1997 Eiling Lim Glenrothes Pedro Ximenez Sherry Cask 19 Year Old Cask Strength Single Malt Scotch Whisky (700ml)

Eiling Lim followed her husband, Luc Timmermans into indie whisky bottling after the pair relocated to Belgium. She was immediately encouraged when her first release sold out (all of 68 bottles!) Lim is the first independent bottler of Scotch whisky in her home country of Malaysia - though she doesn’t limit herself to Scotch. Her philosophy will resonate with most whisky lovers: “We don’t bottle whiskies based on the name or the brand. We like trying different whiskies, and want to offer more variety, rather than just those from the famous distilleries, which tend to be more expensive,” she said, adding that her prices remain relatively affordable compared to most whiskies of equivalent quality and age. Her selection process is simple and focussed: ”One, the whisky has to be better than good. Simply “good” is not enough” says Lim. “We could have bottled a lot more whiskies, but we didn’t want to lower our standards. For us, it has to be a very special dram to be worth bottling,” she adds.

The simplicity of the packaging suggests a whisky to be drunk, not put on the shelf to gather dust. Extremely limited.

Tasting note: Mahogany - deep topaz. Trace sulphur blows off to reveal the kind of intense, nutty, oily, fruity bouquet that Sherry chasers dream of. Prunes and raisins galore countered by bitter orange, deepening with notes of walnut slice, old leather and even a touch of molasses. A chewy, weighty malt that gathers momentum towards the finish with a surge of dried fruits, old liquorice strap, bitter dark chocolate and wood spice. Big yet beautifully controlled, the balance is almost as impressive as the staying power. No dilution required. 50.2% Alc./Vol. 201 bottles