Aroma: A huge waft of green spearmint, that is followed by a sweet, fruity note, which I searched for a name for for quite a while. However a fellow taster (in the now obligatory zoom tasting) typed scented cherry lips (the hard, darker version) in to the chat and I was forced to concede that it probably was that after all. With further nosing an earthy fruity spicy note came to the fore, which carried with it a dusty, old note.
Taste: At first sips there is a refined, fruity brown sugar sweetness. This sweetness carries with it a bright, spearmint freshness to the fore.
Fairly quickly, this gives way to a deep rich oaken woodenness that is full of vanilla, hazelnut and maraschino cherries. It is dark, fruity and rich.
The final part of the dram is at once green, with freshly cut grass and earthy with tobacco leaf. The final notes are spicy and warming – there is cinnamon and nutmeg, which combine to a creamy rice pudding type flavour.
Appearance: Rich, Red and Earthy.
Real Dram Factor: Rye whiskies are absolutely in my wheelhouse. With a high quality example like this one you get a richness, fruit and spice all held in balance. Then with each and every sip it feels like you could continue picking out new experiences to enjoy. I began googling the price of a bottle as soon as the dram was open. It will be my next purchase and for inspiring that joy, I would give it a meaningless score of 8.3 out of 10.
You Will Like This If… you like big, bold spicy whiskies.
ABV: 50%
Price: £60-75
Source: An online tasting organised by Larkfire Water – A water product canned at source in Lewis in the Outer Hebrides, which is perfect for adding to whisky and in this case whiskey! For more information, drop over to their website: https://www.larkfire.com
More Information: https://whistlepigwhiskey.com/whiskeys/10-year/
Buy Online: Master of Malt – £69.89