The Story
For every tasting I hold I try to select a nice starting dram that gets the tastebuds ready and that is quite unknown to the public – and it shouldn’t upstage the drams to follow. In whisky tastings this usually is an old blend, a vat, a ‚malternative‘ (another spirit) or a Single Malt from an unknown source.
When I saw the Prince Regent bottle for the first time (this is quite rare), its dark color immediately appealed to me and I bought it for an unusual high price for such an unknown Malt – 59 Euros – but an inner voice said: Go, get it! My feeling about it was justified when we opened it at the Whisky Walk.
Tasting Note
Pit Krause pouring the starting dram: Prince Regent
Nose: Very well-balanced, highly complex and enticing – this is old style Sherry Malt of the finest kind with good OBF (old bottle flavor, a smell that comes from bottle maturation and reminds one of wet cardboard, old libraries and leather) and a sweet touch, tons of dark fruits (mainly maraschino cherries), rum-raisins, flowerpot earth and discrete peat, tobacco, dark mahogani wood, leather, cough drops, damp smoke, Grand Manier and so much more: close to perfection!
Palate: As smooth as a velvet glove with the aromatics of the nose, but a bit weak with its 43%. The nose promised a thicker syrup-like taste, but this is thinner.
Finish: Medium length, mainly on dark fruits and berries, rather peaty now, dark woods and pleasant sulphur. All in all it reflects the nose, but brighter fruits and earthy smoke come to light after some minutes as well. It leaves you with the desire for more.
Score: 92
Comment: What a stunner! This might very well be a Glendronach, Macallan or a Strathisla from the best years. The nose is out of this world and the finish is really fine as well. Just the weaker palate keeps it from being a real legend. A ‚must-try‘ if you see it. And yes: it stole the show from some drams to follow!