The Whiskey Reviewer A World of Whiskey, Poured Every Weekday
By Richard Thomas
Rating: B+
The Sugared Almonds 1982 Single Cask Scotch
from Wemyss Malts
(Credit: Wemyss Malts)
The Whiskey Reviewer’s last look at the 2012 Single Cask release from Wemyss Malts is of Sugared Almonds. Distilled at Aultmore in 1982, only 272 bottles of this rarefied single malt were released. Because of that tiny run, some retailers are already sold out of this release, only a matter of months later. Even so, with a little effort and a little luck you might prove able to scrounge up a bottle.
The Scotch
In the standard artisinal style, Sugared Almonds was bottled at 46% abv. The coloring is the yellow straw one expects from a scotch with some age on it, although in this instance with a slight coppery tint.
I found the nose fragrant and a little complex, restrained without being subtle, with notes of marzipan, apple crisp sweetness and wood. It’s pretty obvious right from the start where the name of this single cask comes from.
The palate turns around and reverses the precedence of the notes in the scotch, with the woodiness becoming strong and the marzipan and apple notes becoming much lighter. The result is a flavor with a thick character, rounded out by a little pepper and cloves spicy kick at the end. The finish comes as a surprising, starting it out as it does on a new tobacco note, and rolling off from there into a lingering, warm, spicy afterglow.
The Price
If you can find it, expect the scarcity of this single cask scotch to drive the price to well over £100.
