Tasting Panel Notes

The neat nose opened on an Islay beach campfire, the Panel watching a deep red sunset. Scents of cherry liqueur, tobacco from a leather pouch and seaweed butter scraped on campfire rye bread toasts were all borne on the breeze. As we took a first sip, the "red" impression became stronger still, coming in waves of cherries in brandy, sweet figs, fried bacon and pink peppercorns on a rare steak in red wine sauce, all washed down with a smoky ginger wine. A drop of water brought forth more sea breeze carrying prunes, more figs, incense sticks, iodine, an old leather satchel and fruits of the forest sprinkled with a variety of herbs. On the palate, water arrived with a high tide of dark and red things: walnut-infused red wine, ox tail in sherry sauce, apple chutney, tamarind sauce, more iodine and sweet pipe tobacco. At nine years of age, this whisky was transferred from an ex-bourbon hogshead to a first fill American oak PX hogshead for the remainder of its maturation.