SAMAROLI 2011 Glen Garioch - 45%

We are faced with a spirit of harmonious complexity–it satisfies us, inebriates us, involves us. It strikes a nostalgic note, as it makes us want to return to a time when we were unafraid–a time when we were unafraid of time itself. The golden ages always seem too short, the dark years far too long…. A painting thrown in like a drawing of a child who transports us, young and in the fervor of strength -1920s New York. Adorned in elegant clothes, riding in a beautiful car driven by a chauffeur, we come to a stop. His cuffs emerge just-so, as everything in this world seems tailor-fit. We step out into the lively streets, walking in lockstep, as if gliding between the notes from the hi-hats. Entering a parlour, we spy a mysterious door in the corner that leads… who knows where? Time seems a non-factor, as it slips away quickly, imparting us all with lasting memories–for this evening could be our entire lifetime for all that we care. The night is full, and behind every door a mystery that beckons us. Sensations, feelings, passions that, years later, now fill our eyes when we whisper the phrase “once upon a time…” On the nose it reveals itself only modestly. This spirit reserves itself for those who possess patience and have the need to wait. It is suggestive… yes. That is, of course, because waiting is often needed. Our delayed satisfaction begins to pay off, for its aromas begin to unfold. The wood of the handmade bar, the ceilings impregnated with tobacco smoke emerge in full force. But, as we peek behind the curtain, the delicate passageway to mentholated and almost-metallic tones support the structure of this malt. In the mouth, the spirit unfolds, for we are behind the curtain now, and away from the more-raucous parlor entrance. Notes of cumin, cinnamon and cardamom begin to almost cuddle us with their enticing offerings. Then opens the juicy heart of cedar and sandalwood, but as they emerge, they close with more precious woody notes that remind us of our earlier entrance.

What have you been doing all these years? I’ve been going to bed early. (Once Upon a Time in America – 1984)