Tastes

Oily, marine scent with an unassuming floral character on the palate. The finish is also maritime, and the smoke wisps into salty air. Sweet aftertaste. Light, youthful, easy, pleasant.

Sweet smelling, with cereal, light honey, and an even lighter smokiness. The taste is straightforwardly malty but is helped by the sticky sherry influence. Actually, no, the sherry turns quickly into a less pleasant medicinal wave, which unfortunately seems to dominate the finish too. There might be some cinnamon and slight smoke hiding beneath it all, but it seems rushed, thrown together, unsure of itself.

I love how light in color this gem is. Rubber freaking band. A green leather armchair (and the sound you hear when you sit in it). Seaweed, smoke, and the char of a smoked beef brisket. Finishes to infinity and beyond with peat and slight hints of wintergreen. Update: My incredible wife surprised me with a bottle of this. Further nosing reveals a sweeter, more buttery whisky than I remember—smoked Gouda and Macintosh apples in addition to all that phenolic goodness. The palate's more nuanced notes beneath the peat and oil include bergamot and caramel cream.

Peaches and cream on the nose immediately, with an alcohol burn carrying rich cocoa powder; the aroma doesn't leave anything wanting. On the palate I find honey nut breakfast cereal, banana walnut bread; there's a strong minerality at the base and mid-palate offerings include astringency and an array of spices like pepper, mustard seed, and allspice. Crisp, mineral mouthfeel and a sweet, abiding finish of stewed fruit. A malt with superb Highland character that comes full circle.

Nose of white pepper, pear, and lilacs. Impressions of hayfields, cobblestone after the rain. The body is tealike, astringent, and emphasizes vanilla. The finish is pleasant but diminishes without much ado, carrying the consistent simplicity to the end. One to share.

The aroma reminds me initially of the Classic Laddie 10; it's light, forwardly salty (think seagulls calling), and floral, later bringing baked apples to mind. The palate doesn't offer surprises but well reinforces the aroma with the cursory first sip — it's delicate, salty, spiceful in its maltiness, and burns early. Throughout, there are hints of sour apple, toasted oats, and an impression of an evening walk through a citrus grove in full bloom. This dram leaves with a cereal-heavy finish of medium length. Simple, light, and floral; an intriguing introduction to the Arran Malt.

Uigeadail is antique gold in color. In one of the most enigmatic noses I've experienced, I find drying seaweed, peat, gentle wisps of incense smoke, hints of tar, and the rich scent I would imagine if one poured hot molasses over cool, damp earth. Earthy and primeval. The palate is also complex, with the first taste being a flash of seawater followed by a woody depth; when the sherry tartness kicks in you have to swallow. Further in I taste salted pecan, hints of a Yirgacheffe espresso, a creamy note of smoked cheddar, cacao nib, and caramel. (My wife nails it by noting that it tastes like the sweet, smoky char of a campfire marshmallow.) The finish is briny, pervasive, smoky, and of a most gradual fade; when the burn has finally run its course, an herbaceous, grilled peach aftertaste remains. With a few drops of water, the tar scent is more forward and stewed fruit is added to the bouquet; the palate becomes nuttier and more peat driven, with raisin-like undertones; the aftertaste evolves to sweetly pleasant tobacco ash. This exquisite malt is restorative, clearing the senses at day's end.

Pale golden color; on the nose, intense peat smoke, carrying with it a lovely flowers-by-the-sea sensation (citrus floral?) and polished leather; explosively flavorful — sea salt, pickled herring, seaweed, char, toasted coconut, citrons, caramel cream maybe — and it coats the mouth with a smooth oiliness. The finish is bright, smoky, and quite dry. The aftertaste brings around the malt. Complexity beyond comprehension, but all the more enjoyable. This one is like the patch of clear, soaring sky that interrupts the rain clouds. An outstanding bottle of Scotch.