The first in a new series of distillery editions, the single-malt is produced using unique Straight Neck Stills and chardonnay wine yeast.
Appearance: White wine/sun-bleached straw. An immediate corrugated film forms and clings to the glass relentlessly. A thin to medium beaded swirl mark slowly morphs into many tiny droplets.
Nose: A decent wave of ethanol swings through the sinuses, definitely a higher ABV. Butter and honey cereal, combined with stewed orchard fruits, hit the senses first. Dusty hay barn air, hot flint and a general mineral scent balance the sweetness nicely.
The malty sweetness intensifies as the glass ages, as does an aroma more tropical, watermelon and mango.
Palate: A nice oily mouthfeel. As with the nose, the palate is definitely that of a high ABV. The black pepper spice tingle is instant, but very quickly joined by those orchard fruit notes (more like bombs!), buttery malted cereal and frosting. Custard and a more vanilla-forward side to the sweetness emerge after some time too.
There’s a slight drying at the back of the tongue and a chest warming that’s very welcomed on a cold, dark and wet November evening.
It’s beautifully balanced, complex and, for a CS, very friendly. It’s one of those drams that you keep going back for another pour, which means it won’t last long.
Finish: The cereal, frosting and orchard fruits all linger well into the finish, which is medium in length.
Overall: Awesome dram. Well balanced, full of layers and enjoyable flavours and with that CS bite to spice things up nicely. Good work!
