St Magdalene 1982 26 Year Old

Spirit Name: Rating:	St Magdalene 1982 26 Year Old ★★★★★
Score:	86/100
ABV:	46%
Region:	Lowlands
Body:	Medium
Intensity:	Medium
Texture:	Medium
Balance:	Excellent, but with an unfortunate bitter spell at the end
Best served:	Neat
Theme(s):	Lush grassy notes meet sweet pineapple and cherries as the oak kicks in to add a dry bitterness that ends with a surge of dry grass
Tasting notes:	Continuing on my “the week I turned 30” series, today I taste another endangered species: St Magdalene. Whisky from St Magdalene is particularly special because – much like Brora and Port Ellen – it was closed in 1983. So, as supply stops and consumption continues whisky from St Magdalene will continue getting rarer and rarer. I had the opportunity to taste this St Magdalene at Whisky & Alement in Melbourne, a fantastic whisky bar (especially on a not so busy weeknight) with friendly and knowledgeable staff and a welcoming ambiance. Nose: A mild and lush “peat” lifts from the glass, which is difficult to describe but almost grassy with some dew and dampness. There is a sweetness on the nose that merges tartness and sugariness like a tin of pineapple mixed with glazed cherries. The sweetness and fruitiness develops into lemon glazed cake which counteracts the grassy and bitter oak notes. Taste: The lush grass meets the palate with a smack of sweetness that then recedes into a radiating glow of over the top bitterness as the tinned pinapple develops into under-ripe green pineapple with the foundation of bitter oak buzzing strongly. Finish: That lush green and fruit lingers and gently warms the palate, as the finish offers notes of flat cola with bitter lemon and the over influence of oak. The lush grass becomes very dry.   With water: A dash of water really opens up this whisky and lightens it on the nose. The fragrance of Terry’s chocolate orange develops with some notes of ash tray and honeycomb crunchie! On the palate it remains grassy, but with a helping of vanilla that moderates the oak a little. It releases sharper and sweeter citrus notes with what I identify as lamington. The finish is also gentler, but a dull bitterness develops that destabilizes the whole ride.
Likes:	Soft grassy notes are something different, especially as this is a Lowland whisky
Dislikes:	Oak laden bitterness on the finish
Price:	N/A