Pull up to the bumper baby!
Nose: An awful lot going on here - this is not the most accessible bouquet I've come across but that's not to say I don't relish a challenge! There's an underlying sweetness with some burnt rubber. I have no idea where this whisky is from. Spice, sweetness, something medicinal but not an Islay medicine, more cough lozenge. The nose gives me few clues what to expect on the palate. Believe it or not I am enjoying this!
Palate: More focussed than the nose - I'm starting to understand some of what I've been smelling. Menthol or aniseed with some charcoal smoke wafting around, a little curry spice and pepper wrapped up in a candy coating. Nice. I think. Actually yes - very nice.
Finish: Long- very long. Aniseed then some dark ale or stout followed by curried cough sweets and at last a wisp of smoke.
Balance: I'm not sure what needs to be balanced with what, this isn't that sort of whisky. This is a rollercoaster of smells and flavours, wait a minute... not a rollercoaster its like the dodgems!
Bumpy, exhilerating, fun, confusing - BUMP - what just happened? Who hit me?
I recently took my four year old son on the dodgems for the first time, he loved it, he was scared and excited at the same time. When we finished he wanted to have another go straight away. I know how he feels.
Sorry @Piero, I must have gotten you confused with someone else!
@SMWS, I knew about your US chapter, but Ontario is in Canada and, to my knowledge, you're not here yet! Any chance that could change in the foreseeable future?
@Piero
Thanks for a great review. Similar findings to our own Tasting Panel....
93.38 Stirs the atavistic soul Something on the nose stirred our atavistic souls, such a fascinating combination of challenging aromas; charcoal, nectarines, wool, leather, lawnmowers and Victory V’s. The unreduced palate was even more challenging; salty, treacly, charred chicken, burnt twigs, dry smoke, dark chocolate, liquorice, caramel – “like being hit in the face with a basketball” someone said. The reduced nose had the smoke, salt and char of a beach barbeque, with cinder toffee for afters. Even watered down, the palate was powerful, dry and smoky; inspiring comments like “dragon breath” and “like trying to smoke a rolled up newspaper”. The distillery name contains Scotland