The youth of the malt means all of the complexity is in the peat, which delivers a lot of intense flavor, but not a lot of secondary notes. The alcohol burn is a bit rough – likely because of the quick maturation – but nevertheless, this is a powerful, peaty kick in the head that any true peat-head should take a look at.
For all the other newbies (noobs!) who come across my site, here’s some scotch 101. What scotch is, and how to smell and taste it.
Recently, a shop-exclusive bottling of a cask-strength Bruichladdich chenin blanc finish, imported by a certain *cough* local store, dismayed its retailers and purchasers alike by turning sour… in the bottle. I got a sample of the recalled spirit.
I will admit freely that this tastes smoother and better than Jack Daniels’ regular offering. If you’re a Jack fan, give this a try, but there are plenty of better American whiskies available on the market at similar prices.
At $116 for 750ml, I can’t say I recommend that everyone run out and buy this. However, if you’re looking for a splurge and love complex, meaty sherried Speysiders, this one is hard to beat.
Hello readers. Just a few quick updates for the site. First, if your name is Taylor and you recently submitted a comment via my comment form, I apologize that I have lost your email address. Please re-submit the contact form or re-send your query via email: nathan at scotchnoob.com. Sorry about that! In related news, …
Nicely complex. This whisky does not tow the line of Speyside style, instead branching out in eclectic ways. Raw cane? Anise and lime juice? I would not have pegged this as a sherried Speysider.
Not a great introduction to Macduff. It’s hard to say if the few unpleasant notes were a result of cask choice or simply reflect the distillery style. If I had spent $66 on a bottle of this, I might be disappointed. At least it’s cask strength and craft presentation.
I don’t really consider mild 12 year-old highlanders without complexity to be worth $60 a bottle, so I can’t say I would shell out for this. However, there are exactly zero flaws in the presentation here, and if you’re trying to check every distillery off your list, this one may be worth seeking out.
Re-tasted from a full bottle instead of a 50ml miniature. If you want something you don’t have to pay attention to for less than $30, you can’t go too wrong with Chivas 12, but I urge regular Chivas drinkers to expand their horizons with an occasional bottle of sub-$40 single malt.