Selected from a bourbon barrel that was set down in November 2007. The whiskey took 13 years to mature, and in December 2020, just 221 bottles of cask-strength whiskey were produced.
Appearance: Light gold/white wine. A nice thick film forms easily on the glass when swirled. A pleasing thick swirl mark slowly appears and morphs into very slow thick teardrops/legs.
Nose: A good heady ABV wave meets the senses. Lemon, grape (wine-like), stewed fruit, mostly black and red berries, in a sugar pastry and custard or Chantilly cream. The confectionary notes arrive after the glass has matured, in the form of fruit salad sweets. It’s a lovely fresh and summery nose, very dessert-like and indulgent. There’s no spice or pepperiness that I’d expect, but the vanilla notes are there and very welcome.
Palate: More spice on the palate, immediate heat from black pepper and almost a chilli warmth. The sweetness does appear quickly after, complementing and balancing the spice. Sugars, vanilla and a creamy element. It’s got a bit of squirty cream about it (in a good way)! The slightest of bitter tinge lingers in the background. It’s not obvious and doesn’t affect the overall experience.
Finish: Medium in length. The sweeter elements linger longest, there are spicier notes in the mix, black pepper and the chilli tingle, but they evaporate just prior to the sweetness.
Overall: It’s a complex and multi-layered whisky that would require a full bottle to get the whole experience and explore fully. At £67 I’d happily pay to find out.
