Advent 2022 #24 - Caol Ila 17 Unpeated Special Release 2015

Now this is one I’m excited about. I found it intriguing to begin with, and a number of people have commented on my posts recommending unpeated Caol Ila. Let’s get into it and find out how unfortunate I find it that they seem to have discontinued this annual release.

Caol Ila 17 Unpeated Special Release 2015, Islay Single Malt, 55.9% ABV

Minutia: Distilled in 1997 from unpeated barley and matured for 17 years in ex-boubon casks. Reviewed blind, neat in an opaque glencairn.

Color: Amontillado Sherry; 0.9.

Nose: Sweet malt, honey.

Taste: Like an intense version of the nose, emphasis on the sweetness. Saltiness builds as it sits in your mouth.

Finish: Malt, almost smoky. Earthy.

Guess: Unpeated Caol Ila

The above are just copied from my written notes, and reflecting back on it as I typed them I can’t believe I didn’t write ‘grass’ anywhere. That was the overall feel along with the sweetness, and it’s what I believe I called ‘earthy’ in the finish. I wasn’t blown away by this, but I liked it and it’s one of the better unpeated whiskies I’ve had. I’m disappointed this isn’t a regular thing, hopefully there’s some stock out there aging to bring it back with the special releases.

Score: 84

Advent 2022 #20 - Laphroaig Triple Wood

I really want to try this one to see how it compares to the Cairdeas from a few years ago. I wonder if it’s a possibly serviceable alternative.

Laphroaig Triple Wood, Islay Single Malt, 48% ABV

Minutia: Matured in bourbon, quarter, and European oak ex-Oloroso casks. Reviewed blind, neat in an opaque glencairn.

Color: Burnished; 1.1.

Nose: Smoke and ash. Crisp fruit in the smoke. Icing later.

Taste: Musty with spices. Also pepper and heat.

Finish: Must. Leather. Longer.

Guess: It’s tough, but I’m going to say Triple Wood.

So, this is a good whisky and it makes sense that lots of whisky fans were over the moon about a cask strength version of it. Interestingly enough, this scores a tier below the Cairdeas, which checks out – that’s the same whisky but a tier above.

Score: 83

Musical Evocation: Iron Maiden – “Die with Your Boots On”

Advent 2022 #18 - Port Askaig 2000

Nothing interesting to say about this before we get into it.

Port Askaig 2000, Islay Single Malt, 45.8% ABV

Minutia: Distilled in 2000 and matured in an ex-bourbon cask numbered 3312418 for 15 years before bottling in 2016. Reviewed blind, neat in an opaque glencairn.

Color: Amber; 0.7.

Nose: Ashy and musty smoke. Maritime and medicinal. A funky dough note. Something that might be gingerbread builds up over time.

Taste: Feinty and rubbery. Smoke and ash.

Finish: Smoky malt and pepper. Long.

Guess: Port Askaig 15

I was thinking Laphroaig at first, but it really started feeling more like Caol Ila so I went with the Port Askaig guess. Unfortunately at this point I’m aware of what few samples remain, so my guesses are likely going to be more accurate. This is alright, it’s a good peaty dram, though I wish the ashy note wasn’t so prominent throughout and there was more evolution of flavors and aromas.

Score: 81

Advent 2022 #17 - Caol Ila 9 2009 The Whisky Exchange

I picked this up quite a while ago by now back when I still thought it was feasible and practical to try all but the most exclusive expressions from Islay distilleries. Now that I’ve long since realized that ambition is pretty pie in the sky, it got put into the Advent sample pool and turned up today. IB Caol Ilas right around 10 years old are typically excellent in my experience, so let’s see if this continues that.

Caol Ila 9, 2009 Vintage, The Whisky Exchange, Islay Single Malt, 58.7% ABV

Minutia: Distilled in 2009 and matured in a Gonzalezz & Byass Sherry cask numbered 316103 for 9 years and bottled in 2019 as part of the ‘Magic of the Cask’ series yielding 308 bottles. Reviewed blind, neat in an opaque glencairn.

Color: Chestnut, Oloroso Sherry; 1.2.

