Tastes

Representing speyside dufftown Nose: strong sherry, fruity, just a hint of vanilla, very light caramel, almost smell cake icing, slight malt, later just a touch of oak. Body: full, enveloping, firm and fruity Palate: fruity again with a surprising spice later as it travels but smooth, almost a touch or whiff if burnt caramel, so good. Finish: long and warm, surprisingly long given the nose Note: this is a delicious, fruity, spicy, smooth and robust dram. Not complicated just well crafted.

Representing isle of skye Nose: light peat, smoke, warm and inviting. A hint of seaweed, salt, wafts of tobacco and sherry sweetness trying to sneak out. Really nice Body: full, mouth enveloping, rich and creamy, really nice. Palate: smooth, mild peat and smoke. Roasted nuts balanced with mild sweetness and spicey black pepper, mild tobacco. Finish: medium to long. Pepper, peat, smoke and sweet. Note: wow. Holy ish. The first taste was an explosion and wonderful taste sensations. This gives highland park 18 a run for its money as my favorite. This is a standard against which all single malts can be measured. Exceptional.

Representing campbeltown Nose: sherry, apricot, flower petals, light oak, caramel, honey and a boozy orange - reminds me of a macallan nose, a fruity malt nose. Body: thin, oily Palate: mild spice, caramel and light malt Finish: medium with malt and nuttiness perhaps a burnt maltiness. Later into the drink tobacco smoke lingered and lingered and was warming and just real nice. Really liked the finish. Note: a very smooth dram, very nice, easy to drink, really good not quite great though but really really good

Nose: vanilla, floral notes but more caramel, toffee and vanilla. Honey(?) Very pleasant. Body: light (thin) and smooth very very easy Palate: sugar, caramel, vanilla, mild spice Finish: medium with medium warmth. Note: this feels like an afternoon with lunch bourbon, easy to drink and pleasant. A good description is an introductory bourbon to get someone hooked. Very nice.

Representing the isle of arran Nose: distinct nice nose of oaky sherry, very fruity, oak leads, marshmallow (?) sweetness in there too. Rich caramel is wonderful. Green fruit and light floral notes. Body: easy, smooth, medium Palate: malt, sugar, late oak, caramel and burnt sugar and a nutty sugariness Finish: a late spice comes out of nowhere followed by oak, yum! Note: this is a unique dram, the nose is really nice the sugar the caramel really reminds me like a smooth very nice bourbon. I really like this one. Yum yum yum. I am surprised by how much I really like this one.

Nose: initially woody (light and oaky), with light spice, vanilla, light caramel and later as it breaths sweet red berries dominates and then rye on the nose. Yum! Body: very smooth Palate: mild spice, mild and easy, light floral and later sips with citrus and oranges Finish: rye, cherry-very nice. A little short but the rye is nice. Note: this is very nice, so smooth and easy, very subtle but flavorful. Very pleasant. More complicated and interesting than 1782 bottled in bond but not as bold as Jefferson or pappy 15

Nose: cherry, oak and berries, caramel, later almost a floral and honey Body: smooth and light (thin) Palate: light caramel and spice, light vanilla and honey, this is just light. Finish: takes a second to kick in then it’s mild and long’ish with late rye bread. Before the rye is a little light cherry and with the rye is a vanilla cream (nice!) Note: this is nice and sweet and good. I like it but it doesn’t set my hair on fire. I really like the late rye bread!

Representing the eastern highlands Nose: nutty, syrupy wine, oak and fruitiness Body: smooth and medium Palate: sherry, fruit, light earthiness, hints of bourbon spice Lines’s (I love that), faint distant smoke Finish: short to medium with oak at the end. Sweet sherry light smoke Note: I didn’t taste much peat, maybe in the form of its smoke but it’s very lovely. A neat mix of fruit and smoke but fruit wins the day.

Representing isle of mull Nose: sweat peat, smoke, salt, faint caramel. Faint band aides and iodine but subtle not overpowering. Also faint spice Body: medium, smooth, very inviting Palate: smoky, light charcuterie, light sweetness but all kicked off with iodine. Finish: long with a way at the end rye bread. Nice and warming, chocolate and smoke. Also cigar flavors late. Charred wood (oak?), smoked fish Note: this is a good peat malt, I’m not a big big peat guy but this is delicious. A really nice balance of big peat with sweet and smoke, I really like this one.

Representing northern highlands Nose: dry raisin, sherry, caramel notes, light oak, hints of chocolate, floral (heather), melon fruits. Really sugary and Sweet nose. Body: smooth, enveloping, so easy medium body Palate: bourbon-y sweetness, creamy, medium spice, oak, apricot, malt Finish: long, warming with milk chocolate, vanilla, toffee, espresso Note: whoa, delicious, so smooth and easy drinking, creamy chocolate notes but a little spice is nice. A beautiful hybrid bourbon and sherry. So we’ll put together and super good