Glenlossie 12 Years Old 2002 – 46.27 Italian chestnut cake

Speyside single malt scotch whisky

60.5% ABV, £46.10 for 70cl

Score: 83/100

SMWS46.27

What they say:

Cask No. 46.27

This dram had plenty to say on the nose neat therefore give it time and you will be rewarded. Comments were; almonds, roasted cashew nuts, warm leather in the sun, chocolate and pear cake, Marsala wine, beeswax and crispy deep-fried aubergine slices coated in honey. Great mouth-feel accompanied by a noticeable Vermouth kick with flavours of banana, coconut and dried apricot. Water brought out more nutty aromas; walnuts, hazelnuts and chestnuts made into that Italian cake ‘Torta di Castagne’. The taste not too sweet, a moist texture and the delicate taste of a Cadbury fruit and nut bar without the chocolate.

Drinking tip: With a bowl of quality mixed fruit and nuts

Date Distilled: 31 May 2002 Colour: Sauternes sweet wine Age: 12 years Flavour : Spicy & dry Cask Type: Refill ex-sherry butt Whisky Region: Speyside Lossie 
Outturn: 567 bottles

What I say:

Dram No.4 at the Water of Life Society ‘The Blender’s Malts’ tasting on 29th January 2015 – a Glenlossie (distillery #46) from the Scotch Malt Whisky Society. Similar to Cadenheads, the SMWS are another huge independent bottler and unlike Cadenhead’s they focus purely on single cask bottlings at cask strength. Another distillery owned by Diageo, in Speyside, and producing mostly blending whisky apart from the official Flora and Fauna bottling: Glenlossie 10 Years Old Flora & Fauna ~ 43% (Diageo) . Again similar to Dailuaine we have sampled numerous expressions by numerous bottlers and on the most part have been summarily impressed with Glenlossie whisky every time, barring perhaps a couple of overaged examples.

Colour:

Light copper gold (8/20), medium tears

Nose:

Nutty and fruity sherry, fruit cake, pecan and hazelnut, walnut and plenty of toffee

Taste:

Sweet, spicy, menthol and cinnamon, peppery black pepper, raisin, prunes, malty cereal barley, nutty, cocoa, black/espresso coffee, slightly butter

Finish:

Smooth and long, slightly drying, liquorice and sweet fruits

Overall:

 A little spicy on the palate for me but plenty of lovely nutty and fruity flavours from the sherry-maturation. I had hoped a little water would take away some of the spicier menthol, liquorice and peppery notes to reveal more luxurious cocoa, fruit and nut but was sadly disappointed as this went in entirely the opposite direction. Best served neat.