Nose: Musty, smoke, ash. It’s got a sharpness that I almost want to call plasticy, but don’t want to suggest it actually smells of plastic.

Taste: Mustier, hints of tart fruit behind an earthy smoke.

Finish: Similar mustiness and smoke. Long.

Guess: A young Caol Ila, though Triple Wood wouldn’t surprise me, but I think I’m right.

Cool, I got this one pretty well. Unfortunately, the remaining drams in the pool are ones which I think I know are in there. Fortunately, if memory serves most of the rest of this calendar can be real bangers. This is a nice whisky. I wouldn’t call it ‘excellent’ but it does continue the trend of Caol Ilas around this old being enjoyable. Glad to see that from a Sherry cask, as bourbon casks have been the ones that really made that impression on me. The nose is the best, and the finish is greatly lengthened by the ABV, and other than being a little burny if you really sniff hard the ABV really only contributes that benefit without any other baggage that can sometimes accompany a higher ABV.

Score: 83

Advent 2022 #16 - Port Askaig 30

A fun but dangerous one for a blind review. Let’s go.

Port Askaig 30, Islay Single Malt, 45.8% ABV

Minutia: Distilled at Caol Ila and matured for 30 years before bottling in 2015. Reviewed blind, neat in an opaque glencairn.

Color: Amber; 0.7.

Nose: Ashy, salty smoke. Leather. A sense that there are fruit notes to be coaxed out; you get whatever you might call a “nasal glimpse.” Some fruit comes in better with a bit of time, and a sweet icing note develops as well.

Taste: Rich and sweet with spices and pepper. Honey.

Finish: Earthy and smoky. Maltiness comes in, roasted in nature. Long.

Guess: Ledaig Rioja? Triple Wood?

This one stings a bit as I was thinking Caol Ila, but didn’t think there were any left. Oh well, I made my guesses based on the proof seeming lower than a single cask would be. This reminds me of the Bowmore 25 I had in a prior Advent calendar, unfortunately not in a good way. I’m not talking about quality, just the fact that it was a blind review that I think worked against it a bit. I gave it a score based on what seemed like a lighter quality mistaking that lightness for a weaker or watered down spirit rather than spirit tamed with significant time in a cask. After the reveal I revisited the dram and a couple other notes had appearing before then and an overall more positive impression knowing the age and consequent delicacy. I did revise my score based on additional notes with time in the glass, but refrained from revising based on subjective elements. That said, I still regard it a bit more highly than the given score. I’m going to reconsider keeping samples in my blind review pool that may be underserved without additional context, but this year’s will be unaffected.

Score: 82

Advent 2022 #15 - Jura Two-One-Two

Jura interests me enough to keep trying their releases. This one was of particular interest given it was released to honor the approximately 212 residents of the island suggesting it would have a bit more going for it than the usual expressions from Jura. I haven’t found them terrible, but a handful were underwhelming so I’m hoping this isn’t what people have come to expect from Jura. Let’s see.

Jura Two-One-Two, Island (Jura) Single Malt, 47.5% ABV

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”

Advent 2022 #13 - Bruichladdich Black Art 7.1

Always happy to try something like this, so I picked up a sample. As a person who primarily prefers peated whisky, something like this is a really good choice for a blind review as I can’t be biased (as much) by my own preferences, or by expectations for something that’s supposed to be special or very highly regarded.

Bruichladdich Black Art 7.1, Islay Single Malt, 48.4% ABV

Minutia: Distilled in 1994 and matured for 25 years before bottling in July 2019. Reviewed blind, neat in an opaque glencairn.

Color: Tawny; 1.4.

Nose: Richly fruity and nutty. Cereals, dry wine. Green wood. The nose is nice and interesting.

Taste: Sweet malt, like candy. Spices. These play well together.

Finish: Wood. Grains, with an occasional sweet note popping in. Long.

Guess: I can’t imagine this is anything but Black Art 7.1

With a nose a rich as this one, with no sign of peat, I can’t think of a sample I’ve bought that might compare, so this was an easy one. It’s very nice, and a good choice for a change of pace from peat, but it doesn’t ‘wow.’ It had me thinking of a 25-year-old Glen Moray I had recently and falling a bit shy of it, though I must say that was one of my favorite unpeated whiskies to date, so falling short isn’t exactly a knock.

