Review by: The Muskox

This is another K&L Wines cask pick. I’d be shocked if K&L’s picks weren’t the most-reviewed of any store’s on Reddit – they seem to have an endless supply, they’re usually well-priced, and usually rather good. I was very happy to see that they picked a cask of a distillery I was looking to explore – I’ve already been impressed once by the rich tropicalness of one Glen Keith. Let’s see if this bottling can match that.

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Distillery: Glen Keith.

Bottler: Hunter Laing.

Region: Speyside.

ABV: 56.9%. Cask strength.

Age: 28 years. Distilled in January 1993. Bottled in March 2021.

Cask type: Cask #HL18086, a refill barrel.

Price: $149 at K&L Wines in Califonia.

Color: Light gold. Natural Color. Non-chill-filtered.

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Nose: Fragrant-tropical old-whisky nose. Waxy milk chocolate, powdered sugar, rosemary, and wet clay. Slightly sappy tropical notes of sliced pineapple and green bananas. As it rests, richer notes emerge: toasted croissants with cherry jam, sweet buttery biscuits, and vanilla. Very distant smoke.

Palate: Silky texture. Arrives tropical, apple cider, big coconut and Chinese green tea. Strong fragrant wood oil and tannic oak on the development. Slightly peppery, black tea. Nutmeg. Burnt marshmallow. Green fruit and fragrant dried flowers take over towards the back – gooseberry, passionfruit, kiwi, and pomelo.

Finish: Medium-long. Oak and dry cider dominate. Soft fruit notes of kiwi, guava, pear, limoncello, and chocolate-covered strawberries. Honey drizzle. More green tea and some cardamom. Just a hint of smoke again.

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Possible SMWS bottling name: “Summer cider cellar pomelonade”

Conclusion: A great old whisky. Excellent aged notes, strong but balanced oak, not too sweet or too dry, and delectable tropical fruit. Not the most complex in the world, but still interesting and with at least a few layers going on. I tried this twice, a couple weeks apart, and was less excited on the second taste. I think I like it less than the nearly-as-old Arran I tried that same night (review pending!).

Final Score: 87.

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Scoring Legend:

• 95-100: As good as it gets. Jaw-dropping, eye-widening, unforgettable whisky.
• 90-94: Sublime, a personal favorite in its category.
• 85-89: Excellent, a standout dram.
• 80-84: Quite good. Quality stuff.
• 75-79: Decent whisky worth tasting.
• 70-74: Meh. It’s definitely drinkable, but it can do better.
• 60-69: Not so good. I might not turn down a glass if I needed a drink.
• 50-59: Save it for mixing.
• 0-49: Blech.