Tastes

I cannot understate how excited I was for this whisky, being both a great fan of blended malts, peated whisky and Compass Box's unmissable Great King Street range and so in I went, just a short moment after trying Belgian Owl Single Malt. The first flavours I get are fruity, sweet with caramel and cocoa. The flavours then drop, leaving a second of silence, only to return with sweet gin, cream, peach, banana and kiwi eventually the peat appears, not maritime, meaty or leathery peat, but a drying, spicy peat. The banana and kiwi return with the flavour of soft French oak for the whisky's finish. Yes, I can sense several types of peat and malt competing against each other, but unlike the rich, jazzy Great King Street whiskys offering an exciting waltz of flavours and whiskys, this whisky only offers a palate of weak flavours creating a faint dissonance where none of the flavours quite meet, with the stronger Ledaig and Laphroaig tamed by the Ardmore and the Caol Ila. The whisky is as such, much closer in my mind to an Irish whiskey, in a similar vein to Tyrconnell, rather than a full-bodied Scotch, if I hadn't tried Connemara and I was told this was Connemara, I would have been absolutely convinced. If your dream is to find a soft, subtle peated whisky reminiscent of Irish whiskey, this is for you, otherwise I wouldn't recommend this.

Being a great fan of French whisky, I was eager to try a whisky from a neighbouring country and I was also beckoned by the fresh, oily, lemon, citrus smell. At first I was hit by the oiliness, the sweetness and subtle notes of coconut the whisky had to offer, then a rapid slew of flavours arrived: bitter hard candy giving a soft and warm bite, plum wine, hard apple candy, bitter unripe and overripe cherry, all on top of a leitmotiv of lemon and peppery spicy leather. As the finish arrived, the drink became toastier, then softened with the return of plum wine, white wine and brioche. The whisky was quite pleasant, but unfortunately, it was too young, the bourbon cask was overbearing and the whisky was somewhat simple. It reminded me of a Highland malt, but without that earthy, herbal profile, but it was also quite close to French whisky in its sweetness and fruitiness. I do hope these people succeed at making an older whisky, France has produced stunning 2 year old whiskys such as Michel Couvreur Clearach or Guillon 46, so youth isn't the only problem here, the real problem is a lack of compelling flavour, personality and quality, but the whisky remains a promising start.

Oh god, I tried this in Japan and I mostly got burn and bitterness. Yes, it's the bolder, peatier side of Taketsuru, the alcohol is stronger, the bourbon cask is fiercer, there is a bit of sherry in there... But I was essentially appalled by this, despite being a big Nikka fan. Nikka from the Barrel, Taketsuru and even Nikka All Malts and Coffey Grain are ones I'd rather have over this.

I tried this a while back... And I forgot to review it: well it's soft, vanilla, caramel, the texture is watery, a tiny bit of spice, there is more American oak influence than sherry. The flavours in this one seem to hum quietly with green, early spring fruit, essentially it's a young whisky, one that craves to be mixed with Miyagikyo, it's bolder sibling, to create Nikka Taketsuru. I am sure I am mostly alone in thinking that Miyagikyo and Yoichi alone, as NAS whiskys, are not worth much and I can only bemoan the loss of many aged whiskys from Japan. I recommend Nikka from the Barrel and Nikka Taketsuru over this.

I was eager to try this, having tried the disappointing Port Ruighe, but impressed by Talisker Distiller's Edition, Johnnie Walker Black Label and Te Bheag (the last two blends containing Talisker in them). I was also eager after hearing the merits of this whisky from my great aunt. So lets start! At first there is no flavour, but like stewed fruit, the flavours burst like a soft, velvety bubble, a spicy rye appears with sweet spice, a bouquet of fruit and malt and the oak come together to create a delicious Espelette pepper and chocolate treat, the malt then falls back, leaving way to delicious stewed fruit, red fruit, jam, raspberries, blackberries, pina colada and praline. The fruit flavours subside with warm, Talisker peat warmly coating the mouth, a unique, soft kind of peat unlike any other. Throughout, unpredictably, lemon sherbet notes pop through. Yes, my notes are a little sketchy about this whisky: the exact order of flavours is hard to pin down, the exact spices, the exact fruit and the proper role of the peat... But this whisky was too seductive, charming and soon, the glass was empty... It is a miracle that I wrote any notes at all! Truly bewitching!!

I noticed this in my parents favourite bar, a bar in which I tried all the whiskys, save this one, and so I thought about giving it a shot. The smell hinted soft oak, chestnut, so in I went: creamy bacon, leather arrive, drying my mouth slowly and giving way to vanilla, cream soda, Coca Cola and toffee. These sweet notes then grow toastier and more honeyed, and simpler, only to complexify yet again as French red wine notes, French white grapes and smooth rye appear. With each sip however, the flavours slowly change, wood, chestnut, oak, bourbon, sherry take over, the red wine turns into white wine notes, the peat becomes increasingly drying and bitter and the finish becomes toastier. The style is somewhere between Highland and Speyside peated whiskys, Northern Islay whisky and Southern Islay, the style often associated with Lagavulin, in other words, we have a soft, not a raw whisky, something delicate, balanced, generous, but far from overpowering in the Laphroaig, Ardbeg and Lagavulin 16 Year style. Sadly I am not keen on this whisky, I admire it, but I find it too soft, too subtle, there is no battle between peat and softness that I find so alluring in G. Rozelieures Rare, Mackmyra Svensk Rok, Suntory Hakushu, Ardbeg, the original Lagavulin and Paul John Edited, but for those searching for a kinder peated malt, I can certainly recommend this.