Aged for 18 years in a Refill ex-bourbon hogshead. This Campbeltown was limited to 202 bottles.
Appearance: Golden syrup. A thinly beaded tide mark quickly forms with many thin to medium trails and sticky droplets. A pleasing viscous film forms.
Nose: A lovely balance between forest notes of damp leaves and bark, asking with berry freshness and overripe orchard fruits.
The ABV is reassuringly obvious on the nose.
Mint-infused sugar, sweet pastries and a subtle mixed confectionary note (fish sweets and fruit salads) emerge next.
As the dram makes the sweet fruits and sugars increase in intensity.
Faint black pepper too.
Palate: A pleasant semi-viscous mouthfeel and a good helping of chest warming from the ABV.
Plenty of red apples, black pepper and toffee greet the palate first, a lovely arrival.
A salinity and a whisper of the funky harbour notes synonymous with this Campbeltown whisky.
I also get traces of sweet distance BBQ smoke and the buttered steak cooking on it, which is quite meaty. Towards the finish, this morphs into a more sulphur-like note.
Some dusty and damp notes reinforced that ‘funk’ element.
Finish: The salt and toffee linger for a decent length of time, that funk is present at the beginning but fades quickly. Not too much spice makes it to the finish.
Overall: Loads going on and a little funk to make it really interesting. I really like the growing sweetness and the salinity running through it. Very nice.
