Mannochmore is a rather interesting distillery just like the Auchroisk we looked at last year. Built during the Scottish distillery building frenzy in the 1960s/ early 70s, the Mannochmore distillery was built in 1971 next to the Glenlossie Distillery. Originally built to provide fillings for the Haig blends, who were coincidentally leaders in the U.K market in the 1950s/60s and now smartly marketed in association with the Beckham brand are now seeing success again. Owned by Diageo, Mannochmore is known for being lightly peated and fruity in flavour. Part of the Diageo Special Releases 2016 collection, this 25-year-old expression from the Mannochmore distillery in Speyside was distilled in 1990. Matured in a mix of first-fill ex-bourbon American oak barrels and new and ex-bodega European oak butts, only 3,954 individually numbered bottles are available worldwide.
On the nose: you’ll get intense notes of sweet apricots, oranges, lemon zest, toffee and warming suggestions of butterscotch. These initial notes are closely followed by spices, tumeric, a hint of cinnamon and aniseed. Rounding-off the nose are notes of a herbaceous nature, lavender, raisins,, poached pears and a light waft of smoke. palate: you’ll experience those sweet apricots and oranges, alongside butterscotch and a hint of peat. After a few swirls in the glass, notes of walnuts, vanilla and spices start to appear; accompanied by cinnamon, oatmeal and lemon zest. The palate has a lovely creamy texture and is nicely rounded-off by a hint of black pepper, strawberries, nutmeg, mint and a touch of oak. The finish: is long, sweet and smooth, with subtle lingering spices and nuttiness.
The verdict: This Mannochmore 25 Diageo special release has some consistently, beautifully balanced notes that just keep offering more with every sip. It’s has a beautiful nose full of depth, mirroring the palate that has a delightful peat note, adding even more depth. This is a great all-round dram that is quite nicely priced too. Bottled at an ABV of 53.4%, this genuinely special bottling is one that, in my opinion, can be enjoyed how you please, though a drop of water does open it up just that little bit more.
Mannochmore 25 Year Old Speyside Single Malt Scotch can be found at The Whisky Shop in-store or online for £250
For more information on Mannochmore, visit the official website.
