Cedar Ridge The QuintEssential American Single Malt

Nose: Red fruits, strong apple, with a soft sweetness and hints of orange Palette: Strong apple and apricot with a white pepper punch and some herbal flavors Finish: Moderate finish with a nice warming feel with some berry sweetness

Nose: Rich red fruit, cereal grain, lemon curd, cinnamon Taste: malt forward, with notes of peppery red fruit and pine Finish: moderate to long, the bitterness of the red fruit and sharp black pepper linger

Batch 12: An orchard on the nose, mainly apples and plums, some nuts, with a bit of grass. The palate gives oak with a background of fruit and faint sweetness, transitioning to pepper. The pepper slowly fades, along with the fruit, for a long finish. This Distillery gets the vatting and solera casking just right. other than perhaps providing some nuttiness on the nose, I don't detect the peat (from one-half of the distillate).