Irish Malt 28 Years Old Antique Lions of Spirits The Butterflies 49.3% 1989

Professionele reviews

Serge Valentin (92)

Colour: pale gold.

Nose: a slightly rounder version of the 1990, with a little more cake-y notes, and perhaps very ripe bananas. A little more oomph as well, and that cannot only be the extra 1.3% vol. Passion fruits, mangos, chalk, grapefruits… Brilliant nose, rather more ‘immediate’ than that of then 1990.

Mouth: sweet Vishnu, this is a total fruit bomb! And they’re all there, papayas leading the way, then mangos, maracuja, etc., etc., etc… Also love the rather mineral backbone, it’s not just some fortified all-vitamin fruit juice.

Finish: medium to long, always immensely fruity, and with a rather lemony signature. No, rather pink grapefruits again.

Comments: just one stupid question, why don’t the owners have these? Granted, the prices would be five times higher, but still! A mystery… (agreed, it’s the same all over Scotland).

Whisky Notes (91)

Nose: warm fruit cake, alongside this tropical fruitiness (guave, maracuya, bananas, white grapefruit). A hint of green tea. Light vanilla. Subtle minerals in the background, a whiff of wet plaster.

Mouth: more fruity notes, sweet and tropical at first (mango, passion fruits) but evolving more towards grapefruit, kiwi and lime. Slightly more zesty now, grapefruit skin which mingles nicely with the mineral notes. Green oak with a slight grassy touch. Hints of bergamot.

Finish: rather long, still on this bright and zesty fruitiness, with grapefruit and lemon.
What did you expect? Excellent Irish malt, from an excellent batch of ALOS releases.