This year on Halloween, I am thrilled to take you on a field trip to the weather-beaten cliffs of Clanyard Bay, fifty-or-so miles north of the fabled Isle of Man. There, one of my favorite whisky tales takes place: “The Ghost Piper of Clanyard Bay”, which forms the frame narrative for FABLE Whisky’s first outturn. From the eleven bottles released within this series, I have picked the fifth for this review. It is called “Hound”, comes from Diageo-owned Mannochmore Distillery in Speyside, and spent its 13-year maturation time in a hogshead. Clocking in at just under 60 per cent ABV, this masterfully selected single cask release offers a wealth of colorful aromas and flavors, all of which harmonize beautifully with each other. In the story, the hound is the trusty companion of the ill-fated protagonist, who vanishes from the face of the Earth after involuntarily messing with unearthly forces. And in the shelf, the “Hound” is one helluva go-to dram to choose whenever I crave for a top-notch single malt Scotch whisky superbly shaped by a traditional ex-Bourbon cask … and coming with a supernatural twist.

by Tobi

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Eye: Sand-colored.
Nose: A bit waxy with lots of soft fruits and sweet pastry: Mango chunks, peach rings, and pineapple bites – all dried and chewy – fall into the first category. Sponge fingers, mandarine tart, and citrus cake fall into the latter. Furthermore, the bouquet also has something dry and dusty to it, like dried-out fragrance oil. This quality interplays especially well with the fruit and pastry notes mentioned before, instilling yet another awesome layer of smell in this mighty fine Speyside malt.
Palate: As in the nose, the whisky shows a good amount of solidity in the mouth, too. Vanilla milk and pineapple sorbet set the course – and lemon creme, apple peel, pomelo spritz, and icing sugar follow straight away. The baked goods, again taking the form of sponge fingers and lemon cake, are happy to join the mix as well. They’re accompanied by gobstoppers, grapes, and a wee drop of tonic water.
Finish: The finish is sweet, soft, warm, satisfying – and staying on for long! It provides green and yellow fruits alongside different kinds of zests and allsorts of sweet treats. A tad of bitterness is thrown into the mix together with a bit of grass and wood. And I might be mistaken, but I even get some soft, sweet licorice, too.

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Type: Single Malt Whisky
Region: Speyside
Age: 13 years old
Alc. volume: 59.3 per cent
Cask: Hogshead
Bottle size: 0.7 litres
# of bottles: 218
Price: 85.00 Euro
More info: https://fablewhisky.com/ (Bottler) ; https://www.prineus.com/ (German Importer)

*** I bought the bottle myself as a regular customer. ***