The View from the Golden Promise is a chance to see the bottles under the hammer at finespirits.auction in a new light. To give you this fresh perspective, we’ve called on an expert from the Golden Promise Whisky Bar.
Lagavulin 21 Year Old 1991
52%, 70 cl, 2012, Sherry Cask, 2,772 bottles
This Lagavulin immediately sets the scene with bold notes of smoke (tobacco), bitter chocolate, coffee, salted butter caramel and nuts (walnut). The whisky is rich (orange jam, raisin) and resolutely spicy (clove, ginger, black pepper) and the deep, oily peat also very present. A sombre and intense malt that wraps the taster up in the warmth of a chimney hearth.
Brora 35 Year Old 2012 Release
48.1%, 70 cl, 1,566 bottles
Many enthusiasts consider these editions of Brora to be some of the distillery’s best. They are an excellent example of Brora’s charm, revealing citrus fruits (lemon, bitter orange), various waxy nuances (ointment, beeswax, pine resin) and the famous coastal character so dear to the distillery’s fans. This 2012 edition also stands out for its phenolic (peat, smoke) and aniseed (absinthe, star anise) notes. The cask remains in the background, adding only a little roundness to the malt as a whole.
Caol Ila 1972 Jas Gordon
40%, 70 cl, 1987, Auxil Import
Although the 40% strength is slightly regrettable, these Gordon & MacPhail bottlings for the French market are often of a very high quality. This particular Caol Ila navigates between a very refreshing lemony peat and a warmer, richer dimension that brings to mind cigars and salted butter caramel. These are bound together by notes of fallen leaves and roasted green tea (hojicha).
Chichibu 2012 Single Cask #2087
62.5%, 70 cl, 2017, Second Fill Bourbon Cask, For La Maison du Whisky
The two Chichibu selected in 2017 for La Maison du Whisky remain some of the best I’ve ever tasted. This one reveals wonderfully sophisticated aromas that waver between a medicinal (camphor, balm) and salty peat, and notes of citrus (lemon, orange) and exotic fruit (pineapple, mango). Its power is found on the palate in a liquorice yet precise and fresh peat that slowly reveals its many facets. A young monster of power, complexity and balance that does full justice to the talent of Ichiro Akuto and his team.
