[63.8%・NAS・Bottled Circa 2017・Official Bottling・Cask M350・Single Cask Release of 218 Bottles]
Nose:
Starts off with a luscious dose of well churned caramel and a café au lait influence. The spirit gives off quite an oily impression but otherwise it’s a bit green and a bit bare initially. In time the peat and smoke surface in the form of burnt tyres, a bit vegetative with some wild flowers. Underneath the layer of peat, there are fruits and sugar, with some cloves coming on as the oak exerts itself.
Palate & Finish:
A thick delivery of poached pears as the sugar boils away, making it a sticky affair. Then comes an influx of citrus nectar along with a generous amount of spices. The peat is introduced at a subdued level though it has a steady follow through.
The finishing is towards the gritty side with the coarseness of the barley, weetbix and crushed coffee beans on show.
Thoughts:
With only two releases, the Darkest Winter has established itself as Limeburners’ flagship series; batch two is again a decent release from the Western Australian distillery, the series should become more refined in the years to come..
✓
–Nicholas
WhiskNick 