Islay 30 Year Old 1990 Thompson Brothers for The Nectar

This is another gem that importer The Nectar had bottled for their 15th anniversary. A 30-year-old Islay whisky from Phil and Simon Thompson – the boys behind Dornoch Distillery and the kids from the owners of the Dornoch Castle, a luxury hotel annex whisky bar. Thanks to my buddy Jonas, who opened his bottle without blinking, I was able to get some samples. And although the label does not reveal where this whisky comes from, we still have well-founded suspicions. It's only just in the glass or that suspicion is immediately confirmed. This is Laphroaig, ladies and gentlemen. A Laffie that matured for three decades, mind you. Fantastic nose on both orchard and tropical fruit with melon, apples, papaya, mango, blood orange and a lost physalis. That delicious fruit is beautifully wrapped in an elegant jacket of medicinal smoke that does not dominate at all, but just supports. Some mineral notes appear, some green tea and a drop of manuka honey follow. Moss in the morning dew. Wet rocks in the background. Pebbles on the beach. Excellent! OMG. The fruit and peat flirt with each other in a beautiful tango. Lime and smoke sparkle, while the mineral notes slowly but surely push aside the tropical fruit. Something of potpourri and even Chardonnay also appears. Delicate nor subtle, but elegance at its best. The finish... excuse: the Finish is long, goes from peated to sweet and sour (lime, orange) to end with an intensely sweet (honey and cinnamon) touch. Ha! This one just pops into my top ten of this year. Laphroaig, without a doubt. Thank you, Jonas!