Imperial’s history is full of twists and turns, though more downturns than upturns, as the distillery was frequently mothballed and often used for storage and blending operations rather than whisky production. Given new life as Dalmunach, I wonder if the new distillery will ever match the wonderful tropical highs of the old— so far it is hard to see that coming to pass, but only time will tell. This particular bottle from the Thompson Brothers was, like the bulk of Imperial, produced in the early to mid-90s and probably bought up by Signatory and other bottlers when Pernod Ricard was clearing inventory in the early 2000s.

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Whisky: Imperial 23 Year (1995), Thompson Brothers

Country/Region: Scotland/Speyside

ABV: 53.1%

Cask: Bourbon Barrel

Age: 23 Years (Distilled 1995)

Notes: Chopped fleshy fruits and beach bungalows wafted my direction: papaya, mango, dragonfruit, lychee, and plenty of dry wood and grass. A touch of vanilla and coconut, both woody husk and sweet flesh, appeared with background notions of an oily sourness— mineral oil to protect a wooden table perhaps. More canvas, hibiscus, and earth lingered further in, providing some depth to the initial fruits. Medium-bodied with a mellow oily quality than delivered tropical fruits and more subtle notions of minerals and wood. Sliced fruits and pastries arrived with pineapple jam, mango, coconut, passionfruit, pancakes, chopped nuts, and buttery shortbread cookies. Minerals and seashells brought me out of the beach bungalow, though any hint of brine was more mineral-like than maritime. Bleached corals, melon rind, and a twist of lemon carried me to an open paperback book. The finish was medium to long with soft tropical fruits, sea shells, and paperback pages.

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Score: 8 (88)

Mental Image: Beach Bungalow Bookshelf

Conclusion: The aroma was fabulous and tropical, though the palate was more austere and a touch peppery toward the end. This was close to the quintessential profile I have in my mind for 90s Imperial, but always fell a bit short— lacking the sort of intensity that would carry it forward. The flavors were well-structured and I enjoyed the paperback book and more mineral qualities of the whisky, elements that are unusual and typically only come out on very mature malts. Overall, good if you can get it.