St. Magdalene 26yo 1982, Douglas Laing, OMC 2008, #DL4712, 511 btls
Saintly St. Magdalene
0 290
Review by @Stu_R
- Nose23
- Taste22
- Finish22
- Balance23
- Overall90
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- Brand: St. Magdalene
- Type: Scotch
- Region: Lowland
- ABV: 50%
Nose: Initially grassy, chalky and mineral with rubbed orange peel, lemon rind and yellow apple; beautifully old style. With a little time it grows richer with hints of tropical fruit, mainly pineapple, delicate vanilla, beeswax and a mix of floral honeys. A touch dusty now, unlit cigar, hints of butter and paraffin with a touch of mocha adding richness and even greater complexity to this wonderful, slightly edgy and typically St Magdalene profile.
Taste: Very much in line with the nose, flinty and fruity in almost equal measure with waxy citrus, light honey, touches of olive oil and aspirin. The mid palette takes a turn into ginger and a peppery dryness, becoming a little dusty, mostly on old books. Finally a waft of bitterness builds into hints of guava backed by walnut skins and very distant coastal suggestions.
Feel: Rich, supple and rather oily.
Finish: Bittersweet with ginger, touches of olive oil/butter twinned with faint tropical fruits, limestone and apple skins. Medium-long.
In many ways a typical St Magdalene but richer and more rounded than some other early 80’s examples. A beautiful old style whisky, very complex and a touch nervous but it's worth the effort when the spirit is this good.
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I think it's hilarious that a whisky described as "grassy, chalky and mineral" scored a 90. I completely understand, as we all use descriptive words to explain the aroma or flavor we are experiencing. Excellent word choices ("beautifully old style", "richness") to reinforce that the aromas were a GOOD thing, as I started to wonder if you liked it or not as I was reading!