Glen Mhor 1979 Signatory [Feather’s Flight Review Set #2]

Part 3 of my birthday dram fun, and we’re onto the Speyside region. My wife wanted to get in on the fun, so she went searching and chose a dram for me. If you’ve never had someone do this for you, try it some time. And if they have very little experience choosing, do it twice. I would have never tried the Glen Mhor 1979 Signatory otherwise, as I didn’t know too much about the distillery or would have been thrown off.

I ended up pairing this dram with a Hazelnut Torte, however I was able to do a proper review before the amazingly light dessert threw off any of my taste buds. I’ll say this; it matched perfectly with a dessert, and I’d be hard pressed to order a different dram with a dessert at the pub again.

This one is chill filtered and there is no colour added, as is the modus operandi of Signatory bottling. I’m a little worried that it’s not cask strength, however I trust my wife on this one, so let’s dive in.

Price: N/A

Region: Speyside

Abv: 43%

Age: 14 years

Bottle: 419 out of 610

Colour: Awkward kiddy pool water

Nose: Field in spring, potatoes, oak, almonds, lily pads

I’ve never smelled potatoes on a dram before. And by potatoes, I mean raw potatoes. It’s… odd. I do like a change, and the nose isn’t overpowering or underwhelming.

Taste: Pepper, earth, peanuts, tomato, candied lemon, butter, nutmeg, melon, peanut brittle

A good mix of sweetness and earth on this one. I dub this Scotch the Sweet Potato Scotch!

Finish: Oak, vanilla, thyme, licorice, olive oil, raspberries, cocoa, coconut, pear

I think this is the most complex finish I’ve had from a non-Islay, non-cask Strength whisky. It keeps evolving over time, and it goes from nice to unbalanced in an instant. In the end I like it, however it’s short, and I’m finding that short finishes are really the bane of my drinking experience. Any time I need to have 2 ounces of something to enjoy it is quite problematic.

Conclusion: It’s sweet, it’s earthy, and it’s somewhat random. It’s an okay Speyside, and I think I can see where they were going. The finish is both a nice point and a sore point on this one. Being short on it really trips it up, and the unbalanced nature could really throw some people off. Didn’t bother me too much, however be prepared for it.

I think the best part of this Scotch was how well it paired with a light, nutty dessert. Frankly, by itself it’s nothing overtly special. With a dessert, it’s amazing. So I have to rate it somewhere in between.

83/100

Scotch review #25, Speyside review #4, Whisky Network review #32

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