Method and Madness Single Grain Finished in Virgin Spanish Oak Casks

Dry Hay Menthol Butterscotch Vanilla Clove Pineapple Grapefruit

Heavy vanilla and treacle nose. A big bang of liquorice and cooking apples on arrival. Unashamedly sweet and dessert, with some subtle spice on the finish. If you like very sweet whiskeys, this will be a delight. If you don't you'll want to avoid this!

Sweet front end and a nice smooth finish; nice!

Nose: Oak, vanilla, something crisply floral (lemon peel?) and a resinous note (pencil shavings). The nose is completely dominated by the barrels. Palate: A rather spirity arrival with some bitter oak and grapefruit, but there is a little sweetness as well. There are also buttery notes but these are accompanied by an acidic quality like sour citrus peel. The texture is silky but modulated by sharp tannic notes. Finish: Medium. Hot spiciness that eventually trails off into a subtle, sweet minty aftertaste. This whisky is unusual compared to most single grains. Typically the better ones (particularly Scottish single grain) are matured for a long time in first-fill bourbon barrels and wind up with a buttery, toasty vanilla profile. This is completely alien to that, instead featuring brisk, almost harsh and spiky European oak tannin which gives it a woody and citric character. It's like a barrel full of bitter grapefruit. This makes it an interesting whiskey but it's not one you easily love. The Single Malt and Single Pot Still expressions I've tasted from this producer have been very good and instantly approachable for any whiskey enthusiast, but this one is brittle and more of a challenge. The nose is unremittingly woody in character and although some supporting aromas arise over time it is steadfast in its acerbic oakiness. It takes forever to open up and demands time and patience. I'll be interested to see if it mellows a little once there is some air in the bottle. The palate is similarly cantankerous with a bitter/sour quality coming from some highly active oak tannin. Well, yes, it IS aged in virgin Spanish oak so what do you expect, but I can't help but wonder if this was such a terrific experiment. A touch more refill bourbon softness would not have gone astray. As I said, an interesting whiskey, but certainly not one I'd recommend to a novice (N.B. the official Distiller notes are from an experienced critic and novices should be wary - this is not as approachable as it might seem from the description). You need time, patience and experience to really enjoy this. I'm not disappointed in it and I'm looking forward to the journey of exploring it as it oxidises, but if the choice was between this and the chestnut-barrel finished single pot still expression I'd choose the latter any time, even if it was twice the price, and as much as it is an "interesting" whisky there is no way I'd ever buy a second bottle of this. "Good (but not easy)" : 83/100 (3.5 stars)

Quick hit review #2: I wasn't expecting much from this and though it didn't blow me away amazingly it came first of all the drams I tried even though it was the cheapest. Well balanced and flavoured.