1970's vintages x 6 from out of the limelight distilleries

[lincoln imp]

6 x 1970's offerings from distilleries that are not on most people's radar but certainly worth trying out if you have not already?

Glen Spey 1977 31 year cask 3656 bourbon hoggy 55.8% Malts of Scotland
This is a lovely whisky, a fruit bomb.
I need to try more from this distillery, on the strength of this bottling it appears to age very well.
Tasted with a few drops of water.
b]Nose[/b]
86
Lemon biscuits, hay, dried grass, hint of mango, spices, perhaps a little apple?
What I would call a fresh nose.
Not the most expressive nose but decent enough.
Taste
89
Fizzy and spicy attack at first with a dash of sweet peat but then the fruit just keeps growing which is great.
You get fruit gums flavours adding to what the nose hinted at and some sherbet fizz.
Not the greatest balance but crisp and clean and really entertaining.
Finish
90
Remaining fruity until the end with the sherbet fizz not far away.


Balmenach 1979 30 year cask 155/156 56.3% Berry’s Own Selection
A nice whisky that would have hit 90 points if the oak had been tamed, but perhaps on reflection, it added to the overall experience?
Tasted with a few small drops of water.
Nose
86
I added a few drops of water to this as the nose was prickly and it did the trick and calmed down.
There is an almost ginger/pepper spice combo at first with a faint orange marmalade note of the dark, thick cut, breakfast variety.
Taste
88
Spicy attack at first with a trace of oak which seems to grow as you go on.
The fruit you get is of the stewed plum, apple, pear and hint of rhubarb variety , it is a really nice combination.
The oak makes its presence felt and tried to spoil the fruit and spice party, luckily it doesn't.
Finish
88
Remaining spicy with more fruit managing to tame the oak


Mannochmore 1978/1996 60.3% Scott’s Selection
Tasted with a few drops of water
Nose
86
Something Woody on the nose but not oak from the cask, something else being ever so slightly musty?
Faint hints of liquorice are followed by a little ginger and those small biscuits you have with coffee called biscoff.
Taste
88
Very spicy attack, on ginger, a little pepper and perhaps a hint of nutmeg?
A little oak creeps in but is checked by the spice mixing with orange and yellow plum.
Not the greatest balance because the spice is fighting against the other components but an entertaining ride for sure:)
Finish
90
This is where it picks up marks as the finish is really long and the the spices fade a little (just) but the fruit returns and is really juicy.


Speyburn 1977 25 year cask 1859 62.5% OB
Tasted with a few drops of water.
This is not an easy whisky, you need to give it plenty of time and a little water to get the best out of it.
Nose
85
Apples and pears is my first though followed by dry straw, hints of coal tar soap, lemon, white pepper and faint hints of dark honey
Taste
87
Green apple at first but a few more drops of water are needed as it is bitter green apple.
Now the green apple note is singing mixing with a little lemon sherbet and very faint white pepper.
There is still a little bitterness from the green apple skins note but withing acceptable levels.
As you go the sherbet fizz mixed with cream and has a fight with everything else, not the greatest balance more like a roller coaster actually bit certainly entertaining.
Finish
87
Long remaining spicy and fruity and finally the slight bitterness is tamed


Ardmore 1977 24 year 58.6% Cadenhead Authentic Collection
Tasted with a few drops of water.
Not an easy whisky to taste, but enjoyable all the same.
Nose
88
Spicy green apple with burnt brown sugar, actually if you just said apple crumble that sums it up really.
There is a straw note mixed with old well used hessain sacks and then a really nice note comes through that I find hard to pin down , I think it is yellow plum?
Taste
85
Sweet at first but it soon gets a little bitter from a green apple skin note.
This has masses of white pepper spice mixing with the green apple, .
A little cream is in there but spicy apple basically covers this one.
Finish
86
Long spicy finish with brown sugar adding a little sweetness before getting a little dry and the spice is still shouting loudly .

Braes of Glienlivet 1979 15 year Sherry cask 16040 60% Signatory dumpy
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Tasted with a few drops of water
What an absolute belter and only 15 years old, sherried Glendronach, Glen Grant, Macallan, Miltonduff , longmorn and any other well sherried single malts would be hard pushed at 15 years to better this gem.

Nose
91
Now that is one rich nose on juicy blueberries, blackberries, raspberries and blackcurrant jam.
After a short time there is a mulled wine note and very Rich currant cake, more blueberries , mixed with a little double cream, possibly even some redcurrants in the mix.
After 15 minutes in the glass a nice coffee note emerges and wisps of sweet cigar smoke
Taste
92
The palate is bordering on silky smooth with hints of wood from the cask but not bitter in any way.
All the fruits you get on the nose are on the palate and then some
You get Rick currant cake, dark chocolate cake, a basket of dark fruits mixed with mulled wine to almost perfection.
I almost forgot to mention the spice note which is a big one and adds to the profile courtesy of the mulled wine.
Perhaps some stem ginger is in the mix, and that gorgeous blueberry note returns,
Finish
92
More blackcurrant on the tail and a smattering of redcurrants jelly,
_________________
Pour me a glass please.