This Highland single-grain whisky is part of the A. D. Rattray Vintage Cask Collection and was distilled in February 1988 before being laid in an ex-Bourbon hogshead, and bottled in April 2021. A.D. Rattray rough filters the spirit and bottles it at cask strength.
Appearance: Vibrant white wine. A thinly beaded swirl mark, slowly morphing into many uniform teardrops. Long medium legs and a viscous film.
Nose: A good level of alcohol from the modest 49ish ABV. Lovely and sweet with citrus notes and a light wispy smoke. There’s also some light menthol coolness.
Apple pie with custard emerges after a while, along with a subtle dusty bookshelf aroma.
There’s also a forest layer to the nose, damp leaves and especially wood or tree bark.
Palate: A decent mouthfeel, not massively oily but there is some viscosity.
Initial bourbon notes of honey, caramel and cola Soda stream. There’s a lovely undercurrent of mellow vanilla and lemon syllabub.
A cereal layer emerges after a bit of time in the glass, quite arable and ‘of the earth’.
Some black pepper and a hint of berry sweetness also appear towards the finish.
Finish: The honey, pepper and cereal notes last for a medium amount of time. That citrus not is very faint but there too. A
Overall: I’m a big fan of grain whisky and this one only goes to reinforce that. It’s multi-layered, well-balanced, friendly and above all, lovely.
