Products You May Like
Of us, there’s a brand new impartial spirits bottler on the town… form of. ImpEx has been importing whisky for so long as I’ve been writing about it, however for the primary time it’s beginning an indie bottling label below its personal title, fittingly known as The ImpEx Assortment.
The ImpEx Assortment (alongside Single Malts of Scotland) fills an enormous gap created by the disappearance of the Exclusive Malts collection, which is not being imported to the U.S. (by anybody) after the model and stock had been offered to a Chinese language “personal membership.” (It’s most likely gone for good so far as most of us are involved, as is Chapter 7.)
Like Unique Malts, the ImpEx Assortment might be launched in batches. Batch #1 contains six Scotch whiskies, one world whiskey (from Israel’s M&H), and three rums. We acquired small samples of 4 of the Scotch bottlings, all cask power single barrels, which you’ll discover reviewed under. (What are we lacking? A 1982 Cameronbridge and a monster 40 yr previous blended cask from 1980.) We’ll evaluation all the rums individually in a later dispatch.
Able to get the inside track on the most recent impartial bottler on the block? Let’s dig in.
The ImpEx Assortment Glen Elgin 2006 14 Years Outdated Cask #9800012 – An enormous, traditional Speyside, drawn from a bourbon barrel after 14 years and bottled at full proof. Glen Elgin is generally a reasonably tame endeavor, however at full power it presents with extra punch and presence, providing a nostril of toasty, well-sweetened cereal, barrel char, and recent grass. The palate is surprisingly candy, that breakfast cereal notice popping brightly with a drizzle of honey atop a lightweight contact of smoke, walnut oil, and a few Christmas spice. Chimney soot notes linger on the end — in a nice, wintry method that makes this warming malt really feel destined for vacation time. 105 proof. A- / $129
The ImpEx Assortment Caol Ila 2008 12 Years Outdated Cask #313250 – Its unpeated expressions apart, Caol Ila tends to supply a reasonably secure expertise from one bottle to the following. This cask power 12 yr previous isn’t any exception to that rule, providing a vastly smoky nostril that’s filled with maritime notes, all typical for the model. The palate continues the theme: sea spray, some smoked kippers, and a pointy citrus notice that builds over time. The end provides the one actual shock right here, touchdown as only a bit flat, with some overripe fruit notes dominating. In any other case, it’s as simple as something on this assortment will get. 116.8 proof. B+ / $126
The ImpEx Assortment Orkney 1999 21 Years Outdated Cask #58 – There are solely two actual distilleries on Orkney, which actually narrows down the choices on this, significantly since Scapa bottled a peated whisky for the primary time in 2016. So, let’s assume this isn’t a Scapa unicorn however is certainly Highland Park, drawn from a hogshead. It has a lot of the HP DNA, however not all of it, which makes it fairly engaging. A mild breeze of peat kicks issues off, set properly towards a nostril of toasted grains, golden syrup, and recent citrus. The palate continues the evolution of those flavors, which finally current as delicate and a bit floral, candy and plush however with a pleasant layer of spice and only a trace of sea spray on the end. Heaps to like right here, and extremely value exploring. By the way, this was the most effective in present winners on the current 2021 Whiskies of the World competitors the place I served as a choose. 101.6 proof. A- / $210
The ImpEx Assortment Springbank 1993 25 Years Outdated Cask #94 – An enormous 25 yr previous, completed in oloroso sherry casks. My extremely excessive expectations for this whisky had been rapidly dashed. The nostril kicks off with a a lot smokier character than the standard Springbank together with a definite roasted vegetable notice, the Campbeltown funk dialed as much as 11. Beefy and dense with pepper, the aroma might be so savory and brooding it’s somewhat off-putting. The palate is analogous in tone, extraordinarily savory and fairly vegetal, ending with an awesome notice of creosote and forest flooring. Is that this just too previous, too far gone? I don’t get any vital trace of the sherry end right here — which feels maybe like a hail mary to avoid wasting the whisky — nor a lot of the true DNA that makes Springbank so nice. Skip it, particularly at this value. 95 proof. B- / $950
Comparable Posts:
The ImpEx Assortment Orkney 1999 21 Years Outdated Cask #58
$210
