Tastes

Nose (neat): Initially there is almost nothing other than distant notes of oatmeal but after a time there are discernable wisps of peat smoke and a faint buttery, citric and woody aroma reminiscent of an oaky chardonnay. After 5 minutes the nose begins to open and it continues to do so for a long time, displaying maritime minerals and subtle fruit notes, particularly a hint of sweet apple. Don’t even think of hurrying your tasting of this. Nose (watered): Softer and considerably more revealing. The whisky seems to relax almost immediately when water is added and over time it evolves into a richer, denser form with gentle smoke and baked apples on display. A little caramel and vanilla are apparent after a good time to rest in the glass. Palate (neat): The arrival has grippy tannins (but it is not astringent) and focuses on dry maritime peat smoke with background orchard fruits and lemon zest. Mild pepper and paprika spices emerge in the later development and the texture is drying but with a neutral density – it’s certainly not thin. Palate (watered): Considerably sweeter and with greater weight. The peat smoke and tannins meld into a satisfying leathery tobacco note with spicy overtones and the texture becomes silky and creamy. Given time the watered form sees the smoke component of the profile increase. Finish: Medium/long. The peppery qualities of the late palate continue into the aftertaste and the ashy smoke seems to build slightly until it and a crisp briny taste are the last presence. Water sweetens the finish a good deal but allows the final briny presence to survive. This is a subtle and understated whisky that is reminiscent of the annual cask strength Talisker Special Releases. It has a singularly elegant presentation with a purity that borders on austerity when neat, but which changes to a more sweetly enticing form with dilution. It is not complex but very revealing of the raw ingredients and you must give it time to evolve in the glass - otherwise you are just wasting the whisky and your own time. Most critically, it is only when watered that this whisky shows its true form and I cannot recommend adding water strongly enough. To a 1oz/30ml dram add half a teaspoon and wait 5-10 minutes. If there is no haze showing by then add another half teaspoon and wait again, and so on until the mist rises. That’s when it is perfect. Without water this is a cerebrally interesting whisky for sure, but it is only with dilution that it becomes delicious and really compelling. Although this is a young spirit it is a very good one, and I imagine a few more years in the cask will evolve it into something really excellent. This is a whisky enthusiasts’ whisky where the malty heart is the star of the show, as it should be. It’s not blanketed by a wine finish and the smoke presence is subtle and provides foundation while not shouting its presence. Bravo. "Very Good" : 86/100 (4 stars) -------------------------------------------------------- Update 13 May 2023 - Bottle half consumed. I'm very impressed with how this has opened, given a little time and oxygen. Everything is more intense and "full" than initially experienced, and the neat pour has lost a lot of its former tension. It has become buttery, way more smoky and full-flavoured. I'm increasing my rating by a full half point here. This is an excellent single malt whisky, particularly given its comparative youth. Marvellous. Ardnamurchan is doing wonderful things. “Very Good” : 88/100 (4.5 stars)

Nose: Sweet malt, caramel, butterscotch. Palate: Sweet arrival on red apples, barley sugar, malt and cereal. It’s a straightforward palate but very pleasant and extremely easy to drink. The texture is good and has a pleasant creaminess. Finish: Medium/short. Floral/fruity and sweet trailing into a micro-dash of ginger syrup and a faint sheen of ash. Bonailie is a blended malt created by Bladnoch distillery. The component malts are not identified but I’d hazard a guess that there is some Bladnoch in here and maybe also something from the recently opened Glasgow Distillery. There’s also something about the profile that reminds me of Johnnie Walker so it would not surprise me if there is some foundation malt in here sourced from a Diageo workhorse distillery like Blair Athol, Benrinnes or Dailuaine. Hmm, maybe it's Cardhu - that would certainly mesh with other sweet malts. This is obviously being positioned against Naked Grouse and Monkey Shoulder, and to be honest I think it is the best of the three. However, some may find it too sweet and prefer the more neutral maltiness of Monkey Shoulder – fair enough. Perfectly acceptable as a daily sipper or in mixed drinks. It can take to ice without losing too much presence and it’s benign enough to take as a breakfast dram (although I prefer a smoky scotch in my morning black coffee). At the price it is good value, and a recommended buy in its niche. I'm surprised that this is the first review for it here as it has been out for a few months - maybe it is not distributed in North America? “Above Average” : 80/100 (3 stars)

