At last! The final sample I had at the Scotch Malt Whisky Society ("SMWS") October outturn. It's a Mannochmore, aged 12 years in a first fill custom-toasted American and European oak hogshead (!). Bottled at 58.4% ABV. I have only had one other Mannochmore, which was a Signatory bottling, I think provided by Rob Martin. So, this should be interesting.
Here are the official notes:
The aroma was that of sweet Virginia tobacco, exotic wood resins, frankincense and ginger warming in melted butter. We then imagined cracking through a good caramelised top from a crème Brulee that had a delightful twist as we went luxe with chocolate and raspberries. Diluted we had star anise meringues with mango coulis and strawberries before we all sat down in front of an Andalusian ‘Churreria’ happily dipping our churros into a rich hot chocolate while drinking a café con miel - honey, a shot of espresso and steamed milk. Following nine years in an ex-bourbon hogshead, we transferred this whisky into a 1st fill custom toasted American and European oak hogshead.
Well, I like all those savory/earthy notes, that's for sure. Let's dive right in:
Nose: Juicy. Honey, tropical fruit, an interesting note of bread combined with dust/must (kind of like graham crackers), fruit jerky, coconut, bubble gum/tutti frutti. Very bright and light.
Mouthfeel: Surprisingly viscous.
Palate: Tropical, malty, spicy. Notes of pineapple, coconut, white wine, a certain thickness towards the end of the development.
Finish: A bit short: pepper, dust, wood, vanilla, hints of pineapple.
Verdict: Quite nice, although I never got a lot of the notes I was hoping for (exotic wood resin, frankincense, buttery ginger). Still, very rich, and quite competent. Don't sleep on Mannochmore, if they are capable of this.
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