Lindores Abbey MCDXCIV Single Malt

Fruity, but with an unpleasant medicinal edge. Almost red wine-y. Not for me

Very mild and fruity, quite smooth and easy drinking

Lindores first public release, MCDXCIV (1494) has spent its time maturing in ex-bourbon, ex-sherry, and STR ex-Burgundy red wine casks. The founders boast “one of the longest wash fermentation periods in the Scotch Whisky Industry at 117 hours coupled with an unusual sister spirit stills set up helps achieve the Distillery Manager’s goal of producing a malt of remarkable character for its age. The Sister Spirit Stills “Poppy” & “Gee”, named after the owners two daughters, help enhance and refine, through additional copper contact in the spirit distillation phase, the wonderful flavours captured in the long fermentation period.” N: Instant smack of malt with creamy light toffee and praline. Mixtures of pear, stone fruit, and jammy fig. Gentler florals, chocolates maybe, and some leathery and gristy depth. Eminently enjoyable and with elements of age and youth in equal measure. P: Beautifully light and creamy with some accompanying oiliness. Clove and nutmeg spice blend seamlessly with soft caramel and baked apple. Barely sugar adds a crisp almost crunch to the texture and flavour development. A gentle balanced bitterness from dark chocolate and spritz of orange. F: Medium-long. Darker leathery depths are found here that were promised by the nose and join a rich woodiness (but not over present) and a syrupy texture with a winey fruit presence. The very core of this liquid is a clear development from the new make. The citrus, the plum, the praline and vanillin are all developed and added to by the ambitious multicask ageing to bring depth and fullness to a well balanced and generous profile. The 46% is great, and likely needed to help deliver some of the subtler notes. Some youth is found in here with a slight grist on the nose and barley sugar ‘crunch’ in the palate. But they are minor detractors, this is interesting and seemingly quite unique. Lovely stuff. Distiller whisky taste #182 [Pictured here with a graphite schist from the Foss Mine in Scotland. This silvery coloured rock is from the Ben Egach Schist Formation, a group of 800-470 million year old metamorphosed oceanic sediments. The original sedimentary rocks were metamorphosed during the Caledonian Orogeny (mountain building). The Foss Mine where this rock is from hosts inter layered graphite schists and baryte which was previously mined as a source of barium] New make: 3.25/5
Aqua Vitae Small Batch: 3.5/5 MCDXCIV: 4/5