ABV: 43 %
Origin: Islay
Type: Single Malt
Bottles in collection: 0
Emptied bottles: 0
Impression: 3/5

Tasting notes
Nose: This is sweet and peaty. At first there’s a sooty peat with a fresher hay note within. The whole feels dry and mineral rich at first. When the peatiness settles there’s room for a honey sweetness and just a hint of marzipan and sponge cake underneath. An apple and pear fruitiness is in there as well as orange marmelade. There’s a ginger note floating around as well. Everything is quite laid back and mellow. This is a very nice nose. It feels a bit younger than the stated age though.

Mouth: It starts out with a mix of ginger and peat and it’s quite spicy even though it has low ABV. It’s lemon peel in the back, mineraly peat on the edges and a slightly spirity, aromatic and very sweet center with honey and vanilla. It feels way younger than its age at this point. There is some old oak notes floating around and there’s a hint of cooking spices attached to it, but at this point this isn’t the greatest experience. It feels pointy and unbalanced and nothing feels like it’s sitting in the right place. There’s a savory note arriving in the back for those who wait.

Finish: The transition is a continuation of the existing spicyness and the old oak, which is now increasing in intensity. It’s finally really showing its age with a lot of dusty oak notes and a hint of leather. The peat is still residing at the edges and never really feels like a part of the whole. The sweetness fades quickly and the late finish is all about a nice old bookcase and some lemon peel notes. This is a good whisky, but it really doesn’t deliver as a high end expensive islay whisky should. It’s all over the place, and it lacks power and complexity.

Additional information
This core range was aged for mostly in ex-bourbon barrels with some ex-sherry casks added as well.

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