Old Perth 19 Year Old 1998

The Old Perth 19 Year Old is a blended malt consisting of Bowmore, Glen Garioch and Auchentoshan. Note: the spirit was actually brought together in one cask in 1998. Blended at birth is the term. After 19 years, the cask yielded only 120 bottles that were all shipped to The Netherlands. They should be proud.

Loads of citrus, vanilla sugar and apricots are the core of this nose. A nice trace of woodsmoke and some coastal elements are present. Rocks in the river bed. Celp and a feisty surf. Bowmore dominates, that much is clear. I must say: I like it a lot.

The body is good. Oily and soft on the palate. Mouth coating. The aromas of the nose return, upholstered with some gyproc, jute and chalk. The smoke becomes quite big. White pepper and salt. The oak did a fierce job. Small bitterness. Good balance anyway.

The finish is long, warm and a battle between sweet and salt. The last one is victorious, while the first is knocked out.

Textbook example of ‘unknown and thus unloved’. Unwarranted! This is truly a good whisky and ideal for someone who does not want to venture in to Islay just yet, but would like to try a smoky whisky nonetheless.