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Whiskies #474-477: The Scotch Malt Whisky Society World Whisky Day Showdown

May 20, 2017 by Whisky a Day Leave a Comment

Whiskies #474-477: The Scotch Malt Whisky Society World Whisky Day Showdown.

Happy World Whisky Day to you all! It’s certainly one of my favourite days on the whisky calendar…along with any Delivery Day when the whisky gods deliver their sweet nectar in the post. To celebrate this holiest of whisky days, I thought it best to crack out something fairly unique and a bit special. And what more aptly fits that description than a few bottlings from the Scotch Malt Whisky Society.

Single cask, cask strength independent bottlings…for those of you who haven’t sampled a SMWS whisky before, get on it! They really are brilliant. I’m not paid by them and don’t get any kickbacks to write nice things, I’m just a very happy paid-up member who thinks they’re doing some amazing stuff.

Anyway, I’m thirsty – let’s get into the booze!

Whisky #474: SMWS 54.34 Monkey’s Lunch. 9 year old Scotch Malt Whisky Society bottling from Aberlour distillery. Speyside, Scotland. ABV: 59.8%. Tasted at home, $165 (bottle).

Colour: Pale straw.

Nose: Fruit salad, soft lemon, passionfruit, strawberries and cream.

Palate: It’s a wave of creamy, lemony flavours…like biting into a lemon cheesecake.

Finish: Dried pineapple chunks that fade to a drying mouthfeel with white pepper and woody notes.

Comments: The finish is quite a contrast to the nose and palate, it’s a bit Jekyll and Hyde this one. Aberlour are one of my favourite distilleries so it’s great to try a whisky that’s quite different to their usual house style full of dried fruits and Christmas cake flavours. Cracking drop this one.

Whisky #475: SMWS 64.80 Fruit Punch Explosion. 9 year old Scotch Malt Whisky Society bottling from Mannochmore distillery. Speyside, Scotland. ABV: 58.2%. Tasted at home, $150 (bottle).

Colour: Sparkling honey.

Nose: Fruit covered pavlova. Now this is going to sound a bit odd – there’s some aromas like opening up a velvet lined wooden chess set. The kind where the board is hinged and folds in half so you can keep the pieces inside. My dad had one from when he was a young fella, I still remember the smell of it as I opened it to set up the pieces and have a few games with the old man when I was younger. The old bugger always beat me!

Palate: Fresh raw honey straight from the hive, served on a wooden stick…sweet and oaky.

Finish: Almost a few candied bacon flavours in the fade, like you’ve poured maple syrup over pancakes with crispy bacon on the side.

Comments: I love a whisky that triggers memories from long ago, whether they be from the aromas or the flavours. Stunning.

Whisky #476: SMWS 63.33 Rich,Treacly, and Sumptuous. 9 year old Scotch Malt Whisky Society bottling from Glentauchers distillery. Speyside, Scotland. ABV: . Tasted at home, $185 (bottle).

Colour: Bright toffee.

Nose: Golden syrup, treacle and freshly baked blueberry muffins. A slight nose prickle.

Palate: Buttery and lots more golden syrup. If I had to do a blind tasting and pick the distillery I would have said Glendronach. The SMWS title really has summed it up perfectly – it is incredibly rich, treacly and sumptuous.

Finish: Front of the palate gets all the fun – plenty of salted caramel. A long tingly finish, like crushing some brown sugar crystals against the roof of your mouth with your tongue.

Comments: As I sip this one I’m listening to Nina Simone singing “I Put a Spell On You”. Kind of like tasting cask strength whiskies when you’re doing healthy pours – by the time you get to the third whisky it’s starting to put a spell on you. But without a doubt, this is the standout whisky of the night. Amazing stuff.

Whisky #477: SMWS 42.25 A Beach Barnacle Banquet. 9 year old Scotch Malt Whisky Society bottling from Tobermory distillery. Isle of Mull, Scotland. ABV: 60.4%. Tasted at home, $165 (bottle).

Colour: Pale apple juice.

Nose: Salty; hessian sacks soaked in sea water.

Palate: Surprisingly smooth and sweet. Reminds me of grilled salmon nigiri, the one with some kind of glaze on it that they’ve smashed with a blow torch to give those amazing caramelised salmon flavours.

Finish: A long salty tang at the front of the palate, especially when you press your tongue up into the roof of your mouth.

