Whisky: Glenburgie 19 Year (1998), Ian Macleod's Dun Bheagan Cask 5007/5008

Country/Region: Scotland/Speyside

ABV: 46%

Cask: Hogshead

Age: 19 Years (Distilled Nov. 1998, Bottled 2018)

Nose: Soft tropical fruits and citrus, cherimoya and creamy vanilla, soursop and lime, tropical stone fruits with rambutan and guava, woody pits, hints of melon and earthy garden underbrush.

Palate: Medium to light-bodied, gentle, semi-sweet tropical fruits, green mango, rambutan and guava, dried palm fronds, vanilla and coconut cream, mild earthy underbrush, baking chocolate and malt toward the end. A touch herbal with chamomile tea and grass at times.

Finish: Medium-length with baking chocolate and mellow tropical citrus.

Score: 6+

Mental Image: Verandah-drinking Whisky

Narrative & Notes: Strolling through a tropical fruit garden, the mellow aroma passed by layers of tropical fruits, wood, and earth. Slightly sweet green mango paired with creamy vanilla cherimoya, soursop, and lime. Tropical stone fruit flesh and woody pits hung around the next bend with rambutan, lychee, and guava. A touch of melon hid in the background with rattan and earthy garden underbrush. Medium to light-bodied, the whisky was gentle and mellow with tropical fruits, earth, herbs, and a touch of chocolate. Semi-sweet green mango, rambutan, and guava arrived with a hint of lychee and dried palm fronds. Vanilla and coconut cream emerged a bit further in with baking chocolate and malt before an earthy garden underbrush and an herbal grassiness that brought lightly honeyed chamomile tea to mind. The finish was medium-length with baking chocolate and mellow tropical citrus.

Not very complex, but pleasant and more intense than I expected given the abv. This Glenburgie from the late nineties was tropical to a T with a delightfully rich spread on the nose and even a few surprises on the palate. While it lacked some of the depth of the 1995 vintage, which likely stands out because Signatory Vintage sourced so many casks from that year, it was still lovely. I would happily take a glass of this out on the porch and sit with it in the afternoon or evening; it was an unassuming malt that matched the tropical vibes near my home.

This bottle was an excellent example of how delightful non-cask strength whiskies can be, especially when you want something relatively mild to sit with. The aroma was particularly noteworthy for the panoply of tropical fruit notes. Some of the herbal and chocolate notes toward the back end on the palate might strike some as bitterness and an unfortunate turn for an otherwise fruity malt. I did not mind them so much and thought they further accentuated the tropical botanical garden vibes. Still, those with a sensitivity may find them less pleasing.

Overall, mellow, mild, and delightful.

Image Credit: Must Have Malts