In Whiskyfacile’s Mansion days run happily, and the demonstration is that we can have a second St. Magdalene… And it’s quite a bottle this one, as you guys who stopped at our stand last Milano Whisky Festival should know: it’s a 1982 St. Magdalene, bottled after 30 years by Cadenhead’s in 2012. This year we’ll be at the very same stand, and we’re going to select a couple of wee “tasting flights” that we strongly recommend to test… But we’ll talk about this next week: now, we drink.
N: a layered whisky, in which every layer reveals itself only after some time. There are fat clues of low lands: freshly cut grass, fresh almonds, floral for sure. But it’s not as sharp as the other one: there’s a layer of creamy sweetness that’s just fabolous: vanilla, creme brulee, ripe fruit (juicy peaches and oranges). Everything is driven by a waxy (candles indeed) and mineral maltiness, that makes us think of some Clynelish… Are we completely out of our minds? But this nose ain’t finished yet, some air gives space to some freshly sawn wood; some strawberries; even some candy floss.
P: impact is enormous: it has a monster body, that spreads in taste blazes of rare intensity. The first impact is on exhuberant peaches and surprising red fruits; and how could we forget our beloved waxiness, that helps to come in and accompanies you to the exit? There’s oranges, ripe citrus; a tropical jubilation (mango). It’s a big dram, and it shows delicious malty notes too, with an herbal and grassy soul… And more: we seem to detect a slight note of… smoky peat?
F: amazing. Ripe fruit, then peat, beeswax, some honey…
St. Magdalene perfectly shows its character: if the other bottle we tasted was quite impressive, this is from another galaxy – and we must take our hat off. Curiously enough, this dram shows an Highlander soul, more than Lowlander… But in the end we all know that whisky regions and their stereotypes mean nothing, right? Amazing mineral notes, stunning fruity hues, lovely the maltiness – and such a perfect interplay with the cask. 92/100, no more, no less.
Recommended soundtrack: Connan Mockasin – Forever Dolphin Love (Erol Alkan Rework).
