Distillery: Glen Albyn (Closed)
Bottling: Scotch Malt Whisky Society
Age: 28
Distilled: 1979
Bottled: 2008
Bottled: 2008
Strength: 57.6%
Cask: Refill ex-sherry butt.
Cask Code: 69.14 Complex and delightful
This was an interesting find if only for the fact it comes from the Glen Albyn distillery, which closed during the distillery masacre of 1983. The distillery was close to Inverness and although technically a Highland distillery, it was regarded as some as a Speysider. Read about the Glen Albyn on Malt Madness.
Nose: This is light and delicate and instantly recognisable as an ex fino sherry cask. Very dry with apple, dusty libraries and lofts (attics). Some little lemon, and a hint of salty sea air. The nose is very closed on this and needs coaxed opening with some water to start giving up its secrets. I would tend to not add water in my own reviews because I try and review it right out the bottle to keep my results consistent and repeatable, but this is one of the exceptions to my rule as I could sit forever trying to coax something out it. With water we now get more happening with peach, toasted coconut, and a little leather. I am now eating Edinburgh Castle Rock and Parma Violet sweets inside a dusty woody Sawmill, and someone is cutting the grass outside. I also have pepper and ginger, McVitties Rich Tea biscuits, and also like mashed potato or tattie (potato) scones. An old distant smokey peatiness is emerging as well.
Palate: More sweetness than the nose, with that dry fino character dominating. Waxy and resinous.
Finish: Dry apple, with ginger spice. Sooty, earthy and waxy.
Comments: It is always nice to try something from the 1970s, if only because a romanticism forms once malts were distilled before I was born and hint at a generation past where production methods and the industry was much more different. This was interesting and complex in time, but don't expect anything jumping out the glass at you from it.
No comments:
Post a Comment