Tastes

Nose: Butterscotch, vanilla, candle wax, apple peel, spring flowers Taste: Bright, citrus floral and underripe melon. Fades into a youthful, wax-coated apple peel with hints of spicy cinnamon and a bit of salt. Leaves an aftertaste of a dry white wine. Thin to medium body. Finish is lengthy and spirity. Very elegant. It is similar to Clynelish except for being more youthful and bitey. Very good. I overpaid a bit for this one, but it's a good, young single malt. Added points for natural color and no chill filtration.

Nose: Citrus peel, oak, vanilla, honey, smoke Palate: An earthy and malty arrival. Hints of citrus play in the background with vanilla and honey. Earthy funk and warm spiciness open up with a cozy, intense warmth in the mouth. Heavy medicinal, earthy peat transforms the spicy sweetness into a rounded, extremely long, and deep finish with a flavor of ignited pine needles. The mouthfeel is dense and oily. Let it sit for a bit more vegetalness and saltiness. Fantastic. Just the right amount of ethanol is present at 46%. Non-chill filtered and natural color make it that much better. Great job Tobermory!

Nose: Sweet green apples, pine, and a hint of pepper. Taste: A sweet malty complexity takes hold of the initial taste with vanilla, lavender, and a bit of light green apple immediately taking over. This transitions into a black pepper spice and a fade into light, sweet oak with a hint of juniper and spearmint. The ethanol doesn't appear to have been tamed very well. This spirit is very thin and very light. The finish is long, but a bit astringent and bitter. Notes: I prefer the heavier, bolder flavors in scotch, but that is not necessarily what I look for in a Speyside. I'm not in love with the lack of tamed ethanol, but the price, complexity, and integrity are high compared to some of the single malts coming out of this region. This is non chill-filtered and natural color at 46%. This is by far my favorite Speyside so far, and I would recommend this as a Scotch to convert a gin lover.

Nose: Sweet, floral honey with vanilla, bitter orange peel, peaches, and a hint of grass. Taste with 5 ml of water: A complex floral honey sweetness hits immediately. The mid-palate transitions from sweet to bitter lemon peel and cinnamon spice. The whisky then finishes out on a warm white pepper spice with bitter vanilla, spearmint, a hint of clean smoke, and a bit of salt. Notes: The finish draws on for a very long time compared to other Scotches I have had, and the ethanol is well integrated. This reminds me of Deanston 12yr with a reduction in sweet complexity and an increase in wood presence as well as some sea salt. It is very well balanced, and the finish is amazingly long. This is a very elegant integrity malt, and I look forward to trying this in a Sauternes cask as it will likely be amazing given the base malt profile. This is natural color and non chill-filtered at 46%.

Nose: Earthy with winey notes similar to a sauvignon blanc. There are also components of beeswax and pear. Taste: Honeydew, peaches, lemon peel, and sweet oatmeal are present initially. The mid-palate yields a bit of spicy cinnamon and some bitter oak along with a hint of spearmint. There is a mild but complex musty note of peat present as well. The finish is very briny with a mild floral spice note, and it brings a large amount of the components from the entire profile together. Notes: The transition from the initial profile to the mid-palate is a bit dramatic, but the fact that the finish marries these two profiles together makes this a positive for me. There is a large amount of complexity present here with no component taking over. This bottle is great. I do worry that the price will get out of hand very soon though, and it already has many places.

Nose: Lemon and Menthol with a touch of grainy sweetness. A hint of spicy oak sits in the background. Taste: Overwhelming notes of banana cream pie and overripe peaches come forward. These notes fade into a sweet maltiness with figs and a deep earthiness. The whiskey finishes with a hit of ethanol, bitter oak, and white pepper. This finish is a bit metallic, very dry, and has a lingering herbal spice. A spoonful of water opens up the malty notes while subduing the fruit notes. Fantastic for the price. It reminds me a lot of some highland single malt scotches, but it is distinctly Irish in mouthfeel and finish.

Nose: Bitter Lemon Peel, Honey, White Pepper, Caramel, Apricots, Baked Blackberries Taste: Spicy ginger component and a large amount of maltiness on the arrival. There are faint notes of apricots and plums hiding behind a salty and grassy mid-palate. The whisky closes with moderate rubbery peat. The finish fades out over the course of a minute. The mouthfeel is perfect for this style of whisky. Taste with 2ml of water and 12 minutes: The plum and apricot notes come out more prominently and round out the fast evolution of flavors. A sea salt dark chocolate comes into play on the mid-palate. The finish has become more like ashy smoke than rubbery peat. Very complex and well rounded at the same time. This reminds me of components of Deanston 12 combined with a young sherried Islay. This bottle is also non-chill filtered and natural color at 46% ABV. As the whisky sits in the glass, it transitions from an ex-bourbon profile to an ex-sherry profile. It almost feels like I get to experience two bottles for the price of one. Fantastic.

I purchased this after it was recommended by some reviewers I watch. 46.3%, 12 years old, Highland, Integrity Bottling Nose: Honey, Apricot, Grass, Lavender, Orange Peel, Ethanol Taste after 2ml water, 15 Minutes: Mouthfeel is moderately oily, somewhat heavy, and has little to no prominent sweetness. The taste starts with a hint of honey, lavender, and peaches. The mid-palate transitions into grass and burned orange peel. The whiskey has a long, white pepper finish with a hint of dry smoke. The finish is long and becomes slightly tannic near the end. There also seems to be a small amount of salt in the background. The addition of 3ml more of water brings out a very hearty, malty character to the mid-palate. This has been the first Highland single malt that has really wowed me by taking that standard honey profile and adding a large amount of complexity to it. I think the distillery keeping this integrity saves it. Give this whiskey some time in the glass. I've found that 30 minutes really opens it up and allows it to evolve over time in the glass. I don't enjoy this as much as something like Tailsker 10 or even some 50%+ ABV American bourbons, but it does hold its spot for an Ex-bourbon cask Highland. This should not be rated a 79. It's punching at above an 85 at minimum. I'll give them break since I've heard this offering has improved drastically since 2017 though.

Nose: Small hints of hay and red apples with a large amount of ethanol and a suggestion of overripe pineapple. Taste: Very bland with a lack of distinct flavors. Extremely thin. Slightly sweet entry with a hay mid-palate. Bitter apple peel and ethanol lie on the very short finish with a suggestion of pepper. Taste with 5ml water: Ethanol is reduced on the finish and pepper lingers longer with a distinct maltiness. Not much has changed here. This is effectively Jameson with a red apple peel dropped in it. Not impressed with this compared to what I've had before even at price points below this one. The thin mouthfeel and lack of ABV are really hurting here. This should not be $40 per bottle on the shelf. The taste hints at over-used casks and a lack of cask influence. Try a Tomatin 12 for more complexity, mouthfeel, and funkiness for $30. Try Highland Park 12 for a peated, more fulfilling experience for $45.