Appearance: Light white wine. A thick oily film forms on the glass and quickly morphs into a corrugated coating. PLenty of medium legs and well-defined swirl mark.
Nose: Bounty bar: chocolate and lots of coconuts, lemon sherbert sweets and a buttery/dairy element. This carries the ABV really ‘well’ (or is the nose a bit ‘weak’?).
Some sweeter more tropical notes appear as the glass matures. There are also some more malty biscuity aromas coming through. There’s also a funk to the nose which I really like.
Palate: Lovely oily mouthfeel. Spice-forward with that malty note balancing after the initial ‘hit’. You are reminded, in no uncertain terms, of the high ABV.
The coconut is still evident, as is the chocolate, which is now chilli infused.
Finish: Long and lingering. Chilli lime-infused dark milk chocolate, jaffa cake orange and white pepper.
Overall: I really like this but it’s not for the faint-hearted. If there was a dram that I’d describe as ‘challenging’, this would be it, not for someone new to whisky for sure.