Appearance – This whisky is non chill filtered and a natural light gold in colour, it’s very viscous, and beads up on the glass, and very reluctantly drops one or two very slow running thin legs.
Nose – A large whack of ABV and peat/ash hit the nose first (as expected), followed by lemon slices, it’s also very medicinal with TCP and Germoline, then red berries, cranberries, raspberries, foam banana sweets, and icing sugar.
Palate – The ABV is more subdued on the palate, and it has a nice mouthfeel. There’s candied lemon rind, bbq sauce, white pepper spice, a little cranberry bitterness, star anise, high cocoa content dark chocolate, and oak is creeping in slowly, it mixes nicely with the lemon, it’s quite a sweet and sour experience, and very nicely balanced. A drop of water brings out more fruits, at the expense of loosing some of its spicyness. A very nice palate tbh.
Finish – It’s quite long and warming, it spreads out and leaves a warm glow, with notes of bonfire embers, white pepper, white grapes, all mixed with dark chocolate orange and apricots. There’s also a wine flavour in there, right at the back of the throat, very nice.
My thoughts – I have to say that I’ve thoroughly enjoyed tasting this dram, it’s a big hitter, but definitely isn’t a one trick pony, there’s plenty to enjoy.
Would I buy a bottle? – It’s only 5 years old, but a cracking 5 years it’s been, I’d definitely buy a bottle, I love it.
Picture credit – The Whisky Exchange.
