Aultmore 22 Years Old 1992 73.69 Dark side eclipsed by sweet joys (52.9%, SMWS, Refill Sherry Butt, 620 Bottles, 2014)

• Category: Speyside single malt scotch whisky
• Origin: Aultmore Distillery
• Bottling: Scotch Malt Whisky Society Cask 73.69
• ABV: 52.9%
• Cost: £79.80

What they say:

Date Distilled: October 1992
Volume: 750 ml
Colour: Caramelized sugar
Age: 22
Cask Type: Refill sherry butt
Region: Speyside
Flavour Profile: Deep, rich & dried fruits

Outturn: 620 bottles

The nose delivered savoury notes, evoking tapas bars (fino, amontillado, tortilla, old polished wood, etc.) but the dessert menu was even stronger (crème caramel, rum and raisin ice-cream, apple granny cake). More complex with water – sugared seaweed, Japanese sweet omelette, earthy hazelnut and plastic toys in the sun. The taste was essentially sweet – vanilla, amaretto, caramel, carrot cake, figs – but with a slight metallic, gamey, bittersweet edge of burnt cake and walnut. With water, its darker side (hoisin duck patrolling the farmyard in wellies) was happily dominated by the joyful sweetness of toffee, toasted marshmallows, Nutella, Dr Pepper syrup and panna cotta.

Drinking Tip:
Could accompany food (Spanish, oriental, e.g.) – or maybe better after a meal, with coffee

What I say:

Thanks to Ben from Bens Whisky for organising a share of this 22 Year Old SMWS Aultmore.

Colour:

Bright & refractive antique 18ct gold (6/20), medium tears with medium-fine legs

Nose:

Zesty, orangey fruitiness, chalky, dry and dusty, cloying honey and syrup sweetness, oak wood, treacle, crème caramel, malty, rum, demerara sugar, molasses, a hint of bicycle inner tubes – a touch of sulphur?

Taste:

Sweet vanilla essence, almonds and toasted almond, nougat, dates, coppery metallic, nutty chestnuts – freshly roasted, toffee, treacle toffee, mocha coffee/cocoa nibs, honey sweetenss but bitter too like over-roasted coffee beans.

Finish:

Medium-long, toffee, rum & raisin ice cream, sweet with woodsmoke and bbq/savoury game meat

Overall:

Good ex-sherry influence, not too strong but masks most of the spirit character. That Aultmore grassy/apple/malt flavour is missing. With a little water this whisky falls apart, it becomes a little more vanilla and creamier but with an over-stretched elastic band flavour in the finish again suggesting some sulphurous content.

Score: 87/100

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