Dino Mancarella is a German whisky lover who was thinking about bringing out a private bottling for some time. It didn’t happen until he tried this undisclosed Speyside Region 1973 by chance and was sold immediately.
Speyside Region 43 yo 1973
(51,6%, Mancarella 2017, +/- 50 btl.)
Nose: fresh fruits (grapefruits, gooseberries, apricots and lightly tropical notes), very subtle resinous notes, candle wax, lots of mint and herbal honey. Subtle hay and aniseed. Orange peels. Just a hint of blonde tobacco. Complex and elegant. As expected: excellent.
Mouth: same lightly tropical and gently acidulated notes. Kumquats, mirabelles, oranges, green banana, rubbed lemon skins. Hints of walnuts and green tea. Aniseed and ginger. Fresh spearmint. Eucalyptus.
Finish: long, rich, with a little camphor and mint again as well as traces of tropical fruits.
Sure, it’s a private bottling (no public sales) so you’re probably not going to taste it. But it’s excellent and who knows we ever stumble upon the rest of this cask.
Score: 92/100