Comments: A perfect conclusion to the Speyside sweetness we’ve had before. Great balance between salty, sweet and savoury.

There’s just something about the SMWS whiskies that makes me think of all kinds of foods and flavours. They’re always so vivid and take your mind and your tastebuds on a wild gastronomic journey. I’m not known for doing things by half measures (some of my friends would say I do things by double measure), but with whisky this good it’s probably not my penchant for smashed avocado and coffee that’s preventing me getting into this insane Sydney property market. Bugger it, I might just pour another dram of each of these…happy World Whisky Day!

Whisky #473: Bowmore Tempest Small Batch Release VI Cask Strength 10 Year Old Single Malt

May 19, 2017 by Whisky a Day Leave a Comment

Bowmore Tempest Small Batch Release VI Cask Strength 10 Year Old Single Malt. Islay, Scotland. ABV: 54.9%. Tasted at home, $95 (bottle).

Colour: Polished brass.

Nose: Pineapple chunks and lemon sponge cake. Unobtrusive, quite soft. I’m almost searching for some smoke because I know it’s a Bowmore, but it’s really not there.

Palate: Sweet caramelised smokey notes hit you immediately; think barbecued pineapple slices on top of some smokey bacon. The heat builds and flavours seem to come in waves. Then again, maybe that’s just my head throbbing from another battering at work all week.

Finish: Some astringent salty notes with a long, tangy finish as the flavours fade.

Comments: This is a real “Friday night after a shithouse week at work” kind of whisky, a no-nonsense kind of dram. And one with something for most palates – it’s got some smoke and heat, some sweetness and tropical fruit flavours. Most importantly though, it’s strong enough that one dram will take the edge off your shitty week nicely as you kick up your feet at home. Though two or three drams will do the job just that wee bit better…

I was pleasantly surprised by this one. I skeptically thought it may be a small batch release dreamt up by the Bowmore marketing department as an excuse to add another expression to the shelf. But it carves out its own niche among the Bowmore range.

Whisky #471: Berrys’ 2005 Single Malt From Bunnahabhain Distillery

May 5, 2017 by Whisky a Day Leave a Comment

Berrys’ 2005 Single Malt From Bunnahabhain Distillery (Drawn from Cask Ref. 9000058). Islay, Scotland. ABV: 56.9%. Tasted at Mjølner, $23.

Mjølner is a new Viking whisky bar here in Sydney.

Viking. Whisky. Bar. Absolute genius.

An awesome array of whiskies behind the bar and a great basement fitout, can’t wait to come back and pillage and plunder some more liquid gold.

Colour: Bright lustrous gold.

Nose: Soft smoke, honey on slightly burnt toast, creamy pink marshmallows.

Palate: Oaky, smoky and…oki dokey. A light burst of salted caramel down the middle of your tongue, then a gentle warmth that slowly builds in your mouth.

Finish: A long gentle smoky fade; dusty blueberry without the sweetness.

Comments: Bunnahabhain’s official distillery releases are typically unpeated, so a peated independent bottling from Berrys’ was worth a try.

It’s a nice whisky, but quite straightforward and gentle in all aspects – nose, palate and finish. Nothing too outlandish or bold; a little beige. I found myself searching for ways to describe it, looking for depth when it wasn’t there. The smokiness is the dominant flavour, but it’s not overpowering like some (typically younger) Islay whiskies.

Whisky #470: The Arran Malt Port Cask Finish Single Malt

April 17, 2017 by Whisky a Day Leave a Comment

The Arran Malt Port Cask Finish Single Malt. Isle of Arran, Scotland. ABV: 50%. Tasted at home, $99 (bottle).

Colour: Rose tinted copper. An awesome thing to admire, but we’re not here to stare at the damn whisky all night are we?

Nose: Orange jelly sweets. A few sweet woody notes…a hint of camphor, freshly varnished timber furniture.

Palate: Cherry chocolate, dark chocolate…maybe the Easter Bunny wasn’t too kind to me and I’m just craving more chocolate. Caramelised figs and soft oaky notes.

Finish: Some subtle fruity sweetness in the fade – think berry coulis; strawberries and cream.

Comments: If I’d done a blind tasting, I wouldn’t have picked it for an Arran malt. The pork cask has imbued some softer, creamy chocolate flavours, which contrast to the Arran house style which has some more tropical fruity and floral notes. These manifest themselves as the caramelised figs and sweeter berry notes on the palate and in the finish.

