Tastes

(Vita Dulcis Advent Calendar 9/24) Nose: cooked and stewed fruit then baked with buttery crumble, gentle and fruity, smooth and creamy, quite light but actually quite pleasant, in the background are some mild exotic fruits like banana and mango as well - water let’s some silky vanilla enfold on the nose Palate: very light and almost watery at first, it is spiced fruit juice with a kick, the flavor profile then enfolds slowly and becomes quite enjoyable, cream cheese on soft wheat bread with caramelized fruits and nuts crumbled on top Finish: mild apple vinegar and a slight bitterness added to the fruit juice flavors Verdict: an easy, well manners and relaxed dram but after the initial taste it becomes a little boring

(Vita Dulcis Advent Calendar 8/24) Nose: nice and somehow familiar, great mix of perfume, dry spices and thick ripe orchard fruits, really balanced, then it becomes creamy fudge vanilla pudding with very sweet raspberry sauce, great nose really, (is that a little peat in there?) Palate: light but refined and on point, again nicely balanced and quite spicy almost savory with a rock candy sweetness and sweet pumpkin Finish: interesting and quite enjoyable, gets even more exiting shortly after and remains quite long with nice spices and wood Verdict: I really liked that one and was really surprised (when I revealed the label of this again blindly tasted sample) that it is a Tomatin, what nice surprise really - I will have to check out this distillery further, because I have only had a few Tomatin yet that I was fond of

(Vita Dulcis Advent Calendar 7/24) Nose: sweet corn with white sugar syrup, fresh milk, summer florals, vanilla, yellow pears and some vegetal aromas. Water releases fresh oranges Palate: super light and flat, a light sweetness and sourness first, then some vegetal notes on the palate as well Finish: a wild mix of fruits and vegetables but not really graspable, first a bid a sweet then a young sharpness Verdict: forgettable but thankfully not too sweet, even becomes a bid unpleasant after a while

(Vita Dulcis Advent Calendar 6/24) Nose: fresh bright green & yellow apples, white sugar syrup, some vanilla, caramelized granola, floral notes, fresh cut wood and some fresh peaches / apricots Palate: super sweet and light, a bid nutty but the bright fruity flavors from the nose are dominating Finish: fermented apple juice (already with the prickly sensation), quite hot, feels very young Verdict: nose not very interesting, palate and finish are quite simple and sweet, too one-sided, this whisky is basically boozy fruit juice, the only positive aspect really is the slight nuttiness on the palate and finish

(Vita Dulcis Advent Calendar 5/24) Nose: typical and very nice Islay peat on the nose but with a heavily warm buttery basis, soft lemon cake, vanilla, a significant BBQ aroma on top everything, sweet fresh apple cider (I would say this might be Caol Ila or Laphroaig) Palate: cold ashy peat along sour fruit candy, fresh cut apple, vanilla pudding, apple vinegar with chili, moss, barbecue smoke Finish: interesting finish, not so much Caol Ila anymore, quite a bid medicinal bitter, Verdict: it starts of quite intense but loses a good bid of this intensity further in, nonetheless a nice peaty dram, slightly bitter and dry on the finish (I would go with Laphroaig for the distillery of this whisky but more like the Laphroaig Select ... I guess we’ll never know).

(Vita Dulcis Advent Calendar 4/24) Nose: the nose has a pure Benromach character just the light version (I am a fan of the 15y which is obviously where it really starts to shine), a spicy vanilla with herbs and the very signature faint peat hook, along come some organic earthy notes and something like freshly cut strawberries, very likable Palate: dry reed leaves, nutshells, and herbs & spices, then it develops a certain sweetness like crusty apple pie, fresh apple juice and then a light roasted chili note Finish: here everything funnels together equally in the characteristic remains of what the palate presented Verdict: good stuff and really a nice alternative to the older (and quite a bid more expensive) bottlings. Honestly that makes me interested in the cask strength version the offer in their new lineup.

(Vita Dulcis Advent Calendar 3/24) Nose: feels like a solid Highland whisky with some buttery florals and rich honey, smooth citrusy fruitiness with a distinct sweetness, has a bid of a sharp bite on the nose but that feels right in place, it is smooth and nice, not overly intense but more fresh and quite crisp Palate: quite hot with a rough attack at first, after a while it presents itself with lemon juice and soft chocolate, then it becomes increasingly nutty and ends off smooth like soft nougat-hazelnut-creme Finish: short and not very impressive, but again smooth and creamy The nose gets better later with fresh malt and dry grains. Verdict: it is a nice enjoyable whisky, nothing mind blowing and feels quite young but it doesnt really have any negative aspects except for the sharpness

(Vita Dulcis Advent Calendar 2/24) Nose: a nice and quite strong peat, smooth almost creamy, corn syrup, a good bid of vanilla and a mild spice with nutmeg, bright and bold while also being rich and quite sweet Palate: silky and creamy sweet at first, then a peated wood punches its way to the front which then merges with the slightly dry sweetness Finish: very nice finish, the peat and custardy sweetness equally balanced cover the mouth and leave a bid of space for the nice wood, only in the finish I get a light pleasant saltiness Verdict: a very enjoyable dram, it isn’t overly rich or deep but the boldness and very nicely balanced peat-sweet-wood-mix make for a great experience. I enjoyed it more then I remember it from the first time I had it some months ago.

(Vita Dulcis Advent Calendar 1/24) Nose: cinnamon, sweet white wine, icing, white nougat, floral notes, soft and creamy and quite light but vibrant with its 40% ABV, also a somewhat savory note as well like tomato and cooked green peppers (2.25) Palate: light and sweet, gentle and non-intrusive, like popsicles with a light chili burn, a hint of rusk as well (2.75) Finish: not very pleasant, in the end actually a weird bitter note like aspirin or grape seeds (almost like that taste of the stuff from inside of a Dandelion stem.) (1.75) Verdict: underwhelming, the nose and palate are ok and easily sippable but the finish is not good at all

I have this bottle open for a while now and it is a kinda hidden gem. Balblair as well recently changed their design and expressions where they use direct age statements now. Not many have discovered the new lineup yet and I hope that will change soon because the whisky they deliver is really really good. (Tip: check out their website) Nose: sherry forward but (my personal preference) with a very nice spicy foundation, the Highland DNA swings right along a very unique profile with raisins, dried orange peel, cooked cherries, maple syrup, warm honey and some well balanced winter spices (cloves, ginger, anise ...). It is very rich and on the more sweeter spectrum Palate: strongly caramelized citrus fruit (candied lemons and oranges), mature wooden tannins, brown cane sugar, dark chocolate, cooked rhubarb, dark liquid honey, burned malt Finish: rich, mature, flavorful, not too sweet, lots of wood and a dark sherry background, cold coffee grounds This is such a nice whisky. I like it that much that I sometimes in the future will get the 18y. I would really recommend trying a sample or getting a dram of it if you can. So far this is one of my favorite Highland whiskies for sure.