Tastes

An initial alcoholic puncture welcomes the nose, but in a short time the smell becomes very fruity, with cooked pear, raisins, pineapple, ripe figs, lemon note and nutmeg. Frosted cereals (like Kellog's Frosties) in the background. Harmonious and layered sweetness. In the mouth it becomes warmer and spicier, like a pear and cinnamon cream cake, flakes of milk chocolate, hazelnuts, candied orange, a pinch of star anise. It has a slight roughness of the background, of leather and wood, in an interesting game of contrasts. Medium long finish, with hazelnut chocolate, cinnamon, cooked pear. If the contrast in the aromas had been more intense I would have found it more amusing, however it remains a whisky that is anything but boring, complex, and deserves more attention.

The nose is a little closed, woody, but with time and patience aromas of dried dates emerge, raisins in alcohol, vanilla, lemon zest, touch of cinnamon. Little character but pleasant. The palate is a little more decisive, clearly sherried, with a pinch of pepper and nutmeg, but it is still subdued: hazelnuts, vanilla, raisins are present but rather ethereal, elusive. The wood in the background is very present, which binds the palate a bit. Medium long finish, of hazelnuts, nutmeg, wood. Compared to the basic version, it has just a little extra punch, but still remains in the area of harmless whiskeys, pleasant but without personality, and for what is called a special edition you should expect something more.

The nose is welcomed by the fleshiness of the barbecue with a massive salty and mineral splash, which soon let the sweetest soul of the whisky emerge, with blood orange, melon, licorice, cloves. Pappery bread. Tough but elegant, a sort of 007 with Daniel Craig. On the palate it is more delicate, peppery and very marine (fish crudity), with ferrous tones of grilled meat, like lamb chops. More blood orange, pine nuts, cocoa paste, licorice. Full-bodied but not energetic, very balanced, perhaps too much. Fairly long finish, of ash, sea, spices and orange. Probably the gradation has somewhat turned off the power of Lagavulin, which thanks to the sherry and the PX is perhaps too much affable for my tastes. Don't get me wrong, it is still an excellent drink, structured and rich, but I would have liked more bite.

Strong component of malt and cereals on the nose, accompanied by honey, peach in syrup, raisins, nutmeg, cinnamon, candied orange. Slight presence of wood in the background. Sherried notes rather common but enjoyable. The mouth is warm and spicy, with hazelnuts, citrus fruits, honey and butter biscuits. Pepper. Little evolution or complexity, simple and direct. Fairly short finish, nutmeg, pepper, orange peel. A whisky without frills, which offers a disengaged but pleasant drink, perfect for sharing. Even without having tried it, I think that the new version with the lowest grade has only to lose in comparison.

The aroma on the nose is predominantly vinous, decidedly Port: raisins, pecans, red fruits, orange peel. Malt in the form of butter biscuits is very present, over time it opens to hot scents of vanilla, caramel, a pinch of nutmeg and a herbaceous background, all harmonious and delicate. The mouth is rather dry and hot, with chilli and spices that overlay dark chocolate, ripe fruit (apricots, apples, red fruits), hazelnuts, candied orange and malt. Touch of anise and wood in the background. A precarious balance that holds. Medium length finish, of chili pepper, hazelnuts, orange peel, wood. On the razor's edge, you expect it to slop at any moment, but it doesn't happen. The contribution of Portuguese wine barrels is on the edge of invasiveness, well supported by the body of the whisky, but reaffirms how difficult this marriage remains.

The aroma on the nose is a little shy initially, you have to be patient and let it open up, revealing a distinctly sweet soul of plums, peach in syrup, cotton candy and caramel. The peat is marine and vegetable, with just a drizzle of smoke to caress it. Over time, the smokiness widens slightly, while remaining muted. On the palate things change, and after the lash of Taliskerian black pepper, the peat roars (or whatever the battle verse of the octopuses is) with the personality of a barbecue rib, accompanied by abundant salt and seaweed, grilled fruit skewers and a balsamic note. The body is supported by the sweet aspect on the nose, which frames the other aromas, maintaining the coherence of the two senses. In time, leather and wood also come in the background. Rather long finish, of chili pepper, salt, wood and a pinch of ash. It appears faint on the nose and then offers a flicker on the palate, different from the Talisker to which you are used, perhaps more pleasing, but still interesting. A variation on the theme that, given the price, is to be tasted.

Initially the nose shows a very caressing wax and wood soul, accompanied by sour cherry and pear. Clear presence of malt, together with leather, caramel and a touch of orange. A sweet profile diluted by a slightly rough side. In the mouth it is warm and enveloping, fruity (red fruits, peach, pear) and waxy, with still a strong presence of malt and wood. Orange zest, a light pinch of spices (cardamom, cinnamon), pistachios, all very harmonious and balanced. Pistachio, malt, wood and orange finish, which remains to fill the palate for a long time. Well balanced and harmonious flavors and aromas, where the bursting sweetness of the sherry is tamed by less accommodating tones without screeching and without clamor, succeeding where many have failed.

The smell, as expected, reveals the peaty and marine soul of the whisky, with barbecue smoke and salt. The smoke is actually quite light, leaving plenty of room for fruity notes with lemon zest and a spicy touch. The palate becomes more fleshy and hard, very ashy, with the marine soul to act as a counterpart together with citrus and cloves. Smoking tends to prevail, offering very little evolution. The finish is medium long, of used ashtray, salt and orange. Wanting to represent Islay, obviously, they chose the simplest and most direct route, with a whisky full of smoke and seaworthiness that pushes on the two most characteristic aspects without giving much else. On the other hand, for such an economic and at the same time "limited" edition, we could not have expected much more. Of course, at this point for the same price it is better to take one of the base malts of the blend...

Explosion of vanilla on the nose, from an alcohol-soaked dessert (like a cream baba or a malaga), drop of honey, raisins, cinnamon, candied orange. Alcohol does not give room in time, while always remaining tied to the pastry vocation of whisky. On the palate it is practically a cake distillate, even more than on the nose, oriented on the English soup with a massive presence of orange and vanilla cream, with alcohol that gives a light liveliness but without overdoing it. Linear in the aromas, without any significant variation, even letting it breathe. Medium length finish, with raisins, vanilla, hazelnut. This whisky evokes images from an English tea room, with upright ladies munching creamy desserts with silver forks, mulling over the latest news from the Royal Family. Rather simple and clean, does't present much evolution or complexity, it offers what it promises, a pleasant drink and nothing more.

The nose is very fragrant, without the slightest presence of alcohol. Strong presence of sweet malt, like McVitie's biscuits, with a vein of aniseed candies, caramelised cane sugar, lemon zest, peach and freshly cut grass. Above all, there is a gust of peaty smoke coming from the sea. Particular and inviting. And the spices are very present on the palate, driven by the more accentuated smokiness, with the right alcohol content that warms the spirits. Anise and black pepper accompany the peach in syrup spread on the malt biscuit, with a mixture of seaweed and smoked sardines. The evolution and the stratification in the mouth are irrepressible, the aromas intersect and pass the hand continuously, following a well orchestrated score. Very long finish, of peach, peat, salt, malt, wood... it never ends! In this whisky, sweet and salt are harmonious and supported by the peat, herbaceous and smoky, with the spices acting as a musical counterpoint, a strange, funny, lively and passionate drink. And it's only 10 years old...