Tastes

On the nose I get aromas of overripe banana, ocean air, lemon oil, caramel, vanilla, cigar tobacco, raw almonds, mint leaves and peat with a hint of milk chocolate and Reece’s peanut butter. - To the palate it is very spirit forward with rich, malty grain notes, light fruit, and billowing smoke. Wood spice, oak char, honey, lemon zest, pineapple, damp tree bark and vanilla pudding. - In the finish it becomes very smoky and drying with earthy spices and oak, leaving hints of salt water and sweet citrus. — With water added, the nose becomes a little lighter, reminding of fresh baked blondies. Soft on the palate with a more intense salt and pepper note with a zing of candied citrus zest. The finish lengthens with sweet smoke and dry oak. —//— Malt Mark: 94

On the nose is thick smoke, rich dark caramel, milk chocolate, candied orange peel, vanilla cake and fresh baked lemon tarts. - To the palate it is rich, velvety and warming with flavours of soft fruit, billowing smoke, sea breeze, sweet oak, vanilla fudge, marzipan with a hint of honey dew melon, floral barley and licorice. - In the finish it’s has a dry, slightly medicinal, smoky peat lingering long with oak and sweet mint with a hint of green moss. — With water added, the nose becomes a touch lighter with sponge toffee notes. More intense on the palate with salted licorice and sweet oak sugar. The finish becomes numbing with a coating of smoke and a slight medicinal note. —//— Malt Mark: 95

On the nose is a wonderful meaty aroma of burnt ends brisket with smoky, carmalized barbecue sauce. Underneath is a syrupy sweet canned stone fruit, peaches, mangoes, but also rich toffee and charred oak with a touch of vanilla earthy peat smoke. - To the palate it is very rich, but the alcohol strength doesn’t feel aggressive at all. Nutty chocolate fudge with soft creamy caramel and chewy black licorice. Black pepper, cinnamon, nutmeg, and a hint of floral barley. - In the finish there is a long, peaty, smoky flavour with dense molasses and a hint of sea salt. — With water added, the nose gets lighter with more bourbon cask aroma and hints of pear and mint. The palate is significantly more intense with coarse sea salt, cracked peppercorns, earthy smoke and vanilla caramel. This lengthens the finish and leaves a dry, smoky oak flavour with a hint of anise. —//— Malt Mark: 96

Rich, deep, dark aromas of dried fruit, leather, cinnamon, toasted oak, chai spices, vanilla and hints of dark tropical fruits, apricots and golden raisins. - Incredibly powerful on the palate with a big punch of cinnamon and spice with a strong alcoholic warmth. Juicy dark fruit flavours with some chewy dried fruit as well, rich, sweet and spicy Sherry and toasted European Oak with hints of vanilla and maple sugar. - The finish is warm with lingering spices and dry oak soaked in sherry with chewy bits of dark berry jam on shortbread cookies. — With water added, aromas of orange peel and lightly smoky oak appear with warm butter and sugar. The palate feels fuller and more exciting with added hints of chocolate, malt and cereal. The finish I more gentle and sweet, but also seems to last longer. — Whiskey Mark: 96

On the nose I am immediately reminded of Lustau Oloroso Sherry, which is one of the few bottles of Sherry I have actually tasted before. Rich, dark aromas of dried fruit, prunes, figs, marzipan, slightly smoky toasted oak, savoury spices and a hint of licorice root and floral hints. - To the palate it has a creamy viscosity to it, very spicy with sweet, syrupy sherry notes. Strong European Oak flavours resembling new oak, very nutty, savory, woody and spicy. There’s also a floral note that reminds me of young rye, but must be raw barley. - The finish has a lingering Sherry sweetness, but the dominant flavours are of spices and toasted European Oak, giving a very leathery, dry finish. — Whiskey Mark: 93

Crisp green apple aromas, soft honey, sweet vanilla, subtle spice, and fresh baked shortbread cookies on the nose. - Very soft on the palate to start with a building sweetness leading to a quick spice followed by some citric green apple sourness. A buttery viscosity builds with layers of vanilla, malt cereal and sugar, again giving an impression of shortbread cookies. - A savoury spiciness lingers into the finish with hints of cinnamon and fresh apple. — Whiskey Mark: 79

On the nose there is an intensely sour and bitter aroma that is quite challenging and unusual. Grapefruit peel, sour apple, pine sap, hops, warm beer, blue cheese, and a background hint of sweet vanilla and juicy pear that takes a while to find. - To the palate it is strangely hoppy and spicy with a lot of citrus, sour apple, sweet lemon, bitter grapefruit, wood spice, ground pepper, dried green herbs, dark chocolate, vanilla extract, savoury tree bark and the warm dregs of a frothy porter beer. - In the finish it has a sour apple, savory wood spice and herbal note with a lingering bitter grapefruit peel flavour. — Malt Mark: 85 — The longer I sit with this, and with water added, I’m realizing this reminds of Genever, or Barrel-Aged Gin. Very different! Also, I found the cigar actually significantly improved my experience with this one.

On the nose it has a very sour aroma, like under ripe, acidic, green apples and grapefruit pith, with an earthy, unwashed orchard fruit peel note that feels a stark contrast to the underlying strong vanilla aroma. - To the palate it is soft with a light fruit flavour, then an alcoholic sting where the sour citrus notes start to appear leading towards a damp wood flavour that has a coating of white sugar and vanilla extract. - The finish is short, but sour with that lingering green apple flavour accented by some mild wood spice and maybe an unsalted butter flavour. — Grain Mark: 71 — I don’t think I will be re-buying this Whiskey whenever I finish it... but, they do have other expressions in their portfolio that might better suit my palate.

Complex aromas of sherry, tropical fruits, dried fruit, candied citrus, dark berries and sweet vanilla. To the palate it is full and rich with dark fruit, wood spice, orange peel, lemon zest, vanilla, oak, wine, sherry, pepper and juicy orchard fruit with an underlying buttery malt. The finish is very dry, astringent with oak and wine tannins, yet full of dried fruit flavours and lingering spice. — Malt Mark: 94

Strong aromas of red wine and dark berries on top of fresh, sweet corn with complex, savory wood spices. To the palate it is lightly sweet with tannic woody flavours and dry red wine clinging to that syrupy corn flavour accompanied by a grainy hint of corn bread. The finish has an odd mingling of plain popcorn and dry, slightly spicy, red wine and oak tannins. — Grain Mark: 86