Glen Keith 40 yo 1970 Murray McDavid Aficionado Bottle 1 of 1 vs Glen Elgin 40 yo 1975 Maltbarn
Because who has that many samples of old Glen Keith or Glen Elgin lying around –
Glen Keith 40 yo 1970 Murray McDavid Aficionado Bottle 1 of 1 49.2%
A Limburg only special, lucky you if you were at a friendly neighbourhood bar when it was still available by the pour.
Nose: Very impressive nose, who would have thought to find this much fruit in Glen Keith. Baskets of fruit, ripe pineapple, red berries, mandarins. Not a bursting fruit though but deep and layered into these many oils and leather and hot cream so yes the oak is unavoidable but remarkably polite considered the great age. Find also strands of dried sage maybe? Great composition – a lush depth but well-ordered with perfect balance.
Palate: The oak is quite evident. Old ‘dull’ peppercorns and wrinkled ginger knobs give a moderate hot sting. Also quite flinty but now here the fruit really start to get loud. Just popping with fizzy juice. Lots of oils and ‘weight’ behind it too. Then the varnish and leather, old panels, burnt caramel and carbon notes start to assert themselves. Feels very much like an Irish Single Malt with more weight and more wood.
Finish: Not that long, residual juice is evident but so are the oaky notes, though it feels like it’s getting tired now.
Glen Elgin 40 yo 1975 Maltbarn 48.5%
Nose: Like the Glen Keith the maturity is evident, even if it leans towards a leaner profile. Still it’s round and multifaceted. This one has deeper sweet oils and thin waxes – clean and clear with just a hint of snubbed candle. Also so quite a heap of minerals as well – flints, sand and granite. It does allude (somewhat) to Clynelish right now. Some clay, some bark and leaf clippings. A little on the simple side.
Palate: Turns out to be the light and lean sort that registers ‘higher’ – as opposed to heavy. Hot minerals lots of hot sand and hot glass. Also hot waxes and thin sweet oils plus honey. A dose of tart green fruit now. It’s somewhat astringent. Bark and more fresh clippings from the garden. Quite effervescent.
Finish: Somewhat shorter than expected, and it does fizzle out somewhat, tart and astringent, some clay maybe. Minerals.
Whiskyrific RSS
- Clynelish 90 yo 1972 / 2002 Scotch Malt Sales 58% vs Clynelish 23 yo 1974 / 1998 Rare Malts 59.1%
- Scapa 12 yo 40% ~2000 vs Scapa 8 yo Gordon & Macphail 57% ~ late 80s
- Bruichladdich 21 yo 1992 / 2014 Duncan Taylor #3987 49.7% vs Bruichladdich 22 yo 1991 / 2014 Gleann Mor #2270 55.9%
- Rosebank 26 yo 1967 / 1994 Signatory #4397 51.7% vs Rosebank 25 yo 1967 / 1993 Signatory #4393-4394 54.4%
- Macduff 40 yo 1968 / 2008 Duncan Taylor #8547 45.5% vs Deanston 23 yo 1967 / 1991 Signatory #1785 55.4%
- Highland Park 22 yo Cadenhead 80 proof vs Highland Park 14 yo 1978 / 1993 Cadenhead 55.2%
- Dailuaine 31 yo 1966 / 1997 Cadenhead 57.1% vs Dailuaine 22 yo 1973 / 1996 Rare Malts 60.92%
- Brora 1972 / 1996 Gordon & Macphail Connoisseurs Choice 40% vs Brora 24 yo 1977 / 2001 Rare Malts 56.1% vs Brora 19 yo 1982 / 2001 Chieftains #1189/1192 46%
- Clynelish 12 yo for Whiskyteca Edward & Edward long cap 56.9% vs Clynelish 12 yo for Whiskyteca Edward & Edward bicolour 56.9%
- Talisker 30 yo 1953 Gordon & Macphail 40% vs Talisker 1957 Gordon & Macphail 53.5%
