Tastes

A rich, malty and spicy nose. Right off I get the peat, but not in an overpowering way, just present and pleasant. I then detect sweet grass, baking spices, vanilla sponge cake, toasted birch wood, a bit of toffee, and a touch of orange marmalade. Sweet and spicy on the palate as well, but not too hot. Up front there’s plenty of malty sweetness, reminiscent of golden syrup, followed by a mid palate of pepper, allspice, and cinnamon stick. Then the fruit and peat notes blossom with sour oranges, a little lemon, a suggestion of pineapple, and a clean grassy peat. The body is nice and full, not heavy but coating. The legs are thin though and go quite quickly, followed by retreating sheets that eventually leave a hefty dew in the glass. Soft and medium in length, with notes of rich sherry kissed oak, subtle vanilla, and a wisp of smoke over a base of honey, the finish is nice and cozy. Well balanced and thoroughly enjoyable, this “Viking Heart” has certainly won mine. Nose: 10 Taste: 9 Body: 8 Finnish: 10

A malty nose, semisweet with some slight earthiness to it. I detect a hint of sea air, honied barley, some dried apple chips, grassy vetiver, a little vanilla bean, charred cedar wood with an elusive note of peat, a dash of allspice, and even a little sandalwood incense. Sweet to the tongue initially, light barley syrup, almost caramel, then pink peppercorns, a little cayenne, some oak, a drop of iodine, and a bitter citrus tang like Seville orange. More peat is present in the palate as well, a cool ashy peat with a wet mineral note calling to mind a stone wall covered in moss. The body isn’t bad, but definitely on the thin side. Few if any legs present in the glass as the whisky falls without tears like a line graph, leaving behind island chains of tiny droplets. The finish is mild, dry, and long with oiled cedar wood, and a little black tea dominating any lingering sweetness from the malt, and faint white raisins, possibly even peaches, offset by just a bit of brine. Nose: 9 Taste: 9 Body: 6 Finish: 8

Surprisingly light on the nose for the higher ABV, yet potent enough to know you’re experiencing a cask strength whisky. White fleshed orchard fruits, golden delicious apple, white peach, golden raisins, and a hint of dried apricots. I also find a light cinnamon like spiciness, a dab of honey and vanilla shortbread. Much more intense on the palate than the expected from the relatively gentle nose. Fruit salad in honey explodes on the tongue. The sweetness is balanced by baking spices, and a gentle but steady heat from the alcohol. Tiny teardrops form a rollercoaster ring and slowly develop dainty straight legs in many spokes. Medium bodied, with a satisfying mouthfeel, but coats the mouth far longer than anticipated. A gentle and pleasing finish, it’s slightly dry and oaky. Frosted fruitcake soaked in golden syrup lingers nicely alongside the mellow oak for a good long while. Oddly, no smoke from this highland whisky, I’d swear it was a Speyside if tasting blind. A little water enhances the experience, but ice muddies it. Nose: 9 Taste: 10 Body: 8 Finish: 9

The nose is skillfully peated, not the typical Islay assault to the senses but rather a milder, cleaner and cooler peat that subtly entices. I pick up briny sea air first, followed by cool mentholated smoke, a touch of spicy cedar wood incense, and just a hint of ripe honey papaya, pistachio, and sweet dried pomegranate, mango, and coconut. Given time to breathe, caramel develops as well as vanilla, black licorice, plumped raisins, date paste, and a chocolatey note emerges. To the palate it starts out quite spicy, even peppery. Sweet stewed fruit follows with notes of plum and mulberry in dark treacle. Then, amidst the spice and toffee sweetness, pale vegetal smoke graces the tongue, earthy and medicinal but not overpowering. There’s also some citrus in the form of Ruby grapefruit and blood orange. A bit thin in the mouth, and few legs. The whisky falls quickly in the glass like streaks of lightning, leaving behind a broken mist and uneven arches. The medium-long finish is semidry with plenty of lightly charred oak. Ashy peat, a chalky minerality, lingering spice in the form of stale cinnamon, spent spearmint gum, and more cedar hangs on for a spell. Stands up to a little water, but I wish it were non-chill filtered. Nose: 10 Taste: 10 Body: 7 Finish: 8

A clean, malty nose with honied cereals and a touch of nuttiness, Brazil nuts to be specific. After allowing time to breathe, some vanilla, Golden Delicious apple, and a hint of lemon icing comes out. Sweeter on the palate than the nose. I get golden syrup, more vanilla, lemon cake with sugar glaze, and a little heat in the form of white pepper and maybe a smidge of ginger powder. The body is nice, for the low ABV, velvety yet light. The legs are quick and sporadic yet attractive. Interestingly, after the first wave passes, a ring of tight, neat teardrops appears just above the fluid’s surface. Not much of a finish. A little bitter walnut mingles with the fading sweetness and some citrus tang. It reminds me of a good Irish pot still whiskey. Nose: 8 Taste: 9 Body: 7 Finish: 6

