[41.7%・2012・40 Years Old・Original Bottling・Limited Release of 750 Bottles]
Nose:
The rich mahogany note is simply put, heavenly. Finely cut pear cubes dusted with raw dark chocolate, sweet honeydew with a slice of refined pine aroma that ropes in the slightly drier sandalwood note, atop a layer of coastal grassiness.
Palate & Finish:
It leads with fresh stone fruits rounded by a sweet crème caramel note. The saucy nature fascinates as the richness glides through. Ripe tropical characters go hand in hand with the spices as the woodiness sips in and out in a vaguely casual manner. The delivery gets slightly distorted by the tannins that seem to have dried out the earlier flavours a tad too quickly.
The tropical fructose lingers on and in time become more fragrant, a good juxtaposition with the wee salted biscuity maltiness. A faint touch of raisin zing lifts the slight bitterness and transform it into dark chocolate and coffee ground blended together.
Thoughts:
An imperfect dram perhaps as the nose suggests greatness but the delivery falls just a tad short of that. Nevertheless the dram itself is astoundingly complex and to me it’s a well curated 40 year old whisky and therefore should be recognised as just that.
☆ [Recommended]
-Nicholas
WhiskNick 