Score: 82

Advent 2022 #12 - Peat's Beast Cask Strength PX Finish`

I picked this up a while ago interested in trying the various blends and unbranded malts that might work as a nice budget alternative to some more preferred drams. Finally getting to try it.

Peat's Beast Cask Strength PX Finish, Scotland Single Malt, 54.1% ABV

Minutia: All I know is that’s it’s from a single distillery. Reviewed blind, neat in an opaque glencairn.

Color: 0.4

Nose: Smoke, musty fruit, salinity and minerality. Rich tobacco and leather.

Taste: Musty fruit, wood, spice. Nutty.

Finish: Smoke and ash and iron. Medium-long.

Guess: That Rioja Ledaig. Wouldn’t be terribly surprised if it’s an Octomore, Laphroaig, or even a peated Bunnahabhain, but there are really only an element or two of each in here and I doubt it’s one of them.

Interesting. The palate is certainly less interesting than the nose, but not by a lot, and the nose is a great benchmark if being compared to it. I don’t really have a guess to the source as there’s no region listed, so this could have come from a mainland or island distillery rather than Islay.

Score: 84

Musical Evocation: Beast in Black – “Berserker”

Advent 2022 #10 - Elements of Islay Bw8

Some nice age in a decent cask variety, I’m looking forward to seeing how this is.

Elements of Islay Bw8, Islay Single Malt, 51.2% ABV

Minutia: Distilled at Bowmore between 2001 and 2003 and matured in ex-bourbon and ex-Sherry casks for 16-18 years and bottled in 2020 yielding 1320 bottles. Reviewed blind, neat in an opaque glencairn.

Color: Jonquil, ripe corn; 0.4.

Nose: Seaside smoke. Sweet bread.

Taste: Sweet, malt, pepper, banana. Coffee.

Finish: Vegetation, wood. Long. A fruitiness works its way in over time, but I can’t identify it.

Guess: Bowmore, maybe a Caol Ila.

After yesterday, I’m glad this one held up better. While I prefer my Bowmore’s to have a bit more punch, this is nice and light, with a lot of sweetness, and still some smoke in there. It doesn’t touch the Bowmore’s I’ve reviewed recently of a similar age, but it does outdo the one from yesterday. I get the sense this gets better as it sits in the glass.

Score: 81

Advent 2022 #8 - Johnnie Walker Island Green

Green Label was one of the first whiskies I ever had, well before I even knew how to appreciate it. When I found out about a slightly different version in the same vein, I was interested to try it but it wasn’t in my market. Fortunately I came across a sample a while back, and finally it’s turned up in my calendar. Let’s go.

Johnnie Walker Island Green, Scotland Blend, 43% ABV

Minutia: Comprised of malt from Caol Ila, Clynelish, Glenkinchie, and Cardhu. Reviewed blind, neat in an opaque glencairn.

Color: Amber; 0.7.

Nose: Smoke, ash. Plastic/rubber. Slightly medicinal, but more the plastic part presenting as medicinal than true iodine/anbesol notes.

Taste: Sweet malt. Honey. Banana. Coffee, pepper.

Finish: Nutty, smoke, musty. Medium-short.

Guess: Lagavulin DE

I was leaning toward a low ABV blend with the short finish and variety, but Lagavulin DE has a couple different faces so I guessed that this was one. I’m not surprised at all that it’s a blend, as I noted this was simple, but varied. It’s not complex in each area, but it three different non-complex facets, the most different being the taste with a real nice sweetness.

Score: 82

Advent 2022 #5 - Elements of Islay Peat & Sherry

 

I’ve found this bottler to be generally to my liking, so I’m very happy to be trying something a bit more their own in that it’s a blend from multiple places. Let’s get into it.

Elements of Islay Peat & Sherry, Islay Blended Malt, 56.8% ABV

Minutia: Distilled at least two Islay distilleries and matured in a Sherry Butt for some time yielding 400 bottles. Reviewed blind, neat in an opaque glencairn.

