24 drams till Christmas 2016 #9: Glen Keith 1992 21 years by Archives

Dram data:
Distillery: Glen Keith
Bottler: Archives
Distilled: 10.1992
Bottled: 03.2014
Age: 21 years
Limitation: 218 bottles
Casks: Bourbon Barrel 120599
Alcohol: 51,5%
unchillfiltered and uncoloured
Whiskybase link

Another “first” for the blog – I can hardly believe I’ve never officially tasted a Glen Keith before?

Tasting notes:
Colour: light gold
The nose opens on the sweet and fruity side, but with a lightness to it at the same time! Sweet oranges, a hint of wax, sweet fruits (grapes, apricots, mangos) and light vanilla dominate the initial impression. We’ve got an ex-bourbon fruit bomb here! As time passes, the aromas get more complex and richer, the fruits get darker, with an almost jammy/syrupy aspect to them. Let’s see what the palate has in store!Fruity, jammy on the arrival – a true fruit bomb indeed! Sweet grapes, candied oranges, orange seed bitterness, orange marmalade, dried as well as fresh mango, a bit of papaya and fresh, juicy raisins dominate. Just a hint of slight spices paired with a slight oak note round off the juicy, mouth-coating and oily experience. The second sip is much spicier – now we’ve also got ginger, a pinch of pepper and a more pronounced dry, slightly herbal note, before the fruits fight their way through again. With water: ah, that’s the balance restored, cutting down on the spiciness without hindering the fruity notes. The long finish has a spiciness (pepper, ginger) upon swallowing, before dry, herbal and fruity notes emerge and fade away in tandem, revealing a bit more oak towards the end.

Verdict:
Glen Keith has a bit of a mixed history. Opened only in 1958, it was mothballed in 1999, only to be renovated, reconstructed and expanded in 2012, opening again in 2013. All of the Glen Keith whisky on the market today stems from the pre-closure times, and every bottle that’s drunk is one less on the market. This very nice, fruity and spicy example may sadly be very hard to come by now, having been bottled in 2014 – but similar drams can readily be found – for now!

Score: 86/100
(Nose: 86 Palate: 87 Finish: 86)