Appearance: Very light indeed, heavily diluted apple juice, almost water-like. A beaded swirl mark quickly forms and morphs into many short medium legs, that ‘upside down crown’ effect I mentioned during the last tasting. Not a particularly oily film around the glass, relatively thin in fact.
Nose: Quite ‘newmakey’, cereals, berries, green grapes and subtle menthol, it noses like a very young whisky indeed. The ABV is also carried well, I’d never guess it was in the 50’s.
There are some honey, sweet spices and dried fruit notes after a while, faint but emerging. The berry element, with its freshness and slightly sharp aroma, grows as time passes, which is nice. A light wisp of well-done steak emerges too.
It’s actually a charming nose, it just doesn’t smell like a 10-year-old.
Palate: Not hugely viscous but there is an oiliness. More mellow and chocolaty than I would have expected, quite creamy in flavour and with a nice balance of spice too. The berry element from the nose just vanishes and leaves custard, cinnamon, nutmeg and orange chocolate. It’s quite ‘arable’ in terms of an earthy feel and mixed natural crops.
Finish: Subtle sweet spice and the chocolate orange last for a medium amount of time. A little acidity in the background, but nothing off-putting at all.
Overall: It’s an odd one, but I like it! The dram completely transforms from the nose to the palate. I like both elements: the nose for its berries and cereals (I’ll forgive it for its young nose) and the nose for the mellowness and spice balance.
