Ledaig Aged 10 Years
Single malt scotch whisky
The Isle of mull
Age: 10 years
Abv: 46.3%
Un-chill filtered

Ledaig 10yo (pronounced “Leh-d-chig”?  Led Chig?  Le Chig?  We’ve debated it endlessly, but it is definitely not “Le-daig”) is an offering from the Isle of Mull, which puts it in fine company with the other Islands.  Another “no longer available in NS”, I picked this bottle up in NB over the past summer.

Bottle notes (box notes, actually – nothing on the bottle itself)
“Colour: Bright Lemony Gold.
Nose: Sweet briny smokiness with a distinctly island character that hints at mild antiseptic, creosote, wax polish, mint chocolate and floral seaside aromas.
Palate: Tantalizingly sweet yet medicinal flavours release sparks of spicy pepper with peaty smoke and vanilla malty creaminess.
Finish: Spicy white pepper and sweet vibrant licorice and cloves with a lingering saltiness.“

Nose
Strong, vegetal peat. Wet, slightly rotting grass. Swirling smoke, in and out. Wooden barrels, buried ‘neath wet vegetation, slowly decaying from the damp.  Hints of a rich fig fruit.  With some time, I start to pick up a coastal brine.  Closing my eyes, I am transported to a seaside marshy bog, a smoldering pile of peat slowly burning nearby.

After a sip, there is a floral presence, and nail polish remover.  No… less that, more into a cleanser, the antiseptic notes.  Yes, the peat is still there, but a strong nosing curves it to the medicinal.  Definitely hints of floral, though I cannot pinpoint them.  Very interesting how tame the peat, vegetation and smoke have become after a solid sip.  Still present, and come forth when called, but the nose has changed, aye.

Palate
Bright and fiery at first, and a huge dose of saltiness.  In fact, after many minutes with the nose, I feel unprepared for this first sip – it hits fast, and salt swamps me.

Subsequent sips are more controlled now, the smoke and peat are here, definitely wooden notes of spice and vanilla.  A slightly… metallic tang?  Medicinal probably, not quite metallic, but that tinge of antiseptic I guess.  I get less salt now, but it is there, just more entwined with the rest.

Finish
The first sip fades to more of the nose – slight peat, the brine persists, and a sweetness dances about.

Later finishes start to leave a bit of a coating on the tongue, a less pleasant taste than the palate experience.  Slightly plasticky, some licks of salt, a general peat/smoke cloud.  I’m suddenly struck with the image of a tongue depressor.

Final Thoughts
Well, this one is pretty cool.  Bruce researched and secured this one last year, and my goodness, it was a find.  After his initial discovery, we landed a couple more bottles on yellow tag here in NS, and in hindsight, I wish I had cleared the shelf.  This is one of the finest aroma’s I’ve experience from a dram of whisky!  It is such a wonder on the nose.  Granted, you have to be inclined to the peat and island character, and if you are, this is one of the top tickles you could possibly treat your nose to.

Tonight was an exceptional experience on the nose – probably the very best I’ve had with Ledaig 10yo.  My notes may make it sound like the opening of a horror movie, but it is more like the opening crescendo of a classical masterpiece.  Without question, you have to be a fan of the Islay style peat and smoke, and if you are, this junket over to the Isle of Mull for a Ledaig is one of the best side quests you could embark on.  

Past drams have delivered more enjoyable tasting and finishes, but the nose tonight was unparalleled – just a complete joy that put a smile on my face right out of the bottle.

The Balvenie DoubleWood 12yo
Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Age: 12 years
Abv:  40%

A Christmas gift last year, the Balvenie Double Wood is a special bottle that I only occasionally bring out. Past drams have not particularly wowed me, but this will be my first sit-down with the whisky to give it a focused turn. 

Bottle Notes
“The Balvenie Double Wood acquires its complex yet rich and smooth taste from its maturation in two different types of Oak cask.
Whisky Oak – Many years of maturation in traditional whisky casks mellow the maturing spirit and imparts warming layers of vanilla spiciness. 
Sherry Oak – Further maturation in European Oak sherry casks increases complexity, bringing fruity, honeyed depths to the resulting single malt.”

Nose
Delicate, fruity, sweet, floral.  In fact, an extremely pleasant first greeting. Vanilla icing maybe? There is a sweetness with hints of vanilla that is quite lovely. Faint wood notes wisp about in the background, gentle and fleeting. Maybe it is not so much fruit, but honey, that I am getting a sweetness from. It is a gentle, mellow experience on the nose – light but not so much that I strain for the experience. At times there is a syrupy sweetness that I hope the taste does not mirror.

