Tastes

A good peated one. A bit harsh, a bit overly sweet, curves over the balance. Still - Arran does a good job.

There was no time when I did not underestimate it. Now (as a gift and as a bottle of thrice a price it was) I appreciate it truly. Basic yet the best basic one in the game.

A bit harsher than one would expect (especially on the palate) but still a superb and fairly long aged scotch. anCnoc is never the one that ceases to amaze.

To be frank, I really appreciate how Compass Box highlights the main feature of the whisky in its name. The Spice Tree is blasting in spices, rich, piquantly sweet. It's like an overwhelmingly loud neighbour who you enjoy to run across from time to time but who is also really annoying to live nearby. To the nose: very rich, complex in its sweetness and spices, with tons of caramel, vanilla, various nuts like walnut, hazelnut, nutmeg, also cloves, honey, a bunch of freshly-baked pastries with milk chocolate, sponge cake, cocoa beans, latte with cinnamon topping, ripe fruits like peaches and pears, some citruses. To the taste: same intensity and spiciness here - very bright, sweet, but smooth and round; full of sweet cooking spices, vanilla sugar, cinnamon, cumin, cardamom, ginger, anise, maple syrup, nuts, caramel/chocolate crunchy granola, dulce de leche, creme brulee. Apart from being predictably sweet and spicy the aftertaste appears more to be hot and peppery, with tones of caramel, cayenne pepper, turmeric, caraway, saffron and with some distant wooden notes. Well, I liked it much and I'm almost willing to give it a four. Yeah, that's probably fair.