Way back around college graduation, a buddy had a bottle of this. Some kind of gift from somebody, possibly friends chipped in for his 21st, I don’t recall exactly how, but he had a bottle of this and really at that point any of us only had the college party type experience with liquor. To the inexperienced drinker that was me, my recollection of this is that it was smooth, and that’s about it. Fast forward to now when I’ve learned a lot about what I like in a whisky, specifically that I very much like the Caol Ila and Talisker distilleries, and this is on my radar. In addition to continuing to learn and try various whiskies, I also set out to find a bottle or two (or however many) to have on hand to bring to parties, family events, in a flask, etc. The goal here is to kind of min/max affordability and enjoyability. At $50, this is just about in the range I’m expecting to pay for something like this. Let’s see if it holds up to any scrutiny.
Minutia: Enjoyed neat in a glencairn. Sat 10-15 minutes. Contains Talisker, Linkwood, Cragganmore, and Caol Ila, at least. Contains entirely single malt Scotch whisky aged a minimum of 15 years.
Color: Gold.
Nose: Malt, salt, peat (subtle), citrus, brine.
Taste: Malt, smoke. There was a honey sweetness and fruitiness that together were reminiscent of a caramel apple without being too sweet like candy.
Finish: More than expected from a low ABV blend. Short, a pleasant burn. A malty linger with some brine.
I enjoy this well enough, and it could qualify as a flask whisky, but I won’t be keeping this on hand all the time as there are simply better options for that in this price range. It is a nice change of pace, however, from the Islay and Island whiskies that dominate my inventory. I expect I’ll buy a bottle now and again when I get a craving for this, or if I happen to see it for a good price.
Score: 82
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