ABV: 40 %
Origin: Speyside
Type: Single Malt
Bottles in collection: 0
Emptied bottles: 1
Impression: 2/5

Tasting notes
Nose: This is sweet and fruity. At first there’s a very spirity layer on top and it’s quite unpleasant from the get-go. Underneath lies a mix of honey, vanilla, green apples and a hint of vinegar. A hint of liquorice is also present. It almost comes through as a blended whisky. The whole becomes sweeter over time and there’s a butterscotch sweetness in the center. The spirity note resides over time and the fruitiness becomes less sharp. This is not the greatest nose. It feels cheap and spirity.

Mouth: It starts out with a very harsh spirity layer and it still feels like a cheap blend. There’s a bitterness in the back and a bland butterscotch in the center. The apples are more like baked red apples now and there’s a nice but unfitting layer of violets on top. The honey is still in there as well but nothing really helps it to shy away from the harshness of it all. A hint of lemon and ginger can be found, as well as heather, malt and a thin veil of tobacco.

Finish: The transition doubles down on the harsh spirity note. It still feels like a blend and the butterscotch notes do stay for a second or two before everything dies down. In this case that’s a good thing. It feels quite metallic in the mouth at this point. The oakiness is left to fend for itself and it’s a decent oakiness with a nutty side to it. The late finish is the best part of the journey. This is a weird whisky and it’s not a great one. It’s harsh and spirity while trying to be a easy accessible fruity speysider.

Additional information
This whisky was aged for in ex-bourbon barrels and ex-sherry casks. This is the standard core range version.

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