Royalty in the building…
I feel ecstatic to be back writing for you all on my blog. I have been away due to some issues, but I am ready to return to this incredible whiskey journey. I remember the last time I had a Highland scotch, and it left me with very fond memories. So today I will try a Highlands single malt scotch. The difference this time is that the scotch is not just any ordinary scotch, it is from the Royal Burgh Collection. It is the 16-year-old Glen Deveron Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky. It is described as a fruity single malt, and as a 16-year-old scotch, we can expect spicy notes as well as some peat. Since it has been aged in a sherry cask, there should be some strong sherry notes as well. So let us find out!
When I poured myself this beautiful-looking scotch, the first thing I did was examine the bottle, not the whisky. I must admit that the bottle’s shape is stunning. The necklines are amazing, I will keep this bottle even when it is finished. I returned my attention to the colour after I had finished admiring the glass. According to the label, it should be golden amber, but it appears to be tawny to me. If you think about it, it has been in the Sherry cask for at least 16 years, which indicates the scotch should have consumed some of the cask’s darker colour. So perhaps golden amber is not quite correct. The nose on this scotch is clearly sherry, with hints of apple. As I dug deeper, I discovered some caramel and a faint hint of rose. The caramel tasted similar to a toffee apple. But I have to admit that the nose was very friendly when I was trying to smell very close to the whisky and it did not reject me. It kind of invited me to get closer, which made it more pleasant. I tasted the scotch and got a smokey apple taste. It was not as smooth as I would have liked, and I detected some dried peaches in the scotch. The Glen Deveron aftertaste was strangely dry, almost as dry as dark chocolate. It was curious because I do not remember having the same taste on any other spirits I have tried, but this can be influenced by a variety of reasons. All I can think of is that I had some really strong coffee after lunch, which influenced the taste a little. However, the aftertaste was peaty, which we would expect given that it is a 16-year-old whisky.
I usually apply a few drops of water to these older whiskies because I believe it significantly improves the experience. So I managed to pull out some more caramel for the nose by adding a few drops of water to the Glen Deveron. To my delight, the scotch became smoother than before, demonstrating how much water can improve your old spirit. The flavour of the mouth had changed to something like an apple pie with a sprinkle of cinnamon on top. The finish was no longer as dry. So I suggest adding some water to this scotch. You will get more out of this whisky, believe me.
It was now time to serve my meal, which was homemade smoked chicken with mango-chilli jam on the skin. The chicken was tender and delicious. I was hoping that the scotch would complement the meal and allow me to end this tasting on a high note. It did, and it did it well, to my satisfaction. This has been the best-tasting whiskey I have had since I began drinking whiskey.
The candlelight meal, paired with my 16-year-old scotch and smoked chicken, made the tasting far too good. Both the chicken and the scotch had smokey and peaty flavours that went well with the mango-chilli jam. The chicken skin with scotch was almost like a dessert in and of itself. The chicken skin absorbed much of the jam and blended well with the whisky.
As you would expect, this tasting went off without a hitch. With my stomach full of chicken and my taste buds still tender from the scotch, I have decided to call it a night. It is great to be back, and I cannot wait to try some more whiskey. The next blog post should be up sooner this time, but if you want to see more regular action, check out my Instagram account, where you can find some fine and quality whiskey images. Until next time, bye!
DiamondWhiskey 