North Star Vega

Nose: Vanilla, spice, and stewed fruit (apples, walnuts, and cinnamon). Caramel, licorice, orange peel, leather, and a trace of resinous woody smoke, more akin to aged furniture than peat. There's an earthy, 'clean-but-slightly-dusty-attic' quality to the aroma. Palate: A spicy malt arrival, slightly dry but with a substantial texture and enough surrounding sherry to provide a bright sweetness. It develops more spice as it unfolds (cinnamon and cloves) along with brown sugar. Adding water introduces a ginger note to the spice mix, and there are abundant dark fruit flavors (figs, dates, prunes). Some faint smoke or ash suggests very old charred oak. Finish: Medium. Dark bitter chocolate with some oak spice, transitioning to sweetness in the aftertaste. This was a blend of Speyside malts aged in Spanish and American barrels, originating in 1993. It was released as a limited edition of 400 in May 2017. It's a dark-and-moody blended Speysider, somewhat like Tamdhu but earthier. My guess would be a significant proportion of Glenfarclas. There's nothing to dislike about it – it's certainly not over-oaked or sulphured – but for me, it lacked a certain spark. However, I can see others with different palate preferences finding it very enjoyable and worth the price. There is a second 2018 edition of Vega, bottled in January 2018 at 43.1% ABV, blended from whiskies at least 40 years old. I believe it surpasses this first edition, but I haven't had the chance to taste it. “Good”: 84/100 (3.75 stars)