Whisky : Glenlossie 26 Year SMWS 46.86 “Leather and flamenco floorboards”

Country/Region : Scotland/Speyside

ABV : 53.5%

Cask : Ex-Bourbon (24Y), 2nd Fill Oloroso (2Y)

Age : 26 Year (Distilled 17 Nov. 1992)

Nose : Rich fruit, spice, and wood. Dried stone fruits transitioned to lacquered wood desks, dried old papers, and musty cartons— the aroma of the archive or old library stacks. Semi-sweet spice of cassia bark, nutmeg, and star anise. With water, notes of cherry and lime became stronger.

Palate : Medium to full-bodied with vibrant spice, dried fruit, and lacquered wood. Memories of the archive remained front and center as the spice recalled dried papers with subtle salt and smoke, an archival box of souvenirs, artifacts, and government documents. The rich smell of old books and heavy oak desks warmed by the afternoon sun. The spice market replaced the archive with fleeting impressions of harissa, paprika, peppers, ginger, cinnamon, and vanilla beans in the open air. A hint of nuttiness at the end.

Finish :  Lingering drying tannins and spice.

Score : 8

Mental Image : Archived Afternoons

Notes : Known as “Leather wine-skins and flamenco floorboards” outside of the US, this Glenlossie was delicious. I did not quite get leather and flamenco floorboards on this— though I can see how that might fit with the impression of Iberian spice and lacquered wood. I did not hear the rhythmic stomping of the dance or the twang of the steel-stringed guitars— another memory from childhood.

The flavor profile led me straight to the archive and the vibrant spice that hung in the air— richest in the morning right when the building opened, and the reading room remained virtually empty.  That same aroma reappeared in the late afternoon as the crowd filtered out and the sun warmed the reading room. There is a weird spice that clings to old texts, documents, and cardboard cartons. Yet, the spice on this dram built with time, and the next thing I knew, I was daydreaming about travel and moving through markets full of fragrant spices.

This was a bit tannic and drying on the finish, but it was a pleasant sort of astringency that seemed to compliment the imagery of the dram.

Image Credit: SMWSA