#2
Imperial Distillery was built in 1897 by the owners of Talisker and Dailuaine, so I guess they should know how a good whisky would be made. Neighboring distillery Dailuaine is still alive and kicking.When closing in 1925 it didn't open till 1955, and having already been mothballed for almost two decades prior to 1925 one could easily start wondering if there was something odd about this distillery. In 1965 it was partially upgraded for on-site barley malting, but then it closed again just two decades later. In 1989 distillation started again, but just for 9 years this time, being mothballed again in 1998. Todays owners Chivas have said they'll never start distillation at Imperial again, but then why did they buy it? There are rumors Imperial is to start distilling again in the near future, but with new equipment. Officially its only mothballed but by the looks of these photos in the link below, its hard to believe distillation will ever recur unless a nearly total renovation is done.
http://www.derelictplaces.co.uk/main/showthread.php?t=19401#.URGEUXgyddo
Remember, as there were no official bottlings from Signatory, the bottlings that have made it to the market have all been by independent bottlers. Especially 1976 and 1979 seems to be popular vintages. Let's hope that even with new equipment, Imperial can be able to make some great whisky in the future. There's quite some Imperials on my shelves so I have to split this session in two.
#1
Imperial NAS 1976 43% The Whisky Connoisseur
I've enjoyed some of the older bottlings from The Whisky Connoisseur, but it seems by their more modern watered down bottlings they've lost some their sparkle. The golden eagle on the label makes it look a bit like a novelty whisky I guess. 1976 is often referred to as a very good year at Imperial, a lot of good whiskies in that vintage. The color is golden. It smells of musty, spicy, bitter, vinegary tomato pulp, rubbery sweetness. The taste is sweet, vanilla, banana, sugary, syrup, custard, meringue, a sweet treat. The finish is peppery, licorice, heather, this is a real nice one, not edgy in any way, just a pure clean fun whisky. If this is the standard Imperial held its a shame they didn't produce more.
Great allround whisky: 8
Imperial 10yo 1998-2009 46% Duncan Taylor Nc2 cask#1022 btl.209/323
A much more recent distillation. From this series which I think Duncan Taylor started bottling around 2008, quite similar to the "no coloring no chill-filtration"-series from Signatory. The color on this one is light golden. It smells of vanilla, mandarin chutney, honey, sweet white wine, certainly an active ex bourbon cask, but it lacks a bit of the depth the 1976 portrayed. The taste is vanilla, oaky, rubber, sweet, peppery, very light and easily sip-able malt, but not complex in any way. Sort of a bland whisky that lets the cask do most of the talking. The finish is drying and short, some hay and grassy notes.
It's nice there's affordable ways to try Imperials even today, if maybe not at their best form: 5
Imperial 15yo 1995-2011 46% Signatory for the Nectar Belgium cask#50309
The big difference in quality, in my opinion, between the 1976 and 1998 makes me dread not purchasing more older Imperials, but this will might show there can be magic in more recent distillate as well. From a hogshead. The color is amber golden. It smells caramel, butterscotch, stewed onions, dark chocolate, musty, gravel, earthy. If you like this kinda "dirty construction site" style, its definitively one to check out. The taste is buttery, floral, vanilla, candy cream, melted vanilla ice cream, white bell pepper. The finish is on parsley, black pepper and grassy notes.
A good whisky that shows a style which is becoming rarer and rarer these days: 4.5
Imperial 16yo 1995-2012 53.1% Dewar Rattray cask#50070
Lets see how Imperial stacks at cask strength. From a bourbon hogshead. It seems sherried Imperials are few and far between, but I'll have a couple of them later as well. The color is golden. It smells of cinnamon, vanilla, dried bananas, figs, dates, cured ham, dried meat, a bit smoky, mustard, pickled cucumbers, leather. The taste is peppery, smoky, hickory smoke, barbecue sauce, vanilla, nutty, almonds, caramel. This is in need of some water I think. Strikes as a bit raw. With added water it turns peppery, honey and oranges, bittersweet, much more lively and fruity now, hints of citrus notes and melons, kiwis and other sweet fruits.
Water is needed for this to shine: 6
Imperial 16yo 1995-2012 53.9% The Whisky Fair
Third 1995 Imperial in a row, lets hope this vintage keeps improving for me. Another refill hogshead, I'm assuming its a bourbon hogshead as the age, color and strength are pretty similar to those of the #50070. The color is golden. It smells of vanilla, butter, vanilla, grassy, floral, burnt oak, phenols, drying. Once again its not really blowing me away on the nose, kinda withdrawn. The taste is sweet, spicy cinnamon, sweet chillies, buttery, egg cream. Sweet and spicy would be a good description of this whisky. The finish is bittersweet, leather, strong coffee.
