A malty nose, semisweet with some slight earthiness to it. I detect a hint of sea air, honied barley, some dried apple chips, grassy vetiver, a little vanilla bean, charred cedar wood with an elusive note of peat, a dash of allspice, and even a little sandalwood incense. Sweet to the tongue initially, light barley syrup, almost caramel, then pink peppercorns, a little cayenne, some oak, a drop of iodine, and a bitter citrus tang like Seville orange. More peat is present in the palate as well, a cool ashy peat with a wet mineral note calling to mind a stone wall covered in moss. The body isn’t bad, but definitely on the thin side. Few if any legs present in the glass as the whisky falls without tears like a line graph, leaving behind island chains of tiny droplets. The finish is mild, dry, and long with oiled cedar wood, and a little black tea dominating any lingering sweetness from the malt, and faint white raisins, possibly even peaches, offset by just a bit of brine.
Nose: 9
Taste: 9
Body: 6
Finish: 8