The final release of the Whiskymaker’s Reserve Series. Matured in the finest Oloroso, PX and red wine casks comprising Spanish and American oak. Non-chill filtered and natural colour.
Appearance: Cola brown, really dark amber. A beaded ride mark forms immediately with plenty of droplets and teardrops, quite chaotic in appearance at first. A few more swirls and a thick film form with many thick trails seeping down the glass. Quite sticky and luxurious looking.
Nose: A nice amount of ethanol, filled with muscovado sugar and dark fruits. It’s a rich and dark nose. Some chocolate, custard tart, subtle orange peel and Christmas spices appear after a little more nosing too.
A whisp of dying embers, a little oak and some faint red berries linger as a background later, adding a sweet and ash-like smoke balance to those richer notes.
The nose becomes sweeter as the dram matures.
Palate: A lovely oily mouthfeel. Big spices initially: black pepper, cinnamon, nutmeg, a little ginger and a touch of aniseed heat. Some cherry sweetness outlasts the spice and lingers on the tongue.
A chilli butter element forms a flavour layer that is a constant in the background.
After a few sips, the spice starts to subside a little and regressions more of the sweet spice and red berry notes.
Finish: Medium in length. The chilli tingle, cinnamon and black pepper lover for a while, together with some red berry sweetness and a touch of chocolate.
Overall: A very pleasant dram that develops well over time and has many nicely married flavours. There’s lots going on here and a bottle would be a proper exploration over time. A wonderful winter and Christmas whisky.
