1981 Rosebank 20 Year Old Natural Cask Strength Rare Malts Selection 62.3% Vol

Colour: straw.

Nose: Indisputably very Rosebank at first nosing, with lots of citrus fruits (lemons but also oranges and tangerines). With water (at roughly 45%): lots of lemon indeed (including rubbed zests), fresh mint, moss and fern, a little paraffin and lamp petrol, wet stones… There’s also a little apple juice, beeswax, heather honey… very elegant. Gets quite minty, slightly camphory and resinous (pine needles, moss, fern) and also a little maritime (sea breeze). This is truly beautiful.

Mouth (neat): very lemony. With water:  excellent, very elegant, spice,  pepper, excellent attack, citron, green tea, green apples, a little kiwi… Lemon drops, dry white wine (high-end Sauvignon)… It seems that there’s still a little peat in the background, even if less than on the nose. Gets more candied with time but always very pure and clean.

Great, long finish, on lemon and high-end green tea, with quite some pepper. Another excellent Rosebank.