Region – Highlands – 60.9% ABV

While this is my very first Advent Calendar countdown I know that the tradition of following an Advent Calendar goes back quite some time.  And year after year young boys and girls around the world would get their little chocolate Advent Calendars, and get a new sweet each day until Christmas.  Fun!

This year, however, I think , may be different for nearly everyone between the ages of 5 and 75.  I think many (myself FIRMLY included) fall into this camp:

Doing all I can to NOT think about the upcoming Star Wars film, I will get “into the spirit.” Not the Christmas spirit (that wouldn’t be very Jewish of me now would it?), rather, I will get into the WHISKY spirit!

Today is another interesting one from The Malt Whisky Company.  This is not a single cask but a cask strength (60.9% ABV) NAS release of Tullibardine matured in bourbon casks.

On the nose — A bit quiet at first but if you give it a minute you’ll be rewarded with quite present notes of an apple orchard on a warm late September afternoon.  Crisp apples and groundlings swell the air with sweetness.
Toffee, and honey, and cooked rhubarb all in buttery pie crust.

Some of the more bourbon-y characteristics come to the fore now: pencil shavings, coconut flesh, and is that a hint of mint my nose doth detect a glint?

In the mouth — In a word: Bright.

In two words: Bright, peppery.

In a set of words that is complete in itself (also known as a sentence): While the whisky starts off with a very bright pop of apple sweet-tartness, there is a growth of pepper that moves from the tip of the tongue to the back of the palate.  However, this is whisky is in no way hot. (yay!)

Let’s take another sip…

The notes in the mid palate are much heavier when you focus on them: warmed honey with a hint of sea salt, white chocolate, Celery salt and shredded celery root, and Vanilla mocha. Also revealed is a note of yellow cake with white frosting.

The mouth feel is slightly oily with a touch of an effervescent feel on the tongue which is quite nice.

Finish — The pepper that grew to the back of the palate sticks around, yet the  flavors are medium in length.

In sum — I will not lie here, this whisky seems a bit all over the place. However, I am an adventurous person and found it’s scatteredbrainedness to be quite fun.

I could find myself with a bunch of friends finishing a bottle of this in a couple of days and having a really good weekend doing it!