Review // Infrequent Flyers Release No. 12 (20 y/o), Undisclosed Orkney Distillery, The Alistair Walker Whisky Company
Not often do you get a chance to taste a 20 year old whisky that is 'shrouded in mystery'. In this review, I'll be giving my thoughts and tasting notes about "Release No. 12" in the Infrequent Flyers range produced by The Alistair Walker Whisky Company. One cask, just over 300 bottles, cask strength. An undisclosed Orkney distillery. A mystery? Maybe. A delight? Certainly!
Before I delve deeper into the tasting notes of "Release 12", I would like to give some more information about the philosophy of Alistair Walker, merchant bottler and highly-experienced whisky connoisseur. After over 20 years in the industry, he decided to start his own company in 2018. The goal: to look for those exceptional casks that more often than not remain unnoticed to the wider whisky audience. With a focus on a variety of high-quality, but sometimes low-visibility distilleries, the "Infrequent Flyers" range of the AWWC offers a wide variety of whiskies, all at cask strength, straight from a single cask.
To give you an idea about the scale of operation: the AWWC bottled its first release in June 2019, and the final release (number 22) has just been announced on the Instagram channel. That's 22 releases in little more than a year. Now, you should not see this as 'flooding the market', simply because of the limited availability of these expressions. It might, however, be a bit more stress for whisky collectors.The portfolio contains a collection of whiskies from both well-known and lesser-known distilleries, with a couple of releases from 'undisclosed distilleries', and even a closed distillery (Port Dundas).
The "Release No. 12" is a whisky that was distilled in 1999, and bottled in 2019 after a 20 year maturation in a single hogshead. It was bottled at 52.1%ABV, the natural cask strength. As mentioned above, the distillery where this cask was sourced is 'undisclosed', though it is situated on Orkney. You've got 50% chance to pin-point it. There are only 2 distilleries on Orkney. One of them being rather Viking-lineage centered. The other one, not so much.
While nosing my dram, I noticed a nice blend of vanilla sugar and a certain 'fresh quality'. Some exotic fruit as well. Pretty straightforward, I'd say. I would have expected a stronger alcohol note, but this is, thankfully, completely absent. After having tasted the whisky, I also started to pick up a 'creamy note' as a scent. As if you're smelling full-fat cooking cream. And after the third sip. Yup. Full blown creamy vanilla ice cream.
The true power of this whisky lies in the flavours and textures that are being rolled out after a first, second, third,... sip. The texture starts off rather liquidy, but then moves towards a more solidified state, as if the whisky 'sticks to your tongue' the longer your swirl it around in your mouth, 'oiling it up' as you have more of it. I noticed nutty flavours, followed by nice malty notes. The 'whoosh' of the ABV is a slow one, and more noticeable right before the finish, though toned down in character, and very enjoyable. As a finish, vegetal notes, with a hint of dryness.
A mature whisky, rich in flavour. I wouldn't mind having a full bottle. Tasting this expression, I had an image of 'tall grass' in my head. Don't ask me why, I simply don't know. It has a certain 'central-Europe' Summer vibe to it: nothing too extreme temperature-wise, with plenty of sights to see and history to explore.
Is this my whisky equivalent of a city-trip to a sophisticated and historical city in Europe? Well it just might be. Or it can also be 'a couple of days in Bretagne'. If your dram makes you think about travelling and lets you relive past experiences, I think you've got a winner in your hands.
Photographs are © The Alistair Walker Whisky Company