Submitted by Philip Storry on
11 years old, distilled 23rd March 2006, 58.3% abv, Refill Ex-Bourbon Barrel, 225 bottles, dram price B
The nose has lots of fruit - peach, satsuma, green apples. Think a student's fruit punch that's been made to hide the smell of alcohol, and you're not far wrong! There's also a hint of toffee. The mouthfeel is thin with a little cling. The body has toffee, peach, satsuma and a slightly dry herbal note - sage? The finish has toffee and satsuma with a hint of peach.
Water brings out thin, rapidly expanding whorling that vanishes quickly without mottling. The nose gains a note of herb garden (sage, thyme, rosemary), and loses much of the peach (although there's still a hint). The body gains more sage, and loses the peach. The finish gains herbal notes and loses the peach and satsuma. I don't dislike the herbal notes, but that initial nose was such a joy that this whisky feels like it never quite delivered on that promise. However, these things happen, and it's still a very fine dram.
A very decent autumnal dram - for drinking as the leaves start to turn brown, as a salute to seasons passed.
Technical score: 4.5/5
Personal preference: I'd have another dram.