Went out back in the before times and decided it was time to have something from my birth year. You know, that fun idea.
So in picking a special dram I have to take some things into consideration: What do I not have on occasion? What can I pair to eventually have as a multi-review?
Well, I have some Linlithgow samples around for a special occasion. I have birth year stuff. And the bar I’m at has Linlithgow 17 1982 Signatory Vintage. I can probably review the others by the time it’s due, right?
Hey, guess what, life went insane even without a global pandemic and I can’t. I can either beat myself up about it or give myself a break. And frankly, I’m gonna give myself a break because I deserve it.
So this is a Lowland that I was saving for samples that are still there, waiting for me. I like Lowlands, I like my birth year, and I like me. So let’s see how this tastes, shall we?
Price: £ 699
Region: Lowland
Vintage: 15.12.1982
Bottled: 23.05.2000
Cask Type: Oak Cask
Cask Number: 2998
Number of bottles: 372
Abv: 43%
Colour: 7.5Y 9/4
Nose: Guava, pastry, violets, cinnamon, pear
A bit light on the nose, really has to push for it. I get the idea of releasing something cask strength versus not, and maybe, just maybe it wasn’t a total smoke show when it was full strength, but this seems like a bit much.
Good butter/tropical notes. Tropical takes the show, though the show is small, like off-off-off Broadway.
Taste: Mango, cloves, grass, pork chop, cotton
Again, tropical, some spice, grass and cotton, and a meatiness is there. But tropical is the main aspect here. Lots of mangoes. Not a lot of floral, as you see from other Lowlands.
Finish: Butter, floral, yellow plum, brine, pear juice
The finish is… I don’t know, the main act? The good show? Hamilton these days? Or have people already moved onto Hades? Or is it the other way around?
I don’t know, I’m not even Avenue Q over here. But the fruit here, with the salt and some of the traditional floral (but just a bit) really shines.
Conclusion: Holy tropical dram Batman! This isn’t going to electrify you, however, if this is one of the whiskies they put out in 2000 at a low abv., then yeah, it’s a pretty impressive distillery that I wish wasn’t currently the home for trendy condos I could never hope to buy (what with being a millennial).
A mixture of spice, some fun notes like the meatiness, and even someplace on the levels of acidity. If it wasn’t all so muted I’d be gushing. Perhaps if I got to my other samples I’d tell you what it should be like, and I’ll regret enjoying this. Perhaps not. For now, I enjoyed this, and hooray another birth year dram.
82/100
Scotch review #1318, Lowland review #49, Whisky Network review #1977
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