We need to inform you in advance: this review will be very long. Apologizing already to our twenty-six readers, we promise to be quick in the introduction: and so, today we taste one of the most beautiful bottles we put our hands on, a Tobermory of 1972 (magic year of whisky, according to Serge) bottled in 1995 by the Italian bottler Moon Import (Pepi Mongiardino) in the series ‘De viris illustribus’. The label is magnificent, and on the other hand, Moon Import, with its series of five/six bottles united by consistency of label, has imposed since the 80s / 90s a model of style, now much imitated (think of the brave Germans of Whisky Agency, for example): to demonstrate once again that the Italians, in terms of taste, have no rivals. Let’s taste a historic bottle, because a few years ago it earned a great vote on whiskyfun: and being Tobermory a distillery not properly listed among the experts, the thing has meant that the few bottles left in circulation have disappeared immediately, and at a high price. We must thank Giuseppe of Milano Whisky Festival, who opened a bottle at the last Ospitaletto meeting. So: thank you, Giuseppe!
N: easy to understand why this bottle is in the myth: it puts you to the test and almost challenges you to enter its protean world. On a general level, the main pattern is of extremely fruity and ‘sweet’ whisky, but this theme, already varied, intense and smooth, is embellished and raised to unusual levels by a ‘dirty’, peaty and spicy tip, truly exceptional. Everything is together, but we go in order: as said there’s a nice fruit basket, intense and juicy (apricot, peach, red apple; dried figs), but we also find jams, maple syrup, brioche and a great honey. Then the peat, which takes the form of a slight hint of smoke mixed with an earthy, black pepper, embers ashes; then more wax (both candle and beeswax), which overall seems to lead almost to farmy (it seems to smell a wheat field …). Finally, a wooden one, with spicy and herbaceous tips (dried mint and eucalyptus; cinnamon?). In short, a sensational nose: unfortunately the writing prevents us from delivering properly the idea of the nervous but harmonic simultaneity of all these suggestions…
P: here too, let’s start with a general description, because the particularity requires it. The entrance is ultra-discreet, even in the body, and highlights the malt, still very cerealy and – unexpectedly – very lemony; from the beginning an earthy, smoked and peppery peat. Excellent, but one question: where did everything else end up? The answer, a few moments later; just by swallowing, the whole fruity side explodes again, and continues to pulsate for seconds, almost like a toothache: again avalanche of yellow fruit, lots of honey, while the raids of a pepper rarely so bright but at the same time so integrated and not disturbing: exactly like peat and spicy wood (again cinnamon, mint, eucalyptus). Smoking on the rise, which…
F: …takes the scene definitively in an orgasmic and infinite ending, between generous handfuls of pepper and riots of a malt from the past (?).
We don’t know if we should spend more words; maybe the only thing that needs to be repeated is that it is an extremely multifaceted, affable and nervous malt, austere and soft, intense and drinkable. It reminds us of the profile of certain Brora, and with this we have said it all; ah no, the vote is missing: 95/100, and for today let us close in a respectful silence.
Recommended soundtrack: Traffic – Glad.
