93
score
whiskyfun.com
January 26, 2007
A version I love and this is an opportunity to taste another bottle. Colour: amber. Nose: a rather explosive and unusual nose of mid-fermented and dried fruits, with lots of dried longans, slightly rotten oranges, dates and figs (hints of arrak), very ripe apricots, sultanas… All that is totally great, don’t get me wrong. Also great smokiness and minerality. Goes on with oriental pastries, rosewater, cedar box, fresh parlsey (yeah, like in a Lebanese restaurant), getting oakier with time (nutmeg and cinnamon). Again, very unusual and very fabulous. Mouth: ah yes, it’s very good. Not properly bold but the attack is quite ‘funny’, in two steps (first dried fruits, then salt). Lots of strong honey, rancio, beeswax, quince paste, orange liqueur, vanilla fudge… Quite some spices from the wood as well, hints of burnt cake and roasted raisins, prunes… And the finish is quite long, jammy, rummy and honeyed – with again that usual salty touch. Extremely good and quite different from the well-known Local Barleys and company. I still just love it
