Rare Malts Selection St. Magdalene 1970 Aged 23 Years

Style: Sweet, Waxy and Spicy

Rating: ☆☆ [Highly Recommended]

Nose:

Woof, powerful spice carrying the signature Linlithgow lemon-waxy aroma. Abundant red chilli, mineral notes quickly strapped itself on a doughy malt. Syrupy, tropical fruits and white fruits starting to shine in the middle. An unexpected touch of gunpowder and whetstone which have been trying very hard to stay out of sight, sweet, spicy and... a bit of funkiness. Interesting nose.

Palate:

Still a classic cask strength St. Magdalene, robust heat continues to carry a round and beautiful citrus sweetness. White fruits are gradually taken over by the bitterness of candle wax. While hot chilli continues to run rampant, the rest is staying more on the herbal/ grassy side. Lemon fragrance, timber wood sinks in, an oaky tail.

Finish:

Mellows down quickly, stewed tropical fruits laminated with a thin layer of wax. Vanilla malt and citrus beaming positively till the end.

Thoughts:

Another classic St. Magdalene - Waxy, citrus sweetness gleaming beautifully within the relentless spice. For me, the satisfaction found after enduring this level of intensity, is highly rewarding. Isn’t life like that as well? Perhaps this is the real charm of St. Magdalene. Literally a mind-blowing whisky.

[Original Bottling | 58.1% | 1970 Distilled | 1993 Bottled | Cask Strength | **]

Originally published on Instagram