Nice, earthy whisky, hardly peated. Quite some sour notes, fruits. Interesting dram for sure.
| Нос |
86 |
Sour and dirty, with some earthy peaty note on the background. (over)ripe fruits. |
| Вкус |
86 |
Quite smooth, a sour touch underneath, earthy, forest. Far away some peaty touch, but certainly not an Islay-kind of peat. |
| Финиш |
87 |
Still smooth, with some little sparkle, long finish, some cherries. |
So, this is an interesting Inchfad. As was mentioned during the blind tasting the profile of the distillery should be noticable. I did not get it then (maybe because this was poured after a very bold Ruadh Maor), but retasting this there's the sudden flash of recognition: the fruitiness is wrapped up by the smoke, as if the fruits themselves have been inside the kiln. I almost always find this in peated Lomonds. Fun!
| Нос |
89 |
Great nose with loads of syrupy red fruits like sour cherry, raspberry, plum, oranges and lemons all covered in a nice (relatively subtle) layer of smoke. All is complemented by an earthy but sweeter style of peat, creamy chocolate, sweet spices and a faint note of sillage. |
| Вкус |
89 |
Great mouthfeel, but I agree with Cask1988 here: just imagine what could have been achieved with a cask strength bottling. Almost a sad realisation. Again, the lucious sweet and sour fruitiness is the first thing hitting my palate, quickly followed by a somewhat more peppery sweet style of smoke and sweet (pipe) tobacco. Then more of the spices like cinnamon with some brown sugar and caramel notes popping up, also milk chocolate. |
| Финиш |
88 |
Medium finish: sweet dried fruits, smoke, treacle, cocoa, baking spice, warming on a slowly drying pepperiness. Should and could have been way longer. A really believe this would have been an absolute belter (90+) at cask strength. |
The Sherry takes on its scale from the first nose, deep, spicy, rich, red fruits, leather, dried apricots, currants, blueberries and sandalwood. Strawberry coulis, autumn scents, humus, forest undergrowth, tree leaves. Quite dry and spring-like peat, on hay, lime. Mouth less spectacular, more sober, nevertheless impressively balanced, fermented cherries, crushed blackberries, Indian spices, paprika, nutmeg. Very long, powerful finish, earth, cola, coffee, turmeric, coriander, cardamom. Heather. A great success, particularly marked by Sherry and spices, so much so that I wonder if it is really just a finish. https://ilikesky2020.blogspot.com/2022/11/loch-lomond-2005-cadenhead-original.html
нос 90 · вкус 88 · финиш 89