Whisky: Glenlossie 19 Year (1997), Alexander Murray

Country/Region: Scotland/Speyside

ABV: 53.3%

Cask: Refill Bourbon Hogshead

Age: 19 Years (Distilled 1997, Bottled 2016)

Nose: Floral, grassy, and fruity. Preserved citrus peel and tropical fruit paired with hints of lactic yogurt– mango and apricot yogurt cups. Notions of guava and butter rolls with hints of lemongrass, old pencil lead, and wax.

Palate: Light and mellow with crisp notes of citrus and cereals. A mild oily spirit carried subtle mineral notes underneath citrus peel, rooibos tea, lemon cakes, and guava rolls. Hints of cinnamon and bergamot with old tobacco-scented paperback books brought to mind used bookstores and lost paperback treasures. The bookstore carried through to the finish with a touch of glue, and lovely notes of peppery lemon tea and vanilla cream topped scones.

Finish: Lingering notes of lemon and cream cakes.

Score: 7

Mental Image: Treasure Hunting in the Used Bookstore

Notes: A mellow and wonderfully friendly Glenlossie– this will not blow your socks off, but it will give you a warm hug and ask about your day. The nose was an intriguing combination of fruit, cream, and mineral notes that manifested some interesting imagery, but the palate was the best part. Though it was light, it was perfectly relaxing, as notes of herbal tea, citrus, and old paperback books brought to mind treasure hunting through used bookstores.

I have no idea how many used, or second-hand book stores are still out there. All of the local ones I once frequented are long gone. I miss swapping old books and digging through shelves. Maybe it has been nice to locate books online and have them shipped from just about anywhere over the last several years. Sometimes they even have that second-hand store smell, though I hate to think what exactly that is.

Overall, while this was not the most complex dram, it fit the “end of a long work day” mood when you want something nice with which to relax. I love the combination of fruit, tea, and pastries, and this dram tickled my fancy in that regard.