Origin: Speyside (Scotland)
Type: Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Strength: 52.6%ABV
Ageing cask: Ex-Sherry Oloroso
Chillfiltered: No
Added colouring: No
Owner: Morisco Spirits
Price: € 109.00 on Morisco Spirits
Official website: moriscospirits.com
Vote: 87/100
The Italian bottler’s latest series, Wunderkammer is inspired by the ‘chambers of wonders’ that once kept the most extraordinary and, indeed, marvellous objects collected by families in these rooms in their residences. Andrea Morisco, ideally, wants to do the same with his bottles, and I gladly open his room with Element II (because starting with the first one was too obvious), a Glenburgie matured in a first filled single cask, so strong that it has already been reused to mature another distillate.
172 bottles not at cask strength, for a distillery that hardly disappoints, at least in independents since it doesn’t actually produce its own bottlings.
Tasting Notes
All the mouldy personality of the Spanish fortified wine expands from the glass, while retaining a certain viscous freshness that is the daughter of the original distillate. And so red fruit marmalade, prunes, sultanas, candied orange and almonds are accompanied by earthiness, mouldy wood and barbour jackets, with a mineral vein with a slight balsamic inflection that emerges above all in length. It is precisely over time that it veers more decisively towards the dirtier components, with an old style (but in a good way).
In the mouth it brings out the spices, from aniseed to cloves, maintaining the balance between fruity and wet notes perceived on the nose. Creamy and at the same time light thanks to the mineral and slightly saline part that pervades the palate, it picks up on candied orange, jammy (and fresh) red fruits, a citric note and leather, albeit in a minor tone.
Quite long finish with light spices, a vivid mineral note, savouriness and red fruits.
Very drinkable and with that mix of young and old that makes it almost indefinite in grasping its age (if it wasn’t written on the label), with the cask having left its mark without overwhelming the distillate that still manages to shine through.