Glen Keith 1993 // Glentauchers 1991 // Scapa 1998 (Connoisseurs Choice)

After a small birthday intermezzo, let’s resume our regular service…

Three recent Connoisseurs Choice releases from Gordon & MacPhail this time. A Glen Keith 1993 and Glentauchers 1991 in the regular bottles, plus a Scapa 1988 in the dumpy bottle as it is over 30 years of age.

 

 

Glen Keith 24 yo 1993 (49,3%, Gordon & MacPhail Connoisseurs Choice 2018, refill bourbon barrel #111152, 205 btl.)

Nose: fresh and fairly light, with crisp orchard fruits (pears, peaches) as well as some lime-flavoured yoghurt and unripe banana. Grassy hints, maybe chamomile. Fresh oak shavings as well. Pleasant.

Mouth: citrusy start (lemon / lime) with nice hints of passion fruit and tangerine candy. Vanilla, hints of cake dough and coconut. Orange blossom. A green, leafy bitter edge, mixed with a resinous and waxy note.

Finish: good length, still on citrus notes with walnuts and this green, herbal edge.

Good, natural Glen Keith with very bright fruity notes and a grassy touch from the American oak. Perhaps a tad expensive for such a light, uncomplicated style, but dangerously drinkable. Available from The Whisky Exchange or Master of Malt.

Score: 86/100

 

 

 

Glentauchers 27 yo 1991 (56,8%, Gordon & MacPhail Connoisseurs Choice 2018, first-fill sherry butt #6943, 473 btl.)

Nose: modern sherry, with leathery notes, prunes and a vanilla / butter combination. Cinnamon. Strawberries, blackberries, hints of baked red apples. Fresh orange as well. Subtle hints of wood polish or even nail polish remover, which aren’t bad in this context.

Mouth: some burnt wood now, alongside leafy tobacco notes, resin and a bitter herbal side. Black pepper and nutmeg. Really dark chocolate with salt flakes. It seems to have lost most of the fruity notes we found on the nose. Some Seville oranges though.

Finish: quite long, on Turkish coffee

Promising start but there’s too much (charred) oak on the palate for me. Works as a Christmas dram, I guess. Available from The Whisky Exchange.

Score: 83/100

 

 

 

Scapa 30 yo 1988 (53,8%, Gordon & MacPhail Connoisseurs Choice 2018, refill bourbon barrel #10585, 148 btl.)

Nose: oily start, with beeswax, subtle herbs and menthol. A bit of chalk and wet stones. Golden apples, orange peel and aromatic peaches in the background. Honey cake. A little lime. Really nice.

Mouth: active wood here, but there’s a beautiful mix of minerals and fruits as well. Leafy notes, gravel, marmalade and hints of mustard. Creamy vanilla and gooseberries to balance. Getting quite bitter after a while. Over-infused Bancha. Walnut skins.

Finish: long, with this bitter, mineral side, aniseed and green wood.

Very interesting Island whisky with a dry, coastal character and a bitter side. Luckily there’s a nice fruity side to it as well. Not for beginners. Given the small yield, probably sold out.

Score: 87/100