Adelphi Breath of Speyside 2006 [MYSTERY]

Thank you to /u/devoz for yet another mystery for this particular milestone.

So we had a mystery, an old whisky from a distillery I love, and a screw up with numbers. So of course, we have to have another mystery. Because screwing up is what I do best. Bouncing back after crawling into a ball and deciding my life is horrible is second to that.

So both devoz and /u/xile_ have been waiting to hand me this sample.

I know, it’s rough being me.

So this one is so good that it had to be held back from reviewing by two reviewers so I could be surprised by it. Let’s see how it tastes, shall we?

Price: N/A at the LCBO

Region: Speyside

Vintage: 2006

Bottled: 2017

Stated Age: 10 years

Cask Type: First Fill Sherry Butt

Number of Bottles: 541

Abv: 58.4%

Colour: 5Y 8/10

Nose: Peach funk for years, rosemary, mineral, cranberry, floral, apple cinnamon

Yeah, funk takes over this one. Lots and lots of stone fruit funk on the nose. Takes some time to subside. I immediately assume it’s a gorda or a Springbank or something else just as funky.

And I’m incorrect, as typical for mysteries and a lot of things. I’m a gutsy bugger who fakes it till he makes it. And since I’m not knee deep in money and whiskies older than me, I’m going to count this as “not quite made it yet”.

Taste: Peach drink, cumin, cocoa, mineral, funk, metallic

Less funk and sweetness at first. It develops some earth/spice (or as I overuse it, cumin). Some water brings out more of the funk and mineral/metal aspects, like Dr. William “Will” Magnus.

And if you got that, congrats, you got the farthest out there joke I’ve ever told.

Nice mouthfeel to it. It’s younger. I think.

Finish: Black pepper, lime pulp, smoke, kombucha, apple turnover

Some heat, more funkiness, and more fruit. Lots of butter, and just a little smoke. Nothing peated. Probably one of those “is this Heather” situations.

Conclusion: So it’s a Speyside. That I’m certain of. and it reminds me of Aberfeldy. There’s sherry.

Beyond that? I’m lost. Lots and lots of peaches. It’s cask strength, around 55%? Not too old at all.

In the end I was kinda close? We don’t actually know the distillery. However this is an interesting, young whisky. Good bang for the buck from what I’ve been told of the price. And proof you can find young whiskies just as good as older ones.

84/100

Guess: A Gorda Aberfeldy at 110 proof (US) that’s 11 to 14 years old?

Actually: Adelphi Breath of Speyside 2006

Scotch review #750, Speyside review #211, Whisky Network review #1239