[48.8%・30 Years Old・Distilled in 1988・Bottled in 2018・Gordon & MacPhail Bottling・Limited Release of 129 Bottles]
Nose:
Quite fascinatingly tropical, dried mangos, dehydrated bananas, passionfruit sauce and can pineapples held together by a rice paper dryness. The dram slowly opens up to aromas of natural barley sweetness. Golden honey drizzled atop of granola and caramelised almonds with just a brush of ginger syrup.
Palate & Finish:
Wonderfully honey driven, with a whole lot of tropical fruits joining in as well, pineapples in particular, spices raining down as the oak cuts in, melting into the malt and bringing a certain umami note to things. An earthy burnt toast note appears on the mid-palate.
There is a return of fruits in the finish, along with an egg tart creaminess, the cereal note goes on, now with some menthol and ginger infused walnut bread.
Thoughts:
Really a clean and pure dram, I really appreciate how cask influence supports the malt.
The dryness from the oak pulls the fruits back and tighten the delivery, for better and for worse.
The juxtaposition of fruitiness and woodiness makes for a really complex experience, close to scoring two stars..
☆ [Recommended]
Cheers to the team at Gordon & MacPhail for the sample, it’s much appreciated.
Photo credit: Gordon & MacPhail
–Nicholas
WhiskNick 