Distilled at MacDuff in 1997 then bottled in 2011 by G&M for their Connoisseurs Choice range.
Appearance: Old gold (10-15). A thin tide mark forms above a semi-viscous film. Teardrops form after a while and morph into thin to medium trails.
Nose: Plenty of toffee apple, stewed fruits and confectionary sugar. The ABV is gentle and unassuming. Dried raspberry-encrusted dark chocolate, some vegetal notes like damp leaves, bark and earth and faint barley sugar too. It’s quite a subdued nose, to be honest.
Palate: A hint of viscosity, the ABV is barely there. White pepper and quite an astringent sharp non-descript fruit syrup is the first impression on the palate. Varnish or solvent on an oak table, black pepper now and cinnamon. Some nutmeg and a touch of aniseed towards the finish.
Finish: The pepper, aniseed, varnish and oak longer for the longest. The astringent fruit note is in the background but fades quickly.
Overall: Not for me. I’m not keen on that bitter astringency and chemical varnish note. There’s nothing to ‘save’ it either, no counteracting pleasant flavours.
