Advent Calendar 2020
2020 has certainly been a year we all want to forget in a hurry, the worry of losing loved ones, the endless isolation that so many have found difficult to cope with, the lack of contact with our families or even just a quick hello to strangers is now taking it’s toll on so many..
As i sit here preparing to do my Advent Calendar for 2020 i cant help but wonder what there is to look forward to, will it be more doom and gloom or will we start to see the light at the end of the tunnel, the simple answer is who knows ?
I do know that as bad as this year has been i still have to carry on, stay strong and believe all the hardship from 2020 will be worth it long term, this also includes the excitement for the next month, the opening of my Boutique-y Advent Calendar, the daily writing of reviews and of course the drinking of some very fine whisky that finds itself hiding behind each door..
This is now my 4th year of getting the Advent Calendar and it is now the one thing i have to look forward to at this time of year ( obviously i love the family part too but i am talking about external things ) Once again the very friendly people at Boutique-y approached me and offered a calendar for me to review, so please be aware this year as i have in the past 3 years i will be doing daily reviews and posting my thoughts the day after.
This year though i do feel the leadup to Christmas will hold many different challenges, obstacles and of course hardships for so many people, and hopefully these daily reviews might bring a little entertainment, laughs and encouragement..
So for the first review in this years Calendar, and wow, just wow.. I know this dram fairly well and i already know i love it..
25 Year Old Speyside, Secret distillery – That Boutique-y Whisky Company
Sometimes indie bottlers are not allowed to name the distillery when releasing bottles, there are several reasons behind this but when it does happen its a really interesting thing when trying to name the distillery.. Sometimes the distillery will teaspoon a cask in order to ensure they cannot be named and after sitting with this dram i believe this is from one of the distilleries that generally practices this technique, however this is not a teaspoon so interestingly it has a separate label from the general release that Boutique-y will normally release under.
Distillery.. Un named
Region.. Speyside
Abv.. 51.6%
Age.. 25 years
Batch.. 1
Outturn.. 2415 Bottles
Nose.. This starts of with a beautiful sweetness that reminds of Werthers original sweets, toffee and caramel before a fresh fruit note starts to trickle in, pineapple, freshly peeled apples, pear, plums and pine needle freshness that just balances it out perfectly.. There is an underlying heather honey note that also brings cinnamon notes with it, ginger biscuits and bounty bars..
Palate.. There is a bitterness at the beginning that disperses into fresh fruits with a very short hit of peach, that pineapple note makes another appearance with orange peels, a little lemon drizzle cake and some balancing Oak tannings.
Finish.. Warming spices and fruity.
Thoughts.. Seductive and so very enticing are my initial thoughts but let me rewind a little.. My first encounter of this whisky was sitting in a hotel room sipping some up coming releases and being asked ” what do you think this is ? ” and although this sounds like the beginning of some dodgy b movie it wasn’t, sorry to shatter the illusion, no one was murdered, no one was drug dealing before having their head blown off and there was certainly none of that other stuff going on !! Instead this setting was the wind down from a very busy whisky festival and Boutiquey Dave as he does offering some little insights into what is about to hit the shelfs in the shops and generally my home..
As he offered me a dram he asked my opinion and challenged me to name the distillery, a few sniffs and quick taste and for me it could only be Balvenie..
All i got was “Interesting”
Enjoy…
For an alternative view then take a look at THE DRAMBLE
ocdwhisky.com 