North Star Cask Series 15 Glen Keith 1993 Aged 28 Years Exclusively Bottled for the 5th Anniversary of The Elysian Whisky Bar

Style: Sweet and Spicy

Rating: ☆ [Recommended]

Nose:

Herbal spiritus drizzled generously over papaya tropical fruits salad, quite spiky, but not uncommon for a freshly opened bottle. White flowers, bay leaves, liquorice roots, paprika and white peppercorns lightly seasoning a honey sweet mango core. Vanilla pods, grated nutmeg, coconut glutinous rice and whipped cream sitting beneath. Just a touch of acrylic tartness balancing the whole aroma beautifully and also adding a good depth to it. Flint, graphite and lemon cotton candy notes emerge over time.

Palate:

Delicious caramelised orange popping to the top, then the herbal tropical fruit salad theme continues. Lemon soda bubbling fiercely from below, and the spice is still glaringly hot - quite rare for a 28 year old. Starting to get some magnificently sweet and viscous honey as we approach the core, with elements of pineapples, peaches, tea leaves and pine embedded within. The sweetness gradually transitions to more white peppercorns, saw dust and wood planks towards the later stage. Bird's eye chilli seeds and peppermint twigs laying a dry path for barley and malt to set in.

Finish:

The herbal dressing leaving a light, bitter trail while fruits are echoing softly with fluttering tropical signatures. Some sparkling water to finish.

Thoughts:

Despite being the experimental playground for the Chivas blend, the expectation is pretty high as early 90s Glen Keith has a decent reputation. Now this one is surprisingly powerful, which I would never be able to guess its age if served blind. No signs of mellowing down, instead it went another way - a super fruit bomb that delivers high level of sweetness and intensity, essentially an ultra-condensed, time-defying Glen Keith. Quite enjoyable.

[57.8% | Independent Bottling | 1993 Distilled | 2021 Bottled | Single Cask | Cask Strength | Non Coloured | Non Chill Filtered | First Fill Barrel | 124 Bottles | *]

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