Banff 40 Years Old 175TH ANNIVERSARY YEAR 2017 51.2% 1976

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Serge Valentin (92)

Yeah, and? Colour: gold.

Nose: it’s a well-known fact that Banff is growing on you. It was never an obvious dram, and apart from some Rare Malts, there’s never been any OBs if I’m not mistaken. Plus, people rather remember that the distillery was destroyed several times, both by fires and by the Luftwaffe. Now this one’s full of Banffness, with two opposite sides that manage to meet on your nose, metal polishes and engines oils on the one side, and mangos on the other side. Are you following me? There’s also some fern, then mosses, humus, mushrooms, and a kind of medicinal chalk – or rather some kind of embrocations. I’d rather say that it’s an intellectual dram. With water: manure-y herbs! We’re in the countryside.

Mouth (neat): this is massively fruity, while the oak’s shooting spices as if there was no tomorrow. Green curry, turmeric, white pepper, ginger… That creates a whirlwind of flavours that sometimes meet, and sometimes don’t, which leads to a funny, and pretty lovely feeling of having several whiskies at the same time. No dissonances though, it just works, I couldn’t tell you why or how. With water: huge! Same feeling of free whisky as in free jazz, with nothing quite in sync, and yet it’s a whole. Herbs, grasses, green tea… The oak sure is having its say.

Finish: long.

Comments: harmolodics in whisky? This is un-scorable, and some good folks might hate it – while others will just love it. The Ornette of whisky. Still, let’s try to score it (with humility and restraint)…