Style: Sweet and Balanced
Nose:
Rather light but oily, a mix of grassy and fruity notes on the nose. Lemon, probably a tint of raspberry. Timber and pepper on the drier side, while honey is residing in its core. Spices firing up at the back.
Palate:
Dilute red fruits showering onto a solid fruity core, lemon and abundant amount of ester fruits, followed by soft chocolate and black dates. Anise mashing with spearmint as spices strike again. Light vanilla and cereal brushes reveal a drier tail. Dying peat smoke to finish.
Finish:
Chocolate lingers, fruit cake and figs. Ends with a note of cereal malt.
Thoughts:
Young but the potential is written all over it. Bottled at a clever strength, the spirit offers rich texture with a moderately light tone. Charming fruits with the subtle honey core sitting behind. It covers a wide spectrum of elements which are aligned and breathing out nicely. Composed and well balanced. Tasting a work in progress gives you a fairly good idea of what the direction of the spirit is heading. Probably it is time to check out their cask offers… I don’t give spirit/new makes rating as I feel it hasn’t reached the full maturation point just yet, but I think as a spirit, it is already pretty good.
[53% • 2016 Bottled • Original Bottling • Aged 18 Months • 2500 Bottles • Vat of Peated and Unpeated spirit • Oloroso & PX Octave cask matured]
-Esmond