IMPERIAL 21 ans 1998 Conquête Elixir Distillers

Nose : elegant, enchanting. On the first nose, notes of malted barley, William’s pear, vanilla and fresh walnut play hide and seek with heady florals (lily, lily of the valley, white lilac) and citrus fruit (lemon, grapefruit). Allowed to breathe, it becomes more exotic (pineapple, banana) and slightly medicinal (mustard poultice). Finally a pinch of pepper is thrown into the mix.

Appearance : pale gold.

Palate : delicate, fresh. On the attack, white mint, vanilla pod and candied lemon dance a breathless farandole. The mid-palate sees a change of scene as we suddenly find ourselves in a field of green barley. The delicately liquorice end of the palate is also floral (daffodil, buttercup), tenderly spicy (cinnamon, clove) and creamy (vanilla flan).

Overall : minimalist, sensitive. The rich start of the finish is refreshed with flavours of yoghurt ice cream and red fruits (strawberry, raspberry). As it lingers, sweet treats (calisson d’Aix, bêtise de Cambrai mint sweets) bring a syrupy dimension to the well-balanced and nuanced end of the finish. With its notes of blonde tobacco, the retro-nasal olfaction marches into a more vegetal and resinous universe (pine sap, eucalyptus). The empty glass maintains the malty, fruity and vanilla flavours of the first nose.