Last week we (HolyDram) held our first Asta Morris Zoom tasting with Bert Bruyneel (Owner of AM), and Israeli Importers Yves & Shai. AM has a lovely range of whiskies and Rums, and quite a few are to be found locally now. In the course of the tasting, we sample 5 single malts, ending with this one, the oldest as well.
Glentauchers is not the sexiest of distilleries, you have to admit that, So I had lowered my expectations, and was pleasantly surprised by how good this whisky is.
Glentauchers 1996 {Asta Morris} , 49.7% , 789 ILS / €169
Nose: 24 years in ex-bourbon did this liquid good: A lovely sweet fruity nose on this one, with lots of vanilla, oak – the good kind (Bert mentioned in his presentation that when the whisky has nice wood notes he calls its ‘oak’ and when it’s too woody, he calls it ‘Wood’, a rather nice notion which i quite agree with). Banana on top of vanilla Ice Cream, mango lassi, and baked peaches. When the fruity whiff subsides, there’s also some floral and gentle edge to it, with soft spices.
Palate: The ABV feels right, it’s not fierce, but very gentle and classy,oily and complex, with more sweet notes of fruit, baked peaches, pears, apples, ripe blood oranges, vanilla custard, and lots of oak as well, quite syrupy at times but also full of spice. very good.
Finish: Medium-long with the ripe oranges and spices going quite a long way, oak too.
Score : 89/100
Conclusion : This by far was my favorite of the tasting. A great example of long ex-bourbon maturation. top stuff. Not cheap though.
Available locally at vintage-whisky for 789 ILS