Appearance: Rusty orange/ale. Many quick-forming medium legs for a corrugated film around the glass. Some teardrops too.
Nose: Dark fruits and berries drizzled with salted caramel. Leather shoes, like walking into Clarks! Also subtle cigarette butts.
That lovely Campbeltown fruity funk and sweet Double Dip sherbert.
Palate: Not a hugely oily delivery, I was expecting more luxury if I’m honest.
Quite citrus-forward for me, orange in particular. Honey, confectionary sugar and orchard fruits accompanied by a cooling eucalyptus note and sweet spices.
As the glass matures and the palate acclimatises the balance swings even more in the favour of the sweeter elements.
Some tropical fruits and grapefruit bitterness.
Finish: The grapefruit and eucalyptus linger longest. Spices hum in the background, as does the confectionary sugar.
Overall: I loved the 18yo and it would appear that those last 3 years worked wonders in terms of flavour harmony and mouthfeel.
The 15 is fine and has its charm, but it’s missing that ‘wow factor’ for me and left me wanting something more, 3 years more to be precise.
