Imperial 34 yo - Director's Special (SMoS)

Volume: 0.7 litres | Alcohol content: 41.1% | Chill filtration: No | Colouring: No

Special Features:

This 34-year-old Imperial combines long maturation in a single ex-bourbon cask with a waxy, fruity, mineral and herbal character. Elixir Distillers bottled the whisky at its cask strength of 41.1% for the Director's Special range, with a release of 162 bottles. The 0.7-litre bottle comes in a wooden box. The whisky is non-chill-filtered and contains no added colouring.

Tasting Notes:

• Nose: The nose initially brings warm wax notes and abundant candle wax alongside hints of vanilla pods and light-coloured honey. Sheep's wool, fresh nuts, cardamom, hay and old fabrics then emerge. A subtle suggestion of apricot lambic and gentle resinous notes round out the bouquet.
• Palate: The whisky feels delicate on the palate, combining syrupy notes of apricot, guava, pink grapefruit and honeycomb with mineral impressions. Candle wax, canvas and gorse complement these flavours. Light herbal tea, gentle tobacco notes and a hint of pepper then emerge.
• Finish: The medium-length finish recalls herbal tea, yellow peach and a hint of basil.

Distillery/Bottler:

Imperial stood in Carron in Speyside and was founded in 1897 by Thomas Mackenzie. After an eventful history involving several extended periods of inactivity, the distillery closed again in 1985. Imperial resumed production in 1991, before it ceased permanently in 1998. The distillery primarily supplied whisky for blends; independent bottlers brought its single malt to a wider audience.

Elixir Distillers is the independent bottler behind The Single Malts of Scotland. Since 2002, casks from Scottish distilleries have been selected and overseen throughout maturation for this range. Selection centres on the individual character of each whisky, resulting in limited releases.

Facts: