85 / 100
Oak interests me here because it shares the palate with complex spices and plenty of fruit, including plums and mandarin oranges. That sounds more appealing to me than a whisky built around wood alone. The nose brings dates, raisins and demerara sugar alongside malt, setting up a sweet, fruity character before the oak appears on the palate. The finish keeps some of that sweetness through marzipan, but is also described as relatively dry. That contrast gives the whisky more to offer than its sweeter notes might suggest. I would put the fruit and spice ahead of the oak as the main attraction, while still seeing enough oak influence to suit my taste.
Reviewed by paperboat.fox
- Nose
- Rich malty notes, dates and raisins, soft fruity vanilla, slight hint of smoke
- Palate
- oak and complex spices, mandarin oranges, plums and apricot, vanilla, mild smoke
- Finish
- nutty, marzipan, fruity and relatively dry, vanilla