Edition B combines an equal mix of Edition 48A and Edition 48C with a reduction down to 53% ABV. Because reasons.
Nose: Lemon posset, apricot flan and apple compote sit with breezy smoke that’s part coal dust and part lick of medicinal lemon. Damp earth and frosted flakes (sans milk) join sunflower oil whilst freshly baked white bread adds a touch of yeasty quality. Dilution reveals putty and fallen rain together with a less mineral outlook.
Taste: Surprisingly sweet (likely in part from the reduction of cask A!) Orchard and stone fruit salad are drizzled in syrup whilst barbeque briquettes and rock dust sit with a beach fire, electric fire place rocks and a touch of cooling mint. Water doesn’t really work for me here – there’s a real vagueness that quickly develops – along the lines of random smoked fruits. Stick at 53%.
Finish: Medium to long with lingering fruit sugars and rocky touches.
Clever. I enjoyed both casks A+C reduced and here we have both of them combined in that manner – an amalgamation which was always likely to be harmonious. Whilst overall I prefer the purity of Edition A, there’s no denying that the combination of two casks has produced something that stands up in its own right and, when tasted within a triptych offers a clear inside into both cask character and the benefits of ABV reduction. Edition A still edges it for me. But only just.