Maxwell 33 Year Old Highland Single Malt

[bifter]

This malt, of unknown provenance, from Lidl is their loss-leading whisky promotion this Christmas. A limited edition of 5280 bottles, it sold out almost entirely on the day of release at a jaw-dropping £39.99. Jim Murray awarded it 95 out of 100 and described it as "a superstar whisky that gives us all a reason to live". So does it live up to all the hype?

Nose: Heavy vanilla and musky, damp wood give away its age. The fruits are ripe - plums, cherries, peach. Toffee with a sickly honeysuckle edge. Ephemeral hints of banana, coconut, mint? I am no expert in old whiskies but this noses like it is approaching the half-life precipice, teetering on the brink of exponential decay. It is achingly beautiful.

Taste: Spice in waves, nutmeg and cinnamon, underlain with the ripe fruit. Dries the palate, soft smoke envelopes the tongue. Fairly thin mouthfeel, slightly oily and a slight tang like you get with soured cream.

Finish: Fairly short, truth be told. The spices and fruit ebb, leaving a gentle wisp of smoke.

I have tried several whiskies of this age with much less complexity and a couple that I thought may have been aged a little too long but perhaps this is inexperience on my part. However this is definitely a good whisky and, at the price, a rare opportunity. The age is apparent but, like the decaying grandeur of Venice, seems to have been caught at just the right point.
_________________
"Whisky is liquid sunshine."
[George Bernard Shaw]

[bifter]

LOL, I'm having Dalwhinnie 15 to follow and, though it's a decent dram, it seems positively agricultural by comparison. How easily we can get used to luxury!
_________________
"Whisky is liquid sunshine."
[George Bernard Shaw]

[Blakey]

[bifter]