TWE Show 2019: Signatory Vintage

We finally reach the Signatory Vintage stand, another highly regarded independent bottler and go-to exhibitor. We try six from Signatory’s impressive festival array.

We begin as randomly as we continue.

 
Edradour 2009/2019 10yo Ob. Straight from the Cask sherry butt #59 [953 bts] 55% [500ml] WB89.20[32]

You might say this is ‘trending’.

• C: Double-HD oak resins and sherry sponge is all. A whisky for rum lovers perhaps? I’d put money on this being uber-popular.

Scores 79 points

 

Deanston 2008/2019 11yo SV Un-Chill filtered Collection 1st fill sherry butt #900075 [599 bts] 66.6% WB87[3]

• N: Shreddies-like distillate leading to a plethora of sweet delight.
• T: I’d have never guessed the abv at 66.6%, not even 50%. This too is very sherried but nowhere near the Edradour. Butterscotch and some banana liqueur flow accordingly.
• F: Hums along nicely, sweet, short and dry.
• C: Not many single cask independently bottled Deanston around. Here’s one well-sourced option. Turns out I have since re-reviewed this one [WLP85]. The astringency and peppery/cinnamon notes I detected before, no doubt were masked here by the previous Edradour.

Scores 86 points

 

Not too much Caledonian around either. Most that I’ve had have been good to excellent.

Caledonian 1987/2018 31yo SV Cask Strength Collection cask #18504 [btl #249/249] 50.2% WB77[2]

• N: Apple and yeasty pear snow [like apple snow but with pears].
• T: Juicy, not too chemical and with an easy chew.
• F: Succulent dry and balanced.
• C: Relatively youthful-yet-ready grain.

Scores 87 points

 

Bunnahabhain 2007/2019 12yo SV 1st fill sherry butt #586 [604 bts] 58.5% WB88.06[23]

• C: All credit goes to one super sherry cask.

Scores 87 points

 

Ben Nevis 1991/2019 27yo SV Cask Strength Collection cask #2381 [btl #542/592] 57.5% WB87.95[62]

• N: Metal-y > minerally fruit-malt concentrate.
• T: Just right.
• F: Very decent distillate-mature finish.
• C: A lot of people don’t like Ben Nevis. “That mineral thing” one non-fan told me. For many, Port Ellen also falls into the same category.

Scores 88 points

 

Dailuaine 1997/2019 22yo SV for TWE 20th Anniversary cask #7248 [278 bts] 54.3% WB88[5]

• C: There are many cracking Dailuaine’s around, at this age and at very reasonable prices [Cadenhead’s especially springs to mind]. Older expressions can be over-oaked however and can turn butyric. This one is a faultlessly simple cracker, perfectly matured without any issues whatsoever. I shall probably buy this, price-dependent.

Since time of writing, I’ve already re-reviewed this one: WLP88

Scores 89 points

 

• The Foz: ‘What’s the best thing about the show?’
• Des: ‘Going home’ [laughs].

 

Further reading: SW

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