87 / 100
This is a smoky whisky with enough contrast to keep it interesting. Dried seaweed and barbecued meats sit alongside golden syrup on the nose. The palate moves to smoked barley, damp leather and chimney soot, with a hint of lemon rind. I like that the long finish brings charred oak into the mix with sea-salt tang and streaky bacon. Oak is a note I tend to look for, and here it arrives at the end rather than taking over. The refill hogshead is a useful cask detail, though I would not pin the smoky notes on it. This sits outside my usual Bourbon and Rye leanings. The charred oak and sweeter nose still give me something to like.
Reviewed by busstop_pebble
- Nose
- Dried seaweed, Barbecued meats, Golden syrup
- Palate
- Smoked barley, Damp leather, Chimney soot, Hint of lemon rind
- Finish
- Long, Sea-salt tang, Streaky bacon, Charred oak