With time, floral scents are more prominent.  Perhaps some orange and citrus notes

Palate
Spicy barrel notes, but with a coating of sweet honey. It is light – very light – on the palate. 

Second sip, sweetness is a bit more pronounced, but a stringent wood alcohol note creeps in. 

Now, there is a strange plastic or rubbery feel after a sip, not unpleasant but very odd. It gives the taste and finish an almost … manufactured? … quality to it. There are definitely hints of sweet and spice, but there is an undertow of spirit that I don’t care for, and a short finish that feels … cheap. 

Finish
It passes quickly, faint spicy burn, barest hint of sweetness.

Final Thoughts
This is a popular, well regarded whisky, so I am somewhat sheepish to share these thoughts. Unfortunately for me, it seems to miss the mark. I do love the nose – even to the end it is pleasant and a nice experience. Not terribly complex or evolving for me, but comfortable and interesting. The palate did not get to a good place for me tonight – simple, one-dimensional, and not entirely pleasant. That odd plastic/rubber taste progressed through the dram.  This last sip is just such an entry level cheap booze feel. Quite a dissonance with the nose.

I do love the bottle – a lovely fluted neck with a sizeable shoulder at the opening. Squat and sturdy, small, and the label is striking in its elegance. I appreciate the description of the two cask maturation and what each brings to the whisky. 

For me, not a dram I would be quick to put on the shelf again. 

Glenmorangie – The Quinta Ruban 14yo
Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Age: 14 years
Abv: 46%
Non-chill filtered
(tasting note from Nov 23, 2020)

Glenmorangie has a fairly large number of whiskies in their lineup. I haven’t heard much to tempt me into the distillery offerings, but this particular expression was strongly recommended to me, so I picked it up to give it a listen. I make the 14yo distinction here, because they seem to also have a 12yo Quinta Ruban.

Bottle notes
“This whisky offers a nose of rose-scented Turkish delight, honeysuckle, tangerine and dark chocolate. A soft, velvety texture leads to tastes of berries and nutmeg entwined with mint chocolate and Seville orange, then a bold and deep finish.”

Nose
Citrus fruit immediately upon entry – lemon hints and strong orange. The rind of the fruit seems to be prominent. Chocolate undertones carry the fruitiness along. I’m struck by the (unpleasant) memory of a Christmas stocking “chocolate orange”. The memories of that travesty may be unpleasant, but this nose is anything but. It is rich, deep, strongly aroma’d, with hints of the barrel spice creeping in on the edge. The barrel wood grows with time in the glass, and presents a wonderful serving of oranges on the staves of the wooden barrel. Definitely some nice complexity, layers, and an evolving nose.

Palate
Sweet, vibrantly orange, spicy but not overly so. The heat is tamed wonderfully with a rich, sweet coat. The orange is lovely, and whatever chocolate I detect is the furthest thing possible from the dreaded Christmas stocking “chocolate orange”. The barrel notes that come stronger with time in the glass similarly present themselves on the palate later on, a wonderful evolution of the dram that presents such an interesting journey.

Finish
A lovely slow ride of fading sweetness, field freshness. Lingering, departing spice.

Final Thoughts
This is a lovely, sweet dram of whisky. The citrus and sweetness are prominent throughout, and tames the strong abv, making for a dangerously smooth drink. There eventually comes such a prevalent undertone of wood notes that I feel as though I’m drinking it straight from the barrel. Rich, smooth, a delight on the nose, a taste that brings new angles to that, and a finish that lets you down gently and smoothly.

This has been on my ‘to get’ list for a while, based on a conversation with a co-worker, who professes this to be the very best whisky he has ever tasted. After a second conversation where we explored similar/differing preferences (for example, he is not a Glenfiddich 12 fan, same as me), it felt like our preferences were close enough that I gave it a try. Very glad I did, and delighted that this 14yo expression is part of the Glenmorangie core lineup.

Ardbeg An Oa
Age: No Age Statement (NAS)
Abv: 46.6%

These notes are from a fresh open pour I did when picked up this bottle last year. I’ve learned that the term for that first time opening of a bottle is “neck pour”. For some reason, I don’t care for the term, so I think I’ll stick with “fresh open”. Without a doubt, I find there is a difference in experience between fresh open, 1/4 gone and under half left in the bottle. 1/4 gone seems to be the sweet spot for me, but I always enjoy these first fresh open experiences – like unwrapping a gift at Christmas!

