.caperdonich - 1994 - the ultimate

46% abv, €51, single malt, non-chill filtered, natural colour

Nose: sweet vanilla at first, later there are a lot of herbal notes, especially ginger and mint/ eucalyptus, but the Italian cuisine is represented with rosemary, oregano and thyme.
Palate: a sweet, strong palate, with similar herbal tones as the nose, but also bay leaves, sage, hint of coriander are present. A hint of bitter and the mouthfeel of too much margarine.
Finish: medium long and warming with a hint of sweet vanilla accompanied by liquorice root. Not too bad at first, but after some minutes, there is a slight bitter afterthought.
Mark: +++++

Conclusion: Not too shabby, but not the best I have ever had either. It is a bit... strange might be the right word - not what I am looking for in a whisky. She is not a big fan of water, a few tiny drops closed her, instead of helping to open.

More info: The Caperdonich distillery has been closed and dismantled in 2002. In 2012 the Belgian distiller the Belgian Owl bought one pair of the old Caperdonich stills, had them refurbished and installed on their - especially for these stills rebuilt - location, to have them operational in the end of 2013. I am looking forward to taste both the old and the new Owl, preferably with the new-make spirits next to each other.
If only I could get my hands on some Caperdonich new make, for this experiment...

Distilled on 09/07/1994, matured in hogshead #96525, bottled on 04/06/2013 in bottle #228 of 243.