77.63 - Wax aff!

10 years old, distilled 12th May 2009, 58.2% abv, Second Fill Ex-Bourbon Barrel, 208 bottles, dram price B

SMWS 77.63 - Wax aff!The nose has canvas bags, dried apple and pineapple cubes. The mouthfeel is thin with no cling. The body has wax jackets, pineapple cubes, dried apple and dried coconut, and liniment-soaked gauze from an old (1960’s?) first aid kit. The finish has wax jackets, pineapple cubes and liniment.

Water brings out thin, rapidly expanding whorling that settles quickly into brief mottling. The nose gains dried apricot and dried peaches, and loses the dried apple. The body gains oak spices and more wax jackets, a little apricot and it loses a little of the liniment. The finish gains oak, cinnamon and loses some of the liniment.

A good dram - hard to classify, but that final spice is the only note I disliked. The rest is well proportioned and well balanced.

One for spring afternoons.

Technical score: 3.5/5

Personal preference: I’d have another dram.

This whisky was provided by the SMWS in a preview session - thanks to them for that. Full editorial control has been retained in the tasting process.