The Whisky That Cannot Be Named 1953

1953 to 2003, 50 year old Speyside 54.3 % vol

1 of only 501 bottles from Cask 1668

Celebrating a decade of decadence from Adelphi. Probably our finest bottling as one would expect.

Appearance: Deep amber; polished mahogany. Heavy beading, despite its relatively low strength, indicates good texture, which is confirmed by thick, very slow running, legs.

Aroma (straight): Profound. Dundee orange marmalade. Rich, sherry saturated,
Christmas cake. Marrons glacés. Natural pine turpentine. A slight char behind (burnt toast?). The scent fills the room.
Aroma (@ 45%): Sandalwood and cedar boxes. Scented bath salts. Warm. Scented wax.
A vague, green, floral note behind daffodils? which lends freshness.

Flavour (straight): viscous mouth-feel, slightly waxy (teeth-coating). Sweet and fruity in
front; some light acidity. No wood notes. Long, warming finish.
Flavour (@ 45%): Sandalwood, crystalline brown sugar in black coffee; pleasantly tannic
and mouth-drying. Very long, tongue-tingling finish.

Development: The aroma remains constant for a very long time, developing toffee scents.

Comment: In 25 years of considering whiskies carefully and writing tasting notes, this
sample ranks among the top two or three I have tasted

It is fantastically complex, big, deep and rich. It lacks any mustiness or undue woodiness the only indication being the scented wood aromas and the high, dry tannins in the flavour. It has clearly come from a refill European oak cask. I was reluctant to put more than a dash of water in it, but this enhanced and developed the aroma, and made it less hot on the palate.
A superb example of how the very best of Speysides tasted in days gone by.

FURTHER ACCOLADES

Winner of the Malt Maniacs' Speyside Award of Excellence 2004.

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