The Signatory Vintage Plume collection is dedicated to sherry cask maturation and this year brings us two bottlings, one a remarkable Mortlach 2012 and the other a Whitlaw from the Orkney Islands produced at the Highland Park distillery, both providing a superb follow-up to the Caol Ila 2011 in our last catalogue. This deeply serene Whitlaw 2013 takes us through an uninterrupted succession of small flavour and aroma sketches, each more harmonious and complex than the next.
ABV: 59.2%
Colour: deep orangey copper.
Nose: rich, unctuous. The powdery (cocoa), fruity (apricot, orange, guava) and varnishy (beeswax) first nose has a remarkably silky texture. Allowed to breathe, notes of incense and tar fill the air. The aroma palette then develops a floral (lilac, violet) and mineral (schist) register. Gradually, cocoa aromas gently punctuate the first stage of the tasting.
Palate: unctuous, elegant. A loyal summary of the nose, the attack develops notes of red and black fruits (strawberry, bramble) an aromatic plants (bay leaf, chervil, sorrel). The rich mid-palate invites us to enjoy a delicious clafoutis. At the end of the palate, pressed oranges flood the taste buds with their wonderfully tangy juice.
Finish: long, silky. The very velvety start of the finish is a pure delight. The very exotic end of the finish (mango, guava, persimmon) is underscored by a delicate minerality (slate, pencil lead). On the retronasal olfaction, a fine layer of salted butter caramel and the subtle flavours of a smoking Havana cigar mix together elegantly. The empty glass is slightly camphoric, empyreumatic (incense), nobly woody (cedar) and liquoricey.
