Wemyss Lemon Zest Single Cask Scotch Review (2014)
By Richard Thomas
Rating: B-
(Credit: Wemyss Malts)
Wemyss Lemon Zest is another of their single cask bottlings. Although part of the first single cask batch of 2014, the run was actually bottled in 2013, so the 1998 distillation date makes this Auchentoshan whisky a Lowland, ex-bourbon barrel aged 15 year old. As is the norm for Wemyss single casks, the whisky was bottled at 46% abv. A limited edition, Lemon Zest came out as a 342-bottle run.
The Scotch
In the glass, Lemon Zest has a very scotchy pale straw coloring. The nose is restrained, but distinctly akin to a lemon meringue pie, what with the core citrus and cake spice notes. Add in a little toffee and a slight woodiness, and you have what makes for a low key, moderately complex scent.
The flavor is front-loaded with pepper and wood, and as that fades the honeyed lemon flavor comes up and takes over. Despite having a full-bodied mouthfeel, the whisky retains the fundamentally understated nature of the nose. The finish starts with a peppery afterglow, and as it winds down a tobacco aftertaste remains.
The Price
I have seen Wemyss Lemon Zest listed for as much as £75 ($125) and as little as €68 ($95).
