Glenturret 11 1993 Gordon & MacPhail The MacPhail’s Collection

Thanks to @scotchguy.to for this sample

So I’m at this tasting still. And I’m getting to the last drams I can have before I gotta go. So I ask for the last whisky of the night.

Up comes Glenturret 11 1993 Gordon & MacPhail The MacPhail’s Collection, an older bottling. And for those of you who missed the last post, I had just drunk a sherried Glenturret of similar age, yet it was cask strength.

However, since this one isn’t cask strength, I was quite puzzled why the order was given. Typically you do the lighter ones first so your taste buds aren’t blown out. However I trust the ability of those I was drinking with, so I went with it. Worst-case scenario I need to take a break and revisit the dram, and I’d have something to tease them about.

So was it a disaster? Let’s see, shall we?

Price: N/A at the LCBO

Region: Highland

Distilled: 1993

Bottled: 2004

Cask Type: Sherry Cask

Abv: 46%

Colour: 10YR 3/6

Nose: Raisin bread, leather, dark roast coffee, dark amber honey

After letting this rest for a good 10 minutes I removed the makeshift cover I had laid on top and immediately was met with big, big flavours. You can smell this coming from across the room.

Very rich flavours. Think brown sugar/leather and stronger sugar syrups. I’m immediately happy. I prefer the stronger flavour elements here.

Taste: Dark amber honey, oysters, raisin butter tarts, banana split, cloves

Richer brown sugar/molasses, but there’s this element of brine in the middle. At first it’s a bit jarring, but eventually, I get used to it.

If I had to complain about something, it’d be that the spice seems to just be on the outside, and not as integrated as the nose. That said, everything here is the opposite of subtle. Nuclear, if you will.

Finish: Raspberry, melon, store brand prosciutto, dry green banana, rosemary

When I say store brand prosciutto, I’m trying to say that there is a bigger salt element and is less pork, like cheaper prosciutto that hasn’t been given as much time to sit. It was the only way I knew how to say that, I guess?

Very fruity and salty at the end. More nuke-strength flavours.

Conclusion: Every flavour is a nuke. Don’t expect subtlety, don’t expect aspects to pop up or take time. This hits you again and again with more and more. It’s swinging left, right, and centre. Think end boss of Mike Tyson’s Punch-out, but if you used a Game Genie and made it harder to play.

The entire experience is surreal. Whatever cask this came out of was very good quality.

87/100

Scotch review #1070, Highland review #181, Whisky review #1667