Lindores New Make Spirit - 63.5%
From the distillery website:
We had been through four seasons of distillation at Lindores and had worked with the distillery to define our spirit. We had a direction, but the distillery decided to offer us up a new intriguing spirit instead. We went from nutty, to cereal, to malty, to pears, to fruity and to finally a spirit which combines all of these and more. There is also a sweetness and a spiciness with an incredible mouth feel.
We increased our fermentations to 114 hours to bring out that added tropical fruitiness. We stopped the wash still at first sign of frothing, let it rest and then slowly brought the heat back into the still. We ran the spirit during the cut on the spirit stills very, very slowly, and we also cut in high at 75-76% and came down to 66%. Interestingly at around 68-69% on the cut, the spirit has an amazing caramel and butterscotch nose with others picking up peaches and strawberries.
The final spirit is robust, complex, and interesting and that’s exactly what we hoped it would be – Gary Haggart, Distillery Manager
Tasting notes
Appearance: Clear and colourless, forms a thin line which eventually beads before gradually falling as thin, oily legs.
Nose: Malt loaf, ripe stone fruit, both red and dark berries, vanilla, pear drops and heather honey
Palate: Strongly spirit forward, followed by malted milk, poached pears, vanilla, honey, hazelnuts, a hint of blackcurrant and caramel sweetness, together with a peppery bite. Water brings more malted milk and a creaminess to the mouthfeel, in addition to increasing the chilli pepper heat.
Finish: Long and lingering. Hazelnuts, toasted almonds, gristy malt, overripe strawberries and a touch of blackcurrant.
Overall: After the expected rush of alcohol form typical of a new make spirit the dram opens up to reveal some very interesting notes. The maltiness, typical of many new makes, makes its presence felt but alongside that there is a nuttiness together with enough orchard and berried fruit notes to make this surprisingly complex. Add a little water and the mouthfeel takes on an indulgent creamy texture although it does also ramp up the spice.
It’s no secret that I really enjoy trying new make spirits as they provide an idea of the true character of the distillery. This new make is vibrant and full of character, and it’s good to see how much of that character is retained post-maturation in the current range. It will also be very interesting to see what happens with longer maturations.
If you would like to know more about the distillery and it’s range of whiskies, follow the link to the website.
Transparency: this sample was received free of charge for independent review. The author has no affiliation with the distillers and no goods or other incentives were exchanged, offered or requested.