The Ardbeg 10 is one of my favourite whiskies, so I am always interested and excited to pick up one of their other core expressions, to see how they are similar and how they are different. The An Oa (pronounced “Ann Oh”) was dwindling in availability last summer, so I grabbed one of them before they were gone. I haven’t seen them available here in NS since late last year.

On the initial nose – unmistakably Ardbeg.  Nice.  It becomes much gentler, very quickly though.  Some sweet notes start to poke through. Citrus.  Lemon.  Lemon pledge cleaner.  The smoke and peat are quite subdued now. Spice.  Turns to grassy.  Fresh grass.  Very earthy now – grass, dirt, but a real brightness or sweetness in there still. Wine perhaps – sherry.

On the initial palate – smoke, peat.  There is some bite to it!  Sweet, fruits.  Mm!  Burnin’ in ma belly! Are there dark fruits?  A definite toffee-like finish.  Slightly cigar-like now.  A touch oily, but not like the 10. It was strong.  Not the smooth roundness promised on the box!

Earthiness continues to dominate the nose.  Hints of peat, smoke is faint.  Briney, perhaps?  Spice is here now.  Black pepper, clove – yes.

Sweet, toffee on the taste.  More rounded now.  Less of that spirit punch.  Nose brings in hints of mint maybe?  Lemon mint.  Occasional wisp of the Ardbeg smoke.  Faintly meat-like.  Caramel, at the right distance.

I find I am really having to play around with the distance on nose to get different notes.  But it’s so lovely to be able to get those different notes. Like playing the slide of a trombone, experiencing the different dimensions and notes.

Overall an interesting dram.  It was not a flavour knockout for me, but interesting, subtle, changing.  Based on previous experiences, I expect it to soften and sweeten now that the bottle is open.  The Ardbeg signature/fingerprint is definitely there, and a joy to behold.  This is a great contrast to the dirtiness of Wee Beastie.  Far more subtle than the 10.  I like it well enough, but not a stand out for me yet.  I expect it to grow on me.

Old Pulteney
Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Age: 12 years
Abv: 40%

Old Pulteney is not available here in NS at the moment. When I first rekindled my whisky journey in 2019, my early shopping trips to the LC tended to center around price point and sales more so than actual research. I spotted an Old Pulteney on a yellow tag sale, so I picked it up to see what it was all about. Since then, it has disappeared from the shelves here, but just across the border in NB they still stock it. I picked up a bottle over the summer when we were there on holiday.

Bottle Notes
“Our Twelve Years Old is matured next to the sea exclusively in fine American Oak ex-bourbon casks. Flickering from amber to gold and copper on the eye, subtly intense waves of fresh brine, toffee and salty sea air recollect the Caithness coastline, with honey, vanilla and spicy fruit washing across the palate in a faintly salty, long-lasting finish.”

Nose
Some nice brine to open the show. Gentle waves of toffee or butterscotch. Lots of gentle notes here – nothing stringent or sharp, just a comfortable, inviting cloud of whisky goodness. The salty air is prominent, consistent, and a thorough delight.

With a bit of time and air, the barrel starts to show, with gentle vanilla notes seeping in from the bottom.

A dusty malt note appears later in the dram – a nice light blanket that does not diminish the salty air or the butterscotch notes.

Palate
Honey coats the tongue, and the saltiness continues with a lip smacking pop.

Some fruitiness pops up now, berries perhaps. There is a definite sweetness here, the honey may be the driver, but some berries and fruit are definitely passengers on this trip.

Finish
Mostly a lingering brine, the honey sweetness sticks around for a medium length of time. Loving that salty taste and finish.

Final Thoughts
This is an excellent whisky. I have a history with this one, and up until this year, I would not necessarily have included it in my top whiskies list, but either my palate has changed, or this newer bottling has taken it to another level.

When I was able to buy it here in NS, the Old Pulteney 12yo came in an oval shaped canister, and was a 700ml bottle size. In NB, they still have a few of those around, but mostly they have a newer 750ml size that comes in an impressive square, sturdy box.

The 700ml bottling that I started with, I recall as a bit sharp on the palate, light on the promised salty air, but with a nice thread of smoke that I always got in a narrow strip down my tongue on the finish. These latest drams from the 750ml bottling, the salt and brine are front and center, the sweet honey and butterscotch toffee presents a lovely creaminess, and the barrel notes come in mid-dram, in a gentle and inviting way. I would not say I can pick up any smoke from these latest drams, but honestly, I don’t think it needs any.

