DrumsAndBeer
Well-known member
- Joined
- Apr 4, 2012
- Messages
- 6,603
- Reaction score
- 10
Haddo's
9 years old
Charring light is lovely and a forward sweetness hits the tongue along with the undeniable bold perique pepperiness. A tangy wine like flavor is immediately noticeable and intertwines perfectly with Haddo's sweet round bottom note. The beginning bowl shares a somewhat similar flavor profile to Peterson's Irish Oak, however Haddo's is much more refined. In Comparing the two, it soon becomes apparent how important the addition of the brandy is. It deftly softens the smoke, enhances the room note and adds a buoyancy to the chutney like sweetness naturally inherent in the infamous stewed leaf.
The flavors and strength build quite nicely down the bowl. By mid-bowl a slight bitterness comes forth and as the sweetness deepens a harmony is struck that both softens and elevates the spice kick like no other perique forward blend on the market with exception of perhaps Escudo. End bowl flavors are sharp yet symmetrical, intense, briny, complexly layered, voluminous and extremely satisfying.
This is a sweet, stout, spicy mixture. I would call it spirited and I am not just referring to the topping. However having sampled both fresh and aged versions, I can confidently say without any doubt that aging dramatically tames the rowdy acerbity that I experienced in a fresh tin. I think a few years of age pushes Haddo's out of the "For Perique Lover's Only" realm and into that of the piper who enjoys a rich, strong smoke regardless of a mixture's components.
This one of the few blends that has left me feeling pretty woozy. I enjoy it after a good meal and because I eat lightly during the day, I reserve this blend for the evening after dinner.
Obviously a few more tins for the cellar are required. 8)
Thanks to Shane Ireland for plying me with a generous sample of the mixture in its well aged glory.
9 years old
Charring light is lovely and a forward sweetness hits the tongue along with the undeniable bold perique pepperiness. A tangy wine like flavor is immediately noticeable and intertwines perfectly with Haddo's sweet round bottom note. The beginning bowl shares a somewhat similar flavor profile to Peterson's Irish Oak, however Haddo's is much more refined. In Comparing the two, it soon becomes apparent how important the addition of the brandy is. It deftly softens the smoke, enhances the room note and adds a buoyancy to the chutney like sweetness naturally inherent in the infamous stewed leaf.
The flavors and strength build quite nicely down the bowl. By mid-bowl a slight bitterness comes forth and as the sweetness deepens a harmony is struck that both softens and elevates the spice kick like no other perique forward blend on the market with exception of perhaps Escudo. End bowl flavors are sharp yet symmetrical, intense, briny, complexly layered, voluminous and extremely satisfying.
This is a sweet, stout, spicy mixture. I would call it spirited and I am not just referring to the topping. However having sampled both fresh and aged versions, I can confidently say without any doubt that aging dramatically tames the rowdy acerbity that I experienced in a fresh tin. I think a few years of age pushes Haddo's out of the "For Perique Lover's Only" realm and into that of the piper who enjoys a rich, strong smoke regardless of a mixture's components.
This one of the few blends that has left me feeling pretty woozy. I enjoy it after a good meal and because I eat lightly during the day, I reserve this blend for the evening after dinner.
Obviously a few more tins for the cellar are required. 8)
Thanks to Shane Ireland for plying me with a generous sample of the mixture in its well aged glory.