Another good Imperial, lets hope the new distillate will at least match the old on quality: 6
Imperial 35yo 1976-2011 50% Douglas Laing Old Malt Cask cask#7431
Another 1976, let's hope for another goodie from that vintage. The color is golden. It smells of buttery, peppery, spicy, tangy, rubbery, wool, sugar cane, rum, leather, port wine, very special. The taste is all on leather, plums, raisins, red grapes, hay, apple cider, warming, clearly another very nice 1976 Imperial, but lets add some water just for fun. Now it turns sweeter, cinnamon, coriander, marshmallows, minty, sweet sticks, slightly perfumy, oily.
A sweeter and lighter Imperial, but that denies no quality here: 8
Imperial 20yo 1991-2011 55.3% Silver Seal
Another CS, but this time a bit older. Pale golden color. It smells of rubber, peppery notes, leather, pomegranate, kiwi, spirity, herbal. This is a bit more nasty than the prior ones in this session, seems a bit young and unfinished. The taste is honey, vanilla, ashes, spirity, cranberry syrup, pomegranate, apple peel, something very sweet here, probably from bourbon wood, but it just lacks some bite. The lack of spicy and peppery notes leaves a little to be desired for me in this one as it lets the alcohol dominate a bit too much. Adding water. Now it becomes sweeter and drier, some licorice and vanilla, but no vast improvement here.
A bit spirity and bland whisky: 4
Imperial 25yo 1977-2002 57.6% Cadenhead's
I got a full bottle of this, with good fill level, from an online auction back in 2010 for 70€ only. Thankfully I rebottled 5cl into a miniature so I now have a chance to make tasting notes. From a bourbon hogshead. The color is golden amber. It smells of honey, butter, sweet oranges, kiwi, mango, melon, raw parsnip, red onions. The taste is honey, oaky, nice bourbon notes, vanilla, custard, pisang liqueur, banana mash, potato starch, rice wine vinegar. Lets add some water. Now it turns more dry, peppery, ginger, spirity, don't add water to this is my best tip. The finish is peppery, waxy, longlasting, this reminds me more of some coastal highlanders than a Speysider.
Very good one, granted you don't add any water: 6.5
#2
Imperial NAS 1979 40% Gordon & Macphails
I have about the same number of 1976's and 1979's in these this session, lets hope that 1979 is another superb vintage from Imperial. I think this one was bottled back in the 1990's, but I'm not sure when. Easily, this is one of those questionable IB's disguised as OB's from Gordon & Macphail. The color is pale golden, I'm pretty sure by the looks that this is a naturally colored whisky. It smells of grape fruit, oranges, lime, glue, green apples, apple peel, sweet citrus, spirity, some rubbery, sweet, zesty notes. The taste is rather spirity, peppery, green apples again, chili, really a strong and not refined, rich or savory in any way. This just seems young and spirity, new-make style. The finish is buttery and peppery. I'm struggling a bit with this one,seems a bit rough and edgy. I indeed think this is a bottling done as a camouflaged OB on purpose.
Burnt, spirity, raw, heat, ralfy talks about it: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MPrjVUg7hCU : 2
Imperial 15yo 1979-2005 43% James MacArthur's
I have no idea why this whisky, contrary to many other Imperials and JMcA's were diluted prior to bottling, they didn't make many of those, and certainly not from closed distilleries. The color is amber golden, reminds me of some young sherried malt, but I'm pretty sure that isn't the case here. It smells of honey, white wine, bitter notes, hermetic fruits, light, fruity and spirity. One might mistake this for any cheap blend, but the vanilla and toffee finish implies for a bit more lavish whisky. The taste is sweet, cinnamon, oranges, vanilla, peppery, spirity, burnt, quite hard to handle, seems to me the '79 vintage isn't one of my favs. I've always been a fan of J.McA, but it seems this one is a bit out of order. Bitter and spirity whisky, let's move on to another vintage.
Really an off whisky: 1.5
Imperial 14yo 1979-1993 64.9% Cadenhead's
In hindsight I'd ever understand why a sincere IB like Cadenhead's would put a young 1979 Imperial into their range, but then again, perhaps its improved at CS, one never knows. Must've been a tight cask to hold this strength after 14 years. The color is light amber. It smells of peaty, spirity notes, potato starch, rubbery, spirity, really bitter and hard to follow, lets hope its a bit better on the palate. The taste is peppery, intense, waxy, dried sage and bitter leaves, chillies, concentrated heavy spirity notes. Let's add some water. With added water it turns sweeter, but yet spirity and peppery, really harsh, raw onions, I wish I'd never taste this whisky, its really putrid. Let's hope for some redemption with the 1976's and others.