This is a winner, I would recommend picking one up if you happen to see it on a shelf somewhere. I expect to be making a road trip to NB some day to restock!

Ardbeg Wee Beastie
Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Age: 5 years
Abv: 47.4%
Non Chill-filtered
(tasting note from Nov 7, 2020)

Ardbeg, one of the stalwart distilleries on the isle of Islay, producer of one of my very favorite whiskies to date, the Ardbeg 10 year old. This new 5 year old expression is the latest addition to their core line of whiskies. They’ve been applauded for not shying away from boldly stating the “young” five year old nature of this bottling.

Bottle Notes
“A monster of a dram. Young and intensely smokey with a rich explosive mouthfeel of chocolate, tar and savoury meats.

Senses are heightened with each encounter. First comes an intense aroma of cracked black pepper, mingling with sappy pine resin and the sharp tang of smoke. Suddenly the explosive mouthfeel bursts forth with chocolate, creosote and tar. Savoury meats sink into the palate, before the long salty mouth-coating finish slinks away.”

Okay then! Sounds like a feisty dram to be sure, let’s see how it ships.

Nose
Immediately – smouldering, tarry railway ties. Smoke and tar, heavy, greasy creosote ties. Hints of fruit peek through here and there. Peat may be in there, but raw, and rough. The smoke comes and goes in strength, wafting it’s way through the glass. There is a rawness, a harshness of the tar and creosote that never diminishes. Not quite a dirtiness – the edges are crisp and sharp, even with that oily character. With some effort, I can pick out the chocolate the bottle claims.

After repeated returns to the nose, overall I feel a burning, smoldering, smoking creosote oil lamp.

Palate
Strong tar and dirty creosote – overwhelming! Some sweet notes attempt to sooth the tongue. Bursting, strong, fiery. Those sweet fruits do crowd in as the tar fades. Striking and strong, a pleasant burst of fruit, but one that is fleeting.

Finish
Quick at first, but then a lingering, ashy, mouth-coated beast pokes its head up and takes you for a stroll. Cigar ash and fading creosote. The sweet fruit hints a return now and then, but it is faint and fleeting like a nymph on the fens of Scotland. A cigar long since finished, and I crave a brushing of the teeth.

Final Thoughts
It is a heavy dram. Heavy on the nose, the palate, the finish. I feel tired after having finished it! I’ve carried the dirty creosote soaked railway tie down the lane, thrown it on the smoldering fire, and taken a bite of almost-ripe fruit to finish the chore. The ashen finish follows me to the bunk, where I fade to sleep with faint dreams of what could be.

I think there is a heaviness here that is an abrupt departure from the Ardbeg 10, as in, I don’t think this is just an Ardbeg 10 bottled 5 years earlier. But I love the uniqueness, the distinctiveness of it. It’s an awesome bottle to have on the shelf, for that “once in a while” trip down a very different path. I think it’s something I’ll want on my shelf again at some point, but this one has been here a while, and will likely be here for a while longer!

Johnnie Walker Blenders’ Batch – Triple Grain American Oak
Blended Scotch Whisky
Age: 10 years
41.3% abv
Bottle Number: TG3 81613
(tasting note from Oct 29, 2020)

The Johnnie Walker Blenders’ Batch series is an experimental extension of the JW brand. Master blender Dr. Jim Beveridge leads the experimental blending and they’ve been releasing these “blenders’ batch” editions over the past few years. This is the third release in the series, following Red Rye Finish, and Bourbon Cask and Rye Finish.

This had been hanging around the NSLC shelves for quite a while in my observation. At $50 it was a borderline for me, nothing in the online reviews got me interested enough to give it a whirl, even in our Johnnie Walker infatuation period. When it went on yellow tag for $42 I thought I’d give it a whirl.

Bottle notes
“Three Grain whiskies using wheat, barley and corn – blended with select Malts. Sweet and creamy with fresh fruits and gentle, spicy smoke. Aged 10 years in American oak casks.“

Nose
Predominantly barrel and spice on first approach. There are subtle notes of fresh fruit, and some hints of malty cereal.

With time and tasting, the cereal notes are stronger – quite pleasant after a sip and 10 minutes. A bran or wheat cereal, with a light topping of fruit, served in a new wood bowl. This has really become quite a nice little dram on the nose, but the start was such strong barrel and spice, hard to approach initially.

