One cost effective means of trying old whiskies or lost distilleries is to seek out mini bottles. These days it is exceedingly uncommon to find anything but entry level blends or malts in mini form, but in the past there was a greater range of whiskies in small formats. I went through a phase of looking for minis at auctions, usually trying to bid on the first day, and hoping that no one wanted to raise them much above the minimum price.  A few of them I chased higher, typically due to the rarity of the whisky— this was one of them. I have only had a handful of Pittyvaich, one of the later casualties of the 1980s whisky loch. It shuttered in 1993 and was demolished shortly thereafter.

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Whisky: Pittyvaich 12 Year, James MacArthur Cask 15096

Country/Region: Scotland/Speyside

ABV: 54%

Cask: Oak

Age: 12 Years

Notes: Musty grain chaff and bran arrived with bundled straw, mold, and yeasted bread in the proving drawer. Orange rind, bitter lemon, and cardamon lingered further in with rolled oats and spirulina— a health food store bakery perhaps. With time white chocolate appeared, and I imagined sprouted grain vegan donuts and musty old wooden display shelves. Medium-bodied and syrupy, the aroma was loaded with orange oil, oatcakes, honey, and varnished wooden counter tops— back to the coffee shop pastry case. Bran and grain chaff danced around bundled straw and hay bales as sweetened roasted barley tea with a citrusy lemon wedge moved toward center stage. The flavors were musty and occasionally dirty, like metal pipes in storage room that has not been aired out in ages. White chocolate appeared toward the end with oily donuts and an unfinished basement. The finish was long and drying with roasted barley tea, lemon rind, and a hint of honey.

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Score: 6 (77)

Mental Image: Harvest Celebrations in the Barn

Conclusion: An odd duckling, though in keeping with my prior Pittyvaich experience. It is easy to imagine why blenders may have found this malt an odd ingredient. It really does not remind me of anything else (okay, maybe Balmenach at times) and its core profile of roasted grains and burdock are surely an acquired taste. On the plus side, this was magnificently bold, with a long tasty finish, but even I found the flavor profile a touch odd— not one I crave with any frequency.  Overall, a fun whisky; more interesting than strictly good.