GLENBURGIE 1998 71.37 'AN ASSIGNATION IN A BOUDOIR' - THE SCOTCH MALT WHISKY SOCIETY

Glenburgie Distillery is located just off the A96 app. 2 miles east of the town of Forres.
Being a rather large distillery capacity wise with a 4.2 million liter outpout a year, surprisingly little gets bottled as a single malt - instead -as Glenburgie is owned by Pernod Ricard- lots of it goes into Ballantine's blend.

Glenburgie also use to produced a spirit called Glencraig (1970's to early 1980's)which is from an entirely different set of stills, called Lomond Still - what's special about then you read about here at wikipedia.

Whisky merchants Gordon & MacPhail in Elgin has bottled Glenburgie malt under their own label for a number of years now and especially the older versions have been terrific.

Let's see how this one from the SMWS fares...

Glenburgie 1998 71.37 (26.03.1998/xx.11.2012) 14yo 'An assignation in a boudoir' 57,9%, Refill sherry Gorda cask, 699 bottles, The Scotch Malt Whisky Society


Colour is amber

Nose:
Cereal and mash, Oranges, hint of sulphur of the spent fireworks/match stick kind, burnt sugar and custard creme, sultanas and strong tea.

Taste:
Creamy coffee with a bite - think a spicy cappuccino, getting more flowery with time - lavender style, rubbery notes, musty and dried fruits and a hint of strawberry.

A whisky where the, sometime, dreaded sherry gorda cask shows itself with a bit of sulphur.
I've seen it much worse in a couple of other gorda cask bottlings from the SMWS, but in this one its at an acceptable level. Still, I'll leave it at...

84/100!