This is something I just am getting used to, so a bit of a challenge for me, to learn to taste and smell the flavours below the smoke. While the men directly went for the Laphroaig, I went for the more 'gentle' ones. For a beginner in peat very nice, and a good step up to maybe the heavier works...
So there I was, armed with my little tasting notes book, sniffing and tasting, and trying to determine the flavours, trying to see through the peat and smoke. Enjoying the company and a lovely evening in the night before the abdication of our queen Beatrix.
Springbank 10
Nose Cereal, raisin, vanilla, honey, cherry, roses, banana, fudge.
Taste Orange, citrus, ginger, nuts, cacao, pepper, syrup, cereal, lightly peated
Finish Stays a bit, first peppery, then bittery sour, and dry smoky on the end.
Score 7 out of 10
Kilchoman - Winter 2010 release
Nose Smokey, peat, raisin, berry's, pear, sweet red apple, red cabbage (found that a bit
strange but it was there)
Taste Smoky first, so I decided to let it sit for a while, and that opened it up. Needs some time.
Then thyme, rosemary, comb honey, berry's, raspberries, vanilla, creme brûlée,
cinnamon, and a whiff of salty sea combined with seaweed.
Finish Warm, and a good length. The (dry) smoke and maritime notes stay a bit
Score 6,5 out of 10. Very nice, but maybe need to come back to this one. It took me a lot off
trouble to determine flavours, so maybe when I come back to this one this will be
higher. Or maybe this is just to young, and should have stayed a bit longer in the barrel,
who knows?
The Ultimate - Ardmore 2003
Nose Peach, dried tropical fruits, ginger, chocolate, flowers, citrus, pineapple, grapefruit
Taste Honey, vanilla, chocolate, citrus, red berry's, pepper, radish, a dryness and a bit bitter,
nuts, marmalade, cereals, maybe a bit salty and liquirish. But not sure about the last
ones completely, I thought I tasted those but could not determine them fully.
Finish Short, a bit dry...
Score 7 out of 10, but that is mostly due to the very nice nose and taste. Disappointing is the
very short finish. But still a bottle who can join the collection any day...
Port Charlotte - The Peat Project
Nose Flowers, apple, salty, seaweed, grapes, tangerine, raisin, apricot, middle-eastern spices,
nutmeg, cinnamon, vanilla, mint.
Taste Flowers, violets, nuts, citrus, ginger, flower honey, pepper, laurel liquorish, cacao
Finish Stays a bit, with a bit citrus taste stays with some maritime smoky notes
Score 7,5 out of 10
Ardbeg 10
Nose Maritime notes, raisin, roses, vanilla, thyme, flowers, light smoky, ginger, light smoke
Taste Spice, pepper, salmon, nutmeg, chocolate, nuts, caramel, citrus
Finish Stays a bit, and the taste of a bonfire on the beach with sweet / salty tones stay
Score 7,5 out of 10. Very nice one, I can see myself sitting by a fire enjoying a nice smoked
salmon... One to standard have in the collection I think, not to heavy on the peat and
smoke, gentle.
Springbank 10
Nose Cereal, raisin, vanilla, honey, cherry, roses, banana, fudge.
Taste Orange, citrus, ginger, nuts, cacao, pepper, syrup, cereal, lightly peated
Finish Stays a bit, first peppery, then bittery sour, and dry smoky on the end.
Score 7 out of 10
Kilchoman - Winter 2010 release
Nose Smokey, peat, raisin, berry's, pear, sweet red apple, red cabbage (found that a bit
strange but it was there)
Taste Smoky first, so I decided to let it sit for a while, and that opened it up. Needs some time.
Then thyme, rosemary, comb honey, berry's, raspberries, vanilla, creme brûlée,
cinnamon, and a whiff of salty sea combined with seaweed.
Finish Warm, and a good length. The (dry) smoke and maritime notes stay a bit
Score 6,5 out of 10. Very nice, but maybe need to come back to this one. It took me a lot off
trouble to determine flavours, so maybe when I come back to this one this will be
higher. Or maybe this is just to young, and should have stayed a bit longer in the barrel,
who knows?
The Ultimate - Ardmore 2003
Nose Peach, dried tropical fruits, ginger, chocolate, flowers, citrus, pineapple, grapefruit
Taste Honey, vanilla, chocolate, citrus, red berry's, pepper, radish, a dryness and a bit bitter,
nuts, marmalade, cereals, maybe a bit salty and liquirish. But not sure about the last
ones completely, I thought I tasted those but could not determine them fully.
Finish Short, a bit dry...
Score 7 out of 10, but that is mostly due to the very nice nose and taste. Disappointing is the
very short finish. But still a bottle who can join the collection any day...
Port Charlotte - The Peat Project
Nose Flowers, apple, salty, seaweed, grapes, tangerine, raisin, apricot, middle-eastern spices,
nutmeg, cinnamon, vanilla, mint.
Taste Flowers, violets, nuts, citrus, ginger, flower honey, pepper, laurel liquorish, cacao
Finish Stays a bit, with a bit citrus taste stays with some maritime smoky notes
Score 7,5 out of 10
Ardbeg 10
Nose Maritime notes, raisin, roses, vanilla, thyme, flowers, light smoky, ginger, light smoke
Taste Spice, pepper, salmon, nutmeg, chocolate, nuts, caramel, citrus
Finish Stays a bit, and the taste of a bonfire on the beach with sweet / salty tones stay
Score 7,5 out of 10. Very nice one, I can see myself sitting by a fire enjoying a nice smoked
salmon... One to standard have in the collection I think, not to heavy on the peat and
smoke, gentle.
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