In the recent batch of bottlings from The Whisky Jury there was another undisclosed Islay Single Malt 1990. A sister cask of the excellent previous Islay Single Malt 1990s from the same bottler. This time it is exclusively available from their Taiwanese distributor Whisky Age.
Islay Single Malt 31 yo 1990 (51,8%, The Whisky Jury for Whisky Age Taiwan 2022, refill barrel #4404332, 259 btl.)
Nose: ‘faded’ coal smoke with mentholated notes and mineral oils. Wet wool. Gentle Islay aromas against a background of sweet (and increasingly tropical) notes. Guava and honey. Hints of paint on canvas and seaweed, as well as sesame oil and a very light volatile touch. After a long time it also develops a farmy hint. Brilliant.
Mouth: slightly more robust and sharper than expected. Capers in brine, natural tar and lots of oily notes. Bandages and dried seaweed. Then pink grapefruits, roasted pineapple and a dollop of seawater. Also bitter almonds and hints of herbal tea. Light hints of mustard too.
Finish: long, oily and peppery. More grapefruit and medicinal tonic.
A brilliant nose and plenty of punch on the palate. Totally in line with the other casks so very high quality again. Contact Whisky Age for more information – bottles arrived in Taiwan right before the weekend.