Imperial 27yo 1989/2017

Imperial 27yo 1989/2017

Celebration of the Cask, Carn Mor
Single malt - Speyside 
Green gold
43.9% ABV
Dram

Nose: Honeydew melons, white grapes, green apples, cinnamon, nutmeg, kiwifruit, hints of leather. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, warm, tingly, static. 
Tasting:  Sweet salty. Chocolate, kiwifruit, honeydew melons, malted grains, lime juice, hints of leather. 
Finish: Medium. Green apples, lime juice, kiwifruit, malted grains, hints of leather. 

Comments: 

Cask 2892. Lots of melon notes, and some green apples. Spicy too, with a gentle, slightly bitter chocolatey note on the tongue. Whispers of leather remind me how old this whisky is.

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Imperial 24yo 1995/2020

Imperial 24yo 1995/2020

Single Malts of Scotland, Elixir Distillers
Single malt - Speyside 
Pale straw
51.7% ABV
Dram

Nose: Barley sugar, malted grains, bananas, white grapes, white chocolate, green tea, hints of blueberries. With water, white grapes, green tea, white chocolate, hints of rubber bands. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, tingly, warm, loosens slightly. 
Tasting:  Sweet sour. Brass polish, green tea, candle wax, blueberries, malted grains, lemon zest, white grapes. With water, candle wax, malted grains, white grapes, brass polish. 
Finish: Medium. White grapes, green peppers, brass polish, malted grains, hints of barley sugar. 

Comments: 

Cask 7854. Lovely and sweet, this Imperial is atypically waxy, and full of cereal notes. There’s some grit of course, but also a fair bit of (pleasant) sulphur. Highly enjoyable and delicious. 

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Imperial 24yo 1996/2021

Imperial 24yo 1996/2021

Connoisseur’s Choice, Gordon & Macphail 
Single malt - Speyside 

Amber
56.6% ABV
Dram

Nose: Fresh baked bread, black tea, raisins, ginger, white pepper, hints of chocolate. With water, leather, sea salt, dried blueberries, hints of roast pork. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, thickens, hot, syrupy. 
Tasting:  Bitter sweet. Fresh baked bread, chocolate, raisins, cinnamon, white pepper, ginger, dried blueberries. With water, dried blueberries, ginger, sea salt, chocolate. 
Finish: Long. Raisins, white pepper, cinnamon, chocolate, dried blueberries. 

Comments: 

Fruity and full bodied, the cask strength makes this whisky complex and inviting. Lots of dried blueberry notes, alongside some spicy ginger. Luscious, although not what one expects from Imperial (lighter, and perhaps a little more herbal rather than fruity). 

Verdict:

I like this.

Imperial 25yo 1995/2021 (Milroy’s Exclusive)

Imperial 25yo 1995/2021 (Milroy’s Exclusive)

Single Malts of Scotland, Elixir Distillers
Single malt - Speyside 

Pale amber
53.6% ABV
Dram

Nose: Chocolate, toffee, white grapes, vanilla, nutmeg, butterscotch, hints of mint. With water, fresh baked bread, raisins, lemon zest, starfruit. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, loosens, airy, warm. 
Tasting:  Sweet sour. Lemon zest, malted grains, vanilla, butterscotch, white grapes, lemon sweets, hints of green tea. With water, white grapes, vanilla sponge, marshmallows, hints of rose water. 
Finish: Short. Malted grains, lemon sweets, green tea, white grapes. 

Comments: 

Quite full bodied and robust for an Imperial. This isn’t too delicate, in fact quite the opposite. Lots of floral flavours vie with sweet fruits and cereal. Highly complex and enjoyable. 

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Imperial 25yo 1994/2019

Imperial 25yo 1994/2019

Single Malts of Scotland, Elixir Distillers
Single malt - Speyside 
Bright gold 
44.1% ABV
Dram

Nose: Mangoes, pineapples, banana milkshake, lemon zest, hints of peaches. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, tingly, warms slightly, slightly astringent. 
Tasting:  Sweet sour. Malted grains, lemon zest, pineapples, mango lassi, toast, hints of green tea. 
Finish: Short. Mint, malted grains, fresh baked bread, sea salt, lemon zest. 

Comments: 

This Imperial hasn’t fared too well with others, but I enjoyed it. It’s fruity and sweet, lots of mango and cream alongside the normal white grape / sultana notes. Well aged and delicious. 

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Imperial 24yo 1996/2020

Imperial 24yo 1996/2020

Single Cask Nation, Jewish Whisky Company
Single malt - Speyside 
Golden, hints of copper
54.6% ABV
Dram

Nose: White grapes, gooseberries, candied oranges, strawberry laces, hints of cream, hints of candle wax. With water, raisins, strawberry laces, damson jam, marmalade, candle wax. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, warm, astringent, expands slightly. 
Tasting:  Sweet sour. Candied oranges, pear drops, wet stones, gooseberries, strawberry laces, cinnamon, raisins, hints of marmalade. With water, sweeter, raisins, strawberry laces, vanilla, cinnamon, marmalade. 
Finish: Medium. Green tea, strawberry laces, cream, white grapes, marmalade. 

Comments: 

Cask 3420. It’s been a while since I had an Imperial. This one is pretty good. Highly fruity, and quite waxy, it’s fragrant and full of flavour. The high strength is a real prize, with water it softens to vanilla-laden fruit. I’m going to drink as much as I can.

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Imperial 23yo (for the Whisky Show 2019)

Imperial 23yo (for the Whisky Show 2019)

Show bottling, The Whisky Exchange
Single malt - Speyside
Pale green
45.2% ABV
Dram

Nose: Lemon zest, honey, lime zest, green tea, white grapes, hints of jasmine. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, cool, loosens, slightly oily. 
Tasting:  Sweet sour. White grapes, jasmine, lemon zest, nectarines, kiwi fruit, green tea. 
Finish: Long. Jasmine, kiwi fruit, white grapes, honey, green tea. 

