Tastes

A stunning color – much darker than the 10, with a burgundy hue. The nose is reminiscent of the Bunnahabhain 12, but it’s been over five years since I’ve had that, so I can’t explain how exactly. I smell cocoa, beeswax, gardenia, and a hint of seaweed. The palate is complicated – definitely the most delicate Ardbeg I’ve had. I taste raspberry jam, rooibos tea, chocolate, bright malt, and cigarette smoke. I say the palate is complicated because none of these notes strike me as delicate alone, but the way they partner together is truly impressive and unassuming. The mouthfeel is zingy, and red raspberry is again brought to mind. The finish brings honeycomb and smoke, with a rush of sea salt and that sweet-floral gardenia note again. It lingers to a slow burn in the chest, though, again, gentle in comparison to its siblings. Sweet char and malt stay on the palate long after the glass has emptied. An Oa is one to savor, to spur contemplation.

I could have sworn that I had a glass of this at a pub in Portsmouth, New Hampshire several years ago, but I think it was a friend who got it while I drank Highland Park 15. So this is a new one for me. Shortbread, caramel, and leather on the nose. A hint of light, sweet smoke, like church incense. The palate is sweet, with black cherry and nectarine up front. Fig newtons are a prominent note. After that it’s biscuity and malt-centric, with wood spice rear palate and a coastal note. The mouthfeel is balanced, and the finish is a wave of salt and figs and smoke. A trusty, everyday dram with an aftertaste like walking into a humidor.

The sherry-inflected nose invites a patient and careful sitting to appreciate this whisky’s nuances. I smell almond, moss, and warming malt at play with the sherry. Manuka honey shows up on the palate, with the notes from the nose showing up as well. The malt is rich and yet gentle, reminiscent of a light-roast coffee. The mouthfeel is pleasant and youthful, astringent and acorn-like. Taketsuru Pure Malt finishes with a flourish of spice and marzipan to carry the otherwise gentle flavors back to their beginning. The scent of delicate pipe tobacco lingers in the empty glass. This special whisky is complex and nuanced, with abundant if not somewhat reserved character. It’s one to be savored and treated with patience as it keeps unfolding; like a familiar place that you find isn’t finished telling its secrets. This whisky has elements that remind me of a Speyside single malt like AnCnoc.

This whisky is a bright, light-filled yellow in appearance. Tart oak strikes the nose at first. Then the peat, which is noticeably well rounded here. Earthy and mossy, and still beautifully smoky like a bold cigarette (in the I’m-craving-one sense, not the get-your-secondhand-smoke-out-of-my-face sense). Deeper down I smell almond blossom, melon, and beeswax. The palate brings a light and malty sweetness to bear. Macintosh apple, bright vanilla, and citrus à la orange pith and lemon peel are apparent. The mouthfeel is tart and delicately oily, rounding out rear palate. The finish is most remarkable, bringing the previous sensations together so nicely. It is earthy, wood-spicy, and brings lemon balm, tarragon, and sage to mind. A persistent smoke remains. This whisky is light in flavor and character in many ways, but its presentation is anything but light. It’s actually pretty punchy, with everything out front and not a lot hiding. This is one to sip when you want something bright, lively, invigorating, impressive. Enjoy it on a cool spring walk when winter is giving way to green.

Sis-in-law got me a bottle of this for Christmas! I’ve been looking forward to trying this one for a while. The nose offers gentle notes of heather, honeyed breakfast cereal, light vanilla, and worn leather. I get the impression of a hay bale in the sun from the nose. The palate carries these notes through to greater depth, and there is a biscuity maltiness at play that I really enjoy. More heather as well as sweeter notes are present, like dried apricots and oranges, pear crisp, and homemade cinnamon rolls. This finish is simple and yet sure of itself — sweet and malty to the end. I really like this whisky. It is what you’d hope a Glenlivet would be and what a Glenfiddich is trying to approach. And though it lacks the complexity or finesse of a Glen Garioch, like a Dalwhinnie it is confident in its simplicity.

Kory and I went in on this bottle together prior to its discontinuation. This whisky invites time and careful consideration. It’s not going at anyone else’s pace. Old Pulteney 21 smells like barrel-aged stout, toasted cashews, vanilla, light peat smoke, and polished leather. The palate offers hints of brine, and suggests red fruit and black currant. The rich and nutty notes from the nose are emphasized here as well. But the most delightful aspect of the palate is the patient and storied oak. It’s truly captivating. The mouthfeel is balanced; oily, but not overwhelmingly so. The finish is smooth and round, bringing a slow but sure heat. The aftertaste is reminiscent of vanilla and plum. One to enjoy in solitude, and when there’s nothing else that needs to be done.