This Banff 21y is the only official expression, as far as I know, before the distillery was demolished in 1983.
Banff 21y 1982 (51,7%, RM 2004)
Nose: clean and nutty, with notes of citrus and new oak. Something of dry straw as well. Overall quite acid and a bit metallic, but this is better when it warms up.
Mouth: agressive attack, quite alcoholic and sharp. Starts on oranges and malt. Vanilla notes. Develops some really interesting notes of cape gooseberries (physalis fruit), too bad they fade quickly. Finish on marmelade, becoming more bitter, with some walnuts in the end. Light smoke in the background. Too bitter in the end, starts to taste like aspirin…
Well, it’s not a bad whisky, but it isn’t the most balanced either. It shows more or less the same flaws as the previously reviewed Banff 25y 1980 by Duncan Taylor. We’re convinced this distillery made much better stuff. For example, the absolutely stunning Banff 36y 1971 which was released by Douglas Laing in 2007.
Score: 85/100.