Comments: 

An odd tasting Imperial. I can normally find plenty of lemon zest in Imperial, but this one has plenty of floral notes too, and stone fruit in abundance. There's also a tannic fragrance that I interpret as green tea. It's very refreshing whisky, and somehow, a palate cleanser.

Verdict:

I like this a lot.

Imperial 23yo 1995/2019

Imperial 23yo 1995/2019

Celebration of the Cask, Carn Mor
Single malt - Speyside
Dawn sunshine
42.1% ABV
Dram

Nose: Lemon zest, osmanthus flowers, honey, pineapples, jasmine, hints of chrysanthemums. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, thickens, syrupy, oily. 
Tasting:  Sour. Lemon zest, lemon juice, pineapples, jasmine, green tea, hints of elderflower. 
Finish: Short. Green tea, osmanthus flowers, honey, lemon zest. 

Comments: 

Cask 4190. This Imperial is gentle and floral, very summery. It's quite complex and layered, but also subtle, not very intense. I had to work to get through all the layers. Highly enjoyable for all that - how many more Imperials will I get to drink?

Verdict:

I like this.

Imperial 21yo 1997/2018

Imperial 21yo 1997/2018

Single Malts of Scotland, Specialty Drinks
Single malt - Speyside
Straw
50.5% ABV
Dram

Nose: Pears, honey, lemon zest, rhubarb and custard sweets, hints of magic marker. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, thickens, slightly, slippery, tingly. 
Tasting:  Sweet sour. Honey, lemon zest, cola nuts, cream, hints of vanilla. 
Finish: Long. Lemon zest, ginger, cola nuts, hints of cloves. 

Comments: 

This is classic Imperial! Sweet and floral, little medicinal notes on the tongue, spicy finish. Not many of these left, drink them while you can.

Verdict:

I like this.

Imperial 28yo 1989/2018

Imperial 28yo 1989/2018

Celebration of the Cask, Carn Mor
Single malt - Speyside
Golden
42.7% ABV
Dram

Nose: Fresh baked bread, lemon juice, brass polish, meringue, key lime pie. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, warming, loosens, turns watery. 
Tasting:  Sweet sour. Vanilla, lemon juice, short crust pastry, lime juice, hints of marzipan. 
Finish: Medium. Lime juice, marzipan, vanilla, hints of pears. 

Comments: 

Bottle 021/201, cask 1675. This whisky is fresh, light and floral, despite its age. It's highly complex with plenty of luscious cereally and citrus notes, at times bringing to mind a key lime pie. This is excellent whisky.

Verdict:

I like this a lot.

Imperial 20yo 1995/2016

Imperial 20 yo 1995/2016

Vintage, bottled for the Whisky Exchange, Signatory
Single malt - Speyside
Green gold
50.8% ABV
Dram

Nose: malted grains, milk, fresh cut grass, blackberry jam, plums. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, thickens, slippery, tingly. 
Tasting:  Sweet salty. Fresh cut grass, orange peel, plums, milk, hints of lemon zest. 
Finish: Short. Orange peel, cream, pomelo, malted grains. 

Comments: 

A great chance to try something from the closed Imperial distillery. This one is sweet-savoury, slightly one dimensional on first taste, but deepens into multi-layered citrus notes, grass and creamy milk. Good stuff, and there's not much of this left.

Verdict:

I like this.

Imperial 1996

Imperial 1996

Official bottling
Single malt - Speyside
Yellow gold
43% ABV
Dram

Nose: Cola nuts, lemon zest, thyme, vanilla, raisins, hints of grass. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, slippery, watery, loose. 
Tasting:  Bitter sweet. Cola nuts, cookie dough, grass, thyme, plums, hints of chocolate . 
Finish: Medium. Cookie dough, coffee, chocolate, plums. 

Comments: 

A rarity from the closed Imperial distillery! This is a 18 or 19 year old distilled shortly before the distillery closed. It's rather good, with the usual cookie dough and gentle vanilla notes wreathed in cola nuts and grassy herbal notes. Good, but alas, not great.

Verdict:

I like this.

Imperial 15 yo 1991/2006

Imperial 15 yo 1991/2006

Distillery Labels, Gordon & Macphail
Single malt - Speyside
Pale gold
43% ABV
Sampler

Nose: Leather, raisins, coffee, grapefruit, lemons, honey, peanuts, hints of peat.
Mouthfeel: Light body, thickens slightly, cool.
Tasting: Sweet. Honey, lemons, peanuts, raisins, coffee, lemons, hints of orange juice, hints of bitter gourd.
Finish: Medium. Lemons, honey, bitter gourd.

Comments:

A very refreshing whisky, light and smooth. It's honey-soaked, but not too sweet, as it is tempered with citrusy flavours and a bitter thrust right at the end. This is one of the "official" bottlings done by Gordon and Macphail.

Verdict:

I like this.

Imperial 9 yo "Battlehill"

Imperial 9 yo "Battlehill"

Battlehill, Duncan Taylor
Single malt - Speyside
Light amber
43% ABV
Dram

Nose: Pears, magic marker, soy sauce, apples, hints of peat.
Mouthfeel: Light body, watery, thickens slightly.
Tasting: Sweet sour. Lemons, pears, raspberries, strawberries, hints of rose. With water, more rose, sweeter notes, more floral.
Finish: Short. Rose, pears, peanuts.

Comments:

Decent dram, if a bit young and spirity. Mellowed with water, lots of fruit and rose. My first Imperial - I like.

Verdict:

I like this.