The malt on the nose is a welcome anchor for me against the cold wood smoke and coastal notes. Sweetness plays a substantial part too: fruit-rich notes on the nose lead into syrupy dark fruits, blackberry jam and bittersweet chocolate on the palate. That relationship between smoke and sweetness is the draw here, while the peat tingle, spices and lime zest add a sharper edge. The savoury nose, with charred scallops and seared meat, may be more divisive; it makes this harder to recommend to someone who wants fruit without those coastal flavours. The finish brings the sweetness and briney smoke back together, though the slightly bitter cloves might not suit everyone. For my taste, the malt and fruit give the smoky, savoury side enough balance to make this an engaging whisky.
Reviewed by busstop.postcard
- Nose
- malt, cold wood smoke, fruit-rich sweetness, briney coastal notes
- Palate
- peat tingle, blackberry jam, syrupy dark fruits, bittersweet chocolate
- Finish
- cool smoke, briney smoke, slightly bitter cloves, sweet pipe tobacco