Fantastically drinkable, quite different to what we’ve come to expect from Arran but this is certainly a welcome variation. Cracking value too, very tempting to pick up another bottle!

Whisky #469: Compass Box The Spice Tree Blended Malt Scotch Whisky

April 2, 2017 by Whisky a Day Leave a Comment

Compass Box The Spice Tree Blended Malt Scotch Whisky. Scotland. ABV: 46%. Tasted at home, $80 (bottle).

A Sunday afternoon study session with a dram in hand…so I can legitimately say that I’m “studying” whisky! Following on from Friday’s Adelphi Glenborrodale 8 Year Old Blended Malt, I thought I’d continue the theme with another blended malt – the Compass Box The Spice Tree Blended Malt.

Colour: Golden honey.

Nose: It’s fresh and zesty, light and a little bit sweet. Makes me think of a lemon tart with icing sugar dusted on top.

Palate: Soft pepper and honey. Freshly toasted white bread. A touch of cinnamon.

Finish: A salty orange tang and fresh oaky notes. Medium length.

Comments: I should study more often. This was a great drop! Cracking value too.

A vatting of Highland single malts (principally Clynelish), the focus of The Spice Tree is on the maturation. The original Spice Tree release ran into some dramas with the Scotch Whisky Association, who didn’t approve of Compass Box’s unconventional approach to the oak they had used in the casks it was matured in. In this remake, Compass Box has taken a bit of a mixed bag of casks, but geez it works. From the rear label: “Primary maturation in a mix of first-fill and refill American oak. Secondary maturation in new-headed casks made of heavy-toasted new French oak from 195 year-old Vosges forests.”

It’s hard to describe, but for me this one just drinks more like a single malt. The Adelphi Glenborrodale seemed to have a few different dimensions, almost a split personality – though each of those personalities were a pleasure to get to know as they revealed themselves. Whereas the Compass Box The Spice Tree seems to have all the malts pulling in the same direction, in harmony with one another.

Whisky #468: Adelphi Glenborrodale 8 Year Old Blended Malt Scotch Whisky

March 31, 2017 by Whisky a Day 1 Comment

Adelphi Glenborrodale 8 Year Old Blended Malt Scotch Whisky (Batch 1). Scotland. ABV: 46%. Tasted at home, $152 (bottle).

A blended malt with an age statement…something a little different here.

Colour: It’s like licking a toffee with your eyeballs.

Nose: Rich blackcurrant jellies, freshly baked Anzac biscuits, liquorice, and an unexpected hint of earthy peat.

Palate: Blackcurrants again, but this time it’s blackcurrant jam on freshly toasted bread. Chocolate tart, the kind with the crumbly chocolate biscuit on the outside and then chocolate ganache on the inside. Maybe topped with some honeycomb and raspberries.

Finish: Caramel, chewy toffees, and a cool smokey finish…like some smoked biltong. Medium length.

Comments: For this batch of 1,226 bottles, Adelphi have put together a vatting in an ex sherry butt containing plenty of 8-year-old first-fill sherry from Glenrothes. The remaining single malts that make up this vatting are reportedly 14 years old, with their distilleries of origin being from all around Scotland.

The Adelphi Glenborrodale has a lot more character than your typical blend, which is not surprising given it’s a blended malt (a blend of single malts) rather than your typical blended whisky containing a blend of both single malt and single grain whisky (which tend to be slightly more mild in both flavour and mouthfeel). Sweeping generalisations, but worth mentioning for those readers who haven’t come across a blended malt before.

It’s an interesting drop, one that makes you really sit up and try to work out what the hell those familiar flavours are that you’re tasting and smelling. Enjoyable and a little different to many typical run of the mill whiskies. Certainly an interesting addition to the bar at Whisky a Day HQ.

Whisky #465: Glenfarclas Whisky & Wisdom 9 Year Old Single Cask

March 8, 2017 by Whisky a Day Leave a Comment

Glenfarclas Whisky & Wisdom 9 Year Old Single Cask. Speyside, Scotland. ABV: 60.5%. Tasted at home, $229 (bottle).

Now this is a special drop. Fellow Sydneysider, Andrew Derbidge – Director & Cellarmaster of The Scotch Malt Whisky Society in Australia, and also the man behind one of my favourite whisky blogs, “Whisky & Wisdom” – personally selected this cask for a special Whisky & Wisdom bottling. The man has some damn fine tastebuds, this one is a cracker!

