Convalmore 28, 1977-2005, natural cask strength, 464/3900, 57.9% abv.

Convalmore is another one of those closed distilleries with a troubled past. It's basically a shell (literally) of it's former self, but Diageo owns the remanining stock, which apparently produced until 1985. Diageo usually releases an offering in it's annual special releases. I'll be honest, I've had my eyes on this one for some time. Shows all the subtle symptons of greatness.

Nose: very fruity but less than sherry like fruit aromas and intensity, vanilla.

Palate: fruity, very sweet, citrus, I think I'm tasting peaches and apricots, staged: first sweet, then spicy, then dry. Very nice.

Finish: long, spicy and sweet.

Not too sweet and not too spicy, but has very strong elements of both. Reminds me of tasting a super orange, maybe a blood orange, but without the orange flavor, just pure vitamin citrus with a kick. Moreover, the way it stages distinct experiences is quite nice, makes it more intense, I could feel the spice coming after the citrus like sweetness subsides and then the dryness overtaking the mouth as the spice takes a backseat. That being said, this dram leaves a feeling of poor price performance though, which I can't seem to get over. It's a very good dram nonetheless.

Grade: A-

Whiskyfun.com, Serge Valentin, 89 points
Malt maniacs, 86 points from 16 reviews
Scotchwhisky, Dave Broom, 92 points for 59.1% abv
Whisky advocate, Dave Broom, 93 points

Image courtesy of Eric Yee.

Eric Yee

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