Category: Glenlossie

[52.4%・23 Years Old・ Distilled in 1992 ・Bottled in 2016 ・SMWS Bottling・Single Cask Release of 270 Bottles]

Nose:

Fruit salad with a fragrant coconut note, there is a savoury element to it with Bill’s mild yellow fish curry infused with a barley smoke.

Palate & Finish:

Deliciously fruity, tropical fruits interacting with a certain saltiness from the oak, settles to something creamier and chewier.

French vanilla and golden syrup as the wood seamlessly chimes in as does a lighter tones of fresh barley.

Thoughts:

The Japanese Panel certainly picked something immensely fascinating, you have to respect them for taking the motto of leaving no nose unturned to heart..

☆ [Recommended]

-Nicholas

Style: Fragrant, Fruity and Spicy

Nose:

Powerful attack from spirit spice. High level of peppermint locking up some wonderfully stewed red fruits, hmmm, this one needs to breathe. Once it opens up, cherry pie, red currants, la Perruche sugar cubes, lemon tea blossoming with beautiful fragrance and not cloying at all. Prickly chilli heat at every step of the way, minimal vanilla for a tiny bit of creaminess, strawberry and assorted summer berries finding their way once the heat gradually regress. Hot as it might be, but it is all sweet, syrupy and fragrant.

Palate:

The rich sweetness continues to ride on the powerful tide of spice. Strawberry slushy, dedemara sugar, walnuts, more cherry pie – yum, welcome to the fruit banquet… The stewed fruitiness is incredibly condensed, jammy pop tart, fruit compote building gently on a floral foundation. Oak sinks in, polished wood, a touch of ash scratching the bottom. Vanilla giving a creamy swirl, ovaltine malt.

Finish:

More stewed red fruits while milk chocolate starting to step in. Sweet and creamy, nice.

Thoughts:

This Glenlossie distillate synced wonderfully with the sherry butt to produce such a luscious, rich and fragrant fruity sweetness. The sweetness is so perfect that it is a shame to see the spice of this spirit is three degrees too high otherwise it has the potential to join the legends. I always have high hopes on old-school Glenlossie as they can be amazing and complex. This, unfortunately, does not top my list, but it remains a excellent, memorable drop.

☆☆ [Highly Recommended]

[56.7% | Independent Bottling | 1984 Distilled | 2018 Bottled | Cask Number: 2533 | 143 of 530 Bottles | Cask Strength | Single Cask | Non Coloured | Matured in a Refill Sherry Butt | **]

-Esmond

Style: Chocolate, Perfumed and Vintage

Nose:

A touch of stewed tropical fruits followed by soft grassy notes combined with nice waxy tone. Delicate fruits at a comfortable pace. White pepper, fragrant walnut oak polish. Faint capsicum and earthy spices reeling at the back.

Palate:

More fragrant stewed fruits and walnuts converges at the tip, papaya, black currant and coconut jelly. Spice fizzles beautifully at just the right time. Chocolate cream, vanilla pods and white flowers spreading over. Feels so distant and different to the modern Glenlossie… Dark oak cuts in very early, curiously there is a touch of soap as well. Sweetness dries up rather quickly, leaving a dry metallic trail at the back. Hmmm, a delicate, busy and somewhat quirky palate…

Finish:

Soft, brown sugar and red date mixed with malt water to finish.

Thoughts:

A rather interesting Glenlossie, quite perfumed and chocolatey which feels very different to the Glenlossie they make today. Unexpected combination of flavours is assembled together which makes me wonder if the distillation process was different or abundant OBE (old bottle effect) has occurred in this bottle, but overall it is pretty good drop in my book. Anyway, it is always a good experience to try whiskies from previous era, smooth and comfortable style of dram which is very different to the modern ones.

✓ [Recommended if you like the style/distillery]

[40% ・ Independent Bottling ・1980 Bottled ・1968 Distilled ・Discontinued・t]

-Esmond

Tasted at Club Qing, Hong Kong.

Style: Fruity and Spicy

Nose:

Vibrant, buzzing scene of tropical fruits peppered with dried red chillies. Dense, sweet pomelo juice and white grapes casually dabbed into thickened cream. Toss in a few toffees, ginger drops, jelly beans and a hint of black liquorice. Delightfully sweet. Malt syrup drizzling over cupcakes deep at the core. Quite nice.

Palate:

Bright fruits continue to dazzle on the palate. A gingery entrance, followed by more citrus pomelo and stewed white fruits boiling with ginger shreds. White grapes bubble gum slowly morphs to sticky Riesling notes. Vanilla pods, white flower and milk cubes scattered at the back. Ends with a drier tone – white pepper and white oak.

Finish:

Subtle Botrytis found lying around, a mix of stone fruits – white peaches, nectarines, and apricots. Soft tannins to finish.

Thoughts:

Multiple levels of fruits interweave charmingly, beautiful layering and progression, this is a lovely, fruity dram which radiates a comfortable and cheerful vibe. I admit I have a soft spot for Glenlossie, because after trying a few of them, the quality has been consistently good and I feel it is a rather underrated distillery which deserves a better recognition than what it is now. Hopefully a single malt line is on the horizon.

[56.3% • 2017 Bottled • 1992 Distilled • Independent Bottling • Single Cask • Cask Strength • Non Coloured • Non Chill Filtered • Cask Number: 3449 • 204 Bottles • Matured in Hogshead • *+]

☆ [Recommended]

-Esmond

Style: Delicate and Rich Fruits

Nose:

Light grassy hue spraying over a thick layer of rich, ripe citrus and tropical fruits. Overripe mango, balmy coconut sago pudding and a drop of sweet orange oil. Peppermint and wood spice infused into the sweetness. The grassy side gives a touch of dryness to balance the aroma. Very nice.

Palate:

Massive, oily citrus-tropical sweetness unravels on the palate. Caramel dip springs in with a bit of weight. Grapefruit skin, coconut ice cream decorated with a couple of white flowers. Drier, but green grassy tone entwined with more peppermint spice. Hot, but not too hot. Oak comes in and we have milk chocolate, char-grilled greens and slightly burnt malt to finish.

Finish:

Drier side becomes more apparent, grassy malt, vanilla chocolate crunches, hint of navel orange squeezing through.

Thoughts:

While Glenlossie is known as a rather light and delicate style of whisky, there is an extra sweet and juicy layer sitting beautifully on top of the grassy malt. The light, grassy undertone allows the citrus-tropical-vanilla sweetness to fly sky high. Impressive. A hidden gem from another Diageo distillery.

☆ [Recommended]

[57.1% • 2015 • Independent Bottling • Single Cask • Cask Strength • Non Coloured • Non Chill Filtered • Limited Release • Cask Number: 3450 • Bottle Number: 120 of 258 • *]

-Esmond