Palate
Creamy, fairly smooth and fruity, some kick of spice, and an oaky presence. Each sip brings more of that creamy mouthfeel and sense of cereal with a light topping of fruit.

It becomes more muted later in the dram. But not unpleasant – it has turned even smoother and integrated in the mouth.

Finish
Lingering, medium length. Fading cereal and barrel. Creamy for some time.

Final Thoughts
I found this to be a bit of a harsh startup, but with time became a fairly pleasant dram. The wood and spice dominate for the first 5 minutes or so, but then fades and let’s a lovely creamy cereal and subtle hints of fruit to take center stage. The mouthfeel is unique and pleasant. Often there is a kick of spice and spirit, so it feels like a dram to be careful with. But with the right care, is a pleasant partner.

Likely not a bottle I would pick up again. I do enjoy the special edition nature of it, and the link to Johnnie Walker, but as a dram of whisky, not one I would choose over any number of other decent available selections.

Lagavulin Limited Edition 8 yo
Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Age: 8 years
48% abv
200th Anniversary edition (1816 to 2016)
(tasting note from Oct 24, 2020)

Lagavulin is one of the “big three” Islay distilleries. I personally have only had this Lagavulin bottle on my shelf. The standard Lagavulin 16 will appear one day, but begrudgingly, as the price puts it into the very rare purchase territory. I scooped this gem on a yellow tag, regular $100, on for $80. This particular bottle, I purchased (and opened) a year ago! It is almost gone, but a solid 2-4 drams still in the bottle.

This Limited Edition bottling is to celebrate the 200th anniversary of the distillery (1816 – 2016). The age (8 year old) is a nod to “the great whisky writer Alfred Barnard”, who visited the distillery in 1886. He made mention of an 8 year old Lagavulin, which he described as “exceptionally fine”.

Color
Very light, like a fine white wine, a hint of yellow gold.

Nose
My goodness, smoke. Smoke before I even get close to the glass! As soon as the bottle is opened, it seems like smoke fills the room.

The smoke thins out and reveals a lovely earthy tone. Wine sweetened clay pots. A strong, rich aroma, swaddled in smoke and earthy peat. Hints of raisin, prune.

Now a strident acidity – citrus, lemon peel. The smoke returns, washing away the subtle notes like a gentle lapping tide, smoothing the sandy beach. Then earth, giving way to the gentle fruits again. Dried wooden barrels come in after a few moments. Lots of interesting sweet notes with a deep nose, with a returning tickle of smoke and peat often.

Changing, but never weakening. Strong, rich, bold. An excellent way to spend a half hour!

Palate
Initially strong of spirit, and of smoke. Gently bursting fruit quickly follows. A slightly peaty, ashy finish quickly comes on.

Subsequent sips bring lovely sweet fruits, held up on a bed of smoke. The spirit is much tamed and the nose experience is more evident on the palate now.

Finish
Cigar like, ashy, mossy. Some faint lingering fruit sweetness. Oily mouthfeel.

The sip fades gently to smoke and ash and sweetness, like rain slowly melting down a window.

Final Thoughts
One of my favorite whiskies to be sure. This is an excellent smoky, vegetal, fruity whisky, with a changing experience over the course of the dram. It is strong, rich, and grabs your attention right out of the gate, and holds it all the way to the finish.

I continue to be amazed by the striking similarities and differences between the Islay whiskies. Ardbeg and Laphroaig with their own character, and with this taste of Lagavulin, I feel another similar, yet distinct identity. While I have tasted the Lagavulin 16 in restaurants, I have not had the time to sit and appreciate it. I am looking forward to experiencing that core expression from this distillery.

Johnnie Walker is the most widely distributed brand of blended whisky in the world, and the Black Label is one of the world’s best selling Scotch whiskies. Coming in locally at just under the $60 mark, for me it hovers between the mid-range good value price ($55 – $65) and the what I consider the largely ‘excellent whisky’ price ($70-$90+). We’ve often talked about what a great value it is for the shelf, I needed to spend an evening with this stalwart and discover my true feelings!

Nose
Initially smoke, followed quickly by dark fruits – fig, raisin, very pleasant and sweet. There is a definite oakiness, all of those barrel notes in there. Spicy, delightful.

I also get dry hay, and straw. It mixes nicely with the fruit – I picture a basket of dry straw with ripening figs nestled in it.

