1990s Ballantine’s Gold Seal 12 Year Old Special Reserve 1990’s Bottling

Colour: gold.

Nose: It starts all on peaty and coastal notes, almost like an Islayer. Seashells, seaweed, plain peat smoke, wet rocks… Then it’s rather its herbal side that shines through (mostly pine resin), it’s strange that a blender composed this for the ‘general public.’ Well, we won’t complain.

Mouth: excellent. Round yet nervous, creamy, fruity, resinous, peaty, globally phenolic… Very, very good whisky for sure. And the peat grows bigger and bigger.

Finish: very long, peaty, peppery and ‘roundly’ fruity.