Scallywag The Red-Nosed Reinder Edition 3 12 yo

 

 

 

48°

Distillery : Mortlach, Macallan, Glenrothes - Speyside

Sherry Casks

Independent Bottling 

By Douglas Laing & Co. 

Limited Edition 

Blended Malt 

Bottled in 2018

Unchillfiltered, Uncoloured

Totally Unpeated

 

 

 

As part of the Remarkable Regional Malts range, Scallywag is the bottling that pays tribute to Speyside whiskies, with a blend of Mortlach, Macallan, Glenrothes and surely other distilleries. The very limited edition The Red-Nosed Reinder was released in three batches, in 2016, 2017 and 2018. This one is the 3rd and final batch, of which only 450 bottles were sold. This is the Scallywag, but aged for 12 years and aged only in sherry casks. 

 

 

 

Let's Taste It : 

The very tasty, very fine sherry is the first thing that stands out. Bright red fruits, raspberry, gooseberry, strawberry, a woody, slightly spicy flavour, freshly cut leather, quince jam and mirabelles in the background. I thought I smelled a hint of smoke but I may have been wrong. Still sherried on the palate, but softer, with a few yellow plums and cereals. Very long finish, dry earth and lignite, with something reminiscent of iodine and the sea.

 

In Short, 

The sherry is superb, great for connoisseurs, but it seemed to me that it was so intense that it hid the Speyside hallmarks. As a result, I'm not sure that this bottling fulfils its mission of paying tribute to this region. It is still very pleasant to drink though.

Score : 86

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                           To Be Listened While Sipping :

  

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