Glenrothes 36 Year Old 1969 Duncan Taylor Peerless

Duncan Taylor has bottled quite a few Glenrothes casks already. No less than 12 from 1969 alone, bottled in both their Rare Auld and Lonach Collection, as well as in this Peerless series. The casks with numbers 12881, 12884, 12885, 12888, 12889 and 12890 are all from this year and get praises all over the place. Got to try me one, then, eh? I will go with cask 12885.

Oh, boy! Vanilla, honey, heather and even resin. The wood is very noticeable, but in a rather nice and supporting fashion. This nose is mostly fruity on oranges and some pineapple. Soft caramel. A bit zesty. A leaf of mint keeps it fresh, while I recognize ginger and cinnamon from the spice rack. Wood shavings and apricots kick in after a few moments. Great nose. Hint of coconut at the end.

On the palate, the spices are more outspoken and upholstered with some nutmeg and a truck load of vanilla, but the fruit is more concentrated around oranges. Those of the Seville variety, midly bitter. Some mango? Loads of oak, but that is unavoidable. And far from disturbing. Au contraire. Something creamy as if from banana. That makes this one slightly tropical, I suppose. Hint of moccha. Very, very good.

The finish is fairly dry, but very long with some chocolate at the death.

This is the best Glenrothes I have tried so far!

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