If being the oldest bottling ever by W&M was not enough to make it worthy of a Collector’s Edition, being a rare single hogshead grain whisky certainly would make it so. It’s so old that it becomes much more than whisky: it’s rather an essence, a concentrated balm full of rich aromas and intense emotions. Such a long maturation endowed the whisky with notes of liquorice, mint, wax, old books, leather and a pleasant and not cloying oakiness both at the nose and in the mouth. It’s warm, complex, thought-provoking… but still also incredibly sweet, with echoes of old Demerara rum, cola and a balsamic array of medicinal herbs. Its age, incredibly, has not overwhelmed its freshness, and the result is still vibrant and invigorating. A gem!