Amrut Spectrum 004

Great stuff with notes of caramel, chocolate, raisins, peppery spices, and whisps of smoke.

Amazingly dark and rich. An incredible 96

Oh my god, this has got to be one of the most complex whiskies I’ve ever tasted. It was incredibly hard to pin down any one flavor profile, yet strangely, it all seems to work in unison together. First of all, this is incredibly rare...about 1800 bottles in total produced, so I’m that much more thankful to @Richard-ModernDrinking for this sample...thanks Richard. The color is the first thing I noted...it’s like a bourbon, deep mahogany. Nose is a bit strange...a bit woody. But where it really shines is the palette. Now the whirlwind of flavors begin. A cask made of 4 different woods, you’d expect either an unholy mess, or a masterpiece. No middle ground. Fortunately, this is the latter. I’m not sure this is still available, but if it is, it’s a definite buy. Unique, ingenious, and pushing the envelope in creativity.

Really interesting dram. Cinnamon, spice pepper cardamon. 4.25. Sold out in no time in the Dramfest `18 session. I tried it a couple of days prior in my favourite bar ever :-).

Strong flavor that reminds me of dates (the fruit). Dark, great mouth feel. Wish I could drink it again.

Nose - (w/o water) Sharp dark dried stone fruity sweet, chocolate covered orange zest, grilled pineapple, cognac, leather, dark raisins. (w/ water) Less bite, the dark dried stone fruits is still present but more rounded out. Taste - (w/o water) Hot hot white pepper heat, smoked sea salt dark caramel, caramelized figs, dark raisins, light fruity char, leather, sweet tobacco, faint hint of meaty smoke on back end, savory sweet smoked meat (w/ water) Heat tamed down while preserving all of the flavors, sweetness is tamed a bit. Finish - (w/o water) Lingering smoky meaty dark dried stone fruit savory meaty sweet, brine, grilled pineapple char, fading white pepper heat, leather, dark chocolate (w/ water) Less heat, leather disappears, more milk than dark chocolate. Score - 92/100 Final Thoughts - This is a very interesting dram for sure. The hybrid/monster of Frankenstein barrel really does wonders for the tropical spirit. On the nose, you get a blast of sharp sweets and it continues onto the palate. It could be me but it tastes like there's a very very small percentage of peated malt in this one in that I get this smoky savory sweet meat only on the palate. Like the previous Amrut malts that I've tried, it's a bit hot but a tiny bit of water really softens & opens it up nicely. Nice charred tropical fruit throughout with a good balance of sweet sherry influence. Not exactly an everyday drinker, but definitely a nice complex dessert dram for sure.