Imperial 10 Years Old 1991 Cask #99/48 1,2 (Private Collection)

Imperial was a Speyside distillery at Carron that fell silent for the last time in 1998 and was demolished in 2013, which caps its single malt at whatever was already in cask. This single cask was filled in 1991 and bottled by Gordon & MacPhail at 10 years old, for its Private Collection range. Single cask number 99/48 1,2 yielded 2600 bottles, released for Germany.

Imperial worked to a fruity, lightly floral house character, the product of tall stills and a comparatively light spirit cut. This bottling matured in an ex-Port cask. Across 10 years, an ex-Port cask brings the residual sugars and pigments of fortified red wine into the spirit.

Bottled at 40%, the Port influence shows as plum and cherry, with a faint tannic grip and a sweet, slightly jammy edge. The finish carries the wine's sweetness against a drying oak grip.