Craigellachie 13 Year Old

Neat at Hesperia Hotel, Madrid; what was once a superb joint for whisky lovers, that is, the Scotch Bar within the hotel, doesn't exist anymore: Hesperia has been acquired by Hyatt and the old dim-lit den is now another regular bar with a humongous screen for sports: no quietness, no comfort, no more special drams. It's becoming increasingly difficult for a Madrid dweller to find nice spots, scotch-wise.

Anyway, they still have some of the old bottles, so here's the tasting: very pale pour, reminiscent of wheat and totally translucent. High intensity bitterish aromas (arugula, dandelion -those are bitter herbs, of course-, bitter lemon and grapefruit.) Mouthfeel is dry, powerful and pungent, with a bitter and smoky long-lasting finish that leaves an aftertaste of tobacco and leather.

If you're looking for a bitter and smoky dram, this might be it.

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