Hello to all my fellow Dramblers! Today it’s the 31st of December, the last day of 2022. And this year my whisky journey took me past some of the best drams I’ve ever tasted in my life. Among those drams I found a very special place in my heart for the offerings I got to try from Spheric Spirits, and since I received a sample of their latest offering for Christmas… I figured: what better way to close of the year by doing a review about this 1988 Blended Malt. For those of you that haven’t read it yet, be sure to check out my article on Spheric Spirits as well!
Spheric Spirits was able to acquire this 34-year-old whisky from the Ben Nevis distillery. Where this cask of blended malt had been resting since 1988. This cask was originalley intended as blending stock. It’s very well possible that this barrel was initially intended to go into the Dew of Ben Nevis blended whisky, but lucky enough for us this cask got left behind. Because that meant it could be acquired by Spheric Spirits further down the road, to give us the amazing dram I find in my glass today. So, let’s quickly move on down to the tasting notes, as I personally can’t wait to try this dram!
Tasting Notes: Spheric Spirits Blended Malt Scotch Whisky, 1988 Vintage.
Stats:
ABV: 47.4% (94.8 proof)
Age: 34 years old
Bottled by: Spheric Spirits
Category: Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Chill-Filtered: No
Natural Colour: Yes
Setting:
It has been a relaxing week, and after all the advent calendar tastings I took a little time off from whisky. Just to reset my palate for this very special dram. I poured it neat into a Glencairn. Reclined my chair a little. And I’m looking forward to the experience this dram will give me. Bring it on!
Nose:
As soon as I open my tiny bottle I’m struck by a beautiful full nose, that fills the room with exotic fruits. Pineapple, papaya, mango, and passion fruit are so well put together in this dram, that it took me some time to take it apart. Together they create one of the most pleasant noses I’ve ever experienced on a dram. It’s like a tropical fruit cocktail from heaven. There’s a nice thick layer of honey on there as well, sprinkled with the slightest hint of vanilla. Absolutely gorgeous.
Palate:
On the palate some oak shows up that was fully absent from the nose. But it’s a pleasant oak note, a rather mild version of liquorice root I would say. The honey and vanilla both follow through on the palate, but it’s not as sweet as the nose would lead you to believe. There’s still plenty of pineapple and mango to be found, just less apparent than it was on the nose. Some pear also starts to show up that I didn’t find on the nose, and there’s some nutmeg in it as well. The fact that the fruitiness has been turned down a little does wonders for the complexity of this dram. And though I love going back to the nose for that exotic sensation, I appreciate when a whisky has more to offer than just that. Especially when that extra layer is as beautiful as it is in this Spheric Spirits 1988 Blended Malt.
Finish:
The finish has a medium length. The liquorice notes from the palate become more pronounced on the finish. There are very clear notes of bay leaf liquorice and there’s some slight nods towards aniseed as well. If you’re specifically looking for it, you can also recognise the honey. The element that carried itself (in different intensities) throughout this dram. Remarkably enough there are almost no tannins at all on the finish, or anywhere else in this dram for that matter. Which for a 34-year-old dram is quite impressive.
Verdict:
This is the fourth official bottling from Spheric Spirits I’ve tried, and like every drop I’ve had before, this one is another home run. This is a gorgeous whisky, which offers complexity for every single element. Nose, palate, and finish take you on a wonderful journey. Through tropical paradises and grandma’s sweets jar. There is so much to love here, that I can hardly begin to sum it all up. In short, make sure to try this dram if you ever get the chance. You can still get this piece of Ben Nevis history on wewantfunk.com! You can buy a bottle for € 439, – which is a bargain when you consider this gets you a 34-year-old, casks strength, non-chillfiltered, absolute gem of dram.
Rating:
95/100
Value:
B+
I wish you all the best for 2023, happy new year!
