Undisclosed Speyside distillery 30 yo
(40%, Master of Malt 2008, 2nd edition)

Nose: deep oloroso sherry influence, but very playful at the same time. Big notes of pear frangipane (not sure if that type of cake is known all over the world, but it’s delicious). Raisins. Honey and demerara sugar. Whiffs of furniture polish and pine resin. A drop of water brings out red candy. Some superb sherry at work here. Mouth: not the most powerful attack, but very creamy. Starting on pine resin and evolving on dark chocolate. Mon Cheri. Very fresh considering its age. Dried plums and figs. Orange skin. Spicy fruitcake. More oranges when you add water, but it quickly gets watery. Finish: medium length, warm and nutty with hints of cloves.

A stunning nose on this Speyside sherry bottling. It slows down on the palate, but on the other hand it’s very smooth. Too bad there’s no version at 46%, it could have been truly heavenly. If I were to place a bet, I would say Glenfarclas. Perfect for sherry lovers. Around € 120.

Score: 90/100

Undisclosed Speyside distillery 30 yo 
(40%, Master of Malt 2009, 3rd edition)

Nose: a classic bourbon matured profile with truckloads of honey and some lovely fruits (melon, apricot, ripe banana, papaya). Big big vanilla (coming close to actual bourbon at times) and hints of cinnamon. Sugared almonds. Warm oaky notes and wax are easy to notice, but the nose is not tired at all. Great nose. Mouth: a spicy attack, but it seems to fall flat soon after the arrival. Much more oak now, a bit too much even. Pine resin and nutmeg. Hints of grapefruit but overall not nearly as fruity as the nose made me expect. Finish: a bit undefined, with dry oak and subtle fruits.

The glorious nose and the woody palate reminded me of another undisclosed Speysider by Thosop. I wouldn’t be surprised if they came from the same distillery. Don’t get me wrong, I could sniff this all day and it’s certainly nice enough to justify the price tag (about € 125). Available from Master of Malt.

Score: 85/100

Undisclosed Speyside distillery 40 yo
(40%, Master of Malt 2008)

Nose: big notes of dates and dried figs. Oak polish. Sour notes of red fruits (redcurrant, raspberry) and tangerine. Hints of sherry vinegar that work quite well. There’s also a great nuttiness in the background. The whole is a bit sharp but very entertaining. I hope I can be just as vibrant at the age of 40. Impressive. Mouth: fruity start, good attack but the fruity notes can’t keep up very long. The oak comes rolling in and takes over the whole mouthfeel. Tannic and resinous. Again some notes of vinegar. Finish: long, nutty and fruity. The oak is less prominent. Hints of dark chocolate.

Good stuff but a malt of ups and downs. The nose is very nice, the palate is disturbed by the oak and in the finish the battle between fruit and wood seems to end in a draw. Around € 160.

Score: 87/100

Master of Malt Speyside 50 yo
(40%, Master of Malt 2009)

Nose: great nose, fruity and spicy. Apricot pie and yellow raisins. Oranges. Heather honey. Vanilla and a little cellulose varnish. Woody notes and pine needles as well, but actually less than expected for such an old malt. Some mint. Cinnamon. A lovely touch of candle wax. Quite excellent. Mouth: ah, here’s the wood. Immediately spicy with nutmeg and cloves. Quite smokey as well which is a nice addition. Some chocolate. Hints of tea. Getting quite tannic. Maybe a few extra degrees would have balanced it better? Finish: rather short, spicy and not too dry.

A stunning nose with beautiful fruit and smooth signs of age. On the palate it misses some punch, which means there’s more emphasis on the wood. Very nice. Around
€ 290 which is a lot of money but still relatively cheap considering the age.

Score: 91/100

ps/ Master of Malt now offers 3cl samples of more than 60 whiskies, including this 50 years old Speysider.