Whisky : Glenlossie 29 Year (1978) Gordon and MacPhail

Country/Region : Scotland/Speyside

ABV : 58.8%

Cask : Oak

Age : 29 Year (Distilled 1978, Bottled 2007)

Nose :  Soft and gentle with citrus, earth, and spice. Fragrant summertime notes of preserved lemon rind, old wood, antiques, earthy mushrooms, and weathered stones. Old cigar box led to patchouli, fresh cassia bark, and black vinegar.

Palate : Medium-bodied with notes of meat, earth, and spice. A gas grill sizzling with lemon pepper elk steak and earthy mushrooms, preserved lemon peel, and strong black tea— subtle meatiness with an almost earthy-iron gaminess to it. Sandalwood dominated the mid-palate with patchouli and musty pipe tobacco before exotic fruits; yuzu, longan, and jabong (pomelo) took hold. Charred meat and lemon peel returned at the end.

Finish : Lingering musty tobacco and sandalwood.

Score : 10

Mental Image : Tropical Hunting Lodge BBQ

.Notes : Sublime.

This Glenlossie could be my desert island bottle— it is at least in the conversation for the one bottle I would take into island exile. Unlike any other dram I have tried, its flavor profile was completely unexpected. I felt as though it took me on a journey; the aroma was soft and inviting with subtle hints of earth, oak, fruit, and spice; yet, the flavor profile was robust with loads of exotic preserved fruits, sandalwood, and spice sandwiched between meaty, earthy notes of mushroom and charred elk. I have never had a dram with quite such strong sandalwood notes— I honestly would never have guessed this was Glenlossie.

It took me a long time to get around to trying this dram; I thought it would be a bit ho-hum and boring like another old Glenlossie I tried. That one had left me a bit disappointed and in no hurry to try any others. Yet, this was nothing like that other dram, where it was quiet, this was loud, where it was simple, this was rich and complex. I could keep adding on superlatives, but they belie the fact that this was incredible and— even if whisky is best shared with friends— I wish I had a bottle of this all to myself.