Tastes

The smell is enveloped by a strong sherried personality, with a lot of cinnamon, cloves, lemon, ripe banana, honey, vanilla. Turf in the background, with a slightly shameless alcoholic tip. Simple and all in all anonymous. And alcohol remains cheeky even on the palate, boasting from the bottom of its 46%, with the amplified herbaceous profile that accompanies the nose impressions. Ripe fruit and vanilla, apples cooked with cinnamon, honey, a pinch of citrus and an impression of chocolate. In the end, it is the cinnamon that dominates the aromas, lashed by the invasiveness of alcohol, making everything rather monotonous. Fairly short finish, of (strangely!) cinnamon, alcohol, caramel, lemon.

On the nose there is a marked aroma of ancient wood, accompanied by vanilla, cloves and a remarkable component of nutmeg. Enveloping and warm, very pleasant. The cuddly warmth is also found on the palate, where the whisky flows softly with its marked vocation of spiced cake, adding cinnamon and salted butter. The alcohol content provides the right envelopment, well accompanied by the softness of the aromas, while the wood becomes an elegant suggestion. Shortbread in the background. Medium / long finish, with spices, vanilla and salted butter.

Peaty bacon spreads clearly even from a distance, by bringing the nose closer the aromas are enriched with burnt tires, dirt, a tonic medicinal note embraced by the ocean (disinfectant type diluted in sea water, excellent for fumigations). On the background, cloves, pear, cereals. It is a rough nose, in some ways not very balanced, where peat tends to prevail leaving little room for evolution, but for those who love the genre it is inviting in its own way. In the mouth, alcohol stings perhaps more than it should, but in some way it accords with the abrupt character of the whisky. Obviously peat, with a clear herbaceous and earthy profile while maintaining its fleshy soul, like a bacon wrapped in tufts of grass and breaded with dirt, very "dirty" and agricultural. Strands of smoke are added (the breaded bacon has been roasted), scorched biscuits, vanilla cream, pear and cloves, medicinal notes ended up on the background. A mix of youth and farmer's soul, if he could speak the first word would certainly be a very colorful curse. Quite long finish, of ash, grass, bacon and cereals.

The nose immediately is reached by an alcoholic scent, like a disinfectant (definitely not Laphroaig's medicine), accompanied by glue (!) and a bitter undertone. To insist with not a little courage, you can perceive a sweet base creaminess. Not very inviting, but on the other hand it is designed for cocktails, or to be submerged in ice if drunk alone... On the palate, alcohol immediately arrives (and it's 40%!), quickly vanishing to leave room for cardboard (I swear!) and still a very clear bitter profile, almost formaldehyde. It looks like a chemical, solvent type: not so strong, obviously, but those are the sensations. The flavor has a very short life, unfortunately it takes more sips to be able to focus it... but there is a limit to how much I can sacrifice myself, so trust what is written above. The finish is dry, bitter, sticky and fortunately short.

The marine salinity is predominant on the nose, a very pleasant scent of ocean that envelops the other aromas: peat, ça va sans dire, just a bit smoky, red fruit, a hint of vanilla and pepper. And bread, that scent of leavened bread that betrays a bit its youth. The ocean remains very present on the palate, accentuated salinity that accompanies hot, fleshy peat, more humid than burnt, together with sweet and fruity aromas (even dried fruit), still bread (and biscuits!) and a citrus trace: the assonances with the 16 years (inevitable to compare them) are there, but in this expression the marine part is very marked, with a greater sweetness. Even the highest gradation is felt, adding a touch of roughness. And, needless to say, the ocean remains present long after drinking, with a little astringency accompanied by a sweet fleshiness.

The smell is meaty, with tons of barbecue sauce, coupled with the sherried soul of sultanas, toasted hazelnuts, cinnamon and marzipan. Tough, but balanced. The wood is felt on the tongue, while the palate is enveloped by the oily fumes of barbecue and embers, without missing the sweetest component of cinnamon and toasted dried fruit, a touch of licorice and, on the length, a clear marine component, with the salinity that balances the marriage of peat and sherry. Definitely and proudly Islay, does it really matter from which distillery? The finish is of salt (a lot), barbecue sauce and light astringency.

Peat well present in the nose, without being pungent but rather sweet and soft. Vanilla, yellow fruit and prunes blend well with the smokiness, with a very pleasant profile. There is also a certain biscuitiness, a sign of youth. Despite having a not indifferent strength (45ppm), the peat remains gentle on the palate, perhaps a little disturbed by the alcohol present more than necessary (this whisky must be really young). A lot of plum and ripe fruit, anise, spices, a pinch of pepper. A lively and cheerful profile, where peat is more of a glue than a master, which you wouldn't expect given the chosen name. It improves by letting it breathe, with the alcohol retracting and having the peat emerge more, even if it remains a little marked profile. Not very long finish, of ash and spices.

The nose is overpowered by alcohol, the one you use for cleaning, which tries to hide a non-so-bad aroma of amaretto, dried fruit and rusks. But everything is very crushed and lashed by this synthetic and annoying presence, which in the end prevails and cancels any good intention. Pity. Luckily, on the palate alcohol gets a little aside, bringing out vanilla, still amaretto, dried fruit and candied orange. All very sweet and also difficult to discern, in a profile that is (and wants to be, that's clear) superficial and drinkable. Moreover, even when drunk, the alcoholic irritability of the nose infiltrates the already precarious balance of taste. Very short, evanescent finish, an imprint of sweet alcohol like a cheap cake.

On the nose a lot of cereal, vanilla, caramel and a hint of dried fruit, with a clear acidulous note that disappears with a little patience: overall sweet, but not really pleasant. In the mouth things improve, the biscuit and sweet profile remains, softer than the smell, always accompanied by dried fruit and vanilla with an addition of plums and honey, together with a certain dryness on the background. Simple, linear, clean. The finish is short, dry, with plums and dried fruit, vaguely acidic like the initial smell.

The smell is invaded by the liqueur sherry, with a background of licorice and rhubarb. Dried figs, raisins, milk chocolate... the nose sinks into a sea of elegant sweetness, full-bodied and structured. In the long run, it gives off a persuasive aroma of wood. And it is precisely the wood that makes itself felt first on the palate, leaving a trail as it flows over the tongue, almost immediately dominated by the sherried and vinous notes, always with a hint of rhubarb to soften its sweetness. Chili and almonds are added to the company, with the chocolate going dark, and still dried fruit. A touch of amaretto and cinnamon. Far from a simple drink, the tasting deserves time and attention to grasp its nuances, it is certainly not what is called a daily dram. The finish is not very long, made of wood, spices, dried fruit.