Hunter Liang Sovereign Girvan 1991 (25 year old) 58.9%
Bourbon/ Code: SOV2102/ Dist: Oct 1991 Btl: 2017/ Tasted: May 2017
Gentle, delicate. lemony dried fruit aromas with hints of neutral spirit and developing oak notes of coconut, mocha and wood smoke. it certainly doesn’t feel its age and the relative lack of oak gives it a subtly oak aged vodka type of character.
The palate is not as alcoholic as you would think. Again it’s crisp with lemony fruit and a subtle grainy spiciness. The alcohol does come through on the middle with some coconutty oak. That alcohol slightly masks the finish but it has a lovely soft spiciness with lingering coconut.
A drop of water takes the edge of the citrus but makes it simpler. Likewise the palate, but it is a little sweeter as the honey notes have come out. Still quite coconutty and subtly spiced on the finish.
Hunter Laing Sovereign Girvan 1988 (26 year old) 46.9%
Code: SOV2051/ Dist: Oct 1988 Btl: Nov 2014/ Tasted: Dec 2014
A big, spicy and grainy oak nose with hints of edgy, earthy, dried fruit, light camphor and sweet-ish herbal notes. The aromas move into lightly toasted toffee and baked apple. Quite dry as the sugars are being buffeted by the oak, which gives the nose some weight and with time a touch of lazy smoke and spice appears.
The palate is quite grainy like the nose with the lightly coffee’d tannins up first. Wow! That is really drying and bittering. Yes, there is some dried fruit but the oak input is enormous. The alcohol doesn’t help with the drying sensation either. Long and spicy with the oak lingering.
Water brings out the ‘Bourboness’ of the oak along with crème caramel and toffee. On the palate it softens the oak and lessons its impact, so that some dried fruit comes through, but it does make it a little simpler.
Hunter Laing Sovereign Girvan 1979 (36 year old) 51%
Bourbon/ Code: SOV2081/ Dist: May 1979 Btl: Mar 2016/ Tasted: Apr 2016
Full and robust aromas of oily dried fruit and grainy notes. Almost malty in character with developing treacle, toasted vanilla oak, milk chocolate, smoked toffee and subtle but sweet spices.
The palate is soft and nutty with gentle dried fruit, liquorice, dark chocolate and spice. Quite drying on the middle as the tannins arrive bringing some bitter, French coffee notes. Long and spicy but remaining dry with lingering chocolate coated dried fruit. Very impressive.
Whisky According to Chris Whiskyman 