“Diageo Special Releases 2021” tasting at The Oak Barrel, Sydney, 22 June 2022. Whisky #2 Nose: Stewed stone fruits (apricot, nectarine), vanilla, butterscotch, roasted nuts. It's distinctly a fruity/floral nose but a heavier, darker type than you usually encounter on whisky, and features jonquil, freesias and frangipani against a grassy background. Adding water unleashes a huge honeysuckle note that, with a short rest in the glass, first turns to caramel and then later to molasses. Palate: Sweet, full arrival. Very nutty and buttery with macadamias, hazelnuts and chestnuts all at full volume. The texture is creamy and there is a dry woody presence, but it is not astringent, and a pleasantly sour/salt note like vanilla and salted caramel yoghurt. Very approachable whisky when neat. There is a hint of peppery spice and adding water turns this up to full volume. Finish: Medium. Fruity, but with a savoury character like fruit chutney. The aftertaste is a lighter fruity sweetness and a little pepper. The nose and palate are quite distinct on this whisky, the nose being all about floral fruits while the palate concentrates on buttery, nutty flavours and there is very little crossover between aroma and taste, even once you have had several sips. The alcohol is excellently contained, and this whisky is very approachable when neat. In fact, it is surprisingly mild and you would never suspect it is 57.5% abv. I thought it was at its best this way as water diminishes the interesting profile and pulls out a much hotter, drier aspect of the palate, so I’d strongly recommend taking this neat. This is one of the most expensive whiskies in the 2021 special release lineup and although it’s a good whisky I didn’t think it was worth the money. I would maybe pay half that much, but no more. Like the 1st whisky on the card this received 0 votes for best whisky of the night. “Good” : 84/100 (3.75 stars)