Come on, really, an Aston Martin at 40% vol.? That's neither a straight-6 nor a V12, it's more a Cygnet (remember Google is supposed to be your friend). It's still advertised as being 'Dark & Intense', let's check that… Colour: golden amber. Nose: some walnut wine at first, plus horse saddle and old leather jacket, tamarind jam, marmalade, a little spent engine oil (and voilà), then ras-el-hanout and a little ginger tonic. Blood oranges. This rather leathery smoke works well I have to say, even at 40% vol. There's also the obligatory lapsang souchong and cocoa. Mouth: nice salty arrival, with lots and lots of walnuts and a cup of oversteeped lapsang souchong. Some grapefruit then, chicken bouillon, orange zests dipped into chocolate (orangettes), smoked oysters… All nice, the problem is that it would tend to nosedive after ten seconds, and that's strictly because of the minimal strength. An Aston Martin with an empty petrol tank (which is not an unseen situation). Finish: pretty short, what a pity. Some toffee. Comments: I'm absolutely sure that even at 43% vol. this would have been a winner. One solution though, find a young indie Bowie at 50-60% vol.
Words of Whisky (86)
:
Nose: Certainly a very elegant first impression with tropical notes of mango, papaya and pineapple, accompanied by gentle, sweet peat smoke, oranges and allspice. Maybe just a tinge of struck matches, but also some sultanas.
Taste: Zesty citrus combined with a good amount of salt, raisins and an ashy smoke. A hint of treacle, chocolate and bacon as well. Really enjoyable. However, as expected, the mouthfeel is rather thin, almost watery.
Finish: Tinned tropical fruits, spices and bonfire smoke. Medium in length.
CONCLUSION
I must admit to being rather impressed by this young-ish, low strength, presumably chill-filtered and coloured single malt. It may lack a certain depth of flavour, but there some complexity and the interplay between sweet fruits and the peaty maritime notes works really well. Just a really enjoyable, gentle sipper. And also a reminder to be careful with prejudices. Thanks for sharing, Robbert.