Color: Chestnut, Oloroso Sherry; 1.2.

Nose: Dark fruit, smoky, ashy.

Taste: Bitter, changes to a charred meat flavor. Coffee grounds. Spice/heat.

Finish: Similar. Mostly smoky with hints of coffee and similar earthy tones. Medium-long.

Guess: Lower ABV, big flavor. Guessing Triple Wood.

Hm. I wouldn’t be surprised if this were Caol Ila and Laphroaig blended together, but there wasn’t much in the medicinal area. This is well named, and definitely gives you both peat and Sherry, or more importantly, how they work together. Definitely drinks well below its proof, not nearly as burning in the mouth as you might expect, though the finish lingered and maybe could hasve clued me in that this was likely more than 43%.

Score: 85

Advent 2022 #4 - Port Askaig 100° Proof

 

I don’t have any strong feelings going into this, so, let’s get to it.

Port Askaig 100° Proof, Islay Single Malt, 57.1% ABV

Minutia: Almost certainly this batch is confirmed as being Caol Ila, and likely very young. Reviewed blind, neat in an opaque glencairn.

Color: Pale straw; 0.2.

Nose: Minerally peat, smoked seashells. Ash, fried dough. Once you notice the dough, it’s very present in the nose.

Taste: Bitter and earthy. Salty.

Finish: The taste just lingers. Medium-long. The longer it goes, the more pleasant it becomes.

Guess: I’m getting notes I’ve gotten for sure in Ardbeg, Lagavulin, Caol Ila, Bowmore, Talisker, and even Kilkerran. I’m leaning Caol Ila or an Islay-based blend, but I’m really at a loss with this one.

I don’t feel too bad about not being able to pinpoint a release that isn’t released “on profile” for the distillery. This is ok, and like at the beginning, I don’t have any strong feelings about it. It’s really quite minerally and ashy and maritime, to the point it held it back from being really good for me. If you like that, it’s a homerun. The nose has a good amount going on, but is still dominated by a few, but you can still find the others in there. Typing up my notes and going through my memory, it’s actually growing on me a bit more, but I’m leaving the score as is.

Score: 83

Advent 2022 #1 - Elements of Islay Oc6

 

Octomores more than 5 years old are always fun, particularly IBs. So I'm looking forward to getting into this one.

Elements of Islay Oc6, Islay Single Malt, 58.1% ABV

Minutia: Distilled at Bruichladdich (Octomore) in 2011 and matured in ex-bourbon barrels for 8 years and bottled in 2019 yielding 870 bottles. Reviewed blind, neat in an opaque glencairn.

Color: Yellow gold; 0.5.

Nose: Very smoky, ashy, medicinal. An astringent quality which has some fruity and musty tones. They’re a bit hidden, though.

Taste: Smoke. Peppery heat. Charred meat. Tannic.

Finish: Bitter earthy flavor. Smoke and ash, though less. Long.

Guess: Gotta be a Laphroaig, maybe 1815? If not, it’s definitely an Islay, and there’s a good chance it’s not just bourbon casks.

Interesting. It’s been a while since I’ve had an Octomore, so maybe it would have jumped out at me better if I had, but I’ve mistaken Laphroaigs for Octomores blind before, so… This is a nice dram, is very familiar, and it has strong flavors. I usually like Octomore’s better than this, and I think the combo of that astringent quality in the nose seeming to mask some notes, and that bitter flavor in the finish held it back for me (that bitterness isn’t necessarily negative, but it’s a bit much for me). Overall a nice dram, but maybe 8 years was too much time in the wood?

Score: 82

Elements of Islay Peat (Pure Islay)

Not a lot to say about this before getting into it, just that it’s a blend from a bottler that I’ve typically liked well enough and while it’s not really available by me, I am still interested in finding budget-friendly options for a nice peaty flavor. I was hoping to have this reviewed a bit earlier, but some antibiotics eliminated my ability to do so. Rather unfortunate as I had some whisky in a barrel that could have done with more checking rather than just withdrawing small samples every now and again, but oh well, that’s a complaint for when I “review” that.