This is an extreme macho whisky, as spirity as it gets: 1
Imperial 17yo 1970-1987 40% Gordon & Macphail Connoisseurs Choice
One whisky that I've been looking forward to as I think this is the oldest vintage I've tried by Imperial. The color is shiny golden, surely adjusted with some E's. It smells of leather and tobacco, mustard, vinegar, tannins, dry red wine, barbecue smoke, coal, excellent! The taste is oily, malt syrup, vinegar, bitter and acidic, some lime zest. Pretty oaky and spirity at this low strength. Adding water. Now it turns more drying, wheat crackers, rye, wheat flour, white bread, a very timid and shy malt now. I guess not all old CC-bottlings were excellent, I mean, now I know that for sure. Finishes on gelatin and syrup.
Seems a poor spirit: 3
Imperial 16yo 1976-1993 43% Master of Malts cask#7560 btl.223/240
Now time for three 1876's in a row, let's start with this one from Master of Malt. Anyone know the story about these old miniatures from MoM, are they bottled by the same guys at www.masterofmalt.com, have they re-bottled older bottles into miniatures (unlikely), or is "The Master of Malt" an old lost indie which's name is now in use at another establishment? White wine color. It smells sweet, vanilla, sugary, burnt sugar, heavy bourbon notes, even some honey and perfumy notes. Very sweet, candy floss, marshmallows, gotta love whiskies with a sweet nose to enjoy this, but in that aspect it's really full on. The taste is very musty, white pepper, earthy, mosses, nothing sweet here, more a tight and restrained whisky. Perhaps some water will help it open up? Now it turns more wheat, acidic, glue, fabric, cotton, doesn't open up much despite the additional off-notes on the palate. The finish is short on some shortbread and wheat.
I preferred it neat, but its a hard whisky to get excited about: 3
Imperial 16yo 1976-1992 43% Master of Malts cask#7559 btl.200/360
This one has a copyright statement of "1992 The Master of Malt Ltd." is that the same company as the current online shop? Stop being lazy, use wiki. It now seems The Master of Malt is a company established in 1985 and still running. Then the mystery is then solved, all to easily for my liking. ;-) The color is hay. It smells of citrus notes, vanilla, citron, lemon meringue, apple juice, white wine vinegar, dry white wine. It does smells more punchy and spirity than its sister, cask#7560. The taste is peppery, bitter spices, nutmeg and cardamum, aniseeds, pretty difficult one. I'll add some water. Now it shows to become cardboardy, dry, attic dust, peppery, white pepper, soft licorice, ginger peel, parsley.
No rise in quality here: 3
Imperial 19yo 1976-1996 43% Signatory Vintage cask#7561 btl.311/1200
My guess is that this cask all went into miniatures. A bourbon cask. Maybe some more aging will do this one good, as you see all these three casks were consecutively filled at the distillery. I know MoM and Signatory even shared some casks back in the days. The color is white wine. It smells of wheat, hay, dry white wine, bitter apples, grapefruit, lemon meringue, white pepper. The taste is vanilla, peppery, onions, bitter white wine, grapefruit, much what the nose promised. Time to add some water. Now it turns more spirity, bitter, hay and wheat, rye, cologne, bitter white wine, I guess this one is even worse than #7559 and #7560 despite being well older.
Whisky deteriorates in a bad cask, rather bottle young and make a fire: 2
Imperial 12yo 65% James MacArthur's
Finishing this rather disappointing tasting of Imperials with a thunderbolt at 65%abv. And 12yo as well. But since the younger whiskies made the slightly less bad impression of me in this #2 sitting, the young age might be good news. The color is golden amber. It smells of sweet vanilla, honey, caramel, creamy, stewed onions, butterscotch, barbecues sauce, sweet vinegary notes, sun-dried tomatoes, rich sweet sherry notes, cinnamon, phenolic, sulphur, cedar wood, cigars. The taste is very phenolic, acidic, drying, peppery, a real sherry monster, time for some water. With added water the nose opens up with a lot more cinnamon, fish market, dried herrings, this old musty fish smell. Amazing! I usually find little or no changes on the nose when adding water, but this is an exception. The taste is now still phenolic, burnt oak, extremely peppery, bitter, drying, I'd imagine this from some dry amontillado sherry cask or something. The reason for that is after the initial extreme sherried notes some sweet bell peppers, honey and buttery notes appears. Its a great version of Imperial, and at this high strength, lets just say it handles water quite well.
Anymore young sherried Imperials out there?: 8
Imperial then
Imperial now (not much have changed, except the inside)
Next tasting: Convalmore Distillery
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