We go up in age (actually this is the oldest sample among the three samples I am going to review) and today we’re visiting this single cask. distilled in 1990 , and bottled March 2013, making it 23 years old…
New Zealand 1990 / 23 Year Old / Cask #137 , £110
Nose: quite a lot of wood and orange peel as well as vanilla and honey, with a burst of sweet sugared orange jam and spices.
Palate: Sweet mother of Jesus!. major ex-bourbon notes over here, with a peppery tang. this dram really can benefit from water (and I do not say that about many drams, and not often), it’s just to HOT without any. so concentrated, you are led astray by the alcohol %. its sweeter, and lovelier with a drop, and even gets more fruity with hints of exotic fruit.
Finish: long and sweet with vanilla, coconut and milk chocolate.
Conclusion
This is really a step up from the 15 year old blend I wrote about yesterday. It’s intense, and very concentrated with great ex-bourbon notes, and lovely fruity dimension too. I really like this one, and the price point although steeper is more logical at this ABV and age.
Score: 88/100
Thanks goes to Erik Burgess for the official sample.