Elements of Islay Peat (Pure Islay), Islay Blended Malt, 45% ABV

Minutia: Distilled at a handful of Islay distilleries and blended together. Enjoyed neat in a glencairn.

Color: Pale straw; 0.2.

Nose: Smoke. Some fruit (think apples and more in the green/yellow family, not quite red) that then fights to come out over ash and seaweed. Light and vegetal tone overall.

Taste: Earthy and herbal. Slightly sweet in the vanilla/fruit area. Not terribly smoky in the mouth. Or rather, the peat doesn’t present as smoke here.

Finish: Until now. There’s a rush back in of the smoke that was in the nose, and some pepper. It lingers as largely just a warm feeling with salinity creeping in over the course. Medium.

This is fine. It’s a peated whisky when you’re looking for one. I don’t like it as much as Big Peat for a whisky that delivers when you just want some peat that isn’t necessarily overbearing. It’s a bit light, but that’s not a knock against it. And it is a touch thin, but again this is situationally desirable. When you want a lighter whisky with some peat, it can be a good choice. When you want Islay go somewhere else.

Score: 81

Musical Evocation: UnSun – “Home”

Glenturret 8 2010 SMWS 16.38 "ACME ghost repellent"

I purchased this quite some time ago by now when my whisky world hardly included anything more than Islay and the nearby islands. It’s expanded a great deal since then, but this still represents a decision from that era to start exploring more. And even though I haven’t opened it until now, it sparked far greater exploration and an expansion of my palate to the point I have enjoyed certain unpeated whiskies more than most peated ones. So, this is something of a spark that didn’t show itself until after the fire, but still I’m happy to be trying it now. They name is also particularly fun, so that’s a plus, I guess.

Glenturret 8, 2010 Vintage, Scotch Malt Whisky Society 16.38, Highland Single Malt, 59.3% ABV

Minutia: Distilled on November 25, 2010 and matured in a re-charred hogshead for 8 years yielding 315 bottles. This is part of the Peated flavor profile named “ACME ghost repellent”. Enjoyed neat in a glencairn.

Color: Burnished; 1.1.

Nose: Metallic. Weird caramel/toffee. Old tropical fruit. Vanilla pops in sometimes. Leather and tobacco.

Taste: Spicy on the particular dram with the notes. Leaves and wood under it. There’s a very creamy sweetness that can sit over it (different drams did or didn’t feature it, I believe my palate was different based on prior eating and such on the different days).

Finish: Mineral and earthy. It’s mostly medium, but then a bloody meat kind of kicks in an is very much metallic/irony.

I’m not quite sure I’d describe it as a “farm in a bottle” but it’s still quite nice. A rather unique sweet note on the palate was very pleasant and contrasted well with a more grounded and earthy finish (when my palate let me experience it). It’s a really weird one, and feels both novel and familiar somehow. I’m very glad I’ve bought a few other Glenturret casks, really looking forward to them. Definitely one of the ones I’ve had a song come to mind with next to no thinking about it, too.

Score: 83

Musical Evocation: Black Sabbath – “Sweet Leaf”

Raasay Batch R-02 (Skotchtoberfest #17)

And we wrap up Skotchtoberfest with a bottle of the second batch from Raasay. Let’s see what the batch variation is like relative to yesterday’s review.

Raasay Batch R-02, Island (Raasay) Single Malt, 46.4% ABV

Minutia: Distilled in 2017 and 2018 from peated and unpeated malt, each style matured for 3 years in ex-rye casks, virgin chinkapin oak casks, and ex-Bordeaux red wine casks. Enjoyed neat in a glencairn.

Color: Deep copper; 1.0.

Nose: Light smoke with an ashy quality, like from kindling rather than a roaring or dying fire. Drying red fruit. Dried stone fruit. Musty notes come in when you get your nose in there, otherwise it’s just the traces of smoke, really.

Taste: Spicy. Creamy feel. Some smoke manifests as earthy cereals.

Finish: Malt then leather and spice. Chocolate. Gets sweeter over time.

