Limeburners Directors Cut Peated Port Cask (M337)

Nose (neat): Resinous wood, tobacco, raisins, figs, cloves, nutmeg. There is a very strong alcohol “nip” on the neat nose that intrudes on the nosing experience and prevents access to the more subtle aromas. Unfortunately one of these is the peat smoke which is very fragrant but subtle. The more this rests in the glass and the initial alcohol vapours dissipate the more smoke you notice and the less the wood notes intrude. Nose (reduced): The oak cask and smoke aromas blend to perfection once a dash of water is added. The rest of the nose is also softened a touch, gains golden syrup aromas and the final result is not unlike Glenfarclas 105. Huh, who knew? Palate (neat): The arrival is hot and huge with the 61% alcohol ransacking the palate. The heat does, however, fade fairly quickly into a development of semi-sweet dark fruits, spices and Christmas cake flavours (cherries, figs, dates, currants, treacle, dark sugars, walnuts, almonds, nutmeg, cinnamon). The texture is oily (this has mammoth legs when swirled) but on the mouth it is a little thin. Curious. Palate (reduced): As with the nose, a dash of water works miracles on the palate by melding everything together, reducing the alcohol hit and revealing more sweetness. It was not until I added water that I actually tasted smoke. Finish: Medium/Short. Treacle, dark fruit and a little smoke fading to a spicy aftertaste. Water lengthens the finish and leaves a trace of smoke as the final taste. This is the third of my three recently acquired tasting samples of high-strength Limeburners whiskies and once again there is that presence of resinous wood, but in this expression it is less intrusive as it melds with the peat smoke. Like with their Port Cask expression this whisky did not really wake up and perform until it was reduced, and I guess I reduced it to about 45% before it was dialed in to my taste. At that stage it is very good and the best Limeburners expression I have tasted. Looking back over old tasting notes (not recorded on Distiller) my previous favourite Limeburners was also a Peated Director’s Cut expression so there is clearly a pattern. What I’m taking away from these three recent tastings is that Limeburners is a rather average and simple whisky that shows a lot of youth, except when it is bottled at high strength and peated. In that context smoke combines with the house profile of youthful woodyness and reduction works wonders by releasing sugars and complexity. I’d note, however, that even this expression is still a rather simple dram and as tasty as it is, complexity is not a hallmark of Limeburners whisky. This is also expensive for what it is and I would never contemplate buying a bottle, but I’m pleased to have had a chance to try a sample, get to grips with the distillery style, and figure out exactly what it was that attracted me to the Director’s Cut expression I had several years ago at a show tasting. When tasted neat I was going to give this whisky 84/100 but after adding a dash of water that rating is going up to 85. “Very Good” : 85/100 (4 stars)