Chorlton Whisky Faemussach 21 Year Old Cask Strength Single Malt Scotch Whisky (700ml)

Sourced from one of the 'Bens' in Speyside, more about the provenance of this whisky we're not permitted to say. It is the most deeply coloured in Chorlton's collection: glossy and copper tinted with an unusual profile that includes discreet sherry. Bicycle tyres, damp cedar, dunnage warehouses and old oak emerge in the opening sniffs, while the palate exhibits a high-cocoa bittersweetness; Green tea cake, trace earthy peat, as well as lively wood spices build in a medium long finish. If delivering something unexpected is one of the qualities of a good indie bottler, this is certainly a success. Given fifteen minutes of breathing, it may be a different beast altogether. 313 bottles from a hogshead. 56.0% Alc./Vol. Non chill-filtered.

Notes from the bottlers... The nose has a complex mixture of earthy/smoky and sweet/fruity notes, with charcoal stoves, orange jelly, green walnuts and black cardamom. The palate has orange and mango, plus a big peatiness that is more resinous and phenolic than smoky. The finish is incredibly long and smouldering, with scorched honey and malt extract. An unusual and fascinating whisky!