We already talked about an excellent unnamed Orkney Malt 2007 bottled by Elixir Distillers in their Reserve Casks series. In the same series there’s also an Orkney 2009 bottled exclusively for La Maison du Whisky.
An Orkney Distillery 10 yo 2009 (48%, Elixir Distillers Reserve Casks for La Maison du Whisky, 2 casks)
Nose: this mixes peaches and lots of Seville oranges with heathery, almost floral peat. Clove and white pepper. At the same time there’s a mulchy and meaty note at its base. Something muddy as well. Compared to the Orkney 2007 this feels thinner, it’s quite fragrant but lacking something in the middle.
Mouth: quite herbal and bitter straight away. Ginger and chicory, lots of coffee roast and hints of oak char. Later it also shows a sweet honeyed note and sweet tobacco. Again some orange peel, cloves and a herbal syrup.
Finish: medium, spicy and herbal, with a puff of smoke and dark chocolate.
After all the named and unnamed Orkney releases of late, this leaves a lukewarm impression. It’s not as full as we’d hoped and too focused on oak spice. Still available, only from La Maison du Whisky.