Tastes

Nose is of rich, deeply honeyed dates with a somewhat refreshing overtone of strawberry lemonade. Palate is a bit less exciting. Just the honeyed red fruits with a good round body that you come to expect from a decent Highland or above-average Speyside. Pretty good but you can get a better Scotch for the same cost, tbqh.

Smells smoky, briny, and suspiciously of antiseptic. Had a lot of flashbacks to Laphroaig 10. But on the palate, it's much less "hospital" and much more "eating peppered jerky around a smoldering (not rip-roaring) campfire". Incredible body, incredible fullness of flavor. Initial sip had antiseptic sneak in at the very end but subsequent sips smoothed it out. Overall, an excellent example of an Islay.

Nose is of agave, butterscotch, and corn-heavy white dog. Musty! A honeyed light smokiness comes through later. Initial taste is a bit flat, sweet, surprisingly no burn. Crescendoes to what I can only describe as a rich, spiced pork braise with heavy cocoa powder flavors. Surprisingly long finish. A touch of apple on the end. Not for everyone but I like it!

Nose of unfinished pine and bright hard candy. Tastes of a Speyside-like wildflower honey imbued heavily with sawdust. Basically just tastes like drinking a young Speyside scotch in a lumber yard.

Smells like raisin scones. Tastes less sweet than would be expected but also has a distinctive banana, Jamaican rum-like "funk". Somewhat rough around the edges but tasty enough?

Nose is pretty tropical. I get banana, papaya, and tropical flowers. Reminds me a lot of Kavalan, actually. I guess I had a pretty different experience from other people. Initial mouthfeel is heavy and thick with classic sherry cask overtones. Quickly moves to a smoky meaty brine slightly reminiscent of an Ardbeg. Finishes with cooked fruits and what I taste as Luxardo cherries. I'm really quite impressed by this NAS offering from Nikka.

Green apples with caramel sauce up front on the nose. Surprisingly peaty when tasted. A bit of a burn with a lot of vanilla and caramel flavors. Tastes like a robust, almoust bourbon-y speyside.