Whisky Neighbour

This was a great weekend to love whisky. Corby finally released the antique expressions of their northern border collection. This would include JP Wiser 35 yr, Pike Creek 21 yr, Gooderham & Worts 17 yr, and Lot 40 12 yr cask strength rye. Since each of the regular expressions in this collection are superb, I can only imagine these longer aged versions will be spectacular. In this show I open up the Lot 40 cask strength. Immediately on the nose this Rye bursts with dark fruits and rich sugars. There are hints of oak and a little bit of dill or grass notes playing around too. I am surprised that the alcohol does not come up strongly since this is bottled at 55%, but it must have been smoothed in with age. On the palate this is a full, spicy, peppery Rye. Not too sharp though. Instead the oak or wood notes create an excellent counter point and smooth out the flavour. The mouth feel is rich, but not too oily. In the finish, I am left with a drying sweetness that also leans toward w...