Minutia: Distilled in 2006 and matured for 13 years in American white oak ex-bourbon barrels and finished in chinkapin oak casks before bottling in 2019. Reviewed blind, neat in an opaque glencairn.
Color: Russet, Muscat; 1.3.
Nose: Musty, leather, malt. Thoughts of a shoe shop after hours.
Taste: Malt, pepper (light). Sweet like bubblegum.
Finish: Malt and cereals. Longer.
Guess: Unpeated Caol Ila or a Laddie
Man, it’s so much more fun doing blind reviews with a limited knowledge of what it could be. Not only do you avoid getting kind of shoehorned into thinking about which of the options it could be, but there’s actually room for surprise. I had forgotten a Jura was in the pool, and seeing the reveal it was surely the only option. My initial gut was a Bruichladdich. It felt almost unpeated, but not entirely. But rather than unpeated malt from a distillery that does peat sometimes, it’s a lightly peated malt. And this is light. It’s no all-star, but it’s bottled at a respectable proof and has some nice notes to offer. I didn't want to change my score, but there's a nice chocolatey note that develops in the nose and finish after a bit in the glass, and factoring that in, I'd say this goes up 2-3 points.
Not too long ago I started using a certain plant to help me sleep, and between consuming it and sleeping I’ve found I enjoy whisky less. As I’m primarily a fan of peaty whiskies and those with robust flavors and aromas, I’m guessing I’m more sensitive to things in that state, so I’m curious if something like this would be appealing as it’s light but not weak.
Score: 81
Musical Evocation: Robert Plant and Alison Krauss – “Gone Gone Gone”
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