Hillside (silent) Rare Malts Selection Single Malt Scotch Whisky 25 Year Old · 1971 Vintage

Colour

Deep burnished amber with copper-gold highlights and a ruby-tinged rim.

Nose

Rich, velvety nose of dried figs, raisins and prunes, lacquered with toffee and dark chocolate. Sherry warmth delivers praline, orange zest, burnt sugar and a hint of balsam. Leather, cedar and cigar-box spice weave with oak, treacle and vanilla, opening to a luxurious, aged Highland perfume.

Palate

Opulent and full-bodied, this opens with rich sherried prune, raisin and fig, brightened by orange zest. A velvety, oily mouthfeel coats dark chocolate, espresso and toasted almond. Spice notes—cinnamon, clove, nutmeg—coalesce with leather and tobacco as molasses and beeswax round the mid-palate. Warm, resinous oak fuels a long, lingering finish.

Finish

Long, warming finish with raisin and fig sweetness, bittersweet chocolate, and toasted oak; sherry-driven richness lingers, spiced with cinnamon and clove, finishing with a bright kiss of orange zest.