Imperial 1983 The Vintage Malt Whisky Co. Ltd

 

 

 

43°

Distillery : Imperial - Speyside

Independent Bottling

By The Vintage Malt Whisky Co. Ltd

Limited Edition

Single Malt

Bottled in 1995

Almost Unpeated

 

 

 

This Imperial, bottled by The Vintage Malt Whisky Co. Ltd, is a piece of history. At the time, the distillery was still in operation, and The Vintage Malt was a very young trading company, founded three years earlier by Brian Cook. There was nothing exceptional about this expression; it had to be sold at a low price and opened in the evening. Now that it has come down to us through the decades, it is a reminder of a bygone era, when whisky was something very different. Cold-filtered, probably, but prepared in a much more traditional way. The ageing is not specified, but a blending of Bourbon Casks is very likely. 

 

 

 

Let's Taste It : 

Yellow fruits and vanilla, mirabelles and plums, banana, it's quite generous on that side. But it's also slightly costal, iodine, buttered bread, sea spray and tide. Behind, I could smell candle wax, paraffin. All well-balanced, without being fantastic. There's also the patina of old whiskies, like old varnish and a touch of naphthalene. A shade of peat, but very discreet. On the palate, fairly smooth, but the fruits stand out, it's a bit more than pleasant, between the orange and the pear. Not very pronounced spices. Fairly long, decent finish, where the tide comes through, a pinch of salt, beach sand, silt.

 

In Short, 

I was prepared to bet it was a Clynelish, when I was told it was indeed an Imperial. Needless to say, I really enjoyed it, as it has everything I love about Clynelish, the candle wax, the costal character. It also has the taste of a whisky from another time, and that has its charm. Of course, it's very hard to get your hands on it, and it certainly costs ten times as much as the release price. But frankly, for any enlightened whisky enthusiast, it's worth the effort. You really feel like you're travelling back in time when you drink a sip of it.

Score : 88

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                           To Be Listened While Sipping :

 

                                           Dean Martin - For The Good Times