Irish Single Malt 22 Year Old 1991 Eiling Lim

Eiling Lim is the first independent bottler from Malaysia, but for some she may be more known as Mrs Luc Timmermans (who we can consider a little bit of a living legend in the Belgian whisky world). I go back to the 6th bottling from the start-up year 2014, when Eiling launched an unnamed Irish single malt from 1991. It is whispered that this is a Bushmills that matured in a cask on which previously a peated whisky matured. Let's put that to the lips.

Well... it may be because it was whispered to me, but I do seem to recognize Bushmills with that typical soft but tropical fruitiness. Peach and mango and a lot of passion fruit caress my nostrils, while the peat – which is very delicate, I must say – makes for a nice smoky blanket. Reminds a bit of a dusty but damp cellar full of fruit baskets.

On the palate, the fruit is even brighter and more tropical (mango, passion fruit and now also some pineapple), but the peat also gets louder. But both go perfectly hand-in-hand. Midpalate appears as a sour note as from the juice of a grapefruit and a bitter note as from the white meat of that same grapefruit. A soft medicinal touch appears, which makes me suspect that the cask on which this Irish whiskey matured might have come from Islay.

In the long finish, the tropical fruit and peat remain involved in a beautiful tango, while a pepper provides extra warmth. On the deathbed, the malt becomes satisfactorily dry.

Delicious 'Bushpeat’. I wonder if Mrs Lim is still active, because her last release dates from 2019. Thanks again, Benny!