Uitvlugt Silver Seal 26 Years Old Demerara Cask:27 51% 1990

Professional reviews

Serge Valentin (88)

We’ve known rather tense Uitvlugts, as well as easier, softer ones. Let’s see… Colour: gold. Nose: rather herbal, with notes of Camel cigarettes (as far as I can remember), then bonbons and jams. What’s particularly noticeable is that it fully goes towards classic British tea, earl grey and such. You made even add some scones. What’s sure is that it’s not a brutal Uitvlugt at all. With water: gets more brine-y. Seawater plus some ideas of Ardbeg. Mouth (neat): hold on, it’s not that soft. Burnt cake, olives, those scones again (I wasn’t joking), chocolate cake, pecan pie… We’re midway between the heavy Demeraras and the softer ones, and blind, you could have thought this was Enmore. With water: a pleasant tar comes out. Finish: rather long, and indeed half-petroly, half cake-y. Bananas in the aftertaste. Comments: a rather complex old Demerara. I feel that European aging lets them mature slower and remain distillate-driven throughout the years, even if that’s rather less romantic than full tropical aging.