Tastes

This is delicious. The trademark campbeltown mustiness hits the nose and the palate right away. Oily and viscous mouthfeel. Aftertaste of smoked bbq. Dry citrus peels and brine complete the flavor bouquet. I’m interested in the 8yr cask strength after this but I’d definitely buy again. This is like a poor man’s springbank. Lots of similarities to the SB 10yr but cheaper if not widely available. A splash of Water opens up the sweeter elements and mellows and extends the finish. Pepper notes more distinguishable from the heat of the 46%.

Pulling this rating up a bit from its ludicrous low. It’s a good young peaty scotch. Heat and phenols linger for awhile. Very salty and earthy on the nose and palate. I’d been jonesing for some peat and this most certainly scratched that itch. Enjoyed neat. Will try a splash of water to see what happens.

Nothing offensive nor spectacular about this in my view. It’s sweet, with honey and vanilla and light fruit on the palate. I’m not getting anything overly interesting. It’s a good entry level scotch and a decent value in the $40-45 range for a 750mL near me.

Going chalk with this one. Really enjoyed the bottle. Sherry bomb but with a little character to go with it. Getting raisin, dark fruits and cereal on the nose and taste. Nice medium finish that makes me want another sip. It makes me want to try the 18yr if I can find it for a good price.

Perhaps it’s because I’ve been on a bit of an Irish whiskey kick lately but the first thing I thought of when I tasted this was that it tasted like an Irish. Maybe it’s the pale straw color or the heavy cereal and vanilla nose and taste profile. Then the sherry shows up...definitely not an Irish. But it’s a bit muted telling you it’s not a speyside sherry bomb either. Then some heat comes along for the ride through the relatively short finish. I’d say in the end it’s unique enough. Not sure I’d buy another bottle but I’ll enjoy the one I just opened. And I’ll definitely move up the range with interest as this is said by many to be one of the weaker expressions from this distillery. Update: upon re-tasting the balvenie single barrel I think I may have found my comp for this. On balance I prefer the balvenie but similar sour elements are present and both turn very sweet with a bit of water.

Really enjoy this. The sherry, salt and spice are exceptionally well balanced. Some burnt caramel and raisins in the aftertaste. The peat and smoke come in and out and wrestle the dark fruits and date from the sherry cask. I’m looking forward to see how this opens up as it oxidizes. It did well in the glass. Recommend letting it breathe for a bit to smooth out the spice and let the more subtle flavors come in. Will update with a few drops of water next time. Just wanted to enjoy a few drams neat this time.

I’ll come back to this but for now...first! This is really in my wheelhouse. Port finish on some excellent peaty malt? Not sure what the source is but it works. Seems to combine a few different peat sources as it’s not very salty but not orkney sweet either. Definitely some Campbelltown funk in there. bottled at a robust abv and NCF with no color added. I’m in love. If anyone has tasted this and/or knows the source Please share by comment. I’ve hunted online and not a lot there about the bottler nor this specific whisky. I’m guessing by the label that this is one malt from one distiller with a teaspoon of something else but I can’t place it. Speculation welcome! Update: seems to be teaspoon ledaig in port barrels. Mystery solved. Still enjoying it. Especially the abv. Update#2: just opened the ledaig 10 and this is definitely it. I like the ledaig 10 too but still rate the peatside a bit higher as the port really gives this an interesting finish in comparison to the 10. However the 10 can be had at a much more reasonable price.

This is excellent. All I could hope to get from an island malt . It’s Smokey but not overwhelming. It’s complicated enough that you can get something different from it with each taste (and as your taste profile changes over time). The brine coats your mouth but doesn’t kill your tastebuds. It’s not cheap for a base range but well worth the cost. The distillers edition is interesting but I’d stick with the base offering. I’ll be looking out for dark storm next as I’ve seen good things.

Pleasant. Viscous. Oily. Has the shortbread taste I associate with Irish whiskey but with a slight bite that makes it interesting. Update: lowering the rating. Had a st patty day Irish blind taste and this one rated the worst. Granted it was in the mix with redbreast, green spot, tullamore, west cork and Connemara but to finish last definitely warrants knocking this down to 3.5.

Probably wouldn’t buy again. It’s not bad, though. It’s just missing something. Has the shortbread and cereal flavors I expect from an Irish. A bit oily and viscous with a mild kick of spice. Sticks around a bit. It’s like eating a trefoil cookie soaked in bourbon. Updating: raising the rating a quarter as this fared ok in the blind st patty day tasting.