Review by: The Muskox

Holy cow, it’s been a while since I posted a review, at least by my standards. I feel like a bear waking from hibernation – I have no idea what I’ve tried recently, what’s in my sample cupboard, or what my friends have been drinking. Who’d have thought that moving to a new country and starting a PhD would be so disruptive to my routine?

This whisky is the continuation of my quest for more Glenburgie. Old + hogshead seems to be the way to go for this distillery, so this bottling from Signatory Vintage should hit the spot.

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Distillery: Glenburgie.

Bottler: Signatory Vintage.

Region: Speyside.

ABV: 54.7%. Cask strength.

Age: 25 years. Distilled June 15th 1995. Bottled April 26th 2021.

Cask type: Casks #6528 and #6582, both hogsheads.

Price: N/A, sample.

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

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Nose: Sweet and aromatic. Loads of honey, along with flowers and some slightly greener herbal flavours. Not loads of fruit here, but a decent amount – lime cordial, hints of papaya, banana, and pear. White pepper and salted butter. Malty and little yeasty. Toasted sesame seeds. Strongly mineral – maybe dolostone.

Palate: Medium-thick texture. Arrives with thick honey, soft pretzels, and some grass, with a little caramel. This then tightens up slightly into grapefruit peel and green apples, along with a hit of dust and minerals that carries through all the way into the finish. Moderate oak and smashed crystalline rocks come in next. Fragrant undertones of bergamot, tropical flowers, underripe fruits, and salty beach grass.

Finish: Medium-long. Sticky sweetness with spicy warmth. Honey-soaked roasted nuts, crystallized ginger, and Earl Grey with milk. Fragrant citrus and cardamom.

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Possible SMWS bottling name: “Summertime at the bouldering crag”

Conclusion: Excellent stuff. Piles of sweet honey, but balanced well by oak and minerals. It’s bracing, but so fragrant – it’s what I’d imagine a perfect white wine would be (if I really enjoyed white wine). This really needed rest in the glass for the fragrance and fruit to come out from underneath the minerals.

Final Score: 89.

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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.