Aerstone Land Cask 10 Year

Good intro to peat. For $30 its a decent everyday whiskey. Not much going on in either the palate or finish, but still enjoyable. Finish is surprisingly long (though not memorable) for the price point. Struggling with what to compare it to as it may be the cheapest single malt I have tried. Much better than Glenfiddich 12. On even ground with Costco's Kirkland 12 Year, which is slightly cheaper.

Nose: Soft autumnal peat smoke with woody and vanilla overtones. There is a maritime quality but it’s certainly not “medicinal” or iodine-tinged. Maybe it’s actually more of a farmyard quality. Hmm. Ok, it’s a creosote-soaked driftwood barbecue fire on a farm by the sea shore. Palate: Briny on the arrival, turning surprisingly sweet as it develops with vanilla and honey clearly noticeable. Light, smoky, but like the nose it’s not at all medicinal and totally unlike an Islay peat flavour. Fruit, barley-sugar, butterscotch and that same autumn-dusk tinged woody character. The texture is agreeably soft with just a touch of brine. Finish: Short. Soft, sweet fruity smoke that drifts off and quickly dissipates. I have to confess I was not expecting much from this whisky but it was surprisingly satisfying and enjoyable. It’s not a coastal smoky whisky at all – banish any thoughts of Islay, Mull or Skye from your mind. The most similar whisky I can think of would be Ardmore however this is from a lowland distillery (the official Distiller scope notes do not mention it, but this is from Ailsa Bay distillery, located at the Girvan plant in Ayrshire). This is a pleasant dram, but the official Distiller rating is far too high and the official tasting notes are absurd. It’s nothing earth-shattering - just an agreeably mild (in fact very mild) lower-shelf peated whisky. It good for the inexpensive price point and a good introduction to the style for novices. More experienced whisky enthusiasts should try a pour before buying as it may seem a little tame or even watery to them. Tasted from a 30ml sample (thank you @KT66) “Average” : 75/100 (2.5 stars)

Peaty, low sweetness