One of the three core blended malts from Wemyss Malts together with Spice King and The Hive. Containing malts from over ten distilleries (not only from Islay).
Appearance: Golden/summer honey. Viscous, nice thick oily legs.
Nose: A lovely sweet wispy smoke, honey BBQ pork ribs cooking on a distant BBQ. White wine and honey. There’s a coastal salinity too, seaside air and seaweed.
A good amount of ethanol on the nose, but instead of obstructing the nose in any way, it compliments.
Palate: Not as oily as it appears in the glass, not thin, but not much viscosity going on.
Quite acrid at first, with a menthol burn at the back of the throat and on the chest. The second sip onward reveals more of the sweetness on offer, along with some more BBQ meats and smoke.
Honey, vanilla and some buttery baking spices make an appearance as the palate becomes acclimatised to the initial ethanol.
There’s citrus too, but instead of the more usual rind flavours, this is more lime pickle, pretty concentrated and potent.
Finish: The finish is medium and a mixture of lots of chilli, black pepper and that lime pickle. There is still some smokiness, but it’s less sweet now and more bitter.
Overall: Not for me, but I can see why others would like this, especially for the price point. I’d say it’s about right for the price. I’d not buy a bottle, but I’m quite happy to sit here and finish the dram.
