Submitted by Philip Storry on
33 years old, distilled 29th November 1984, 58.4% abv, Refill Ex-Bourbon Hogshead, 254 bottles, dram price F
The nose has waxed wooden floors, camphor incense, cornflake dust, pears, hints of raspberry. The mouthfeel is thin with no cling. The body has more of that wood - waxed floors, polished oak panelling, and a little hint of pine. Plenty of vanilla too. There’s also some pears and lychee, and towards the finish there’s a little cinnamon and a hint of star anise. The finish continues the themes - polished oak, pears, cinnamon and a touch of star anise.
Water brings out tight, thin and compact whorling that dissipates quickly without mottling. The nose gains more pear and wax, a hint of menthol - but loses the camphor. The body gains pear and wax, and more vanilla. The finish gains vanilla with more star anise.
A really big, grand old grain - filled with wood and wax, polish and pears, and a little spice. It gets a little hotter after water, so fails to get a top score simply because of that. I’d happily explore just how much water is too much for several hours though... Simply superb.
One for summer evenings.
Technical score: 4.5/5
Personal preference: I’d like more than one bottle.
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.