Field Briefs: Very Mature Whiskies
Whisky Details: Islay Mystery 26 Year (1997), Duncan Taylor Cask 9876917 for K&L “Faultline”
Nose: Coastal and clean, driftwood and seashells offered wood and minerals, medicinal herbs and menthol as the dram settled— Vick’s vapor rub and camphor, hints of pine and resin.
Palate: Medium-bodied, syrupy, wispy smoke, metallic, mineral, mildly coastal, guava and fruits in the background, driftwood and seashells, charred lemons, vanilla, more medicinal herbs and mugwort with time, charred wood near the end.
Finish: Medium to long, dried grass and charred lemons.
Score: 7 (83)
Mental Image: Beachside Sanatoria
Narrative & Notes: According to K&L this “Islay Mystery” blended malt from Duncan Taylor was a teaspooned Ardbeg. As this was distilled at the end of 1997, it dates from a regime change at the distillery when Allied Lyons sold control to the Glenmorangie Group (under current owners LMVH). Since that change, the whiskies produced at the south shore Islay distillery have evolved quite a bit— enough that it is easy to see distinct periods of Ardbeg production from the 70s, 90s, and 2000s. Coming right after the end of the Allied era, this well-aged whisky resembled Ardbeg of the early 90s more than the 2000s with its clean coastal vibes and underlying herbal-medicinal quality. Overall, a pleasant sipper and a value at price considering how much twenty something whiskies from Islay sell for currently.
Whisky Details: Linkwood 26 year (1982), SMWS 39.71 “Dinner in an oriental tea house”
Nose: Tropical fruits and grain; longan and rambutan with mango sticky rice, peppery at times, occasionally floral and herbal with jasmine, coriander, lime, sandalwood and incense, woody bamboo.
Palate: Medium to full-bodied, syrupy, tropical fruits with pineapple and white guava, chocolate and salted caramel brownies, cherry compote, caramel flan, occasionally medicinal and herbal with tobacco and menthol.
Finish: Long and lingering with chocolate, guava, and mint.
Score: 8 (87)
Mental Image: Heavenly Dessert Bar
Narrative & Notes: Wow— this was concentrated goodness, and a bit different than the typical Linkwood fare. I often find lots of tea and textile notes on Linkwood— like high tea and lace doilies, sometimes with hints of tobacco or lavender. Yet, this had very little of that— sure there were herbal elements that could have been tea, and certainly SMWS thought they were, but everything screamed dessert for me as some of the woody elements on the nose turned to chocolate and caramel on the palate. This featured a wonderful progression and evolution from tropical fruits, to decadent desserts, and finally more herbal and medicinal qualities. The finish was wonderfully long and vibrant.
Overall, a wonderful whisky from a bulk producer during a time of massive economic malaise in the industry— these are the kind of well-aged and mature whiskies that helped breath new life into the industry a few decades later.
Whisky Details: Old School Single Malt 45 Year, Signatory Vintage “Tropical Fruit Edition”
Nose: Tropical produce market— fresh produce, coconuts, mangos, corrugated iron, unfinished wood, old newspapers, tangerines; dry grass and tropical herbal tea, red ginger; dried pineapple, red dirt, dunnage and old plantation sheds, cigar box.
Palate: Medium-bodied, syrupy, musty earth and tropical dunnage, hay and red dirt, fibers and coconut husk, wispy smoke and old charred wood, honey cakes, cinnamon bark, engine grease, motor oil, peppery dandelion greens, hints of pears.
Finish: Medium to long with honey, orange, molasses, and a kiss of coastal salt.
Score: 8-9 (88)
Mental Image: Lost among the Pineapple Fields
Narrative & Notes: Definitely tropical, but maybe not all that fruity, this “tropical fruit edition mystery malt” certainly conveyed the notion of living in the tropics, especially old country roads and pineapple or sugar cane plantations. The red dirt, musty warehouses, and worn wood were everywhere with fresh fruits (though not chopped and juicy— just sitting for sale) and tropical tisanes (red ginger and passion flower mostly). I was a bit surprised to see that my impression ran a bit hotter than the general consensus on whiskybase considering how rarely that occurs. Yet, as a tropical denizen, I found a lot to enjoy here. Even if it was not a fruit bomb, it was still complex and enjoyable.
