Origin: Highlands (Scotland)
Type: Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Strength: 51.9%ABV
Ageing casks: Ex-Bourbon hogshead second fill
Chillfiltered: No
Added coloring: No
Owner: Diageo
Average price: € 520.00
Official website: www.malts.com
Vote: 88/100
What, let’s face it, isn’t exactly the most sought-after label in Diageo’s extensive portfolio, in the Special Releases has a way of making people talk about it a lot.
And not just about the price, which is decidedly important, but above all about the ageing, which in this case is said to be perhaps the last of its kind as stocks of the spirit of this age have run out, as have those released the previous year, dating back to casks filled in 1989.
Be that as it may, there are rare occasions to try whisky with such significant ageing, obviously distributed in a limited edition of 6,978 bottles (which are not few), cask strength and without alterations.
Curious? More!
Here you can find the list of all 2020 releases.
Tasting notes
Honey-coloured in the glass.
The herbaceous and acetone component is very bright, not at all tamed by the decades spent in casks, and is initially sharp in an aroma that is not very inclined to compromise. Just enough time to let it breathe and the whisky expresses a waxy note that creeps in among the aromas of unripe apples and bananas, lemon, propolis and almonds. The profile remains anything but accommodating, very lively.
A joyful peppery palate that spreads out over softer but decisive tones of vanilla, peaches, hazelnuts, honey drop, pineapple… the herbaceous tones remain very present as well as the lemon notes, in a compact and direct complex, without many frills. Background of old wood and cereals.
The finish is quite long and dry with hazelnuts, honey, parsley (?) and cereals.
A solid whisky, certainly not striking for its complexity but showing plenty of personality, knowing how to combine different, even youthful, souls even with all the years on its shoulders. It may not be worth the full price tag, but it is certainly a whisky to try, especially to get to know the true potential of an otherwise neglected distillery.