Tastes

An interesting and complex dram. The nose is deceptively sweet, white grapes and peaches. I get that in the tip of the tongue too, but wonder if it was more my expectation than the actual taste. Oil and sea brine take over immediately and cinnamon sets in toward the end. The finish is rich and warm as the latter 3 notes linger and mellow and learn to play nice

Surprising bananas foster on the nose with mild floral notes. The palate has ripe green apples and an earthy richness. Light for an Islay malt, the whole experience is nevertheless overlaid with enough peaty smoke that there’s no mistaking where it calls home.

Deep and dark, smooth and bold. It embodies everything about Islay, only it’s MORE. Heavy smoke obviously. Sophisticated like an old money aristocrat who knows his public gaffes are endearing.

Penance for my last taste. I’d basically numbed by taste buds by the time I broke this bottle out and a complex dram like this needs the privilege of expressing itself first in the evening’s lineup. And its little speech might just turn into a 4 hour filabuster. Nose: creamy vanilla custard, just dusted with a blow torch to crystallize the top The palate is warm and sweet, still a little woody. The finish lingers and keeps reminding you, gently, that it’s not time to pour your next dram yet.

Look, it’s my 5th dram of the night, so maybe my senses aren’t as sharp as they were a couple hours ago. I nosed this thing and almost couldn’t smell a goddamn thing. Certainly not all the aromatic malt and vanilla the professional reviewer went on and on about. So I ate like 60 peanut m&m’s and drank a liter of water so I could give this dram a fair shake. Same. All I got was a grassy meadow on the nose. Kind of like a mild lowland malt. The palate was smooth and pleasant but didn’t stand out in anyway. The finish was the same. I didn’t get any of that stuff the pro reviewer was talking about. That guy’s full of shit. It wasn’t bad, but I was expecting a lot more. Felt like I was drinking a middle of the road Auchentoshan. Will try again on the first dram, but a good whisky should impress wherever it’s batting in the order.

Are you kidding me with these reviews? For the great reviews at a budget price, I thought I couldn’t go wrong. Could barely get through a single pour neat. Nose: sweet singed flesh. Palate: melted plastic. Finish: testicle cancer

Nose: a 2 week old baby’s diaper. But you know, I miss having babies around. Then the palate is so smooth I can’t believe it’s only 10 years old. I mean, it barely stopped shitting its pants. Now this? The finish bites a little more. Like a grumpy old man that you really love to hear rip on his neighbors. As long as he doesn’t turn that sharp tongue on you. I lived an entire beautiful life while sipping this incredible island single malt.

And yet I return to you, old friend. Like that Drifters song Save the Last Dance for Me. I may flirt with others. I may even enjoy the exciting novelty of their company. But at the end of the night, I go home with you.

The cinnamon and sweet spice are immediate, followed by deep caramel and red fruits. The finish is smooth and luxurious. An excellent experience