Watt Whisky Port Dundas 20yo...

Watt Whisky Port Dundas 20yo (57.1%): Day 4 of WWW (Watt Whisky Week) on tire-bouchon..! Today I have a 20 year old single grain whisky to pour. It is distilled in 2000 and spent its life in an ex-Bourbon barrel before being bottled to yield 200 bottles in total at cask strength... Since grain whiskies are collected from the stills at a higher abv. the new make carries less flavor compared to single malt whiskies and as a consequence of that the influence of the cask is way more dominant.  And on top of that the type of grains being used in the process might change completely in time as well. Therefore it is kinda impossible for me to say "Oh, such and such distilleries are my favorite grain distilleries..." It mostly depends on the cask type they are stored and also on their age. All that being said there were some memorable ones in the past and actually one of them happened to be another 20yo Port Dundas released as a part of Diageo's special releases back in 2011. I remember very well how it reminded me American craft rye-whiskies when I first tasted it and how luscious, spicy and syrupy it was. Let's see how this one compares...

Color: Oaked white wine, bright yellow gold with immediate and relatively thin but slow moving legs. 

Nose: Subtle... Dried pineapple rings, mango and white peaches. And dusty: Dry clay, blackboard chalk and ground coriander. Ground ginger, orange twist and powdered sugar. Not that it matters but if I had to choose one grain at this moment I would put my money on wheat... With water: Green pinecones, rosemary leaves and resin.

Palate: Tad spicier than the nose suggested: Ground ginger, white pepper and bread crust. Yellow grapefruits, old newspapers and wood shavings. Oh, water actually makes it extremely enjoyable... Unsalted butter, rich tea biscuits and mead.

Finish: Mostly short but that sizzle reminding you ground white pepper lingers alone for longer. Ground ginger and coriander seeds.

Overall: Well, it is a perfect showcase how a quality ex-Bourbon barrel can do wonders on spirits even if it's not a first fill. Polar opposite different compared to the other 20yo Port Dundas I mentioned above. I liked this one... I liked this one a lot but I love long and patient ex-Bourbon maturation on whiskies no matter what they are. Single malts, single grains or blends... This was a good one. Thanks again to Kate and Mark Watt for the sample.

Price: £85

88/100