There is joy at walking into a friend or families house and finding a collection of whisky waiting for you to stare at. There is only delight when you find out that they are happy to share their collection!
The bottle that I am sampling tonight came direct from the distillery shop when my parents visited last summer. They enjoyed the tour very much and were bowled away by the drams that they got to sample. I am drinking tonight from a Glencairn.
Aroma: Peat Smoke, Hospital Ward and Christmas Cake.
Taste: The first flavour notes of this whisky are syrupy and sweet. They feel almost luxurious to the taste. This sweetness is complemented by a citrus fruit that is sharp and lemony.
As the dram sits in the mouth, their is a stark change of pace and you are suddenly experiencing dark, acidic charcoal smoke. This part of the whisky is numbing, medicinal and full flavoured. However it is never anything other than smooth. There is always the syrupy sweet texture, which gives balance to the smoke.
The final flavour almost feels like the first two parts reunited in different measures. So there is still smoke, still syrup but also spice. Overall this gives a flavour of marzipan, cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger.
Mouthfeel: Strong flavoured and numbing, but also always sweet.
Overall: This is a whisky of stark contrasts that threatens to be odd at all points. However it is so well balanced that it always feels like more than a sum of its very different parts.
Aroma: 15
Start: 15
Middle: 16
Finish: 16
Value: 14
Overall: 76/100
More Information: Edradour Website
Available: Master of Malt
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