Adelphi Liddesdale Batch 5 Bunnahabhain 21 Year Old Single Malt Scotch Whisky (700ml)

The tastings for the latest batch of Adelphis were limited to 20ml samples - just enough to paint the picture and recommend, but not enough to retaste and confirm our initial impressions. Generally speaking, they represent another first class selection of young and old malts from one of Scotland's top independent bottlers.

Liddesdale is a large hill, just a few miles from the location for Adelphi’s new distillery –The Ardnamurchan Distillery – which should be completed by the end of 2013. Rising gently from the southern shore of Loch Sunart, Liddesdale Brae is steeped in folklore. Some speak of the “Devil’s Acre” where the old widow “sell’d her coo to the De’il” (selled her cow to the devil); nothing grows there. Others whisper of the “Fairie Knoll” (a place where fairies live), protected for all time by the “Deaf Shepherd” (a large piece of rock that looks like a shephard’s head) looking down from the skyline.

Tasting note: Deep dull gold, it features a superb, pure honey top note that hovers over the pristine barley and accentuates with aeration with the later focus being manuka honey-drizzled malt. Concentrated, medium dry flavours present ginger biscuit, oatmeal and pepper. Finish is vaguely liquoricey, a little fleeting, but you'd buy this for the nose alone - it's a sheer delight. 1498 bottle produced. 46% Alc./Vol.