Paul John Peated Select Cask Single Malt

Smoke, olive oil, and salty sea air.

Smoky, vanilla, spicy,

Peat, tropical fruits, peanut oil and honey. Well done India.

Ah, yes, my favorite single malt from Gao, India. I’ve just worked my way through my second bottle of this expressive whisky. This has become a go-to when I want every tastebud overwhelmed. To anthropomorphize this whisky is to evoke someone fantastically gay, like Liberace. Untraditional; unmistakable; undeniably fabulous. I suppose the only problem is only a problem if you’re a weird whisky reviewer or enthusiast such as myself. Sometimes we render the criticism that a bottle tastes great on its own, but side-by-side with another similar whisky, and the flaws show. That really shouldn’t be valid criticism because you should just stop having this whisky side-by-side with other whiskies and enjoy this for what it is. But, side-by-side with a similarly bold and similarly priced Ardbeg Uigeadail, or even the cheaper and more muted Amrut Fusion, this Paul John Peated Select Cask just doesn’t seem composed, and even a little schizoaffective. Like, really, if they put coloring in this whisky, it shouldn’t be E150a; it should be Skittles. This whisky just has all the flavors all the time. Hickory sweetness, fruity, salty, savory, and so much exotic spiciness. The illusion of terroir overtakes me, and I just want to make shit up about how they peated the barley in a tandoor, and that’s how you get the tandoori chicken note. I am probably going to buy a third bottle of this at some point so I can have extravagant madness in a glass whenever I am in the mood again. Score: * (unforgettably good) How much does a bottle cost?: $80-100 How much do I think a bottle is worth?: $90

(Good Spirits Co. Glasgow – Virtual ‘Peat in the wrong place’ Whisky Tasting, 20 August 2021). Nose: Strong alcohol (burns the nose!). Earthy, peathy, saline, nutty, woody Palate: Barley sugar/boiled sweets, orange peel, 'hot', caramel, citrus. A strange sour milk note. Finish: Medium long finish. Peat, saccharin sweet, a little sickly. Sulfur and mineral. Malt sourced in India Peat sourced from Scotland This concentrated dram takes all of the worst elements of a young sweet Scottish whisky and adds a layer of fake sweetness and a 'baby sick' sourness. Pretty unpleasant. Came joint second out of the six drams, with 19% of the final vote for favourite of the night. 76% of those present said they enjoyed the whisky.

Peat peat and more peat. Hot much more drinkable diluted