The Whisky Exchange starts the year with a couple of exclusives. One of them is this Glenburgie 1996, selected from the stocks at Gordon & MacPhail. Over the past few years, casks 5803-5809 already arrived on the market.
Glenburgie 28 yo 1996 (54,8%, Gordon & MacPhail ‘Connoisseurs Choice’ for The Whisky Exchange 2024, refill bourbon barrel #5816, 147 btl.)
Nose: all on creamy coconut, with hints of ripe pineapple, mashed banana, some melons and honey. Vanilla custard, of course, as well as fragrant frangipane. Then some gritty notes with liquorice and ginger, as well as lemon balm. A mix of sweet and tangy elements.
Mouth: rich and fruity. Plenty of pineapple and mango, more almond pastry and hints of shortbread. The fruity sweetness is countered with zingy grapefruit and baking spice like nutmeg, white pepper and ginger, becoming heathery and a bit grassy towards the end. Then hints of brioche, crystallised citrus and lemon zest.
Finish: long and warming, with more tropical fruit and grassy spice.
I really dig the fruitiness that Glenburgie from the late 1990s can display. Sometimes more tropical, sometimes slightly greener, but always vibrant. Judging by the number of Glenburgies bottled for TWE before (1, 2, 3…), I assume someone there likes them too. Exclusively available from The Whisky Exchange.