Singleton of Glen Ord 40 Year Old The Epicurean Odyssey Series

Part of the Epicurean Odyssey Series from Singleton, this 40 Year Old is the third release, distilled and matured at the Glen Ord distillery.
In the Epicurean Odyssey Series, Malt Master Maureen Robinson set out to push secondary maturation in experimental casks to the extremes.
In this last release of the series The Singleton of Glen Ord 40 Year Old pushes the boundaries of taste, aged for its first 12 years in bourbon barrels, before being re-casked into barrels that were seasoned with a special blend of PX and Oloroso sherry and left to mature for another 28 years. Finally, the whisky was finished in Zacapa XO and Royal Rum barrels.

    Nose:    The nose is mellow, with a little prickle at first; fruity top notes hint at dried apple and are soon backed by a more savoury aroma evoking sage, while richer hints of fruit, soon suggesting plums enrobed in dark chocolate, sit on a balancing base of sweetly spicy oak, with light aromas of hard toffee and oak shavings.

    Taste:    At natural strength, the texture is decadently smooth and lightly waxy while the taste starts sweet, vibrant and very fruity, becoming slightly salty and plumsour mid-palate. Complex layers of flavour suggest pears slathered indulgently in dark chocolate and caramelised tropical fruits, as with toffee-covered banana and pineapple. Beautifully balanced and super-smooth, with sustained rich, sweet fruitiness balanced by slow-building black pepper. Velvet smooth dark chocolate tannins herald an appetising drying note.

    Finish:    Quite long, deep-flavoured and lightly drying, with black pepper spice and another hint of waxy smoke.