Tastes

Enjoyed this dram with a few drops of Uisge Source water. Started neat and got the typical white grapes. The mouthfeel is bold and oily, with distinct peat. Upon adding a few drops of water, this dram began doing its best impression of its lowland neighbors, but it doesn’t do accents very well. I could pick out a slightly grainy sweet corn, but the peat and oily brine still came through loud and clear. The water mellowed the finish just slightly but it was still long and warm.

A few drops of water unlock dates

Green apples on the nose and palate. I added just a little Highland well water and it unlocked an earthy woody note.

I understand it’s not fair to have a lowland malt follow a really bold peated Islay malt at the end of the night. But I figured this one could hold its own. First of all this a pretty color for a naturally colored dram. And the bottle is among my favorites. The nose is dominated by sherry, as is the palate, but the slight burn reminds me it is a proud single malt scotch. The burn soon subsides and I taste a delicious sweet corn as opposed to the grassy notes one might expect from the lowlands. The finish is like a rich cigar with hints of roasted corn that has me asking sincerely, “Is this corn hand shucked?” Update: I dropped and broke my favorite scotch Laphroaig 10. So I tasted a little before I threw the bottle away then I finished this dram. Now I get cotton candy and funnel cake. Delicious!

I’m well aware batting 3rd in the lineup can have unintended negative consequences. But I love peaty smoky Islay malts so much I was sure any dram that bills itself as “heavily peated” could handle my dulled taste buds and slight inebriation. Let’s pretend we’re a Basset hound. What is better than a damp old brown leather shoe? Nothing! The smell of it attracts us to our master’s closet. Since we’re a naughty boy, we pick it up by the laces and drag it into the master bedroom and begin chewing on it. Immediately we realize our master must’ve worn these shoes when he last mowed the lawn. There’s something sweet. The master’s damn kid must’ve dropped a roasted marshmallow on the lawn after their last shindig around the fire pit and Master stepped on it while mowing. But we’re not complaining. Our lazy master waited too long to mow the lawn and it’s gone to seed. We can taste a little of that grain. Now we realize he also spilled some lighter fluid on his shoes as he was trying to light the fire. And that’s the best part of all. What a great shoe. I can’t believe humans don’t understand why we love to chew on them. They get better and better with everything Master walked though over the course of 7 years.

Juicy orange fruits dominate the nose, mouthwatering. These convert to dried versions of themselves on the palate, while raisins and vanilla join the mix. Agave and dark chocolate are fashionably late. Oakey notes emerge on the finish with candied orange peel. The combination is luscious and fades slowly.

Super fruity almost sour palate. Lemongrass on the nose and oak on the finish. It was ok. Better on the second half dram after something floral from the highlands and something smoky from Islay. Maybe don’t start your night with this but put it in the middle of the lineup.

The nose is the best part. Black pepper and onion relish, orange and cranberry chutney. Smooth, sweet and rich mouthfeel, quite pleasant. The finish is weak due to the ABV, but doesn’t strike any negative notes. Kind of feels like the experience gets weaker with each stage, but very good whiskey. Looking forward to trying the 12 year Cask Strength to correct that little gripe.

The Glenmorangie Signet just blew my mind and I was worried it had reset the whole scale and I was going to have to rethink all my ratings. So I went to my shelf for something I had enjoyed recently to see if it was still good and naturally grabbed the Bowmore 18. Yep, still fantastic. Show’s over. Everything else I liked is still good.

If there is a God in Heaven, this is his only begotten son. For God so loved the world...