2004 Royal Lochnagar 16 Year Old (Special Release 2021) Cask Strength Single Malt Scotch Whisky (700ml)

Other reviews... There’s lemon tart, dry aromatic spices, green apple, and damp green foliage on the nose of this cask strength Highland whisky matured in both European and American oak refill casks. Sweet and spicy to taste, with clementine and barley sugar, its nippy spices are quite a handful, but then it delves into richer caramel notes, with oat cookies and ground hazelnuts before a long, lingering spicy finish. 88 points - whiskyadvocate.com, reviewed by: Jonny McCormick 2021

...This brand new one stems from American oak and European oak refill casks. Classic 'cask bill', quite probably our favourite combination. Colour: straw. Nose: oh, thank you, this is almost exactly what we had just requested, the style of the 12 GOT with more oomph. Same mashes, beers, ink, papers, cardboard, old books, grass, these whiffs of coal smoke (not peat), but then also fresh fruits this time, rather around our beloved greengages, cider apples, gooseberries and even sloe. With water: some gentler vanilla, apple pie, elderflowers, honeysuckle… It's quite spectacular to notice to which extent water rounded it off. Mouth: excellent! Very vertical, tart, ultra-lemony, you would swear someone's distilled chenin blanc - and bottled the end result right away. No, actually, the result would be much sweeter than this. With water: very good, salty yet again, with more bready tones, perhaps even a little rye bread, with touches of fennel and anise seeds in the background. It's really an 'own style' that you wouldn't quite find anywhere else. Reminds me of those excellent crystallised fruits that good makers would often sprinkle with a few salt grains. Finish: medium, very good, dry but with good 'sooty' fruits, limes and grapefruits. Tart aftertaste, that's good. Comments: I believe Lochnagar should have its say within the comity of characterful malt whiskies, but remember it's a rather small distillery; a lovely one! 87 points - whiskyfun.com