Door number 15 offers us the slightly uncommon sight of Allt-a-Bhainne in the form of Boutique-y’s 22yo, no onto batch 3. Bottled at exactly 49% and with a label with lots of cows and a river of milk. It’s all in the name I guess.
Nose: Herby and creamy. Pine and tree sap are joined by apple crumble and custard, freshly cut green wood and some earthy mushrooms in the background. Water heightens the custard note and adds some vanilla into the equation.
Taste: Sour and malty. Unripe apples, fresh lemon and brewed tea mix it up with sweet barley and malts, becoming almost beer-like at times. Herbalness remains with some grassiness. The addition of water adds some cask influence, but it’s quite bitter and slightly tannic.
Finish: Medium, lots of barley and sour fruits.
Overall this Allt-a-Bhainne is unfortunately a little too bitter and sour to my taste. Whilst it offers pleasant fresh herbalness, I find it fairly average overall, and not really delivering the integration, nor wood that I’d expect from 22 years of maturation – perhaps a cask that’s seen better times.