Colour: Boiling caramel.

Nose: Dried cranberries, sultanas and a freshly opened block of dark chocolate. Leather-bound books and rich mahogany…must resist the urge to quote Ron Burgundy…

Palate: The intensity of the flavours is amazing; it’s rich without being overpowering. Strawberries and raspberries – rich and syrupy with a bit of tartness. Rich, creamy toffee with chocolate biscuits. The alcohol isn’t too much either, more a gentle wave of heat that builds along with the berry and some toasted oak notes.

Finish: A gentle warmth that slowly fades, drying woody notes too. Front of the tongue gets most of the joy.

Comments: This really is the kind of whisky you pour yourself when you get home after a tough day, slump into a comfy leather chair and put on some music to drown out the world. Don’t even think of talking to me, this whisky is taking me places. It’s so well balanced, smoother than it’s 60.7% ABV would suggest, and eminently drinkable. Bucketloads of flavour and subtle power, it really is one of those whiskies that has the ability to make the mind drift off and unwind. Which also made it a challenge to review, as I was enjoying it so much and just wanted to drift away with each sip.

I won’t hesitate to say this is one of my top 10 whiskies I’ve ever had, hands down.

Andrew selected this cask at the Glenfarclas Distillery. It must have been a tough job to taste all those contenders, but he eventually settled upon a 1st-fill European oak sherry butt that was distilled in 2007 and bottled as a 9 year old cask strength single malt in January 2016. If you want to hear more about how Andrew decided on this particular cask, check out the Whisky & Wisdom page.

Whisky #463: GlenDronach 2003 Single Cask (Oak Barrel Exclusive) 12 Year Old Single Malt

February 28, 2017 by Whisky a Day Leave a Comment

GlenDronach 2003 Single Cask (Oak Barrel Exclusive) 12 Year Old Single Malt (Cask No. 3492). Highlands, Scotland. ABV: 53.8%. Tasted at home, $179 (bottle).

What. A. Day. Is it just me or does anybody else like to reward themselves by splurging on a good bottle of whisky when you’ve gotten something over the line? For me, today was one of those days.

When I’m not reviewing copious amounts of whisky for Whisky a Day, in my day job I lead a team of human factors consultants. Today was the delivery of a huge report for a client, the culmination of the last 7 months’ work. Suffice to say, putting the feet up and celebrating with a full-flavoured cask strength dram was definitely the best way to unwind!

Colour: Molten copper.

Nose: Like shoving your nose into a big handful of sultanas or muscatels. Big juicy dried fruit aromas with some dusty dark chocolate cocoa notes too. The 53.8% ABV gives you a slight tug of the old nostril hairs to give you a nudge to prepare your tastebuds for what’s to come.

Palate: That sugary/salty tang of blackcurrant pastilles. Salted caramel and vanilla – it really takes me back to my childhood. No, I wasn’t smashing whisky when I was in primary school, it just instantly reminded me of chewing on some jersey caramel lollies at my grandparents’ place.

Finish: Slightly salty, oaky tang with some gentle heat that lingers at the front of the mouth.

Comments: Hand selected for The Oak Barrel, my go-to independent bottle shop in Sydney. 12 years in an Oloroso sherry puncheon. What a dram it’s got everything. And do I feel relaxed? It’s so good I’ve now had three drams and I’m feeling very unwound! Highly recommended.

Whisky #461: BenRiach 15 Year Old Tawny Port Finish Single Malt

February 25, 2017 by Whisky a Day Leave a Comment

BenRiach 15 Year Old Tawny Port Finish Single Malt. Speyside, Scotland. ABV: 46%. Tasted at home, $135 (bottle).

Heading out for a pre-dinner whisky, better warm up by having a whisky…

Colour: Polished copper.

Nose: Soft. Both in strength and aroma. Strawberry marshmallows; orange and poppyseed muffins.

Palate: Thin on the palate. Muted citrus notes – there’s candied orange and some dried orange peel. Sweet yet dry.

Finish: An oaky, salty tang in the fade.

Comments: Matured in ex bourbon barrels before being finished in tawny port hogsheads. It’s like the whisky is not quite sure what it wants to be – it’s a little sweet, yet salty too. It’s quite pleasant without scaling any tremendous heights. A perfectly acceptable warm-up dram!

Whisky #459: Glengoyne 12 Year Old Single Malt

February 19, 2017 by Whisky a Day Leave a Comment

Glengoyne 12 Year Old Single Malt. Highlands, Scotland. ABV: 43%. Tasted at home, $84 (bottle).

