Appearance: Ale amber. A thick viscous film instantly forms when swirled. The film is interspersed with medium to thick trails. A beaded swirl line starts to morph into a series of reports and teardrops after a short while.
Nose: A big hit of ethanol from that higher ABV. The peat is immediately evident, quite thick and ashy. A citrus sharp edge accompanies the peat, along with honey, faint oak and a little red berry sweetness. As the dram matures, the ash note evolves into a more meaty BBQ smoke. Towards the end of the dram the nose releases more digestive biscuits aromas, mellow and sugary.
Palate: A nice oily mouthfeel with a little spice from the ABV, toffee, BBQ smoke and burnt bacon. A little mouth numbing, some white pepper and chilli tingle on the tongue, possibly even some lime pickle. Some blood orange bitterness, freshly drilled ply wood and a background later if Christmas spices. The high ABV is evident, after a few sips, on the chest and in the throat.
Finish: Medium to long. The chili tingle, berry sharp sweetness, black pepper and honey linger for a decent length of time. Some tropical fruit notes emerge for a short time right at the end, just before so flavours evaporate.
Overall: It’s a big dram, complex and unapologetically bold. I really loved the balance of the peat, tingling spices and sweeter notes, the tropical notes especially add an unexpected zing. There seems to be something new upon every sniff and sip. Great whisky.
