The Maltman - Glen Keith 21 YO - Tasting Notes

From Meadowside Blending we received a sample of "The Maltman" expression from Glen Keith 21 years old. It is bottled at cask strength 52.3%. Matured in an Oloroso Sherry cask and distilled in July 1993.

The nose is fruity vanilla and red apple sweet, covered with a layer of raisins and other dried fruits. Lovely rich and soft notes. There is some orange and spices to be found underneath that sweetness. Creamy and soft sweet at first, slowly revealing some lovely Sherry like notes, with some very very light wood note, like standing in a warehouse and just filling your lungs with the angel's share, breath in deeply and just enjoy. That is the picture I am thinking of when sniffing this dram. Full rich fruit cakes and warm red apples and the angel's share. 

The palate caries on with these notes for sure. At first it has some wood bitter note and that changes into some warm spices, cinnamon, dark chocolate, cranberry, creamy, vanilla, rich dried fruits, cookie dough, and some great muffin recipes filled all kinds of sweetness. But it leaves a bit dry and bitter espresso like note on the not so long finish. 

It has some great sweet and fruit notes in it. But the wood note on the start when tasting it, does not give me a fully balanced feel must say. What the nose promises it delivers on the palate, no doubt about that. But that sharp bitter note just kicks it a little out of balance. 

With some water added to it, the nose becomes more softer and the bitter note on the palate seems to disappear. It reveals more of a good chocolate mouse with dried figs, demerara sugar, crème brulee, hazelnuts, cranberry and a bit grainy. 

Mhmmm... This one is one I can enjoy for sure, with some water, when playing with it a bit. I know that there are a lot of people out there loving the bitter note also, but that is not something I fancy, so it proves again you have to test it out a bit and see how much it can change a whisky sometimes and your opinion on it with that. Lovely dram. Give it a 7,5 out of 10. Thanks for sharing this with us Andrew!

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