IMPERIAL 1997 Octave Royal Mile Whiskies Exclusive

[JAB]

Just purchased this bottle.
IMPERIAL 1997 Octave Royal Mile Whiskies Exclusive
Limited to just 72 bottles (they bought the lot). This is a brill example of Imperial finished for just three months by Duncan Taylor in a tiny Octave-sized sherry cask (510663). Mark caused a sensation by sampling the before and after versions at Whisky Fringe.

Buy it now, but be quick only 72 in the world - http://www.royalmilewhiskies.com/product.asp?sessionID=LVC&pf_id=1000000000862

[Grant M]

Not sure why but Imperial bottlings have almost been exclusive to independent bottlers and the majority seem to have come from Duncan Taylor. I have had a few bottlings from DT in the past, all 1990 bottlings if i remember correctly and they have always been pretty good.

Have you tried it yet yourself JAB? Any good?

[JAB]

only ordered it tonite so afraid not! herd people went wild for it in london at the whisky show at DT stall!

[Big Mac]

I have to say imperial is one of the few i havent tried, i see what you mean Grant, just had a look in my whisky bible and it is mainly Duncan Taylor and a few of G & Ms bottlings.

[JAB]

So the independants are the way forward your saying?
or are they producing better casks for bottling?

[Innes]

Its not that they are turning out better casks, they are simply offering bottlings where there are no original distillery bottlings available. Looks like Duncan Taylor was wise enough to buy up a number of Imperial casks so we have seen a few releases from DT. I think DT have released at least 6 bottles of Imperial in the last few years, the ones i have tasted have all been good and the others i have read about have been reviewed as being good.

Not really sure what you mean by the independents are the way forward but i do think they are now a very important part the malt whisky industry offering different bottlings from the original distillery bottlings and often like in the case of Imperial offering bottling where there are no original bottlings available.

[Alastair]

Imperial has been mothballed since 1998 although it was acquired by Chivas Bros/Pernod Ricard in 2005. There does seem to be a trend in the last few years of reopening mothballed distilleries so still hope for it reopening yet given the boom in popularity in whisky since it closed. I think Chivas also has Caperdonich and Glen Keith mothballed. I would imagine we may see at least one of them back producing if the demand for whisky continues to rise.

[JAB]

Would be nice to see a few more distillerys reopening or new ones like roseisle by diageo!

[Mark]

I cant decide on roseisle, if they build more roseisle size distilleries in the future will it be the end of the line for smaller less cost efficient and less enviromentally friendly distilleries, meaning we may lose some single malts or will the small distilleries go on unaffected due the what seems the ever increasing demand for whisky worldwide. I suppose the future will tell.

[Samson]

Hopefully the old and the new can exist together Mark.

[JAB]

I think that there wont be many big distillerys built! more likely you will see distillerys like kilchman farm distillery setting up!

[Andy M]

Does anyone know if you can visit roseisle or if they are planning to open it up to visitors in the future.

[Creed]

Andy i believe at present it opens for visitors only during the Speyside festival but i may be wrong. It would be good to see the set up. With it not having any end product yet tourists/visitors would be very disappointed not to sample roseisle whisky during their visit, so maybe it will open its doors in a few years when it has some whisky to offer visitors.

[Kenny M]

From the pictures i have seen Roseisle does look a monster distillery


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[JAB]

The stills look nice and shiney for now lol