Nose: Pear, green apple, coconut flakes, barley wort, a green herbal note and a trace of mango. Palate: The arrival is semi-sweet malt with a pleasantly dry spice quality and then the mid-palate turns curiously spritzy, almost effervescent, which is very unusual. As this tingling sensation fades some fruit notes, treacle and cereal mash emerge and the late development is like a fruit beer. The texture is agreeable with a very light creamy/oily mouth-feel. Finish: Medium/short. All on cereal and mild fruit notes, fading to a bitter ale-like taste. The curious tingling sensation on the palate persists into the aftertaste. Pokeno Origin is one of the inaugural releases from Pokeno Distillery, and is a core-range expression normally bottled at 43%. This bottling was a limited release for The Whisky Club at 46%, however based on Stephanie Moreno’s official notes for the standard version this juice sounds practically identical. The nose is very pleasant and much more typical of a Scottish malt than anything I’ve previously tried from New Zealand. It promises fruit, cereal and a little honey and is not unlike entry level Glen Grant whisky. The aromatic profile is solidly all about malt without any wine or smoke overtones. In contrast the palate is more, umm, “individual” and I can’t say I’m enormously impressed. It is exceedingly spritzy, to a point I’ve never tasted previously in a malted barley whisky. It’s not just the taste of young whisky, nor of a cut that was too wide, but likewise it is not just the presence of barrel spice. It's almost like it contains a pinch of sodium bicarbonate (yes, seriously!). Dilution broadens the nose and relaxes the palate a little, but the profile remains very much the same. I think Stephanie’s notes are right on target that this is one to try out of curiosity, but I would not spend either time or money in tracking it down. I'll be taking this with Coke or dry ginger ale, thanks very much. “Average” : 78/100 (2.75 stars) ---------------------------------- Update - 27 April 2023 The bottle has been open for a couple of weeks now and it has improved over that time. The contents (which I ceased to cover with argon gas a week ago) and the sample I initially separated are now close in profile. I've been using both of them neat, over ice, with soda, and with Coke. Whether it is the whisky opening up and oxidising or just my palate becoming used to it I don't know - probably a bit of both. Based on the whisky as it is now I'm raising the original rating a quarter point but I won't be buying a replacement bottle. "Above Average" : 80/100 (3 stars)

Nose (neat): Warm, soft, pillowy peat smoke supported by sweet fruity aromas of berry compote, rhubarb jam and stewed peaches. There is not the slightest hint of alcohol prickle on the nose. Fresh, maritime gusts from Loch Indall at low tide, carried over freshly-turned soil with a hint of a diesel tractor engine idling in the fields. A pinch of sweet citrus (orange? mandarin? tangello?) some lemongrass tea and a little coconut. Over time the nose becomes thicker, richer and more enticing. It’s damn near perfect for a peater with the sharp, forceful elements perfectly balanced by sweetness. Nose (watered): As above, but water initially unleashes the ethanol presence and sends the dram a bit berserk so if diluting give this a good swirl and 10 minutes to regain its composure, which it most certainly will, and it will come back even better than ever. Palate (neat): Sweet elegant and powerful, it’s a bewitchingly plush arrival. The peat smoke billows into sweet fruits, vanilla and gentle cooking spices (cinnamon, vanilla, clove, preserved stem ginger). There is an unctious brininess that reminds me of matjes herrings in oil (drool!) sprinkled with iodine and orange liqueur. The texture is creamy, mouthcoating and velvety like baked egg custard with stewed peaches and apricots. Cask notes are present, but very contained, and they form the foundation character of robust mature fruit that is the heart of this dram and the ideal vehicle for moderately high peating. Palate (watered): As above, and like the situation with the nose, dilution initially sets loose the sharper spicy notes in this whisky, but that is really nice as they balance the softness of the plump neat palate and then over time combine to create one of the best peated whiskies I have tasted. Finish: Long. Sweet lemon, ashy peat smoke and a hint of Laphroaig-esque iodine all lazing on a divan of stewed fruit. The aftertaste is soft, earthy, leathery and demi-sec. With dilution the sweet fruity notes become more prominent. Marvellous. An exquisitely deep, soft peated whisky. I understand this was aged in ex-cognac casks which is a treatment that can be amazing or just as easily go badly awry, but in this case the maturation was textbook. If this was the only whisky I was able to drink for the rest of my life I would not be sad. It is absolutely the sort of peated whisky profile I most enjoy and there is little more I can say other than to thank @DrRHCMadden for generously sharing this sample. It is unobtainium now but when it was first released in Australia you could buy this for AUD$170 a bottle. How I wish I had bought several cases at the time. I have no hesitation in giving this whisky a rating of … “Outstanding” : 91/100 (5 stars)