Serge Valentin remarked to Angus MacRaild, “You really are a sponge!” as he finished off the last drops of a Château Haut-Brion 1986 during a meal held at his home in Alsace. And so an idea was born, with Angus deciding to use the pseudonym Whisky Sponge for his blog dedicated to spirits and the concept as an emblem for his bottlings. The recurring motif is found on labels such as the Cognac Sponge, Armagnac Sponge and Rum Sponge, including this 15 year old from the Jamaican distillery Monymusk. Distilled in pot stills, it reveals an incredibly fresh expression. | |
VOL |
70cl |
ABV |
63% |
Nose: rich, deep. The medicinal first nose (talc, aspirin) is also exotic (banana, very ripe pineapple) and powdery (cocoa, semolina grain). Allowed to breathe, the aroma palette reveals smooth notes of dark chocolate, liquorice and polish (wax, Emery cloth). Remarkably wellintegrated fragrances of incense and sandalwood gradually appear. Palate: lively, precise. The floral (lily, vetiver), fruity (banana, walnut, pineapple) and slightly tarry (asphalt) attack is like chewing on liquorice stick. The mid-palate returns to the magnificent notes of antique wood found on the aroma palette. At the end of the palate, aromatic plants (bay leaf, sage), vanilla pod and courgette flowers form a jarring ensemble. Overall: long, serene. The waxy, praline and liquorice start of the finish is just as deliciously syrupy (cane sugar) and mentholated. Notes of pipe tobacco then fragrance a very mineral end to the finish (coal, pencil lead). The retro-nasal olfaction is spicy (star anise), resinous (incense) and herbaceous (cut hay). The invigorating empty glass is a subtle mix of tar and very ripe fruits. |