It’s always nice to see releases from distilleries that are rarely bottled as a single malt. There were no official Mannochmore releases since 1997 (Manager’s Dram 18yo).
This Mannochmore 18yo 1990/2009 is a mix of re-charred sherry casks (European oak), re-charred bourbon casks and new American oak casks that were seasoned with sherry. Unusual scenario which makes me very curious.
Mannochmore 18 yo 1990
(54,9%, OB 2009, 2604 btl.)
Nose: very expressive with sweet sherry notes, fruit gums and tons of vanilla. Very warm and highly sensual. Fruit cake with candied orange bits. Raspberries. Hints of nougat and tobacco. Just enough oak polish. A whole range of spices and mint. Very complex, lots of different elements, but they join up perfectly.
Mouth: smooth with dried fruits again and added nutty flavours. Apricots. Toffee. Toast with orange marmalade. The spices are still here: pepper, ginger, cinnamon. Quite herbal after a while.
Finish: quite long. Spicy with some drying oak. Wonderful chocolate.
This Mannochmore 18yo made my day. Very attractive with big spicy notes and subtle sherry. The insider’s choice of this year’s special releases. I’m buying. Around € 100.
Score: 90/100