Tastes

Sweet and fruity on the nose. It smells thick and sweet and the palate does not disagree. Caramel, honey, vanilla, berries make for an impossibly inoffensive profile. Viscous and velvety, basically no need for water. Finish is a mildly surprising semi-dry sherry. A clear petition for the sweeter preferences of the wider audience, but content in its affability.

Corn and butterscotch heavy on the nose. Palate is much the same with hints of vanilla and honey sweetness, and pulled in new directions with touches of dried fruit and subtle baking spice. Finish burns fast and a little hot. Overall punchy and sweet, but with a fun complexity lurking beneath the surface.

Heat noticeable on the nose even after it sits with a bit of ice, with hints of dried fruit and caramel/toffee. The richness of those sweeter elements becomes more pronounced on the palate alongside the velvety smoothness of the sherry to combat the rising heat. Interesting conflicting balance. Finish is fairly short and hot, with a nondescript spiciness. Flash fire; brûléed dessert.

Fairly sweet on the nose, toffee and cereals. Soft richness on the palate, with bare hints of dried fruit. Short and quick finish; best not to add too much water. Fantastic price though

Pronounced vanilla and toffee on the nose, with a tantalizingly fruity backdrop strongly reminiscent of a rich cognac. Softer on the palate, with honey and mild spice emerging alongside tropical notes of pineapple and coconut. Finish is short and sweet, and insistently pulls towards another sip. A sessionable scotch if there ever was one - bright and with a beautifully balanced rum influence

Very rich caramel/toffee nose with some heat to presage what's to come on the palate. The 50% is felt on the palate but immediately smothered by caramel/toffee tinted with vanilla and maple. Medium finish that gives way to a peppery rye spice. An evocative ride; great with or without ice

Standard peat and brine on the nose with a suggestion of something sweet. Said sweetness comes out of hiding on the palate: it's not aggressive, but wrapped up in rich woody features that only hint at the toffee, vanilla, and plum of sherry rich casks. Ultimately superbly balanced against the smoky forces of a true Islay scotch: the best of both worlds: silk on fire.

Orchard apples and pear on the nose; fairly soft and mellow palate, with a mild vanilla coming along to play. Slightly longer finish with baking spices. Strong, delicate character, as paradoxical as that may seem.

Funky and layered nose a bit all over the place: sweet cereals, mild orchard fruits, and light peat. This medley comes off as primarily spicy on the palate, but remains balanced and light throughout. Fairly long and dry, bittersweet finish. Certainly an affordable and unique blend, though not exactly up my alley.

Big, rich sweetness on the nose: caramel forward with vanilla, honey, and cinnamon. Palate adds a little dark fruit; velvet influence of the sherry quite pronounced. Adding water curiously thins it out - only a few drops needed if at all. Short and mild finish. Upfront: what you smell is what you get.