Reviews

Simple, light. Slightly herbal. Not much there there, but what’s there isn’t bad.

Nose: First impressions are of baking spice and alcohol for a slightly medicinal effect. Citrus notes and herbs emerge for a kitchen’s worth of aromas. The flavors match the nose, for a hearty and delicious dram that fits well within the Ragged Brach family. The body is light, the finish is mostly long, with a pleasant burnt treacle echo. Water enhances the citrus on the nose reveals a shy and soft butter note. However water is easily overdone. Too much does not help the flavor, making for a rather unpleasant one-dimensionality. This one is best sipped neat or with the just a drop or two.

Sweet bourbon caramel nose. Some butter. Flavor is simple and sweet. Alcohol is a strong presence for such a low-proof whiskey. This could use more time in the barrel to develop some complexity. It’s not bad at all. Tasty even, but not a wower like Penelope Toasted Rye.

This is a souvenir blend by Longmore House. Deep, dark floral tones. Violets. Aftershave. Tasty, but not particularly interesting beyong a rather two-dimensional foral thing.

This is a souvenir blend by Longmore House. Violets and fresh hay on the nose. Some creme brulee underneath. Creamy mouthfeel. Not much to distinguish the flavor, beyond a rather rich cereal/alcohol. Water opens the nose to a vague orange aroma.

This is a souvenir blend by Longmore House. Noses clean cereal grain with some receding green notes. Some sharp citrus, perhaps bitter orange. Clean laundry. Furniture polish. Pleasant. More complexity of aromas than anticipated. Sweet caramel on the tongue. Palate is much less complex than the nose. Short finish. Grain spirits hide well. Not bad. Compares to an easy drinking single malt like Tamnavulin.

Color: white wine. Some viscosity with good legs. Nose is sweet smoke with a tickle from the high ABV. Flowers and cereal malt are bright and forward. Peat and fresh oak follow. Complex and rich. Faint whisps of sulphurous bonfires. Some spice — ginger and pepper. Mouthfeel is rich and powerful. Some meaty flavors and oiliness. Finish is long and warming. Water opens the nose to hay and richer more complex peat on the tongue. Floral notes strengthen with time and appropriate dilution. I’m not normally a fan of floral notes in my whiskys, but here it works beautifully. The sweetness is big, but never cloying or syrupy. Some green vegetal flavors, perhaps stronger for the relative youth of this NAS dram. This is certainly one of the more complex whiskys I’ve tasted as I move towards 300. A slight receeding nuttiness begins to emerge. Any fruitiness is in the grapefruit vein. Some maritime brininess is a late arrival. Smoke is everpresent. Honey and candied fruits emerge as more water is added. This can take a great deal of water, and I recommend continuing to add it gradually as tasting progresses. There is something of a very fine pipe tobacco. Final thoughts: This is one of the most complex and interesting whiskys I have enjoyed. It gets top marks for that complexity and for being something different for an Islay, and depending on one’s tolerance for floral notes perhaps the finest that island has yet offered. As always YMMV.

The strongest note on the nose is alcohol, followed by a savoriness redolent of egg drop soup with some light caramel. The flavor mirrors the nose with strong alcohol predominating. This tastes younger than its 12 years and a bit stonger than its 46 percent. The finish is medium-long with some burnt custard.

Everything on the nose. Perfect. Honey. Vanilla. Saltwater taffy. Caramel. Toffee. A little seaweed. Flavor a bit muted by alcohol. Bitter and becoming moreso with water. Nose is outstanding but flavor is disappointingly bitter and burnt and one-dimensional.