Inchmurrin 14 Years Old 2000 112.9 Cooper’s apron; perfumed mink (58.3%, SMWS, Refill Barrel, 204 Bottles, 2015)

• Highland single malt scotch whisky
• 58.3% ABV, £53 buy from SMWS
• Score: 90/100

What they say:

Cask No. 112.9

The nose had a bit of bourbon about it – charred oak, vanilla, toffee, biscuits, melted butter and toasted almonds. With time we got some leather (a cooper’s apron), tobacco (Golden Virginia) and a perfumed mink on a drycleaner’s counter. The unreduced palate was definitely tasty, perfumed and sweet (popcorn, candy canes and fruit syrup), but with some jaw-clapping oak, ginger and pear chutney. With water, the nose continued with wood and confectionery themes but now developed summer flower meadows. The palate furnished a further mouth-flooding flourish of perfumed sweetness – parma violets, set honey, ice-cream, rich tea biscuits and cereal bars – yummy!

Drinking tip: Not exactly after dinner – maybe to follow afternoon tea – or just for reflective moments.

Date Distilled: 27 Sept 2000 Colour: Nuggets of gold under a starry sky Age: 14 years Flavour : Juicy, oak & vanilla Cask Type: Refill barrel Whisky Region: Highland Western

Outturn:204 bottles

What I say:

Lightly peated from Loch Lomond distillery, it can only be Inchmurrin (SMWS distillery #112)! Only the 9th cask bottled by the SMWS, I have been exponentially growing a love of Inchmurrin bottlings recently, I think of it as my own personal Mortlach. Seriously I can’t rave enough about this undersung distillery/expression. Admittedly I haven’t sampled their official bottlings but all the Independent bottlings are rocket fuel!

Colour:

Dark amber gold (12/20), medium-heavy/slow tears (oily)

Nose:

Freshly baked almond croissants, sweet pastries, doughy, pine needles and sap, green oak, new furniture, vanilla custard pastry, cheese savoury twists, butter, fusty & perfumed old fur coat; with water melon and vanilla fruit.

Taste:

Sweet vanilla, tree sap, resinous oak wood, ginger and cinnamon, popcorn – toffee coated, cereal barley malt, golden syrup and oaty flapjacks, floral, parma violets.

Finish:

Medium length, sweet toffee oak.

Overall:

Another awesome Inchmurrin, nuff said!