Imperial 10 Years Old 1990 Cask #97/403 1,2 (Private Collection)

With Imperial demolished in 2013 and silent since 1998, bottlings like this are among the last records of a lost Speyside distillery. This single cask was filled in 1990 and bottled by Gordon & MacPhail at 10 years old, for its Private Collection range. Single cask number 97/403 1,2 yielded 3500 bottles, released for Europe.

Imperial's spirit was light and fruity, the Speyside character built for blending, which is part of why single malt releases stayed uncommon. This bottling matured in ex-Bourbon American oak. Across 10 years, the toasted staves released vanillin, which reads as vanilla, and oak lactones, which carry coconut, while the cask char filtered heavier sulphur notes from the spirit.

Bottled at 40%, the ex-Bourbon wood supplies furfural for toasted almond, eugenol for clove and warm spice, and maltol for a soft toffee sweetness. The long maturation draws tannins from the oak, drying the finish into clean wood.