A “scotchy” nose infused with bourbon. Sweetened wheat and barley notes are prominent, like brown sugar on Grape-Nuts cereal. Then fruit fragrantly blossoms in the form of ripe pears and apples, served up alongside a large dollop of vanilla cream and a drop of orange oil. Finally, a subtle base of barrel char, cavendish, cocoa and Luden’s cherry cough drops. The palate is spicy, peculiarly prickly, and quite sweet. Malt and honey dipped sour apples take the lead followed by sharp citrus. Then it yields to cherry syrup, vanilla, and spice notes typical of bourbon. Medium bodied, with a thinly syrupy mouthfeel. A thick band at mid glass quickly breaks into thin arches variably spaced, eventually collecting into a uniform ring hanging heavily yet defiantly just above the liquid below. The finish reveals oak and almond skins, yet retains sweetness with candied bitter orange, a touch of molasses, and Bird’s Custard Powder. A few drops of water open the nose bringing florals, particularly peony and rose, softens the palate, and enriches the finish cutting the bitterness and hinting at Raisinets. Pretty good, if not a bit confused. Nose: 9 Taste: 8 Body: 8 Finish: 9

A rich, darkly sweet nose is balanced with plenty of spice and some punchy ethanol. Molasses, dark cherries in syrup, chocolate, white pepper, baking spices, bay leaf, dried mint, charred oak, and vanilla buttercream all combine for a truly pleasing aroma. The palate is initially bittersweet, with an almost sour note, and really brings the “Pepper” with notes of cracked peppercorns and cayenne alike. The bitterness quickly fades and brown sugar, crème de menthe, and cherry vanilla cola take over while the heat remains. The mouthfeel is satiny and full. The whiskey clings to the glass tenaciously, forming a skirt that beads fairly quickly but bleeds slowly. While tears drop and thin yet uniform legs appear, it holds the line nearly perfectly unbroken like stalwart soldiers. The finish shows a bit of orange peel, mild oak, more vanilla, subtle lingering herbal notes, cigar papers, some pomegranate, rose petal, and a little toasted coconut. Great straight or over ice. Nose: 10 Taste: 8 Body: 9 Finish: 9

A fruity, creamy, malty bouquet with lively alcohol and an undercurrent of oak greets the nose. Top notes include underripe strawberry, red currant, red apple, then bright citrus both Meyer lemon and Valencia orange. Next comes malt, clean and subtly sweet with musky florals and a kiss of honey. Finally, very subtle yet very tannic oak comes through with a smidge of vanilla, like smelling vanilla extract in cookie dough on a wooden spoon. On the tongue it is momentarily malty sweet, then quickly becomes rather sharp and citrusy with some peppery heat. Next it moves back to sweet but more vanilla and cherry with herbal notes. The body is creamy yet light, slightly oily and coating. Legs appear as healthy veins that break up fast, leaving a well defined ring behind before collapsing into tears that vanish in mist. The long, bitter finish comes on quickly with plenty of citrus peel, apple skins, vanilla taffy, toasted marshmallow, Chardonnay oak, and tobacco tinged leather. It’s a rollercoaster ride of a dram! Nose: 10 Palate: 8 Body: 9 Finish: 7

Loads of peat smoke fills the nose, mixed with juicy sweet berry notes and honeyed cereals. Smoke dominates the palate initially, but gives way to sweet heat in the form of jammy stewed red plums, pluots, cherries, and figs along with intense chai-like spices of cracked pepper, cinnamon, and star anise. Upon swallowing, the smoke comes to the fore again with a cool ashiness, and everything balances beautifully. In the mouth, the body is full and plush. Coating the glass like a satin sheet, it clings long and strong before collecting droplets into a tight ring that suddenly weeps tears joyously to the liquid’s surface, eventually leaving behind two even bands of mist. It finishes semidry with mild oak tannins resembling lightly sweetened bitter pecans toasted over a smoldering fire along with a dash of orange zest. The sooty peat lingers on and on, soft and satisfying. Nose: 9 Taste: 10 Body: 9 Finish: 9

A spicy sweet almost perfume like fragrance hits you at first nosing. There are equal parts creamy vanilla and potpourri, comprised of dried rose petals, herbs, cloves, coniferous woods, and citrus peel. The sweetness in the nose lies somewhere between maple syrup and bread and butter pickles. Towards the end, date-nut bread and tobacco appear. Fairly hot and sour on the tongue initially, it becomes sweet, spicy, and fruity once swallowed. The taste is a bit like old-timey cherry cough drops that came wrapped in parchment paper with that powder on them. I get some bitter oak, arugula, cinnamon, and some Dr. Pepper soda syrup. In the glass it’s syrupy but thin and quick to form widely spaced legs that eventually recede to shape heavy udders. Medium-full bodied and somewhat fluffy in the mouth. The long finish is sweet and sour, with more cherry, a bit of red apple skin, oak chips, dried dates, some nicotine, and walnuts. Adding a little water or ice doesn’t seem to make much of a difference. Nose: 9 Taste: 9 Body: 8 Finish: 8