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Fahrenheit 173 - Aged Spirits

"If it's not good enough to drink slowly, then it's not worth drinking"

Rare single malts from closed distilleries

 23 Apr 2013  

Caperdonich 1972, bottled 2010 (Duncan Taylor, 51.4%):
The nose is quite oaky (oak shavings) with a dull, earthy note but also nice, fresh notes of vanilla, citrus and mint. The palate is light, subtle and bal­anced with vanilla and lovely fruity notes of peach and apricot. De­velops oak. Oaky, peppery finish with a note of mint that lingers to the end. Verdict: tentative nose but lovely palate and nice finish. (89 p)

Lochside 1981, 30 y.o. (Cadenhead, 54.9%):
Huge nose with oak shavings (and lots of it). It's almost vulgar but also has nice notes of citrus and fudge. After that nose the palate is sur­pris­ingly nice: smooth, sweet and fruity with notes of orange and honey. It's still oaky but to a lesser degree. Very nice, in fact. The finish is oaky but with nice notes of cream, mint and wild berries. All in all uneven but actually quite nice. (The oaky character makes me suspect a new oak finish.) (89 p)

Inverleven 1977, 34 y.o. (Signatory, 48.7%):
Fragrant, fruity nose with notes of apple, pear and melon, also vanilla and oak shavings. Amazingly fresh for a 34 y.o. Fresh, sweet, fruity palate with notes of mint and citrus. Drying, de­velops oak. The finish is oaky (but not overly so) and spicy with a note of gin­ger­bread. Very nice. All in all bal­anced and more-ish. Very fresh for its age. (89 p)

Glenlochy 1980 cask 2827, 25 y.o. (Signatory, 55.3%):
Malt, honey and orange on the nose. Rather oaky with oak shavings, also a bit sour. Not entirely bal­anced. The palate is at first sweet and zesty with citrus and honey, then malty and oaky with a note of mint. Light and rather nice. Lovely finish with oak and a refreshing citrus note. In the end spicy with notes of gin­ger­bread and mint. All in all quite nice and more-ish but a little splintered. (88 p)

Glenlochy 1980 cask 3021, 31 y.o. (Signatory 53.1%):
The nose is quiet at first and takes a while to open up but turns out to be rather won­der­ful with vanilla and tropical fruits, also oak and malt. Light, sweet and smooth palate with vanilla and citrus. De­velops oak and a note of mint. Balanced and very nice. Oaky finish with notes of malt and butter but it's mostly oaky and a bit dull (dis­ap­point­ing after the lovely nose and palate). (91 p)

Convalmore 1969, bottled 1997 (Connoiseurs Choice, 40%):
Lovely sherried nose with notes of dried fruits, marzipan, honey, oak and coconut. The palate is mild, sweet and subtle with heather honey, mint and a note of gin­ger­bread. Oaky, peppery finish with a note of gin­ger­bread. Fairly dry. Ends with a note of cardboard. A little dis­ap­point­ing. Verdict: The nose shows signs of greatness but the palate and finish don't quite deliver on the promise. (90 p)

Banff 1974, bottled 1996 (Connoiseurs Choice, 40%):
The nose is quite oaky with notes of caramelized sugar, vanilla and coconut, also a little peat. It's "dark", earthy and a little dull. The palate is rich with a heavy oak character but the oak is beautifully offset by light, fresh notes of vanilla, mint and citrus. Lovely! The finish has oak, gin­ger­bread and a note of mint. All in all uneven yet very nice. (90 p)

Banff 1975, 36 y.o. (Malts of Scotland, 43.8%):
Fragrant nose with vanilla, almonds, coconut, apricot and orange. Also notes of cocoa and chocolate ice cream. Wonderful! Reminds me of 1960s Springbank. The palate is rich, fruity and yummy, also oaky and fairly spicy. Milder, sweeter and even nicer with a drop of water. Oak, vanilla and mint on the finish (but mostly oak). Slightly dull and a little dis­ap­point­ing after the nose and palate. (Water kills the nose, so first enjoy the nose undiluted, then add water before tast­ing. Or use two glasses.) (94 p)

(Some of these were samples I received from Lukas and Bernhard. Thanks!)

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