Info: A combination of refill Hogshead and refill Sherry butt matured whisky which was distilled on 2nd December 1988, the casks being ex-Islay. 51.5%abv, non chill-filtered, 2200 bottles.
Colour: Light yellowy gold, nice natural colour.
Nose: For something that’s nearly 28 years old, the nose still has a good barley note to it, along with lemony citrus smells, and good hints of smoke. It’s gently sweet and alluring.
Palate: It’s oily on your tongue with a good crack of spice and heat from oaks and the higher abv (although not overpowering). There’s definitely a slight coastal earthy mustiness from the old Islay casks that have been used in the maturation here. Still gently sweet with gentle tropical tones mingled pears.
Finish: The gentle sweetness mingles with a grassiness and the very slight mossyness from the cask. For something that’s of this age it’s not overpowered with oak tannins and stick around for quite a long time.
Thoughts: A great cracker of a whisky, it’s both elegantly light, and bassy strong in one go. Although it may seem a lot of money, for a 27yo whisky it’s actually reasonable value compared to the market for what is a well balanced yet punchy liquid inside the bottle.
Available: Master of Malt – £199.95

Thanks to Tomatin for the sample.