[60.9%・Distilled in 2000・Bottled in 2013・13 Years Old ・Ichiro’s Malt Bottling・Cask No. 959・Single Cask Release of 303 Bottles]
Nose:
Mildly earthy with late harvest grapes, deep floral notes dispersing with elegance along with a suggestion of smoke and ash, brush of umami note developing in time.
Palate & Finish:
A concentrated sweetness from the grapes and seasoned with sea salt, a grounded brush of malt and vanilla with a shortbread biscuit note giving a chewiness and leading to the dram’s floral side.
A mild but elongated acidity from the grapes amidst the extensive sweetness with a warming, malty aftertaste.
Thoughts:
I believe this is a vatting of hogsheads finished in a Cognac cask.
The wee suggestion of earthiness really elevates the whisky, and that balance of sweetness and acidity from the grapes is simply mesmerising.
This dram is special.
☆ ☆ [Highly Recommended]
-Nicholas