Tobermory 1994 The Alambic Classique Collection Rare & Old Selection 30 yo

 

 

 

62,9°

Distillery : Tobermory - Islands

Château d'Yquem Sauternes Barrel

Independent Bottling 

By Alambic Classique 

Limited Edition 

Single Cask 

Bottled in 2024

Unchillfiltered, Uncoloured, Cask Strength

Totally Unpeated

 

 

 

Alambic Classique is a German independent bottler founded in 1981. They are particularly well known for their Tobermory bottlings, so this one is all the more enticing, it's a 30-year-old Tobermory that spent its entire maturation in a barrel of Château d'Yquem, quite simply one of the finest Sauternes, a highly regarded sweet wine. Only 172 bottles were filled, at a surprisingly high alcohol content for its age.

 

 

 

Let's Taste It : 

Lemon cream, liquid honey, oily walnuts, candied apricots. Beeswax, beige shoe polish, churned butter, crushed mirabelle plums, a slice of pineapple, rose liqueur. Lacquered wood, egg yolk, lychee, jasmine. A tiny touch of iodine and mineral notes at the end, a superb marriage with the fruitiness of the Sauternes. Roasted corn kernels, cooked and lightly caramelised pears. Nougatine. Fragile and delicate on the palate, with light biscuits, cat's tongue, flambéed sugar, then light but very present spices, cumin and cloves. The finish is extremely long, with coffee grounds, cocoa powder, coconut pearl, meringue, melting whipped cream, courgette flower fritters, a pinch of icing sugar, prawn crisps. A hint of limestone.

 

In Short, 

Not only is this whisky exceptional, it is historic. I can't remember anything I've found so good without peat or Sherry. It's insanely elegant and incredibly complex. The sugar is crystalline, the fruit is velvety, the wax is evanescent, everything is somehow perfect. I even wonder if I'm not going to raise the score again, because this is pure genius. I'm also thinking that I really appreciate maturations in Sauternes casks, because this Kilchoman, but also this Octomore, have a special place in my heart. There should be more of them anyway. The price is quite high, but not that much for a 30 year old. And this bottle is one of those that deserves every sacrifice. I highly recommend buying it, as long as you let me have one.

Score : 91 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                           To Be Listened While Sipping : 

 

                                           Nubya Garcia - Water's Path