Whisky : Pittyvaich 28 Year (1989), 2018 Special Release

Country/Region : Scotland/Speyside

ABV : 52.1%

Cask : Refill American Oak

Age : 28 Year (Distilled 1989, Bottled 2018)

Nose : Herbal, waxy, and earthy.  Petrichor— the fresh scent of rain falling on dry earth and vegetation, dried grass, and chalky mineral notes.  Lemon and orange rinds led toward mint, floral notes of orange blossom, and honeysuckle with sweet tangerines in the background.  

Palate : Medium-bodied with crisp notes of citrus, herbs, and barley.  Opened with herbal notes of tobacco leaf, menthol, and spearmint before eucalyptus and minerals appeared.  Citrus carried through on the mid-palate with orange oil, dried lemon peel, orange cream, and hints of spice.  At the end was cigar box and boricha— Korean roasted barley tea.

Finish : Very long with lingering herbal menthol, roasted cacao husks, and barley tea.

Score : 8

Mental Image : Boricha and BBQ

Notes :  This was rather weird, and I liked it. This Special Release grew on me quite a bit between tastings. I found it unique the first time I had it, but not precisely the sort of dram I would covet. Then, I found myself craving this, especially the finish, which was incredible with loads of complexity as the dram transitioned between different notes as it sat on the palate. When I finally let myself try this again, I found I enjoyed it even more. It was not just the finish, I loved the earthy-herbal palate and the contrast with occasionally bittersweet citrus. I cannot think of another dram like this, especially that roasted barley tea note at the end.

Pittyvaich was a short-lived distillery. In fact, this spent more time in the cask than the distillery did in operation (1974-1993). The economics of the scotch industry in the 80s and early 90s left no place for the distillery, and I can see why blenders might not have prized the distillery— this was a bit weird. I am not sure how it would balance with other malts. Today, nearly all of the remaining stocks are presumably in the hands of Diageo, who bought up the brand, distillery, and remaining casks in 1997. The distillery was ultimately demolished in 2002.

Image Credit: The Whisky Exchange