Tastes

Color: violin brown, rosin Nose: black pepper, dark fruit, mellow figs, yellow to green apple, Opening: quiet reaction on the lips and tongue, red and dark berries, bitterness of cracked black pepper Midpalate: darker fruits, oxidized fruit flavors and the opening of tingling mouthfeel from sherry spice Finish: thick honey sweetness and a lingering sherry spice that sticks with you for minutes to half an hour after the dram. Beautiful pour from the bottle, color, to half an hour after. Not nearly as Full On as the ALLARDICE but a slower ramp and less sugary journey. Even with big sips the dram is tame off the bat but ramps at a medium pace. Opened with water the honeyed facets and a flowery aromas show up but lie behind the sherry presence.

Nose: youthful but not volatile much like a tobermory 10. The sugar and malt nose of horse feed is buried behind a mixture of nectar /honey and thin wine smell. Taste: the various wines tingle and shine a bright spicy sweetness but there is some flavor confusion and the story is lost. The flavors ring at similar volumes and lengths so nothing stands out too brightly and there’s not quite a narrative here. The finish is quite nice though where you have a warm hum and the Cookie starts to finally show up. The finish is the best thing about the dram. Overall mouthfeel is medium thin but for the price I’d say this dram pulls is weight. Nothing offensive here for newer drinkers.

Nose: big butter and something more sugary than a vanilla sweetness. A whiff of book pages. Intro: white pepper and mild peat smoke. A semi-dry medium bodied mouthfeel. A touch of effervescence yet no tart notes or excess salinity. Mid: subdued dried fruits and clover honey with peat smoke turning ashy Finish: lingering plum wine, juicy golden raisins, and a botanical bouquet building over seconds into minutes. Almost a gin sensation and more similar to crushing mid-American juniper berries in hand with the sweet sap bark and berry smells. Overall: Very relaxing and mild with more than enough revelation for an experienced taster to enjoy in a beautifully simple way but to also introduce new whisky drinkers to a dose of complexity, peat, and ample amount of woodspices. As for imagery the dram conjures: she must be The Fair Maiden - youthful in spirit, a mixture of innocence and experience. A warm countenance. Flowers in her hair. Does she fancy you? Do you fancy her?

An accidental bottle - not much info available Nose: figs, sweet raisins, buttered bread, red grapes, and medium bodied honey or stronger clover honey Development is slow - distant prune coming into woodspice and a mix of black pepper and white pepper. With air on the finish a burst of caramel and barley type sugar shines through followed by the hum of wood spice, more sweet but oxidizing wine, and a dose of equine sweet feed. Really a very good dram! A dram no one is searching for, but a very high value pick in my experience.

Popping the stopper the aroma was quiet. On the nose I only found a few things but interesting and unique - clover honey, mint, cut hay, wet rocks, and salt. The Mouth - a quiet buttered prologue steadily boiling into a salty sweet intensity and a rapidly drying mouthfeel. Brine takes over and a cloud of steam smoke and ash appear with a finish of vanilla and some pear aroma and hint of sour apple or lychee. Truly remarkable although no words will do - favorite dram of they year for me. An instant favorite. Can’t wait to blend this to see what character it will bring to other bottles in my collection!

Popping the tight cork, a blast of honey and caramelized sugars floated out of the pretty bottle. Vanilla and a whiff of musty grain. A very inviting nose and even breathed deeply - nothing signaling the immaturity expected at this price point. On the tongue figgy sweet and a dash of woody spice. Overall mouthfeel and flavor is light with a short finish that finally unveils the youthfulness bottled here. Amidst the slightly spicy fish a faint aroma of raisin toast. Overall a hell of a deal for the price and a guiltless and happy dram! For my tastes the sweet and feisty nature of Naked Grouse bests the easy going and conspicuous Monkey Shoulder for a value tier drink.