Colour: Hot like a sunrise, Rhonda.

Nose: A zesty nose prickle. Pineapple slices caramelising on a BBQ.

Palate: Like taking a bite into a lemon tart. It’s lemony, a bit sweet, with some biscuit notes.

Finish: Straw and malty notes; lemon frosting or lemon sherbet lollies. Quite a drying mouthfeel as it fades.

Comments: When life gives you lemons, have a Glengoyne 12 Year Old. It’s the dominant flavour, but done in so many ways and very subtle. It’s a great drop – fresh, zesty and very drinkable on a hot summer’s afternoon.

Whisky #457: Bowmore Darkest 15 Year Old Single Malt

February 11, 2017 by Whisky a Day Leave a Comment

Bowmore Darkest 15 Year Old Single Malt. Islay, Scotland. ABV: 43%. Tasted at home, $23 (100mL bottle split).

As you can see, I’m clearly a big fan of Bowmore…

Colour: Rusty and dirrrrty.

Nose: Dried muscatels and old varnished timber furniture. Like walking into your grandparents’ house. A bit more time in the glass and I’m getting Black Forest Cake – all rich chocolate and cherries.

Palate: It’s a smooth entry, then sweet rich salted caramel flavours – like sucking on a hard toffee. Dark chocolate and cocoa notes too. Not very peaty at all, which is a nice surprise.

Finish: Juicy rich fruit cake, then drying out in the fade with some more cocoa.

Comments: It’s been an absolute scorcher of a day here in Sydney today, eastern Australia has been going through a heatwave. Fan forced whisky is the only way tonight. It’s important to keep well hydrated in such extreme weather conditions…

It’s been so hot any drink in a glass has simply been evaporating. Particularly tasty drinks like this Bowmore Darkest. It’s a no nonsense whisky, packing plenty of flavour and a slightly different take on the typical Bowmore style for the entry level expressions. It would’ve been interesting if it was a slightly higher ABV and a bit more syrupy, but on a hot night like tonight it’s absolutely fine just as it is.

Whisky #454: Isle of Jura Diurachs’ Own 16 Year Old Single Malt

January 29, 2017 by Whisky a Day Leave a Comment

Isle of Jura Diurachs’ Own 16 Year Old Single Malt. Isle of Jura, Scotland. ABV: 40%. Tasted at home, $120 (bottle).

Colour: Rich copper.

Nose: Burnt toffee, savoury cereal notes too.

Palate: There’s some dried fruit here, think dried apricots. Not overly sweet, which is a nice point of difference to a lot of other sherry-influenced drams. At first it seems a bit thin flavour-wise, but with a few more swigs it gives off a few more juicy, jammy flavours. Sultanas and cigars, some tobacco heat too.

Finish: Oak, brown sugar and white pepper. It’s quite a dry tannic finish, medium length.

Comments: Of its 16 years’ maturation, the first 14 years was in first fill American white oak Bourbon casks, with the final two years spend in ex-Amoroso oloroso sherry casks. It’s not overly sherry influenced, just a few dried fruit flavours balanced out by some oakiness.

At first I wasn’t a huge fan of this one – it was ok, but not really one I gravitated to. Coming home from a long day at work there was always some other more exciting bottle in the collection to choose from. I remember it being a little underwhelming and dismissed it due to the low ABV of 40%. Perhaps some time in the bottle neglected at the front of the whisky shelf has mellowed this one into the quiet achiever. One that’s easy to drink, has some interesting flavours without being overly complex or demanding too much of your attention. The kind of whisky you can pour at the end of a day when the last thing you feel like is using your brain to think about anything other than kicking your feet up and relaxing.

Whisky #452: The MacPhail’s Collection 2002 Glenturret Single Malt

January 23, 2017 by Whisky a Day Leave a Comment

The MacPhail’s Collection 2002 Glenturret Single Malt. Highlands, Scotland . ABV: 43%. Tasted at home, $128 (bottle).

Colour: Pale bronze.

Nose: Freshly baked raspberry muffins. Some sweet oaky notes too, like sticking your nose into a Muscat barrel.

Palate: A sweet (think brown sugar), creamy and oaty flavour. It really reminds me of having a hot bowl of porridge on a cold winter morning, drizzled in milk that’s half dissolved the extra spoonfuls of brown sugar you’ve heaped on top when no-one is looking.

