Tastes

Nose: Subtle smoked meats with treacle. Slight sweetness of vanilla. Palate: Sweet peat. Mineral, not dissimilar to Lagavulin 12 y.o Cask Strength (2018). Bold and earthy. Vintage leather towards the end. Finish: Heartwarming like sitting by a smokey campfire. Long drawn out finish with a harmony of molasses and peat where the latter does not overpower and burn the chest (although I usually would like this.)

Nose: Briney, Maritime Salt. Kelp. Like a burning logfire by the beach. Slight scent of lemon and a brief hint of Granny Smith. Palate: The apple flavouring intensifies - like a dry cider. The brine/saltiness rings through, bring with it a bold but not overpowering smoke. Mineral-dry feel on the palate. Finish: Lemon peel with a short jab of peat and ash. Comparable to Lagavulin's 8 year old in my opinion.

Intense Sweet Pink Lady Apples on the nose. Almost smells like a freshly baked apple pie straight from the oven. Very strong syrup texture with continuation of the apple flavour and a hint of spice. Towards the end a menthol-like refreshness. The strong spiced apple flavour draws out on a long finish. Deliciously sweet.

The backbone of a good Japanese dram: sweet. Spicy. Aromatic. Nose: Sweet creamy soda, vanilla bean and slight caramel. Palate: Stewed peaches and pear with a Butter Menthol oiliness. Milk chocolate undertones with shortbread. Finish: Like that last taste of a Creme Brulee. More peach sweetness and a slight hint of coconut.

One of the smoothest, well-balanced and controlled, sweet-peated drams I've had. Nose: Smells like I'm smoking meats over hot coals. Slight hint of lemon zest with a subtle nose of sweetness. Palate: Interestingly not overpowered by the peat here - sweet apple cider with the lemon zest shining more here. The meat we smoked earlier is more prominent. Finish: Long, smokey-peat finish - well drawn out, strong Lapsang Souchong tea. While not one to blow a Peathead out of the water, this dram is well-balanced and refined. So incredibly smooth and classy.

Hands down my favourite Irish Whiskey of all time. Loved the standard Redbreast 12 y.o when I tried it in Dublin about a year ago. Nose: Exceptionally sweet aroma of sultanas, dates, fig and pear. Slightly sherry-esque. Vanilla notes with slight spice appreciable. Palate: There it is: that trademark Redbreast oiliness I remember, except the richness and body intensified in a Cask Strength level. The fruitiness shines here - stewed pear, tinned peach and event hints of butterscotch cookie. Finish: the oaky malt of the barrell kicks in here... with the sweet prolongee caramel lingering with hints of sweet pear. A heartwarmingly long finish, a dram to truly savour.