Product Description
A hypnotic melody of smoky earthiness meets with a chord of oily sweet smoke before the final chorus bursts forth rousingly with tar, creosote and the richest of peat smokes.
Tasting Notes
Cask No. 3.354: The Crown Jewels of Ancient Kings
Smoky & Fruity | Islay | 2nd fill ex-oloroso hogshead | 20 y/o | 56.3% ABV
We all agreed this was yet another totally stunning example of this famous Islay distillery. The neat nose veritably brimmed with exotic fruit chutneys, smoked teas, pickling brine, anchovy fillets in smoked olive oil and sandalwood smouldering on a beach bonfire. Water brought charred mango, guava and passion fruit, plus crushed nettle, dried kelp, nori and exotic fruit juices. The neat palate opened with a wonderfully fat impression of camphors, hessian, gorse flower, exotic fruit teas, seawater and a smoky/earthy combination. Water brought tropical marmalade, beautiful medicinal complexity, herbal cough syrup, impressions of long-aged herbal liqueurs and beautiful layers of soft peat smoke. A hypnotic dram at every turn – almost like whisky from another galaxy! This was matured in a bourbon hogshead for 17 years before being transferred to a second fill Spanish oak oloroso hogshead.
Cask No. 4.400: Savour the sweetness
Lightly Peated | Highland | 1st fill ex-bourbon barrel | 15 y/o | 62.2% ABV
Aromas of purple heather and lavender invited us in, followed by hints of melon, crushed beach shells and crisp green apples. Indulgent buttery oatcakes dipped in extra virgin olive oil led the way to our initial taste. Elderflower took centre stage, accompanied by juicy orange slices and melted brie atop a toasted panettone. A touch of water revealed orange ice cream, papaya, strawberries and champagne, and the welcomed return of lavender and heather. There were light wafts of smoke noted throughout: cherrywood smoked cream and lavender smoke; subtle hints to savour the sweetness. At seven years of age, we combined selected casks from the same distillery. We then returned the single malt into a variety of different casks to develop further. This is one of those casks.
Cask No. 53.499: Peat and meat
Bold & Peaty | Islay | 1st fill ex-oloroso hogshead | 13 y/o | 55.4% ABV
The neat nose veritably bristled with sweet, natural tar extracts, then pure creosote, salted Dutch liquorice and the sweetest, richest of peat smokes. We also noted meaty impressions of smoked duck breast and barbecued glazed pork. Reduction brought many aromas of umami and anchovy pastes, game meats, anthracite embers, camphor, pickled ginger and charred seaweed on a beach bonfire. The palate conjured ideas of fishermen's wellies, wet bonfire smoke and pickled walnuts. It was also hugely tarry and peppery, with iodine, cigar smoke and squid ink. Water brought notes of soy-glazed gammon, smoked almonds, clove oil, pure tar extracts and some extremely salty, very old oloroso sherry. In the finish we got pork scratchings and smoked dark ales. This was matured in a bourbon hogshead for seven years before being transferred to a first fill Spanish oak oloroso hogshead.