Finish: Some more of those delicious oak and dried fruit flavours in the fade; just think raisins and dried cranberries.

Comments: Silky smooth, this is a fantastic drop. It’s got stacks of flavour yet is so easy on the palate at only 43% ABV. Glenturret Distillery lays claim to being one of the oldest in Scotland (I’m not going near that debate with a barge pole, or maybe a caber) so it’s hardly surprising they know a thing or two about producing whisky. They’re not a huge producer having only the one pair of stills, but on the basis of this drop I think I’ll search out a few more Glenturrets.

Whisky #451: Craigellachie 13 Year Old Single Malt

January 19, 2017 by Whisky a Day Leave a Comment

Craigellachie 13 Year Old Single Malt. Speyside, Scotland. ABV: 46%. Tasted at home, $93 (bottle).

Seeing as my last review was a Craigellachie whisky bottled by the Scotch Malt Whisky Society (Whisky #450: SMWS 44.66 Summer-Fresh and Sweetly Attractive) – albeit a cask strength single cask release – I thought I’d compare it with one of Craigellachie malts.

Colour: Light gold.

Nose: Very light; you’ve really got to get your nose in the glass to take this one in. Cereal notes and a very faint smell of pine cones.

Palate: Freshly toasted white bread, soft oak and lemony flavours. Almost a bit cheesy, like taking a bite of a slice of Swiss cheese.

Finish: Slightly salty hay-like notes. The flavours fade reasonably soon, leaving a salty tang which lingers.

Comments: I’ve previously enjoyed this whisky, but for some reason tonight the Craigellachie 13 didn’t really do it for me. I’m a fan of Craigellachie as a distillery and have had some great whiskies from them previously. Maybe this one seems a little bit pale in comparison to the cask strength SMWS 44.66 Summer-Fresh and Sweetly Attractive I tried a couple of days ago. Decent, but not outstanding.

Whisky #450: SMWS 44.66 Summer-Fresh and Sweetly Attractive

January 15, 2017 by Whisky a Day 1 Comment

SMWS 44.66 Summer-Fresh and Sweetly Attractive. 11 year old single cask single malt from Craigellachie Distillery. Speyside, Scotland. ABV: 56.3%. Tasted at home, $179 (bottle).

Watching the cricket on a summer’s afternoon, what more appropriately named whisky could there be other than “44.66 Summer-Fresh and Sweetly Attractive” from the Scotch Malt Whisky Society!

Colour: Australian gold.

Nose: Floral; freshly snapped branches. Some faint, sweet lemony notes too.

Palate: So light and easy to drink. Lemon meringue, lemon sherbet sweets – the kind that give you a burst of sherbet when you’ve sucked through the hard lemon sweet outside. Spiced honey, water crackers and freshly cracked black pepper.

Finish: A zesty tang, becoming a little saltier as the flavours fade.

Comments: This whisky was going down quicker than an Australian batting collapse. Fresh, flavoursome and bucket-loads of flavour – absolutely drinkable on a hot summer’s day. I find Craigellachie whiskies generally to have lots of fresh floral and forest scents and flavours, while being extremely smooth and easy to drink (almost a cool sensation on the palate). This one certainly continues in that vein, recommended.

Whisky #449: 1996 Duncan Taylor NC2 Glentauchers 15 Year Old Single Malt

January 11, 2017 by Whisky a Day Leave a Comment

1996 Duncan Taylor NC2 Glentauchers 15 Year Old Single Malt. Speyside, Scotland. ABV: 46.0%. Tasted at home, $100 (bottle).

This was another one of the whiskies from my “Rebuilding a Whisky Collection – The $1000 Challenge” a little while back. As I was draining the final dram from the bottle, I realised that I’d yet to do a review…clearly I’d been enjoying this one. Not all in one sitting mind you…

Colour: Pale gold.

Nose: Sweet pineapple chunks, fresh baked lemon cake, pine needles.

Palate: Toasted malty and notes balance out beautifully with honey. Like biting into some seeded toast with honey and butter slathered on top.

Finish: Sweet brown sugar notes fade first, leaving a slightly nutty and woody finish. A salty tang as it fades away.

Comments: Light and delicate, this was very enjoyable. The type of dram you can easily sip without thinking about, or just as easily sit down and analyse in more detail (if you were so inclined). Very decent value at $100 for the bottle, I’d happily grab another.