Irish single malt 1991 – peated (Eiling Lim)

Remember the rather wonderful Irish single malt 1991 – The Nectar of the Daily Drams? Belgo-Malaysian bottler Eiling Lim selected a similar cask.

It’s produced at the same distillery, from the same 1991 batch of casks. We’ve heard it was also double distilled (!) as well as being peated spirit. Peated Bushmills, almost.

I happen to have bottles of both, so I can compare them directly.

Irish single malt 22 yo 1991 (48,6%, Eiling Lim 2014, 116 btl.)

Nose: my first impression was a slightly bigger peatiness, but this levels out over time. This one is maybe slightly less sweet on the nose, but it does have a clear buttery / toffee note that the TNOTDD doesn’t have. Similar fruitiness (pear, maracuya, mango, banana) alongside the subtle peat and ever so light medicinal notes (menthol).

Mouth: almost identical to the other cask, hard to set apart. A sweet, tropical fruitiness mixed with subtle peat that seems older than it actually is (1960’s Bowmore anyone?). Minty notes, a little walnut. Fades on creamy mocha.

Finish: long, slightly earthy, still very fruity with a soft peppery touch.

You could say 2014 was a year of excellent independent Irish releases (both peated and non-peated), thanks to the Teeling family and a couple of bottlers with great noses. A must-try.

Score: 92/100