Tastes

Neat in a Glencairn at home. Tasted next to the Ardbeg 10 for comparison. I do like the 10, so have high hopes here. Nose has a big hit of black pepper and smoked meat, with some brine and stone fruit peeking through. Pick up some ethanol heat as well. Taste is very bold, like the nose but on steroids. The pepper and smoke remain strong, along with an increased bitterness on the front and tail. The mid palate is full of apples, heather, sea air, and meadow grasses. Definitely sense the increased proof over the 10, and it is bigger and more complex. This is not an easy sipper, but it is very good. 10/3/19.

2oz pour neat in Glencairn at Breezy's. Batch 112, Bottle 57, year 2019. Tons of spices, brown sugar, toffee, mild vanilla. This is really good stuff. 9/19/19

750ml poured neat in Glencairn at home. My expectations are for an instant and overwhelming wallop of campfire and brine. However, the nose is much more complex, with moderate peat, smoke, band-aid, along with stone fruit, mild baking spices, lite citrus. Interesting. Taste brings on the peat and smoke, but not too much, along with apples, pears, sea air, heather, and mild spice. Quite complex. The finish lingers with more smoke, brine and stone fruit. Really nice. I get why this is so highly rated. 9/18/19.

750ml poured neat in Glencairn at home. Nose has the smoke and brine, sea air and peat that I expected, plus some mild florals tagging along. Taste brings out more of the florals with some citrus, followed by a big campfire with lingering smoke and brine. Very tasty, and leaves a nice spicy finish that lingers for a good while. Yes. 9/18/19.

Bottle pour in to Glencairn at home, courtesy of Breezy. Nose has bacon, brine, figs, rotted mango. Strong. Taste is quite salty, with moderate campfire, tobacco, dried kumquat, pencil shavings, star anise. Very complex and very good. 9/16/19

750ml poured neat into Glencairn at home. On sale for $47.99. Very light in color, like apple juice. Nose smoke and brine, bbq, wet leather. Taste is heavy peat, wet grass, sea air, some sweet notes coning on near end, then lingering smokiness. Nice. 9/16/19

750ml poured neat into Glencairn at home. On sale for $52.99. Nose is smoky bacon, salt, mild floral and citrus notes. Taste has that smoke and bacon, but adds a sweet and spicy chord through the mid-palate, with salty bbq wafting through the finish. Lingering smoky peat is nice. This is very good. 9/16/19.

2-3oz pour neat in a rocks glass at home courtesy of Breezy. Smoky peat dominates, like a campfire under the nose, with very mild grains and sea air. Taste has a more subdued smoke, some great bbq notes, peat, brine. Really nice. 9/15/19.

Taste neat from Matt the Lion's Glencairn at The MacMillan Whisky Room in Mosaic District. I remember having this a few times in the early 00's before it was discontinued. Glad it is back. Maybe - no, definitely - the only blend I would regularly seek out. Both the nose and taste are really well-balanced, with the right amount of smoke,honey, orange peel, grains, and brine. Just a great whisky. 9/15/19.