Whisky: Glenturret 29 Year (1989), Signatory Vintage Cask 235

Country/Region: Scotland/Highland

ABV: 44.9%

Cask: Hogshead

Age: 29 years (Distilled 21 April 1989, Bottled 14 March 2019)

Nose: Berries and funky lactic notes— almost a gamey cream like camel milk or soft cheese; tropical and chemical with bruised or rotten pineapples in the cannery, spoiled mountain guava, creamy hints of vanilla and Twinkies.

Palate: Medium-bodied and syrupy, with melon, tinned pineapple, dried papaya, and the dry spice of a traditional Chinese medicine shop; old sandalwood and dried citrus rinds; only hints of the creamy and cheesy quality of the nose appeared behind the bolder fruits and herbal notes.

Finish: Medium length with tropical fruits, wax, and a touch of bitter oak.

Score: 7-8 (85)

Mental Image: Camel Guide’s Cheese and Fruit Board

Narrative & Notes: A Bruichladdich disguised as a Glenturret?  This was a fascinating whisky with an incredibly distinctive aroma and a more straightforward fruity profile. It was gamey and funky at times, especially on the nose, but those notes slipped into the background as tropical fruits and melons, with dry medicinal spice, dominated the palate.  The finish was lovely and long, with plenty of fruit and a bit of wax settling on the palate.

I initially tried this at a friend’s 1989-themed tasting; on that night this was the first dram to really get people excited and talking.  The first several whiskies were relatively mild mannered and did not quite live up to the occasion, but this made its mark. The aroma was unique and the flavors perfectly fruity— it was memorable and tasty. I tried it again a couple months later and it was much the same, with some additional structure and definition coming through on the tropical fruits.

Overall, a brilliant and fascinating Glenturret, unlike any I had had before, though the 1976 mini I reviewed at the beginning of the week had some similar qualities. I love a good eccentric malt and the eccentricities of the aroma made up for a touch of shallowness to the flavors, which were otherwise well-structured and balanced. If the finish were a bit longer and stronger, I could easily see this moving up a rung on the score sheet.