It’s not often I feel I need to comment on a handful of things, but it’s the case here. Frist, wow, surprising how much darker it is than batch R-01. I like them about the same, but differently. Batch 1 the nose was stronger but I liked the finish more here. Getting sweeter over time was weird as sweetness in the finish in my experience has typically been either a burst at the start that fades or largely consistent throughout. The peat in the nose was lighter here, which I why I enjoyed it a touch less, but based on color and lighter smoke presence I’d guess this is a touch older and not just bottled at exactly three years old, supposing the cask ratios are the same. As far as I’m concerned, Raasay has established itself as a future big player in the lightly peated market. Here’s hoping for a heavily peated line (and an unpeated one while they’re at it) somewhere down the line.

Score: 83

Musical Evocation: Gorillaz – “Feel God Inc.”

Raasay Batch R-01 (Skotchtoberfest #16)

I didn’t get a bottle of this, mostly because I did get a bottle of the inaugural release so I wasn’t super motivated to get a bottle of the first batch, but there was a sample available, so here’s a review of the first batch of their typical blend.

Raasay Batch R-01, Island (Raasay) Single Malt, 46.4% ABV

Minutia: Distilled in 2017 and 2018 from peated and unpeated malt, each style matured for 3 years in ex-rye casks, virgin chinkapin oak casks, and ex-Bordeaux red wine casks. Batch R-01 yielded 26,000 bottles. Enjoyed neat in a glencairn.

Color: Yellow gold; 0.5.

Nose: Smoke and leather. Non-red apple. There’s malt and floral notes to be teased out.

Taste: Creamy, vanilla. Pepper and slight smoke come in, with a woody/winey feel.

Finish: Sweet, some bitter herbal character.

While some of the components may have struck me more, this feels a whole lot more put together. This first release from Raasay of what will ostensibly be the makeup of future releases once stock matures enough is very promising. Can’t wait to see if Batch R-02 is consistent tomorrow.

Score: 83

Tobermory 8 2012 Warehouse 1 Bourbon Cask (Skotchtoberfest #8)

What got me checking out Tobermory’s website where I ended up with these samples in the first place was a glowing review on an 8-year-old bourbon cask Ledaig. It was sold out so I went for sample packs that contained it and other things, always happy to try more different expressions. In this case, I thought the idea of comparing something almost identical aside from the peat would be a fun one. The Ledaig’s coming up tomorrow, and here’s the Tobermory review.

Tobermory 8 2012 Warehouse 1 Bourbon Cask, Island (Mull) Single Malt, 57.8% ABV

Minutia: Distilled on April 4, 2012 and matured for 8 years in an ex-bourbon cask numbered 706 before bottling on November 6, 2020. Enjoyed neat in a glencairn.

Color: Jonquil, ripe corn; 0.4.

Nose: Very malty, yellow apple, mineral, green tea.

Taste: Malt, honey, big pepper. Settles to sweet and spicy. Salt.

Finish: Malt, hoppy, chocolate. Cayenne powder. Long.

It’s good. Super malty, so if that’s something you like this will hit big. I’m very much looking forward to the peated version of this.

Score: 81

Tobermory 16 2004 PX (Skotchtoberfest #6)

Another one from a sample pack from the distillery. This is similar to the prior one, but spent its whole life (and 4 extra years) in a PX butt.

Tobermory 16 2004 PX, Island (Mull) Single Malt, 56.7% ABV

Minutia: Distilled on June 8, 2004 and matured for 16 years in a PX Sherry butt before being bottled on October 6, 2020. Enjoyed neat in a glencairn.

Color: Mahogany, henna notes; 1.6.

Nose: Musty, sweet, minerally wine.

Taste: Sweet (big one first sip). Woody wine. Spice. If there’s such a thing as berry toffee.

Finish: Birght, malty pop at the get go. Settles quickly into dried fruit and spice. Char. Long. Nutty late in the finish, like after you think it’s gone but realize it’s still there and then on by the way you notice it’s nutty.

This is nice. It’s not amazing or anything, but it’s very interesting. It felt like I knew what it was offering pretty quickly, but it kept my interest. Comparing this to yesterday’s, to me it seems Tobermory wants to spend its whole life in a Sherry cask, not get a finish in one, at least in the case of PX Sherry.

Score: 83