A 20yo blended malt from Secret Spirits. Matured in BR/Hoshead and bottled in 2016. With an outrun of 410 bottles.
Appearance: Light gold, straw. A chaotic swirl line with short thin legs, beads and teardrops. An oily layer coats the glass.
Nose: Quite a light ABV effect. Honey, sharp berries and pastry emerge first. Some pine freshness and earthy notes also appear.
As the glass develops, the fruit pie element grows in prominence, as does a white wine edge.
There’s a slightly sweet citrus aroma, like lemon slices rolled in icing sugar.
The nose has a good balance between the shaper berry notes and the more mellow honey and earth aromas.
Palate: A semi-viscous mouthfeel. The ABV remains at just the right level.
The honey and white wine note present first, followed by the more sweet sugary flavours and, now more subtle, berries.
Again, there are flavours of pastry and now salted caramel and a slight drying.
The lemon note appears quite late in the day, still with its bitterness subdued by sweetness.
Finish: Lovely sweet dessert flavours of custard, pastry and berry pie filling. So a slight citrus trace and a touch of black pepper.
Overall: Very nice. Love the balance but the ever-growing sweetness. The pie elements also add that lovely mellow side.
