Rare Malts Selection Glenury Royal 1971 Aged 23 Years

Style: Sherried and Herbal

Rating: ☆☆- [Highly Recommended]

Nose:

Starts with figs, strawberries and some serious musk sticks. The combination of golden malt, dried dates and walnut oak giving a nice old school vibe. Autumn leaves falling and stacking on a strong mint and chilli undertone. Toffee apple, maple syrup, mineral notes and black pepper layered on top of blistered cavolo nero. Herbal liqueur and black liquorice surface, while more beautiful sherry fruits waiting at the back end.

Palate:

Even more sherry-driven on the palate. Fresh strawberry jam, figs, overripe cherries, apple sauce, smoked tea (slightly peated I think), kuro ame, followed by a massive wood bite. A rather high intensity of grassiness breaks out just as the sherry begins to subside at mid palate. Going quite herbal, vintage chartreuse with a splash of raw creme de menthe, cinnamon dust, nutmeg and vanilla pods. Burnt chilli seeds, tannins, malt, white pepper and bitter melon as an aftermath of ultra herbal intensity.

Finish:

The greenness gradually softens and beginning to show a more citrus-y side. Sherry fruits dialing back with blueberries and cherries aplenty. A bitter, but definitely sweet finish.

Thoughts:

Wow this is a bigger dram than I thought. Upon checking, I just realise that this is one of the more famous RM bottling, other than it being a rare active sherry expression for the series, it is also bloody strong and delicious. Decievingly gentle and delicate on the surface, the herbal/grassy distillate is surprisingly immense and powerful. Strong sherry casks, like this expression, are able to counterbalance the spirit and strike an intricate but mighty balance like Yin and Yang. A subtle, yet powerful and complex dram.

[61.3% | Original Bottling | 1971 Distilled | 1995 Bottled | Bottle Number: 0003 | Natural Cask Strength | Vatting | **-]

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