Origin: Highlands (Scotland)
Type: Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Strength: 54.7%ABV
Ageing casks: Ex-Bourbon first fill and new Spanish & French oak
Chillfiltered: No
Added colouring: No
Owner: Diageo
Average price: € 250.00
Official website: www.thesingleton.com
I conclude the 2024 Special Releases with another staple of the series, which last year featured a Glendullan spirit of the same stated age.
For this autumn walk, former first-fill Bourbon casks were used, some of which had had their lids replaced at some unspecified point in the maturation process with new, charred ones made of Spanish and Pyrenean wood.
A decidedly curious choice, hopefully one that makes sense.
Tasting Notes
Fruits and pastries in abundance greet the nostrils, which, together with a warm, toasty malt, pick up soft notes of ripe peach and apricot (to the point of jam), vanilla cream, pastry, dried mango and candied fruit (orange, pineapple, coconut). Lots of sweetness, bordering on cloying, diluted by a vegetal and spicy vein (a hint of ginger) and wood shavings. A few drops of water bring out a fleeting bitter and mineral afflatus. Tasty.
On the palate, it becomes more acidic and spicy, giving space to ginger, black pepper and a hint of wasabi, with the whole sweet and fruity section kept in check, but not tamed, in favour of the vegetable and dry aspects. And away we go with citrus (lemon, grapefruit), with ripe peach and apricot observing sweet liquorice, rhubarb, green apple, vegetable notes (celery, fennel), almonds, cinchona and toasted wood behind the scenes. The pastry takes a back seat to apricot tart, breakfast cereals and balsamic honey.
The finish is quite long and dry, with a little fruit revenge along with ginger, nuts, vegetable and balsamic notes.
A curious dichotomy between nose and palate that leaves you a little confused, not quite sure where to place it: whether to see it as an amusing reversal or a disappointing imbalance. It amused me, although I do not know where the autumn walk is…
Vote: 85/100