Region – Islay – ABV – 55.4%
Advent Calendar day # 23.
I can’t believe we’re almost near the end! This has been a fun ride and I can not thank Secret Spirits enough for asking me to join in on their Calendar review this year. Thank you, thank you.
A thousand times, thank you!
You know life is good when you can try a new whisky every single day for 25 days. I hope you properly thanked the person that purchased this calendar for you.
If you purchased this calendar for yourself, well, you’ve been thanking yourself for the past 23 days!
Today is especially good because there is a 27yo Scotch whisky in my glass.
If you’re reading this while you’re dramming on the same whisky, ask yourself: what were you doing 27 years ago and what has happened in your life over the past 27 years.
Perspective is a good thing. It helps me to better appreciate what’s in my glass, that’s for sure.
On the nose — Like drunkly stumbling into a sherry bodega and smashing open all of the casks, this is a massively sherried whisky!
Heavy oak presence. Burnt biscuits, hot dates, toasted walnuts, fig cake, and rubber gloves.
Overly toasted nooks and/or crannies, singed nose hairs (it does sting the nose a bit), first press virgin olive oil, and olive wood.
With water some wonderful bing cherries come out as does a hint of lingonberry jam.
In the mouth — Massive spice on this one.
Like a driver on his way to the hospital with a pregnant wife, the pepper overtakes you! You’ve really got to ease yourself into this mambajamba.
Jolt cola, fresh peppercorns, fig newtons, more Jolt cola, salted caramels.
Very fizzy on the tongue. Spice along the sides of the tongue.
With water the oak comes out and tannins kick in.
Ugh, it becomes tired with water. Should not have added water…
Finish — (without water) Really bright and still cola-like. Long and peppery.
In sum — Water was a bad choice but hey, life is a series of mistakes you (should be) learn(ing) from. Did I love this whisky? No. It was a little to peppery and focused on the cola notes. Did I enjoy sampling it? Heck yeah. I hope you did, too.
It was a good deal of fun.