Islay Single Malt Old Particular The Spiritualist Series "Balance" 14 Jahre-2005/2020

Single Malt Whisky
Abfüllung mit 53,2 % vol.
0,7 Liter

"From one of Douglas Laings favourite heavily peated Distilleries on Islay, this archetypal Islay Single Malt serves up a rich, earthy peat character balanced by sweet smoke and honeyed barley. Best served with time to dwell, linger and contemplate…"

Tasting Notes mit freundlicher Genehmigung von BarleyMania 

Eye: A sandy shore draped in the dim light of an early morning.

Nose: The first thing I notice is how clear and clean this whisky is. Wow! When I take another sniff, I get a maracuja freshness, a maritime saltiness and a cotton candy sweetness. Plus more fruits: gooseberries, lichees and lemons. After a short while, an invigorating apple juice note appears. It is accompanied by oven-warm, fluffy waffles with icing sugar. Last but not least, I get an austere quality (wet stones, thick rope, old planks). The smoke is fumy and ashy – as if someone had deeply inhaled their cigarette and blown the smoke directly into my face.

Palate: The whisky starts out very lean. But the longer I keep it in the mouth, the milkier and weightier it gets. It tastes fruity (maracuja), sweetish (cookies) and “green” (peppers). And, of course, peaty (tar)! Other prominent notes are those of cocoa powder, vanilla milk and caramelized walnuts. The cask strength ABV is very well integrated, producing no more than a wee tickle. Sometimes, I like to compare Islay malts to raging beasts – fierce, wild, aggressive and untamed. But this one is different. Due to its roundedness, complexity and grace, I would rather match it with a proud phoenix or a colorful sea serpent.

Finish: The aftertaste is lasting and memorable. It is meaty and sweet at the same time – as if you would spread beef carpaccio on a honey cake. Besides this uncommon yet fingerlicking good combination of flavors, I also found creamy milk chocolate, mint-flavored toffee fudge and grated lemon zest in the finish. Plus camomile tea with a lot of rock candy. Oh, and let us not forget the smoke. After all, we are on Islay here!