Tastes

Golden yellow (thanks coloring!), rather thick in the glass. The nose is immediately invaded by the peat, beautifully fleshy, with an intense and almost chewable smoke. Leather, burnt wood and ocean waves, very salty and spicy. Pepper, like any self-respecting Talisker. To insist patiently, there is also a hint of vanilla, all without ever being disturbed by alcohol. In the mouth the 57 degrees are felt with a nice initial pinch, the peat becomes sweeter and less fleshy, but always smoked, and leaves room for the ocean bomb, almost to hear the waves crashing on the rocks (what the Storm, in short, didn't know how to do). And when you dry the splashes of the sea from your face, orange, cinnamon, vanilla and much, much pepper with nutmeg arrive. The feeling is that of a bonfire on the rocks, without however the effort of preserving the fire from the fury of the water: the aromas chase and mix, with the push of alcohol and spices that holds everything together. The finish is long, with dull embers, salty and spicy, with caramelized orange on the fire (when you make a bonfire, don't you caramel some orange?)

In the glass it has a deep caramel color with intense copper shades. The important alcohol content is not at all intrusive to the nose, which is wrapped in an embrace of ripe fruit, raisins, prunes, vanilla and a light hint of wood. There is also a pinch of spices and almond. Persuasive. Oily and soft on the palate, the first sip is really enveloping and warm, with a sweet profile with a background of cinnamon that makes it almost Christmas: dehydrated apricots and peaches, vanilla, a little pepper, almonds. All well blended and balanced, someone would say drinkable but in a good way: to be young (4 years, I suppose) it has much more structure than other older whiskeys. The finish is not very long, with ripe fruit, cinnamon and vanilla.

Deep gold in the glass, with copper highlights, very dense. On the nose a light alcoholic puncture (which vanishes almost immediately) leads the way to the sherried notes of the whisky: raisins, marzipan, a pinch of vanilla. Initially a little closed, to let it breathe it reveals a splash of (sea) salt accompanied by dark chocolate and spices, and a vinous, almost marshalate profile is amalgamated. The palate is immediately intriguing: a sweetly smoky mouth slips into the mouth, an elegant cherry and chocolate paste with a clear peppery connotation. Candied fruit (orange and, Behold!, cherry), still marzipan and that vinous and marsala profile perceived by the nose which becomes more decisive and fuller here. The smoke is really a hint, a drizzle of peat that curls on the flavors giving an extra twist. The alcoholic strength is perfect: the more it would have been intrusive, the less it would have softened the aromas. The finish is long, the tannic and vinous part is the master with the memory of Mon Chéri.

The Balvenie produces only unpeated whiskys (an exception is an annual special edition), unfortunately in this case chill-filtered and, alas, with added colors: a warm amber color, therefore, completely fake. The smell is immediately sweet and caramelized, very enveloping, with cooked apple, rivers of vanilla, brown sugar (oh well, there is rum, easy!), white chocolate. It does not give you diabetes just smelling it, but it is nice and cuddly. The risk of dismantling is also averted on the palate, with a splash of spices and wood that stops the sugary wave of flavors before it overwhelms everything, bringing a certain dryness to the background. At moments almost vinous, chocolate returns accompanied by candied orange, yellow fruit, still cane, raisins: the influence of rum is not as clear-cut as you might think (or maybe it's that I do not understand a fife of rum, in fact). The finish is medium long, dry (almost astringent), with spices, vanilla, raisins and cooked apple.

The year on the label is that of distillation, while bottling is in 2017: we are therefore faced with an 8-year-old whisky (of which just over two passed in the barrels of the French wine). The color is gold with coppery veins: unlike other whiskys from the distillery, this one has been chill-filtered, perhaps for fear of the excessive impurities caused by the wine barrel? On the nose the character is sweetly peaty, with red fruits, apple (red) and dried plum together with cereals (young indeed) and a pinch but just a pinch of vanilla. All wrapped in a certain vinous harshness. The mouth is quite dry, and immediately introduces a soft side of tobacco and peat, smokier than the smell, which still drags the prunes (and let's put in some raisins too), blueberries, apple and vanilla. To accompany everything, a strong salty and marine note and a memory of chocolate. Slight underlying harshness. An amalgam of flavors and aromas not very harmonious but interesting, certainly not boring. The finish is still dry and astringent (very), smoky (we are from the parts of the burnt wood), vanilla and a pinch of spices, not particularly long.

