Tasting Notes
The initial nose brimmed with smoked honey, ginger wine, threads of gentle peat smoke, olive oil, earthy aged black tea and dried orange peel. Complex, intricate and wonderfully elegant; a sense of peat smoke subdividing over years of maturation into many subtle variations. Water brought lovely notes of root beer syrup, lemongrass, pressed wildflowers, black pepper and anthracite embers. Neat, the palate displayed medical notes of bandages, bacon crisps, aged teas, myrtle and heather smoke, plus wee sooty touches and herbal ointments. With water we found herbal teas, peat ashes, olive brine and thicker flavours of bouillon stock and waxed canvas. Evocative of older-style Highland whiskies.
This is one of those classic peated Highland casks from a generation ago. Beautifully subtle as nuances of cool mainland peat are etched into your palate, I love these older 66s for their depth of flavour and silky texture. Savour slowly, my friends!
– Tom Smith, SMWS USA