptible caramelized nuts.
Assessment: 87-88/100.
In summary: the whisky is delicious. Typical sherry whisky. In the beginning I was worried that the liquid would be „absorbed“ by this sherry appearance and would remain „locked“. Fortunately this did not happen. How did I proceed? First – after I poured the whisky, I let it breathe for 20-30 minutes. This is an old whisky and it cries for air. And it worked wonders here. I wasn’t in a hurry with the drinking. I paused between the sips. The gentle shaking of the glass dismissed the excessive amount of alcohol and the ambient air filled the Glencairn glass with life-giving forces. And after approximately half an hour of inhaling and sipping, the review was completed. Very often, when tasting quality beverages, we don’t devote them the necessary time. I also catch myself with „violations“ sometimes, and I strive not to force the tasting. After all, this is a liquid that has been closed for a long time in the kingdom of oak barrels and it needs some time to get used to the reality. These are my first impressions. Fortunately I have the whole bottle, which gives me the opportunity for new meetings, and probably new impressions.
Cheers, my friends!
Quality over quantity!
P.S. In the category „Archive“ you can find two of my other reviews on Glendronach products – Glendronach 12 and Glendronach 18 y.o. single malt.