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21st May 2010 |
Diageo has announced four additions to
their extensive range of single malt
whiskies - but only for visitors to
their Scottish distilleries.
Lagavulin, Oban, Glenkinchie and Blair
Athol will shortly be selling a single
malt Scotch whisky bottling that isn't
available anywhere else in the world.
Like other Diageo distillery-only
bottlings sold at Talisker, Caol Ila,
and Clynelish, these new expressions are
bottled at natural cask strength and
without an age statement.
Nick Morgan, spokesman for the Classic
Malts Selection range of Diageo's
single malts, said:
"When visitors take the trouble to visit
our distilleries, it's nice to be able
to give them the option of buying
something that they couldn't get
anywhere else.
“Of course they will still be able to
buy the more familiar and widely
distributed expressions, but these
distillery-only bottlings might be
regarded as even more special.
“In fact, with three of these new ones –
Lagavulin, Glenkinchie and Oban - we
have been able to take advantage of a
number of special casks that had been
intended for bottling as Distiller’s
Editions over the past few years but
were found to be surplus to
requirements, and have been sitting in
our warehouse ever since. These have
undergone a second (or ‘double’)
maturation in American Oak cask wood
that has previously held a fortified
wine - in this case, sherry treated
American oak casks.
“But unlike our regular Distillers
Edition bottlings, these are offered at
natural cask strength, and carry no age
statement.”
The Lagavulin distillery-only bottling
is expected to be available for visitors
to buy during the Islay Festival this
year. The prices will be between £55 and
£70 UK RRP.
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Blair Athol Tasting Notes (55.8% ABV)
|
Wood: European oak (first fill
sherry cask)
Nose: Unreduced, faint nose prickle, rather like inhaling
Friar’s Balsam. Strong rancio, more
subtle fruit and a hint of struck
matches. With time, a touch of sultana
sweetness. Adding water lowers the
cask-derived notes and adding plenty
brings up a gentle, fragrant leafiness.
Taste:
Immediately sweet (dried apricots) with
a pepper-spiced edge that soon moves
centre stage to mask the fruit. Quickly
develops a bitter-sweet character.
Medium bodied, quite well integrated and
rich - needing only a little water to
show its best. Adding a bigger splash
(1:1) gives a soft, sweet and malty
start, with the spicy notes taking
longer to come through, and raises the
underlying, balancing bitterness.
Finish:
Quite short, sharp and drying, with some
sweetness coming through again in the
aftertaste.
Comment:
A balanced and straightforward
bitter-sweet malt.
|
Glenkinchie Tasting Notes (59.1% ABV)
|
Wood: Has undergone a second (or
‘double’) maturation in
Amontillado-treated American oak casks.
Nose: Unreduced, fruity, spicy, and dry. Subtle floral aromas
develop but are far less obvious than in
the Classic Malt expression. Adding
water (not too much) softens and
sweetens the nose.
Taste:
So sweet (acacia honey) with a
surprising and luscious palate-coating
texture. Medium bodied and unusually
rich for Glenkinchie. Adding a splash of
water softens things down into a sweet
and spicy dram, with good grip, and a
great balance of primary tastes.
Finish:
Medium length, crisp and sweetly drying.
Comment:
More all-rounder than apéritif. Even
though in its new-found assertiveness it
perhaps loses some of Glenkinchie’s
signature floral notes, it is sweetly
persuasive!
|
Lagavulin Tasting Notes (51.5% ABV)
|
Wood: Has undergone a second (or
‘double’) maturation in Pedro Ximenez-treated
American oak casks.
Nose: Unreduced, big and rounded. At first sweet (toffee) and
smoke with restrained medicinal notes.
Bigger than the 16 year old expression.
Adding water (not too much) softens the
nose and balances the smoke and
sweetness.
Taste:
A delightfully sweet start, at natural
strength soon overwhelmed by a whole
ocean of hot smoke crashing over the
tongue. Rich, with great structure and
grip. Big and powerful, sweeter than the
16 year old and just lovely to drink
straight. Adding a splash of water(not
too much) rounds things, easing back the
smoke to leave a firmly balanced
sweet-smoky dram.
Finish:
Medium to long, rich and peppery. Fine
smoky aftertaste.
Comment:
A big, self-assured Lagavulin with all
the certainty of age, uncomplicated,
satisfying and so-o-o easy to enjoy!
|
Oban Tasting Notes (55% ABV)
|
Wood: Has undergone a second (or
‘double’) maturation in Pedro Montilla
Fino-treated American oak casks.
Nose: Unreduced, some nose prickle. Rich raisins and spicy
wood. Adding a little water lowers the
richness and brings up more subtle,
fresh, fragrant notes.
Taste:
Unreduced, immediately sweet and
powerful with a salty tang. Very warming
with a good mouthfeel. Adding a good
dash of water gives a honey-sweet,
fruity start (ripe nectarine?) still
with a hint of the sea behind it, then
waves of light smokiness roll over the
palate. Mouth-drying overall. Medium
bodied, elegant.
Finish:
Quite long, smooth and sweetly drying,
with more smoke coming through in the
pleasing aftertaste.
Comment:
Like Oban, only more so. A well-balanced
and very more-ish dram that makes a fine
all-rounder.
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