Enigma 1997 Blended Malt 27 yo

 

 

 

51,8°

Distilleries Officially Unknown - Speyside

Bourbon Hogsheads

Independent Bottling 

By William Cadenhead Limited 

Limited Edition 

Blended Malt

Bottled in 2024

Unchillfiltered, Uncoloured, Cask Strength

Totally Unpeated

 

 

 

It's not every day you get to taste a whisky from the last century, and even if you don't know exactly where it comes from, it would be absurd to refuse. Here we have a Blended Malt aged in Bourbon Hogsheads distilled in 1997, the distilleries of origin are officially unknown, but somebody whispered in my ears something like Glenfiddich and Balvenie. It's a teaspooned whisky, meaning that most of the juice comes from a single distillery, but they've added a very small proportion of juice from elsewhere, to classify it as a Blended Malt and lower the selling price. 1140 bottles were filled.

 

 

 

Let's Taste It : 

Very light nose, with forest notes, scents of pinewood, pine cones, resin, dry earth, humus. Toasted wheat and other cereals, oats, barley. Heather honey, cinnamon. Some white fruit in the background, mirabelle plums, yellow apples. It's windy and dusty. The palate is a little more expressive and balanced, cereals, vanilla, pastry cream, hot caramel, discreet spices, nutmeg. Deep and complex finish, muesli, cola, ginger, hints of wood. Coal, damp earth.

 

In Short, 

When I read the other reviews about this one, and see that they have nothing to do, I say to myself that there is some mystery in this bottle, so that we can all find something different in it. What I found was a classic Speyside, old school, quite foresty, well made, that will delight fans of the profile. It is still on sale on the Cadenhead website, at a price that I would describe as decent, especially for a 27 year old.

Score : 88 

                                           To Be Listened While Sipping :

 

                                           Yuuf - Lever du sol

Glenfiddich 21 yo Gran Reserva Batch 35

 

 

 

43,2°

Distillery : Glenfiddich - Speyside 

American Bourbon Barrels and Rum Finish

Original Bottling 

Limited Edtion 

Single Malt 

Bottled in 2011

Totally Unpeated

Glenfiddich is one of the last three great family distilleries in Scotland, and for that reason it deserves special attention. Here we have a 21-year-old aged in American casks before a 4-month finish in Caribbean rum casks. When the first batch was made at the end of the 1990s, it was called 21 YO Havana Reserve, but the blockade of Cuba posed a problem. The name was changed to Caribbean Rum, and then to Gran Reserva, which seemed to sell relatively better. Today, it's called La Reserva, and we're on batch 82. Batch 35 is unique in that it is sold at an alcohol content of 43.2°, whereas almost all the others have a minimum alcohol content of 40°.

Let's Taste It : 

First, there's a hint of spring countryside, with vegetables, courgettes, pumpkin, and floral scents, daisies, dahlias. Then the freshness of the rum takes over, with cane sugar, delicately minty, and we have a beautiful marriage, a certain depth. That said, it's not that complex. A few white plums. Coconut. Banana leaf. Nice fullness. A little vanilla, mirabelle plums. Icing sugar on the palate, lemony, with some light spices. Paprika, saffron. Cereals and a gentle bitterness. Malty finish, light tobacco, dry earth, cooked ham. Loukoum. Sesame seeds. Not so long. Steamed rice.

 

In Short, 

For a 21-year-old, frankly, it's not great. I suspect that cold filtration erased a good part of the aromas. The whole is rather shy, not very original, the only interesting note is due to the rum finish, but in 4 months you can't do anything very impressive. Finally, it's really expensive for what it is. To be avoided in my humble opinion.

Score : 86

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                          To Be Listened While Sipping :

  

                                          Tony Joe White - Polk Salad Annie