This Unblended Highland Malt 1985 was bottled by WhiskySponge some time ago, at 35 years of age.
We’ve seen this kind of expression before, and the educated guess we made back then is more or less confirmed in the back label of this release. Fifteen hens, a certain doctor… lead us to Glenmorangie, right?
Unblended Highland Single Malt 35 yo 1985 (46,1%, WhiskySponge 2020, refill hogshead, 232 btl.)
Nose: herbal honey and warm apricot pie, alongside sweet berries and quinces. Plenty of beehive notes. Fruity, quite jammy actually, but even more oily, freshened by some minty notes and nicely waxed oak. Subtle leathery touches.
Mouth: sweet but this time in a vaguely honeyed way, with less pinpointed fruits. Candied orange and bergamot. Earl Grey indeed. A slight hint of sour wood as well, but it fits this style. Becomes a little thinner in the end, on herbal liqueurs and tea.
Finish: quite long, minty and leafy, with hints of oranges and fragrant wood.
It feels a little thin along the way but other than that, this is just glorious old whisky. Vibrant, fruity and waxy. All sold out now, I believe.