Whiskybase.com is a very popular and known community site on the internet where one can spend hours managing his/her collection, see tasting notes, write own notes, rank whiskies and chat with others. But whiskybase.com are also an independent bottlers – their own Archives label had released many great whiskies in the past and very recently started a new series – The Fishes of Samoa. Initially they released 3 bottles and this UD 1995 Speyside is one of them.

In case you don’t know, UD means Undisclosed – which means that the guys at Whiskybase.com knows the source but we don’t. There’s some remark on the relevant page in Whiskybase.com that claims this to be Glenfarclas but we’ll never know.

UD 1995 Speyside Region Arc (48. 2%, €85, 54 bottles)

Nose: sherry (berries, red fruits) and very fruity bordering floral, some vanilla, cookies dough, candied citrus fruits – oh so very rich. After a few minutes, the wood notes shows up while it still carry those bold and sweet fruits – delicious!

Palate: starts strong with red fruits, vanilla, then prominent tingling and spicy wood notes are added.

Finish: Very short – the big bold notes disappear quickly and we’re left with light feathered sweet wood, leaving me hanging and disappointed.

Conclusion – the short finish is a bit of downer. if not for that fact, this bottle would be a no-brainer to buy. The smells and the taste just makes you pour yourself another dram and another one, real lovely one – but the finish disappoints. But if you don’t mind this issue and focus on smell and taste – go and get yourself one of those. There were only 54 bottles made and somehow it’s still available in the market – if you like fresh, bold sweet and sherried drams – this one is for you!