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
- Port Charlotte 12 yo 2004 Highland Laird 57.3% vs Octomore 6.1 / 167 5 yo 57% vs Octomore 7.1 / 208 5 yo 59.5%
- Bowmore 11 yo 2001 / 2013 Berry Bros 20197 46% vs Bowmore 12 yo liquid Library 2001 / 2013 52.9%
- Ben Nevis 17 yo 1996 / 2014 The Nectar of the Daily Drams 49.3% vs Ben Nevis 1997 / 2015 Pearls of Scotland #614 50.9% vs Ben Nevis 16 yo 1998 / 2014 Lady of the Glen #1407 52.1%
- Dailuaine 34 yo 1980 Special Release 2015 50.9% vs Dalmore 27 yo 1990 / 2017 MacKillop’s Choice #252 54.6%
- Bruichladdich 21 yo 1993 / 2015 Douglas Laing DL10706 51.5% vs Bruichladdich 25 yo 1992 / 2017 Cadenhead 175th Anniv 53.8%
- Springbank 21 yo 1993 / 2015 Lockett Brothers #470 49.4% vs Cooley 22 yo 1991 / 2014 SMWS 117.5 55.5%
- Wardhead 19 yo 1997 Pisces Stellar Selections Japan #186 50.7% vs The Huntly Burnside 18 yo 1997 Dimensions Duncan Taylor #6481 52.5% vs Westport 18 yo 1997 The Oceans Duncan Taylor for Whisk-e Japan #1500071 58.4%
- Port Ellen 1979 / 2014 Gordon & Macphail R0/14/01 46% vs Port Ellen 35 yo 1978 / 2004 Douglas Laing for Alambic Classique DL655 61.1% vs Port Ellen 35 yo 1982 / 2018 Signatory 30th Anniversary #2040 55.1%
- Benromach 28 yo 1965 / 1993 Cadenhead 47.6% vs Laphroaig 10 yo ‘Original Cask Strength’ 57.3% 33.33cl duty free bottle
- Jura 21 yo 1992 / 2014 Hunter Laing for FassZination (Vom Fass) #VF10272 46% vs Jura 27 yo 1967 Stillman’s Dram 45%