Smoke recedes with time, but it still can be found when sought after.

After some time in the glass, a vanilla custard appears. Creme Brulee. No pastry notes, just a nice vanilla custard. I can seek out many of these notes and find them. They don’t always come forward to show themselves though.

Palate
Rich and full. Sweetness, dark fruits, some serious vanilla undertones. Smooth and easy on the tongue. Every now and then I sense a bite of spirit, but it is fleeting. Nothing terribly strong actually – all the notes are nice, smooth, but mid strength. Well blended perhaps?

Finish
The sweet dark fruits fade away, and there is a bit of lingering smoke perhaps. Definitely a vanilla barrel and spice finish, as the sweetness of the sip departs.

Final Thoughts
I was happy to take the time with a dram of this shelf standard – for me it swings between middling and marvelous, from dram to dram. Taking the time with it, I was struck by the nose, a really nice multilevel experience. The taste didn’t seem to evolve much, and was overall mid-range in power (not muddled or weak, just not a strong impression in any one thing).

I may have been influenced by other reviews that state “look for smoke, there’s smoke. Look for fruit, there’s fruit. Look for vanilla, there’s vanilla”. I would agree with that on the nose for sure. But the palate and finish were fairly consistent, and not particularly dynamic.

A neat association I have with JW Black is the show “The Deuce”, set in the 70’s and 80’s, New York criminals and cops, lots of bars. Every time the cops would come in to hassle or visit the bars, it was “Whisky. And not that cheap stuff – top shelf”. And out comes the JW Black, every time.

I’m not entirely sold on the value for this one. At just under $60, I’m trying to think of whiskies I enjoy more. Haven’t come up with any yet (except some sweet yellow tags!) so maybe this is best in show for this price range. I’m probably a bit inclined to creep into the $70 tier for some whiskies I enjoy a fair bit more. And as a regular sipper, the price makes it a non-starter against bargains like Cutty Sark, JP Wiser TBR, and Teachers Highland Cream.

Deerstalker Limited Release
Speyside Single Malt scotch whisky
Age: 20 years 1 month
Distilled: 8 Dec 1994
Bottled: 7 Jan 2015
Distillery: Braeval
Cask number: 159164
Bottle number: 34 of 276
Matured in ex-bourbon barrel
Unchill filtered, natural colour
48% abv
(tasting note from Oct 8, 2020)

As best as I have been able to determine, Deerstalker is a bottler – they will buy casks of whisky from various distillers and either further age them, or move them to different casks and further age/evolve them. I haven’t figured out if they do their own distilling, but these Limited Release series definitely seem to be sourced from other distilleries. I see Speyside (this one), Lowlands, Highlands, etc. Various age statements as well (10, 12, 15, 20, etc). I picked this one up on a yellow tag impulse (I’m such a sucker for these! I only see $ saved, not $ spent!)

The box text simply states:
“Color – Light Amber
Nose – clean, malty notes
Taste – Spicy – good combination of oakiness and almonds
Finish – Well balanced with a beautiful sweetness“

Color
The pour is nice to look at. It is light, has a golden straw-like appearance. Pretty.

Nose
Right out of the gate, it is strong. There are stringent, alcohol notes. There could be an overall fruity scent in there, hard to tell.

Then the barrel comes in strong now. Big strong wooden staves, pushing that sawdust, straw, barrel to the fore. Am I getting any fruit, really? Straw and sawdust/barrel, mostly.

On a gentle approach to the nose, there are very faint sweet and lightly floral notes. Very hard to pick up.

Air seems to gentle the barrel. Peach, lightly pastry perhaps. Caramel. All the notes are so faint, so subtle.

After a sip, clean and malty like the box says. The sweet fruit and light pastry brushes the edges now and then, very fleeting.

Palate
Strong, burn. Fiery. Some sweetness, spicy oak. Maybe summer fruits.

Once the burn passes, there are echoes of the nose, but honestly feels more like a spirit-heavy liquor.

Finish
Burn slowly fades, some faint sweetness lingers.

Final Thoughts
Overall, nothing really here for me. I don’t feel like there are hidden gems in here, it comes across as light in flavour, strongly alcoholic. I don’t get any hints of wonder, just faint echoes of other whiskies I’ve enjoyed more. The alcohol is strong, and isn’t masked by any big flavours or interesting notes. Harsh undertone to all parts of the experience. For me this was definitely a miss on the Yellow Tag lottery.