Mini SBT 2014/September from Oshima Sample B

Unpublished entries from the regular Mini SBT sessions with Oshima, a malt friend. Following up on the previous one, this is Sample B. (Contents below are based on blind tasting.) ・Mini SBT 2014/September from Oshima Sample B Aroma has a youthful, strong barley note, citrus, vanilla, slightly oily, savory bread, faint wax, the cask is not strong and complexity is moderate. When tasted, it surprisingly has a smooth mouthfeel with slight viscosity, apricot, faint pineapple, rich barley sweetness, soft honeyed sweetness, slightly briny, a touch of peat, plain cask character. 【Good/Very Good】 Despite the youthful aroma, the stimulation is low when drinking. It might be a watered-down type. Over time, a slight tropical note emerged. It's a plain type that doesn't get boring, one of my favorite styles. However, predicting the distillery is difficult. Distilled in the mid to late 90s, matured for around 15-20 years in a plain cask. Probably around 46% ABV after dilution. Selected based on the ability to enjoy rich barley flavor despite a plain cask character. However, considering the lack of oiliness and subtle tropical/peat notes, it's hard to say it fits perfectly. ・Prediction 1. Pulteney 2. Balblair 3. Clynelish I sent the tasting notes and predictions via email. The correct answer is... Glenmorangie 1993-2003 10yo OB Mount Everest The official bottling of Glenmorangie, Mount Everest. It was bottled in 2003 from a cask distilled in 1993. This bottle was gifted to Rebecca Stevens, the first British woman to summit Everest, in 1993. A very rare bottle. Unlike the usual vibrant bourbon cask character of Glenmorangie, this had a plain cask character with a rustic flavor, which was very impressive. Considering the bottling context (a freshly filled cask), it's different from the usual process where Glenmorangie selects casks from matured stock for single malts. This bottle was previously shared by Oshima during a gathering of malt friends. At that time, it received a negative evaluation for being plain and lacking maturity. I also thought the same. However, it's said that over time, its flavor became more enjoyable, hence this blind tasting. Indeed, it was completely different from that time. The previous evaluation was 'Bad' after all. This time, there were unexpected discoveries as well. The three predicted distilleries are all North Highland malts. While I thought Glenmorangie was unique for its vibrant character among the plain North Highland malts, it seems that in the original spirit stage, it wasn't so. Through this tasting, I clearly felt the North Highland malt character of Glenmorangie through a plain cask. Conversely, I realized that my perception of Glenmorangie's character is largely derived from the cask. Thank you, Oshima, for this valuable experience.