Oh, the f-ing joy of sample trading…

It’s either this (from WhiskyBase)

I’ve had this sample for about three years and I know I traded it with someone. I also know it’s a 1992 Glen Keith, bottled by Whisky-Fässle. However, that’s all the information there is, and I can’t figure out whether it’s the 19 or 20 year old.

For some reason I expect this to be the 20 year old, since that would mean it was bottled a year closer to the year in which I traded it. I shamefully only get to review it now, after a few years on my shelf, after a few years on someone else’s shelf.

The fun thing, whether this is version A or B, it’s very much a Glen Keith. I’ve tried quite a few over the years, they weren’t exactly hen’s teeth when 1992 was about 19 to 22 years ago. Every bottler had some and most of them were rather similar to this. So, a quintessential duck-labeled Glen Keith.

Tip for samplers out there: Label your samples properly. Not everything gets drunk immediately, and at some point you forget what’s what.

Or this (also from WhiskyBase)

Sniff:
Lots of pastry cream with the typical way Glen Keith carries American oak. Or the other way around. Lots of vanilla and creamy scents. Quite sweet with the wood itself playing second fiddle. Becomes more dry with hints of tea after a while.

Sip:
Gentle at first, but some chili heat kicks in after a few seconds. The dessert sweetness remains with brioche and pastry cream. Some dry oak and English blend tea.

Finish:
The finish goes more towards the tea and drier notes, with the dessert/vanilla/pastry cream taking a big step back. Now I get some apple and star fruit.

It’s got more depth than I expected it to have. It’s not just vanilla and bourbon cask influence. There’s a lot more to it if you give it some time and attention. Especially the addition of the fruitiness on the finish pushed it up a little bit. Apart from that, as with most of these Glen Keiths, there’s a shitload of vanilla custard, which isn’t necessarily bad, but just the median whisky nowadays. Although I do think this execution is quite loveable.

88/100