Chapter 7 Mannochmore 11yo...

Chapter 7 Mannochmore 11yo (52.5%): I have to admit that I am really enjoying going back and forth between these two brilliant and rather new independent bottlers lately... Today I am back to Chapter 7 with a Mannochmore bottling of theirs distilled in 2008. The spirit was aged in an ex-Bourbon hogshead and bottled in 2020 when the whisky was eleven years old... So, it is actually a very similar cask to the ones used for Watt Whisky's Mannochmore bottling I tasted back in October. As you will remember that bottling was a vat of two ex-Bourbon hogsheads filled in 2008 as well but finished later in a large brandy cask. Chapter 7's hogshead yielded 338 bottles when bottled.

Color: Very pale yellow, almost clear with quick and thin legs around the glass.

Nose: Granny Smith apples, forest floor and soap bars. Fresh cilantro, dandelion leaves and breakfast cereals. Honeycomb, pear compote and spearmint.

Palate: Lemongrass, young Calvados and flour cookies. Doughy and creamy... Woolen scarves and lightly brewed white tea.

Finish: Medium with oatmeal cookies, burnt raisins and candied citrus peel. Dry lightly toasted oak.

Overall: A very spirit forward, vibrant and straight forward whisky... Nicely balanced between fruity (citrus, apple and pear) and green (bitter green, lemon grass, tea leaves) notes both on the nose and palate. Not overwhelmed by the the cask which I appreciated a lot like always and perfectly priced. Now just before I finished the post I took the very last sip in my glass and all of a sudden it brought back memories of a short afternoon pub break enjoyed with a cup of coffee and a pour of "whisky of the week" on a brisk sunny winter afternoon. Just to give you the much needed boost to warm up and continue your stroll in the city. That's exactly what you would want to see in your glass that moment. Good one...

Price: £68

84/100