This pour was a generous gift from the good gentlemen at Arrowine here in Washington DC. They had a sample bottle and poured me a Glencairn of this 18 year old Campbelltown Scotch. Heavily sherried (80%, I've read) and the remainder ex-bourbon, bottled at 46% ABV.
Nose: Surprising, very musty - dusty leather, earth, and spidery, wispy smoke. Eventually, menthol, very strong. Perhaps some airy peat, and some sherry fruit (grapes and currants?). And that distinct Springbank sulphurous diesel oil scent.
Mouthfeel: Very thin, and oily.
Palate: Ancient leather. Exceedingly smooth and refined: some pale grain, resinous tar, grass/tobacco, sherry fruit, peat, motor oil, red pepper flakes, misty diesel fuel.
Finish: Very gentle peat, that wispy smoke note, ash, earth, bitter old oak, and a little more of the chili pepper.
Verdict: This was really surprising. Half a year ago, I had a 43-year old grain whisky, and this reminded me of that in quite a few ways, despite being less than half the age. The nose, strong on a very musty, dirty ethereal smoke and menthol before evaporating into a pale sherry and oily leathery earth ... the palate which is smooth, old leather that transitions into a peppery sherry grain that fades away slowly; all of it seems much older than 18 years. That said, I am not certain I would pay $200+ for this bottle, which is what it retails for in my area. Very much worth a try, but probably worth about half what it costs.
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