Speyside 11 Year Old That Boutique-y Whisky Company for Malt Society Arabia

Not so long ago I was asked to host an online tasting for the Malt Society of Arabia! Admit it, that's special. This club, MSA for short, has been around for more than 11 years. They are all expats who mainly operate from Dubai. I was lucky enough to get a sample of one of their club bottlings. It is a Speyside whisky of which the distillery is kept secret. We do know that it is bottled at no less than 61.2%. Oh, boy!

Very aromatic nose on quasi tropical fruit. Think mandarin, candied pineapple, quince and kiwi. All this under a nice spicy layer with cloves and baker's spices in the lead. Soft touches of wood that bring the whole nicely into balance. A soft, floral touch that gives it something perfumed. Even reminds me a bit of makeup. And in the background a freshly struck match that provides an anything but disturbing touch of sulfur. Complex.

Good body and nice and spicy from the first sip. Yes, the ABV certainly makes itself be felt and the spices of the wood even become a bit piquant. The salivary glands have to work hard to extinguish things. Once the heaviest fire is put out, very fruity notes of apricots, peaches and mango appear. The mandarins also return. It starts sweet and sour and then ends nice and sweet, but it remains spicy with every sip.

The finish is medium-long, pleasantly warm and a little bitter on the deathbed.

The guys from the MSA have good taste, but I already knew that. Thanks to Dennis V for the sample.