Albion 1986 - Full Proof Demerara - 25 y/o - Velier - 60,6%
Photo taken on the streets of Stuttgart
While many ornithologists were lately busy chasing Jamaican birds, we focused on the animal species Unicornis - patiently and quietly laid in wait in the undergrowth for months in hope for the prey to walk right into our trap. The label states distillation on a Coffey Still. Rumour has it that the wooden Port Mourant Stills were involved. Flavourwise we doubt that somehow, but more of this later.
Nose
There's a starman waiting in the sky. He'd like to come and meet us, but he thinks he'd blow our minds! The first contact hovers you up, makes you smashing David Bowie hits and opens a whole galaxy of aromas in your mind. Liquorice plays with deep fermented molasses, while gentle smoke and rubber envelop the scene like fog. Dried Mangos, sour cherries and a whole pack of tonka beans, macadamia nuts, mentholated chocolate and fresh cut branches. The bouquet is so deep and complex and the scents so filigree that it needs time to decipher everything. Time that we have. After a while the aforementioned notes subside and make room for lovely glues and noble woods. We can't help but think of a connection with LBI, Uitvlugt 1988 and Skeldon 1978.
Palate
Liquid stardust in your face! An intense sweetness, a slight sourness and a pleasant bitterness are wrangling for attention. The body is so heavy, thick and mellow like oil. And no sharpness at all. Flavourwise we get strong liquorice and tamarrind paste, cola and caramell drops, fermented mint tea, some drops of perfume and the darkest chocolate you can imagine. Surreal stuff. Again we evoke everything we know from the French Savalle Still (which is a coffey still, too) and must assume that it fits.
Finish
Count in lightyears. Seriously, the whole palate is coated in liquorice and 99% Cocoa chocolate for hours. And believe it or not, we're getting chicory and hops, which is giving it an astonishing freshness, bitterness and austerity. T.E.R.R.I.F.I.C.
Rating
We'd do anything to find out how Mr. Persaud achieved to recreate these old Demerara marks and we pray that DDL starts doing such stuff again. The more we try, the more we must acknowledge that those old Velier bottlings are galactic, formed a league of their own within the spirits world and must be mentioned at least in the same breath as old Karuizawas, Macallans, Broras and so forth. In our book, Albion 1986 is on the same rank as LBI 1998 and close behind Uitvlugt 1988, but that's splitting hairs.
