Eiktyrne Adopted Malt MacHidden 15 YO

Eiktyrne Adopted Malt MacHidden 15 YO, 49.8 %

This whisky started out as a Scotch, matured in Scotland for at least 14 years, then it was moved from Scotland to Norway and adopted. In Norway the whisky was transferred to a new cask for a final period of maturation. It was finished for about one year in a 225 litre refill Madeira barrique at Det Norske Brenneri, Norway.

This whisky naturally cannot be called a Scotch anymore, as it was not fully matured and bottled in Scotland. But it remains a single malt, although it is sold as an Adopted Malt, just to be on the safe side in relation to the EU regulations.

This is batch 1 of the product, indicating that we will see more at a later stage. The total outturn was 354 bottles (50 cl). There are three other products in the same series of MacHidden whiskies; a NAS, a 21 YO and a 25 YO. I will review them all shortly.

You can still buy the Eiktyrne Adopted Malt MacHidden 15 YO - batch 1 in Norway at NOK 999 (11372802).

Nose: Mild notes of oak and vanilla at first. Hints of dried fruits. A bit hard to nail down - it elusive. Milk chocolate. A vague memory of wood smoke. Mildly fruity with some honey.

Taste: Quite rich in character. Honey, mild peat smoke and vanilla. Earthy sweetness in the background. Chocolate and soot. Cool.

Finish: Medium to long finish. A lot of rich, honey sweetness. Almost sticky - but not icky-icky. Vanilla, some oakiness and a touch of herbs in the end.

Comment: A cool and relaxed dram.

Score 85/100

Sláinte!
-Thomas