Mannochmore 25 Years Special Release 53.4% NV

Professionelle Bewertungen

Serge Valentin (85)

Colour: gold.

Nose: some first fill or new American oak involved, it seems. Some creamy vanilla, fresh sweet sawdust, marshmallows, nail polish remover, candyfloss… We’re actually almost in bourbon territories, which is surprising, but given what we experienced with our aperitifs today, I won’t throw stones. Especially since I quite enjoy this! Let’s see what water will do to it… With water: a farminess coming through, as often, and rather more straight barley than before. Fresh coconut water.

Mouth (neat): creamy and fruity, we’re in a candy shop. Lemon bonbons, more candyfloss, custard, a little coconut, a little green pepper… With water: good. Peppery wood, sweet wood, orange squash, coconut, vanilla, tangerines… A style that can be found in some contemporary Benriachs.

Finish: medium, on the same flavours, more or less.

Comments: a feeling of re-racking that’s been well and smartly done. To think that they could have poured this rather lovely juice into… Loch Dhu when it was younger!

Gal Granov (91)

Nose: Red apples and a waxy note , wet cardboard and musty warehouse. Orange peel and candy floss, more apple peel and creamy custard. Vanilla and sourish note as well as toffee. Very nice stuff.
Palate: a nice melange of bitter sweet with vanilla filled Loacker waffles,bitter chocolate and coffee, spicy wood,and orange peel. Wood spice , ginger and chilly and also an earthy / waxy note.
Finish : bittersweet again, with hints of smoke, burnt toast , orange peel and waxy apple.
I was quite taken with this whisky, and by its sheer quality. It is delicious and well made, balanced and very complex, showing lovely fruitiness, waxiness, and a nice amount of wood spice that balances it all. Excellent stuff, and though 245 quid is not cheap for a 25 year old whisky, this is one of the cheaper and more ‘affordable’ (as in you don’t have to be RICH) of the range. If you’re looking for a nice gift to a true whisky lover, this one is well worth looking into.

Words of Whisky (88)

Nose: rather ethereal. A big waft of freshly polished oak, or an oil painting that has just been varnished. Leathery notes, marshmallows, hints of baked apples, bananas flambéed and vanilla. Some exotic hints of sandalwood. Mentholated notes. Candied orange peel. Behind this there are raspberries and sour cherries. A hybrid of Scotch and bourbon, with most of its profile taken from new wood. Mouth: peppery and sweet. Blackberries, orange peel and ripe banana. Hints of burnt vanilla and dried coconut. Light resinous touches from the wood, alongside ginger and clove. Again really oak-driven but not without a fruity core. Finish: long, minty, oaky, with a bittersweet warmth.
This Mannochmore feels pretty much like a virgin oak experiment and it’s quite successful at that. Very good, even without a (classic) sherry influence, but the previous edition found a better balence.