The Alistair Walker Whisky Company, based in Scotland, was established in 2018. With almost 20 years in the scotch whisky industry. This is release is from Caol Ila Distillery, aged 16 Years. Distilled 2006. Bottled 2022. Cask #6441, Moscatel Hogshead. One of 317 Bottles.
Appearance: Almost cola-like in colour. Not super viscous in appearance, with a thinly beaded tide mark and a spattering of thin to medium legs.
Nose: Rich woody, smokey and natural elements of the forest. Then there a sweeter caramel, toffee and brown sugar aromas. Plenty going on! The ABV balance is really nice, just the right level to make an impact but not interfere.
Sticky toffee pudding and custard now, it’s like Willy Wonka’s ever-lasting gobstopper!
A more confectionary sweetness develops as the dram matures. Icing sugar mostly, but also subtle sherbert and fruit salad sweets (maybe?!).
Palate: A viscous smooth mouthfeel. The rich and buttery caramel note persists and is joined by a super fruity red berry flavour. There’s also spice adding heat, in the form of black pepper and mild chilli. Towards the finish, a lovely velvety chocolate note emerges, really nice.
Properly chest-warming this one, that ABV is hard at work!
Finish: The chilli-coated fruits linger for a decently long time. The butter and caramel fade pretty quickly.
Overall: Hard-hitting banger of a dram. Plenty going on and all of it is good.
