An award-winning Campbeltown single malt, matured in a combination of 50% sherry and 50% bourbon casks.
Appearance: Autumnal orange, Bulmer’s cider. A pleasingly thick and luxurious coating clings to the glass. Plenty of thick legs and substantial swirl tide mark.
Nose: Distant BBQ smoke, slow-cooked meats, a background sweetness in the form of iced fruit cake and sharper stewed fruit notes.
Some pine freshness and a slight funk also appear after some time and a number of sniffs. Lots of great aromas, tree bark, damp forest floor and post-rain undergrowth.
It’s a lovely nose that is immediately inviting and begging to be explored for some time before even daring to taste.
Palate: Smooth and buttery mouthfeel, there are more syrupy drams out there but this has a definite substance and presence.
Smoke and cinnamon at first, the meaty notes from the nose translate beautifully into the palate too, lovely consistency.
There’s some spiciness on the palate in the form of cracked black pepper, clove and nutmeg. Very nice indeed.
A mellow custard flavour balances the spiciness with some sweetness.
Finish: Smoked meats in sweet BBQ sauce, custard and black pepper.
Overall: A banger of a dram. Plenty going in and all in a way that oozes quality. Getting hold of a bottle now is problematic, to put it mildly, but it would definitely be worth a browse around some auctions.
