Malts of Scotland Westport 9 Year Old 2000/2010

Glenmorangie does not allow independent bottlers to put their casks on the market with the distillery’s name printed on the label. So they teaspoon their casks when they sell them to indies. This cask, bottled by Malts of Scotland, contains a teaspoon (in reality a bit more, of course) of Glen Moray. Mind you, this does not make it a blended malt. The amount of Glen Moray in the mix is less than 0,5%. So we can say this bronze Wesport, matured on a sherry butt, is a Glenmorangie.

Ah, this is another one of those wonderfully sherried noses. Blood oranges, Turkish Delight, dark chocolate, liquorice and a few leaves of mint. Some walnuts and brown sugar. Some spices and even a trace of smoke. Very complex for such a youngling.

On the palate, the ABV smacks you around the head with this feisty fatty whisky. Liquorice again, with coffee, marzipan and a wonderful oak lining, that dries while travelling down the oesophagus. A lot of balsamico, beautifully balanced with the sweetness of dried fruits, like apricots.

The finish is drying and very long.

If you can still find it (it was released last year in March for about 40 EUR) do not hesitate. What a wonderful whisky indeed. A completely different profile than the official Astar and Signet (who are very different themselves), but as good at least!