Single Malts of Scotland Director’s Special 31 Year Old Imperial Distillery Whisky
Mark your calendars: on January 7, 2022, merely a week into the year, I tasted what very well might be my Scotch Whisky of the year (if not my Whiskey of the Year, period!)
This is exceptional. From nose to palate to finish, it brought me back to childhood memories picking wild strawberries right off the bush and eating them in one bite, tops and all. The creaminess of a lemon custard and acidity of jam in a Linzer tart all combine into something truly unique.
I won’t lie - this is both expensive and extremely limited. Only 154 bottles came out of this cask, and the SRP is $799. I don’t consider price in my ratings since everyone’s concept of “value” is so different; that being said, this is worth the price.
A bit more information…
Imperial Distillery is one of those “ghost” distilleries that is no longer around but still has distillate aging in various places. Imperial was a start-and-stop story, first built in 1897 in Speyside but mothballed numerous times over its century-long history. It’s last major distilling era ended in 1991, but it was revived for one year in 1998 before fully ceasing distillation. Owned by Chivas Brothers, the Imperial Distillery was demolished in 2013 and a new distillery was built on the site in 2015 (Dalmunach).
I’ve gotten to try other “ghost” distilleries, but never on their own and, for all intents and purposes, in its purest form - ex-bourbon cask, nothing else added. Brora, Cambus, Dallas Dhu, Dumbarton, Glen Mohr, Glenury Royal, and Millburn are just a few of the other “ghost” distilleries out there, but the only tastes I’ve had are through the Johnny Walker Ghost and Rare series. While delicious, these are blends, i.e. I couldn’t try the Brora and say that’s what Brora tastes like because there are another seven whiskies in the blend.
There are a few distilleries that were ghost distilleries but are now being revived, such as Caol Ila, but make no mistake: Imperial isn’t coming back in its original form, and so the casks out there are all that’s left.
Enter Single Malts of Scotland. An independent bottler, Single Malts of Scotland (SMoS) is one of the best-known and one of the best-regarded independent bottlers (IB) in the world. Sometimes you come across an IB whose picks are hit or miss. Some are nearly perfect in securing great casks. In my book, SMoS, Cadenhead, Gordon & MacPhail, and Single Cask Nation are the top tier of these. Others, like the Scotch Malt Whisky Society (SMWS), Signatory Vintage, and That Boutique-y Whisky Company are generally very good, even outstanding at times, but aren’t as consistent as the others mentioned here in my opinion.
I know I’ve thrown a lot of names and acronyms at you in this review, but bear with me just a bit longer.
I received this sample from ImpEx Beverages, run by spirits journeyman Sam Filmus. By journeyman, I mean that if he decided tomorrow to call it a day and hang up his cleats, he’d already be a worldwide presence felt for decades more. Just since starting ImpEx in 2008, he’s imported whiskey, gin, rum, and mezcal from Scotland, Belgium, Wales, Japan, Israel, and Mexico, and that’s just the main portfolio. I realized that before looking into ImpEx, I had already spoken to multiple brands/distilleries in their orbit, including Kaiyō (Japan) and M&H Distillery (Israel) on the podcast, with more in the pipeline.
The point is the same as I made in my review of the Old Forester Single Barrel Barrel Proof “Apraxia” from Blue Streak Wine & Spirits: there are so many intermediaries between the source of a dram and when it gets to the consumer, and it’s more complicated than just the three official tiers. The ultimate gatekeepers, the people you want to know and want to trust, are the ones choosing the single barrels and small batch releases. You want to know that your palate and your choices align with those of the people in the room. Based on this barrel (and, in full transparency, the several others I’ve gotten to try), I know I can trust SMoS to pick good barrels, and I know I can trust Sam and his team to bring them in.
*Thank you to ImpEx for providing a sample for this review with no strings attached.
Single Malts of Scotland Director’s Special 31 Year Old Imperial Distillery Whisky: Specs
Classification: Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Origin: Imperial Distillery
Mashbill: 100% Malted Barley
Proof: 88.2 (44.1% ABV)
Age: 31 Years Old
Location: Scotland
Single Malts of Scotland Director’s Special 31 Year Old Imperial Distillery Whisky Price: $799
Single Malts of Scotland Director’s Special 31 Year Old Imperial Distillery Whisky Review: Tasting Notes
Eye: Orange blossom honey syrupy in the glass. Medium rims and hang-on droplets.
Nose: Wild strawberries and taffy, baked vanilla, hints of honeycomb. Buddha’s hand lemon (I know, but it really is that specific). Linzer tarts with red berry jam. No proof heat. Deep, minty maltiness and marshmallows.
Palate: The wild strawberries are still prominent, with more mint and some eucalyptus. Drinks at proof heat-wise, but with much more depth. Green peppercorns, oak astringency, and nuttiness without being woody. Mouthfeel is velvety, medium-bodied, jammy, and coating before you realize it’s even happened. Slight numbing from the peppercorn and barrel char appear at the end.
Finish: Strawberry remains the star, with the leafy stems growing on the back palate. Medium-to-long finish that’s summery and bright, quite unexpected from such an old whisky.
Overall: A strawberry symphony. This is masterful at each step. It’s easy to say an expensive scotch can’t live up to expectations, and many don’t, but this does. Hell, this might exceed them. Brings me back to childhood memories of picking wild strawberries, stems and all, right off the bush.
Final Rating: 9.1
10 | Insurpassable | Nothing Else Comes Close (Elijah Craig Barrel Proof Old Label Batch 4 or 2, Blanton’s Straight from the Barrel)
9 | Incredible | Extraordinary (GTS, Elijah Craig Barrel Proof B518 and B520)
8 | Excellent | Exceptional (Stagg Jr. Batch 10, Highland Park Single Barrels)
7 | Great | Well above average (Blanton’s Original, Old Weller Antique, Booker’s)
6 | Very Good | Better than average (Four Roses Small Batch Select, Knob Creek 14+ YO Picks)
5 | Good | Good, solid, ordinary (Elijah Craig Small Batch, Buffalo Trace, Old Grand-Dad Bottled-in-Bond)
4 | Has promise
1-3 | Let’s have a conversation
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