The Observatory 20 yo Signature Series

 

 

 

40°

Distillery Officially Unknown - Highlands

Bourbon Casks

Independent Bottling

By John Dewar & Sons Ltd. 

Limited Edition 

Single Grain

Bottled in 2018

Totally Unpeated

 

 

 

What makes this whisky special is that it is a 20-year-old Single Grain available at a very low price. It comes from the John Dewar & Sons Ltd group, which owns several distilleries, including Macduff in the Highlands. And several websites cite this distillery as the source of this whisky. The thing is, however, that Macduff does not produce grain whisky. Is it possible that they might produce it on an occasional, or even exceptional, basis? That is highly unlikely, if not impossible, as the production processes are completely different. I believe this whisky was matured at Macduff, but it was not distilled there. So where does it come from? There are few grain distilleries in Scotland, and only two in the Highlands. Two websites claim this whisky comes from the Highlands, but I’m not entirely sure they’re telling the truth, as they may be assuming the whisky comes from Macduff, which is situated in the Highlands. Why all this mystery?  

 

 

 

Let's Taste It : 

It’s smooth and creamy, with subtle, velvety notes of cereal, rich vanilla, a few hints of lemon zest, mirabelle plums, coconut, melt-in-the-mouth toffee, dried wheat, white chocolate. A lovely balance, with a spring-like freshness. Bananas. On the palate, it remains just as smooth, even understated, pears and apples, and other orchard fruits, a few mandarins, and virtually no spices. Butter-toasted bread, marshmallow, woody notes. The finish isn’t all that short, and is barely remarkable, smoky bark, cola nuts, a touch of pepper, and a very slight bitterness to round it off. 

 

In Short, 

Overall, I found it to be flawless, apart from, of course, a light mouthfeel given such a low alcohol content. It’s really well made, balanced, smooth and easy to drink. My only criticism would be that it lacks character, but that’s precisely what some people like, something that goes down easily, that doesn’t stand out. In any case, the price is very low, it costs nothing to give it a go. My guess is that it’s an Invergordon, a grain distillery in the Highlands with a particularly creamy and sweet profile, just like this one.  

Score : 83+

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                             To Be Listened While Sipping : 

                                             Rimski & Handkerchief - Cross Eyed & Cray