Whisky : Glenburgie 23 Year; The Ultimate Whisky Co.

Country/Region : Scotland/Speyside

ABV : 59.4%

Cask : Refill Hogshead

Age : 23 Year (Distilled 15 June 1995, Bottled 4 April 2019)

Nose : Dusty earth with loads of mellow tropical fruits.  Prickly pear, cactus jelly, kiwi, and jabong (or pomelo) fruit.  Desert flowers and hibiscus give it an almost herbal floral quality.  Pineapple juice and sour apples float in with a wave of sweet tang.

Palate : Medium bodied with a bit of waxiness and mineral oil.  Bursting with tropical fruits— ripe guava, bruised papaya, mangos, and sweet white pineapple.  Herbal notes come through with licorice and musty sweet tropical forest compost.  Salty homemade vanilla bean ice cream on the back end.

Finish : Medium length dried citrus rinds and astringent pith.

Score : 7

Mental Image : Country Roadside Fruit Stand

Something Better : Bowmore 21Y Old Malt Cask K&L (similar licorice/pineapple, more complex)

Something Similar : Ardmore 10Y SMWS 66.150 (similar vanilla bean/tropical fruit, more smoke)

Notes :  Absolutely brilliant Glenburgie that somehow retailed for only a hair over $100.  This was an absolute steal and I wish I had stashed a bottle all for myself rather than sharing— though what is the point of whisky if not to share.  Glenburgie is not a terribly well known distillery as most of its production ends up in Ballantines and other blends.  It is definitely a distillery to look out for when it comes to great value from independent bottlers.

While the nose on this was subtle, it had a wonderful complex mix of dusty dry earth and tropical fruits which slowly built over time.  The palate was an absolute killer with an oily and bursting with juice tropical fruit driven profile.  A faint bit of the earthiness on the nose came through on the palate which helped give some extra depth and complexity to the overall fruitiness.  The finish was really the only weakness on this bottle— it simply did not last long enough.  Overall, this was a brilliant Glenburgie and I remain pretty hot on the distillery.