Tastes

NOSE: There’s a slightly pungent tone to the smoke, almost like a Fisherman’s Friend candy or beef jerky. It’s silky soft though. There’s also some sweet caramel, brine, and liquorice there. PALATE: Smoky salted toffee. Pepper and on the finish with a lingering slightly pungent liquorice again. OVERALL: Interesting take on smokey whisky, but perhaps not a flavor profile I’d like every day.

NOSE: Red apples, sultanas, melon, white wine, butter biscuits, cake batter - almost panettone in a glass! Bit of petrol and charred wood notes behind. TASTE: Sweet buttery lemon oil. Luxurious silky mouthfeel. Finish develops some gentle buttery spice after 10 seconds. Water reduces residual oak dryness to a pleasant roasted cacao that shows age. OVERALL: Sophisticated soiree of light fruits. Lovers of pastry and tarte tatin apply. Steal among 18 year olds under $100.

NOSE: Quite deep smoky with some vanilla behind it. TASTE: Sweet smoky toffee mostly. You can find banana and pears too. OVERALL: Definitely close to a single malt profile in content, so worth the money. Interested to try the regular Green Label, sans the smoke screen.

NOSE: Honey. Lemon. Vanilla. TASTE: Sweet toffee and malt. OVERALL: Nice starter whisky that offers some rich sweet flavors without any smoke to ruin the party for novices.

NOSE: Salty smokey lemons. Smoke is gentle heather. Brine. Some funkyness maybe rubber. More delicate sweet stewed pear. TASTE: Sweet toffee. Quite salty and dry in the end. OVERALL: Nice combination of smoke and fresh flavors, but not close to a Lagavulin 16 in terms of depth. More briney and heathery smoke.

NOSE: Meaty like a fine dried ham. Some vanilla and leather too. TASTE: Sweet salted smoked toffee, if such a thing were real. More of a gentle cigar smoke than medicine/campfire. OVERALL: Real deep but balanced smoky sweet goodness. Not a sharp note to be found anywhere.

NOSE: Medicinal smoke. Dry leaves. Moss. Sea salt. Toffee. Ripe juicy pear. Liquorice. Cinnamon. Bright and fresh. TASTE: Smoky salty toffee. Looong lingering liquorice. Dries a little with some wood flavor and white pepper. Deep flavors. OVERALL: Revisiting after trying some other peated whiskies, and this shines among them. The balance between aging and peat is just right to make this a fresh rather than dark Islay.

NOSE: Citrus. Gentle wafting smoke like a cigar, not a campfire. Sea salt. Leather. Toffee and vanilla. TASTE: Sweet caramel, cinnamon, candied lemon peel finish. OVERALL: Such a different take on how gently smoke can be integrated. Great experience.

NOSE: Burnt toast. Love it. TASTE: Starts with fresh peach, then suddenly and completely transforms into a wet campfire finish. OVERALL: Really interesting given the depth of the flavor journey, plus an interesting unique nose.

NOSE: Honey and vanilla. TASTE: Sweet toffee, ending with some alcohol burn. OVERALL: Innocent and sweet, but not interesting in any way.