Cask No. 37.104

Cask No. 37.104

Admiring art from an old leather armchair

Speyside, Spey

We sat back in the old Chesterfield armchair to behold the masterpiece as the worn leather formed around us in comforting warmth. The painting before us was rich in oil colours, a vibrant scene depicting an orchard during harvest time. The ripe apples and pears were so vividly portrayed that we could smell stewed orchard fruits and even apple pie crusted with Demerara sugar. The heavy picture frame and solid oak furniture around us reeked of antique, like opening a century old bottle of Armagnac with thick dust and a crumbling cork. The fruit flavours spiralled into complexity, twirling through heavily oaked chardonnay and overripe pineapple before morphing into apricot jam and lemon meringue pie. Sweet nuts lifted from the canvas as hazelnut praline and marzipan swayed into the soft and gentle spice of cinnamon buns and crystalised ginger. After spending 29 years in an ex-bourbon hogshead this was transferred to a 1st fill PX hogshead for the remainder of its maturation.