Though if you are looking for a bit more bang and bling for your aged independent bottling buck, you need look no further than the ‘Master of Malt 50 year old Speyside’.
It has to be said that this particular release is a magnificently maturated marvel. From the moment it’s poured into a glass it exudes an abundance of aged sensory delights, and reveals itself to be a dram of true distinction.
The nose if not a tad surprising for a Speyside offers up some initial sweet damp earthiness, along with a confident subtle whiffette of a Arbroath smoke house.
Big bold bouts of oak try their best to dominate the proceedings, but thanks to a heroic wave of vanilla and a whoosh of citrus infused heather honey, their overpowering woody aspirations are soon scuppered and balanced out.
The homely winter aromas of cinnamon sticks and cloves make for the next set of sensations, followed by an infusion of ripe peaches and a large protruding sprig of mint.
As the proceedings on the nose come to a close, there’s just enough time to squeeze in one more nasal act, in the form of a subtly confident infusion of dark chocolate, that’s been sprinkled with the slightest pinch of white pepper.
The palate is as equally well balanced and delivers a wealth of aged with grace wonderment. The base notes are pretty much reflective of all those found on the nose but with a few dramtabulous additions.
There’s a lip lickingly satisfying combination of caramel and cherry coulis that gives this dram an almighty weighty chew. This is soon followed by a nutty honey glugging infusion, which then reignites a balanced explosion of those bold oak and vanilla notes.
Along with a reappearance of those aforementioned homely winter spices, there’s also the palatable sensation of some new season asparagus, drenched in a puddle of salted Jersey butter.
Once all the nosing and tasting hurdles have been jumped, this dram can’t help but complete one final lap of honour. In this instance it does so by delivering a long, satisfying, lingering finish, that quite rightly deserves some serious savouring attention.
Undoubtedly this would be a considered/collectable/celebration purchase, but even by putting the age statement aside, you are getting a maturated malt masterpiece, bursting with a whole wealth of wowing whisky wonderment.
