Here we go again with the Imperial 1995. There are a whole lot of them these days, and most are coming from Signatory Vintage one way or another. This time it is via Dutch bottler Van Wees, who acquire most of their casks through Signatory.
Imperial 1995/2014 (46%, Van Wees, C# 50168)
Nose: Extremely fruity right from the get-go. Red apples, pineapple and peaches among others. It also has a good amount of wax. After a while some grass surfaces in the background, but the fruit keeps on dominating the nose.
Taste: Creamy vanilla with a spicy arrival. Some nutmeg and cumin. Definitely less fruity than the nose, and the fruit that is here, is of the greener variety. Oh, and there is plenty of wax here again.
Finish: Fruitier again with pineapple. Long and waxy.
Rating: 87
A very good, and very drinkable Imperial. Not the most complex of whiskies, but a satisfying dram indeed. I’m very curious to see how these 1995 Imperials develop once they approach 25 or even 30 years in the cask. But we’ll have to wait for that.
Let’s just hope there’s still some left in five or six years! With the speed they’re going through casks now it might never happen.