EYE
Dark Caramel
NOSE
Rich orchard fruit, a nice bright punch of citrus, some honey, malt, toffee and an interesting raisin heavy dark fruit sit nice and round on the nose with light notes of sweet pastries, brown sugar and some wood giving support and adding some additional dimensions to what’s shaped up to be a pleasant aroma.
PALATE
Honey, malt, citrus, caramel and a thick layer of complex fruit lays the foundation for lighter notes of sweet cream, sweet pastry, vanilla, a smokey char, some oak and baking spices to play on. This is such a vast improvement over the other Lismore’s it’s incredible.
FINISH
Long sweet and savory finish of toffee, malt, citrus, spice and wood
BALANCE, BODY & FEEL
A great balance, almost graceful and a warm full body of rich complexity that comes across soft and easy going with an appropriate amount of heat.
OVERALL
This is a decent deal. A nice tasting 21 year old Speyside Single Malt for about $80. That’s nearly impossible to find, or when you do it isn’t that great. If you’re looking for something that’s decently priced and has some of those older scotch notes of wood and dark sweets then this is the way to go. I’m honestly a bit shocked at how much I’m liking this one. So much so that I’m just going to stop typing.
Lismore really doesn’t concern itself with marketing, so very little is known about this Scotch other than the fact that it is produced in Speyside.
Most bottles of Scotch are produced in Speyside, a whisky region particularly known for making light and grassy scotches, although there are a few rich and sweeter ones sprinkled in.
Conceptually, Speysides are almost the exact opposite of Islays, so if you didn’t appreciate Laphroaig or Ardbeg, Speysides might be your cup of tea.
Lismore 21 Years Old Single Malt, Scotland. First off, what IS Lismore?
Not a distillery, but a brand. It is owned by J&G Grant, of Glenfarclas fame. Rumor is, though, that the whisky is from the Glenrothes distillery. I guess you will just have to find out on your own…
