Tastes

Lemon, vanilla pound cake, and milk chocolate play wonderfully with seaweed and sweet meaty peat smoke. A little soft for 94 proof, it’s not as potent as the standard peat monster. There’s an oaky quality here as well but the toasted buttery flavor expected from French oak aging fails to make an appearance. It’s thoughtful and delicious and I would recommend it to the rebels who like a slightly smoother peat experience.

Interesting whisky which seems to be rather obscure despite being released by Ian Macleod. The bad: suffers from a watery 80 proof. The good: classic speyside profile with honey, milk chocolate, a light spice, some cereal grains, and a touch of peach or apricot in the nose. Pleasant and easy going this is a good whisky for catering with its softness and low price point. Bonus points for the well crafted nose which is the high point here.

Watery with a mineral quality on the finish. Plenty of wood, toffee, and dark fruits but certainly no match for the standard highland park expressions. Don’t buy this unless you REALLY love highland park, for better or for worse.

Classic rye profile. The age shows with a slight metallic flavor and a spice that hasn’t quite matured. Otherwise a fun and engaging Rye led by herbal and floral notes with a sugar sweetness intertwined. Could be quite good with a few extra years under its belt.