Banff 1975 32 Year Old

Nose: aromatic start with lemon, apples and pears. Slightly syrupy with a hint of vanilla. Hints of buttercups. Then it starts to evolve on wet limestone and gravel that I find pretty typical for Banff, maybe even some coal. Whiffs of oak mixed with coastal notes. An old-style Highland whisky. Not the most complex Banff ever, but very satisfying – fruity and austere at the same time.

Mouth: takes off on mustard seeds and something metallic / mineral. Then a wave of oak and spices comes along – very strong pepper notes! Over-infused tea. Quite sharp and invasive (hardly any fruit to be found) but very clean and very expressive. Finally, it fades on slightly bitter tonic water with a dash of lemon.

Finish: long, slightly mustardy again with lemon and apples.

You’ve got to be a fan of austere whisky to appreciate this. The label says it’s sweet, but I wouldn’t count on that too much (although there’s quite some fruit on the nose). A difficult whisky, but a very good example of this particular style

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