Dedicated to Peter Russell, chairman & founder of Ian Macleod Distillers. A trio of casks make up this expression, 48% aged in first-fill bourbon barrels, 17% in first-fill sherry casks & 35% in oak refill casks.
Appearance: Oak with an orange hue. A pleasing coating forms on the glass when swirled with a thick swirl line and medium/thick legs.
Nose: Fruit n Fibre, maple syrup and mint notes all swirl around. There’s also smouldering wood, victoria sponge and baked coconut flakes.
Tropical fruits appear as the whisky matures, that non-descript Umbungo jumble of aromas. Some subtle bourbon notes make an appearance in the form of caramel and oak too.
Palate: Ooh, odd! It’s got a nice mouthfeel but, at first, the flavours are quite offputting. From the second sip, there’s plenty of green apple sweetness, vanilla and cinnamon. A spice note also comes into play, mild white pepper and hot aniseed sweets.
The palate is quite cakey like toffee apple crumble and cream. The more I drink the more this one grows on me. It’s one of those that you need a bottle of to fully appreciate how it evolves in the bottle.
Finish: The toffee apple and spice linger longest, for a medium to long period of time. The cinnamon shows up for a while and fades first.
Overall: It’s a whisky that needs time and patience to fully appreciate. Its strongest quality is its uniqueness and I appreciate that.
