Imperial 27 Years Old LiSo (Living Souls)

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. Living Souls drew this 27 years old release from 1998 spirit. It was 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 27 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 42.2%, the ex-Bourbon wood supplies furfural for toasted almond, eugenol for clove and warm spice, and maltol for a soft toffee sweetness. Recorded bottle notes run to citrus, fresh orchard fruit, honey, fresh oak and vanilla. The long maturation draws tannins from the oak, drying the finish into clean wood.