51,5°
Distillery : Imperial - Speyside
Refill Bourbon Barrel
Independent Bottling
By Elixir Distillers
Limited Edition
Single Cask
Bottled in 2020
Unchillfiltered, Uncoloured
Totally Unpeated
Among the nearly fifty bottlings from Imperial made by Elixir
Distillers, released for the most part within The Single Malts
of Scotland range, this one is among the best rated. Distilled on November
13, 1995, and bottled on February 17, 2020, it therefore spent 24 years,
3 months and 4 days in a single Refill Bourbon barrel, in order to
leave full rein to the distillate. It is not mentioned whether
the bottling was carried out at cask strength, which is by no means an
obligation at The Single Malts of Scotland, on their site they state that the alcohol level is at "optimum strength" , but not "cask strength".
That said, more than 50° for a 24 year old, and only 98 bottles on
sale, they mustn't have added a lot of water, if at all.
Lets Taste It :
Wood wax, ointment, lovely salinity. Tiger balm, light woodiness, I begin to feel the patina of old whiskies. Butter laces, semi-salted butter as it should be. Malted cereals. The sweetness is not so pronounced, it's drastic, almost austere, I can smell the iodine, the tide, an airy depth. The nose is very stable, but drifts a little towards almond paste and brown sugar. On the palate, the salinity comes through, with white fruits, a lovely delicacy, icing sugar, chantilly cream and ripe plums, pastry cream. Cinnamon and cardamom. Very long, well managed finish, powdered chocolate, cola, earth, an ounce of charcoal, vergeoise. Hints of iodine and limestone return.
In Short,
It is truly superb. An old whisky with character, offering us a true identity, the full measure of this late and somewhat mysterious distillery. A very fine bottling, completely sold out today, and which would require a great deal of effort and self-sacrifice to obtain. Better not to think about it any more.
Score : 90
To Be Listened While Sipping :
Conil - After The Hole
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