In the glass we find a pale, almost white wine distillate, very delicate. On the nose, the profile is soft, sweet and fruity: citrus, apple, yellow fruit. There is also a light spicy note, which breaks the placid olfactory nature, accompanied by honey and vanilla. On the palate, with cordial vitality, the alcoholic boost revives the score, which becomes more cheerful and lively, acquiring creaminess and substance while repeating the olfactory melody: lots and lots of fruit, with the predominance of the apple and the accentuation of citrus and pepper, wrapped in vanilla, honey and brown sugar. Very full-bodied and caressing. The finish is medium long, and pleasantly drags the palate flavors, with a predominance of pepper.

The usual intense gold (and fake) color of Cragganmore, the label merits to be mentioned, baroque yet elegant. The sense of smell is caressed by a calm sweetness, of red fruit and a pinch of raisins, almost a sherried note that joins that of the Port. Not very complex but penetrating. The fruit triumphs in the mouth as in the nose (in detail, cherry, raspberries, a pinch of apple and more raisins), whose sweetness is however dryer and with a bitter vibrato. A peppery note is added to the company, which on the whole is a bit uneven: the elegance of the Cragganmore 12 seems ruffled by this finish (unspecified over time) in Porto, which in my opinion does not do fair to this whisky (at least in this vintage). Medium finish, dry and sweet.

With such an important aging, it's a pity they did not have the courage to maintain the natural color. The peat festively greets the nostrils as soon as the nose is approached, almost immediately dominated by a pleasant fruity, tropical, very warm and soft note, accompanied by the sweetness (almost cloying) of toffee. The peat really disappears in a flash, you have to go and look for it under this blanket of molasses, but there is. Strangely, no marine or salty profile, at least for me. Instead, we find it on the palate, where tropical fruit (more balanced than the sense of smell) lies on a not very accentuated salty note, with the smoke always light, almost ethereal, in the background. The white sands recalled in the name (in reference to those of the coast of Laggan Bay on Islay) would lead you to think of a strong marine profile, especially considering the aging in Vault No.1, but here is the fruity sweetness to be the master. By letting the whisky breathe, the peat becomes (pleasantly) more present, taming the sweetness on the palate. The finish is unexpectedly bitter and dry, with the smoky note that lasts long enough.

The straw yellow color, very delicate, accompanies a very pronounced malt nose, together with caramel, marzipan and yellow fruit. Alcohol is not felt at all, leaving room for this sweet but not cloying smell. On the palate alcohol only emerges initially, while the malt remains very present, closer to a biscuit (such as those they give you with coffee) than to cereal. Still fruit, a hint of pineapple and melon, along with a hint of saline. Slight bitterness of lemon on the length. A sweet and delicate profile, not explosive but soft. The finish is a little dry, always malty and a bitter hint, all in all short.

The color is a beautiful light amber, very delicate. The nose you immediately perceive a light peaty smokiness, a sign that the Islay barrels are not just passing through, accompanied by decisive sweet and vinous notes, obviously marsalate. Yellow fruit with a pinch of pepper. The sense of smell is not particularly complex, but pleasant: youth is felt whole. On the palate alcohol slightly pinches, and the peat smokiness is immediately dominated by the clear influence of Marsala: lots of wine, lots of orange, together with candied fruit, spices (still pepper, with cloves) and, after a bit of wait, return of the herbaceous peat with a hint of minerality. The profile in the mouth is more interesting than the olfactory one, with a greater variety even if it remains not particularly stratified, with the vinous aspect that dominates it. But for a 3 years old it is already a remarkable achievement. Marsala finish (very) with a touch of citrus, not very long and dry.