Unnamed Orkney 13 Year (2005), Signatory Vintage Cask DRU 17A/63#72 for The Winebow Group
Whisky: Unnamed Orkney 13 Year (2005), Signatory Vintage Cask DRU 17A/63#72 for The Winebow Group
Country/Region: Scotland/Islands
ABV: 56.2%
Cask: Hogshead
Age: 13 Years (Distilled 7 May 2005, Bottled 9 Aug. 2018)
Nose: A touch of herbal menthol and malty biscuits, sea salt and roasted sesame, slightly acrid tobacco and tar, ash, catnip, and citrus rind.
Palate: Medium-bodied and mellow, tart citrus, salt, tobacco, fruit punch, motor oil, salt, herbal smoke and linoleum at the end.
Finish: The finish was medium-length with orange and citrus rind, tobacco ash, and menthol.
Score: 5-6
Mental Image: 24H Diner Experience
Narrative & Notes: Stepping back in time to a 1980s diner in which everything was infused with the sweet, acrid smell of menthol cigarettes and ash. The cigarette vending machine used to sit right inside our local dinner; the aroma led me further into malty pie crust, citrusy meringue, sesame crackers, herbal catnip, used ashtrays, and more acrid tobacco. Medium-bodied with a mellow oily quality, the flavor profile began with a lovely tart grapefruit that opened up with more blood orange and key lime before salt, menthol, and subtle tobacco emerged. A delicate fruit punch ran alongside motor oil, salt, and linoleum, which gradually faded as dried grass and herbal tobacco lingered to the end. The finish was medium-length with orange and citrus rind, tobacco ash, and menthol.
I have never had a whisky strike me with such a strong menthol cigarette vibe before. While there was a profoundly nostalgic element, I was not entirely seduced by the memory of ashtrays and smoke-soaked clothing. In fact, those memories are best left behind— if only the whisky reminded me more of pie and hot chocolate, I would feel differently.
Overall, an intriguing whisky, most likely Highland Park though one that was a bit different from the standard fare of citrus and steamships. I tend to be a bit lukewarm on Orkney malts, so if they suit your fancy, you may find this more to your taste than I did.
Image Credit: Whiskybase
