Tastes

The nose has a vegetal sweetness very similar to agave, along with faint notes of roasted pineapple and confectioners sugar. Vegetal sweetness continues to the palate with notes of agave and sweet peppers, faint vanilla, pineapple and clove. I don't get much of Jamaican funk on this but if I didn't know better I would think I'm drinking tequila.

Tasted neat, the nose has notes of burnt sugar, marshmallows charring over a campfire, flambéed bananas, and hints of cocoa. Rich, velvety mouthfeel, not much alcohol burn for the proof. The palate is a continuation of the nose with more burnt sugar and marshmallows, seared bananas, vanilla, confectioners sugar, dark fruits, chocolate covered espresso beans and oak char. A splash of water amplifies the vanilla, coffee and fruit notes, and especially highlights the coffee note on the nose. The finish is long and hot, a bit too sweet for me. I would prefer a dryer, more oaky finish to tame the sweetness of the palate, but this is dangerously easy to drink.

The nose has lots of burnt caramel and toasted marshmallows with a faint grassyness. Light mouthfeel. The palate has burnt sugar, raw sugar cane juice, vanilla extract, a sweet vegetal note like sweet peas, black tea, espresso and a faint hint of fresh coconut water. The finish is short to medium in length and dry. The oak really shines through on the finish, burnt sugar is still there but not dominant. All of the sweetness is upfront, finishes dry and oaky so it doesn't seem overly sweet.

Hay color. The Laphroaig finish really shines in this expression. The first note I get on the nose is the peat smoke, lighter than a Laphroaig but dominant here. Go a little deeper and you find vanilla bean, caramelized bananas, bubbling brown sugar, hints of asphalt and burnt cinnamon stick. Despite the pale color, the mouthfeel is robust and the legs on the side of the glass are thick and long. The palate has all the best qualities of an Islay Scotch and a rich, sweet rum: molasses, vanilla ice cream, salted caramel, iodine, potting soil, sea spray, hints of asphalt, allspice, pipe tobacco and oak. The finish is long, warm and dry, with lingering oak and peat, burnt sugar and cinnamon stick, and subtle notes of sage and clove.

Barrel #P598 109.8 proof 54.9% ABV Deep copper color. The nose is luxurious and complex with notes of vanilla, caramelized sugar, marzipan, molasses, incense, roasted chestnuts, and white grapes. The mouthfeel is heavy and warm, like a weighted blanket for your tongue. The palate is rich with vanilla, butterscotch, walnuts, hints of toasted coconut, ocean spray, and oak. The finish is medium-long with toasted cinnamon stick, brown sugar, freshly ground nutmeg, white pepper, with a touch of sea salt and oak tannins.