There’s a new batch from The Whisky Agency called Wave farewell to 2025. Today we’ll look at the non-peated single malts. All of them are actually similar to other bottlings from the past two years or so. As you know (good) casks are often sold in big parcels.
Ben Nevis 28 yo 1996 (43,5%, The Whisky Agency ‘Wave farewell to 2025’, sherry butt, 307 btl.)
Nose: starts entirely on earthy walnuts and moist tobacco leaves, followed by bitter orange peels and a hint of turmeric. Old metal tools, new rubber and sweet mustard. After a while some very ripe tropical notes appear, like mango and passion fruit. One strawberry even. Overall pretty disconcerting but also strangely interesting, I wonder where this is going on the palate.
Mouth: again there’s a dirtier side to it, with charcoal, orange peels, charcoal but also grilled vegetables and mustard. Not the bright juicy fruits of the less sherried versions. Then walnuts, just a little syrupy sweetness of herbal liqueur, as well as hints of oxidized Amontillado. Still some apricot and lightly tropical sweetness underneath, but they’re far from centre.
Finish: long, pretty thick, with marmalade and walnuts, perhaps raisins and a hint of liquorice.
A bit of a hardcore / intellectual bottling, in my opinion. I like the Amontillado notes of yore and the fruitiness in the background though. A funky one for insiders.
Glenrothes 36 yo 1989 (44,8%, The Whisky Agency ‘Wave farewell to 2025’, hogshead, 184 btl.)
Nose: a very warm mix of ripe mirabelles and apple pie, sunflower oil, almond paste and ice tea with honey. Then some dried wildflowers, the usual honeysuckle and hints of galia melon. A bit of beeswax and barley sugar too.
Mouth: quite chewy, still on (yellow) fruits, honey and some hay. Just a little pepper in the onset, with some old oak. Mid-palate some minty notes and dried flowers come out, together with some herbal tea. Then drops of cider and and light resinous note towards the end.
Finish: medium length, with more old oak, tangerine peels, subtle grassy notes and a faint salty edge.
Really good, it’s basically an old-style malt from refill oak. Recently I had to describe my favourite style of whisky and I came up with exactly this definition. Score: 90/100
Glen Grant 25 yo 1999 (51,2%, The Whisky Agency ‘Wave farewell to 2025’, hogshead, 203 btl.)
Nose: bright fruity notes, slightly acidic, like green apple, gooseberry and lime. Some fresh herbs, crushed mint leaves and pine needles add more freshness. Then core notes of barley and some mineral notes.
Mouth: fruity but with a herbal / spicy side to it. Pears and yellow fruits, a drop of honey. Then mild pepper, hazelnuts and a bit of toffee sweetness. After that it moves towards grapefruit and lemon, with hints of limestone and chalk. Just an echo of mocha too.
Finish: quite long, now on greener fruits, with a waxy touch and a hint of aniseed.
Very bright and fresh again. In fact really close to the Glen Grant 1998 from the previous selection. Score: 89/100
Glen Keith 30 yo 1994 (53%, The Whisky Agency ‘Wave farewell to 2025’, barrel, 263 btl.)
Nose: starts slightly gristy and dusty, in a nice way. Then vanilla pods and custard, a little mint and some subtle floral notes. Plenty of yellow fruits, with a slightly tropical edge (pineapple). Hints of shortbread; wax candles and light whiffs of marshmallows as well.
Mouth: now the fruitiness really bursts open. Peaches, plenty of citrus notes, greengages and (unripe) pineapple. The citrus notes get a little more zesty over time. Then a sweet candy note again, along with honey. Underneath oak spice is adding structure, like white pepper and clove oil, together with a subtle chalky note.
Finish: long, still plenty of orchard fruits, with oaky warmth and light herbal notes.
Four great whiskies in this batch. They’re really close together but this fruity Glen Keith may well be my favourite today. Score: 90/100
Isle of Jura 16 yo 2009 (51%, The Whisky Agency ‘Wave farewell to 2025’, Tawny Port barrique, 292 btl.)
Nose: I would probably have guessed (sweet) sherry. A lot of prunes, raspberry jam, plenty of raisins and blackberries. Some cooked apples. Now it’s a rather modern profile, with a slightly fragrant (potpourri) woody note, but it doesn’t harm. Then a little Muscovado and a whiff of tobacco as well.
Mouth: powerful vinous notes now, including some herbal-tannic dryness and a mild bittersweet edge. Hints of clove and chocolate. Still a basket of raisins, plums and figs underneath. Black peppercorns, grape skins and fruit stems. There’s a light earthiness and even a vague smoky edge.
Finish: medium, quite sweet with chocolate notes and dried fruits, as well as some cinnamon.
Funny that TWA released a significant amount of Port casks this year. Again not bad this one, despite having limited distillery character. Score: 85/100