Description
4.321 Knitting with peat
A superbly fresh and aromatic example with abundant notes of fresh linens drying by the shoreline, olive oil, trampled ferns, sea air, rock pools and beach pebbles. Mixed dried herbs, tea tree oil and a dash of liquid smoke. With water it became thicker with notes of hessian, dry earthiness, waxed canvass and an ethereal background peat smoke. The palate was initially a wonderful mix of sweet and salty: frying pancetta lardons, olive brine and sweet peat smoke. Sheep wool oils, camphor, aniseed and seared tuna. When reduced we found a lovely herbal-accented peat smoke, natural tar, mineral oils, bath salts and motes of salted almond, cough mixtures and seawater. At 5years of age, we combined selected casks from the same distillery. We then returned the single malt into a variety of different casks to develop further. This is one of those casks.
4.307 A siren in the haar
A familiar but always beautiful aroma that we agreed now seems very specific to these stocks. Clear impressions of distant, aromatic seashores and coastlines. Along with gauze, lemon peel, lanolin, steel wool and oily tool box rags. Some flints and coal scuttles too. Water brought out fresh sandalwood, green olives, beach sand and hints of peppermint and pickling brine. The palate was surprisingly big: full of thick, briny and oily peat. Also soft medicines, herbal extracts and smoked olive oil. Reduction brought ginger wine, seawater, aniseed, pasta water and thick heathery peat. At 7 years of age we combined selected casks from this distillery. We then returned that single malt into a variety of different casks to develop further – this is one of those casks. Originally from bourbon hogsheads, married in this 1st fill barrel.
4.316 Not a genuine ‘philosophical’ paradox
The aromas neat almost caused a philosophical paradox, on the one hand we got cordite, damp slabs of peat and dulse dried seaweed but then on the other hand, honeyed pears in puff pastry and custard slices emerged. On the palate we were in unison with minty-melon juice, ashy smoke and a jalapeno heat. With water we walked through overgrown ferns to reach the coast where we managed to find a bar serving limeade with mint and a key lime smoked mojito. At nine years of age, we combined selected hogsheads from the same distillery into a variety of different casks to develop further. This is one of those casks.
4.304 A proper BBQ dram
We imagined carrying peat slabs in a wicker basket across heathery moorland as we took a break and shared a robust intense red wine (100% Grenache) out of a leather Bota curved wineskin. Bursting with cherry and black fruit flavours and tempered with smoky notes of spice and pepper – a proper BBQ dram! Following reduction, the scent was what we imagined a Spanish style rum that was matured in ex-smoky Islay whisky barrels would smell like, sweet but also plenty of smoke from roast lamb. After fourteen years in an ex-bourbon hogshead, we transferred this whisky into a shaved, toasted and re-charred 1st fill PX barrique.
4.300 A horned beast
A bright and superbly chiselled nose that initially displayed lemon air freshener, green herbs, bouillon stock, ham hough terrine and English mustard powder heat. Unusually peated and powerful – even for this old Orcadian Viking! Water made it sharper, more bready, yeasty and directly on lemon juice. The palate displayed an immediate wealth of camphor and tarry peat. Chalky notes, beach pebbles, seawater, olive oil and gauze. Reduction brought herbal cough medicines, smoked teas, aniseed liqueur and beach bonfire smoke. Wonderful and evocative whisky. At 9 years of age, we combined selected casks from the same distillery. We then returned the single malt into a variety of different casks to develop further. This is one of those casks. Originally from refill bourbon hogsheads, this was further married in a first fill barrel.
4.333 Surprisingly smoky, so seductively sweet
Aromas of peat smoked candied apples, sweet and salty popcorn as well as maple smoked coconut flakes were just a few of the descriptors before we tried it. Imaginations did run wild as one panel member was reminded of shooting a spud gun when they were young, while others got pineapple grilled over peat reek with vanilla sauce. Following reduction, the scent was that of sun lotion, menthol cigarettes and stroopwafels while to taste the sweet smoke of campfire marshmallows emerged with hints of waxy lemons and pink peppercorns in the finish. At eight years of age, we combined selected hogsheads from the same distillery into a variety of different casks to develop further. This is one of those casks.
