I don’t often make mention of the eye of a whisky, but I feel I have to say this one is exceptionally light, like a moscato, and obviously contains no added coloring. A lively nose, even spiky and a little funky. Clean vegetal peat, wet hay, cool smoke, vanilla, mineral oil, pungent white flowers, blonde wood, a hint of lemon and plenty of alcohol. Sharper on the tongue, in fact it starts out downright prickly. Once the hot pepper subsides, sweet apple, buttery vanilla fudge, peat and wet slate emerge. The body is on the thin side, but the mouthfeel is satisfactory. In the glass, this whisky runs rather quickly, leaving a broken skirt with holes in its wake. However, it gets its act together just above the liquid’s surface forming a nice uniform ring of heavy droplets. The finish is short, semidry and slightly bitter. There’s plenty of soot, seaweed, a little walnut, more slate, and the slightest lingering sweetness akin to golden syrup.
Nose: 8
Taste: 8
Body: 7
Finish: 8