Glenesk 20 Year Old 1984 Gordon & Macphail Connoisseurs Choice

Glenesk has been closed since 1985, so it is a whisky you do not come across often. This is my very first, in fact. Well, not counting the Hillside that I tasted before and comes from the same distillery. In her lifetime (1887-1985) she was also named Highland Esk Distillery, North Esk Distillery and Montrose Distillery. In 1954 she was re-christened Glen Esk Distillery to finally get the Glenesk name in 1980 for the last five years of operation.

The nose is pretty sweet, but with a metal edge, as if poured from a tin can. The fruit translates into apple and oranges, not much else. Some banana, maybe. A spoonful of honey as well. Fairly simple, but that does not mean it is not good. Far from it.

It is very soft, mildly spicy (think cloves and liquorice) and sweet. Again that metal edge, that is slightly disturbing. But it is juicy enough to keep standing. The fruit remains apples and oranges, although it shows more sweetness on the palate than it did on the nose.

The finish is so short that you will have forgotten about this whisky before you put the glass down. Pity.

An attractive, simply, complexless Highlander from a lost distillery. It will set you back around 160 EUR if you still want to try it. Too much, of course.

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