To be honest, part of me thought it would be a crying shame to open up this bottle of dramming eye candy, but hey needs must.
This is a rip-roaringly rounded, full flavoured, balanced blend that elegantly and confidently pleases the senses in every possible way.
Infact, this dram is so confident in its own palatable pleasure and stature, that it cheekily teases and flirts with the senses before it enthusiastically pounces and drags you in for the long haul.
Things kick off in the nosing department with a fabulously wonderlicious dark and cocoa rich chocolate fondant, that’s been filled with a warm oozing toffee centre.
The toasted aromas of walnuts, almonds and malt gently sway back and forward allowing the infused delights of ginger and candied peels to take an equally prominent role in the nosing proceedings.
A tray of baked peaches that have been drizzled in sherry and sprinkled lightly with cinnamon, make for the next sensations, followed by what I can only describe as semi melted, segmented pieces of a certain chocolate orange confection.
On the palate you pretty much have a magnification x 100 of what's delighted you on the nose but with the addition of some very complementary elements, such as a big spoonful of rich, thick ‘Sir Nigel's Vintage Marmalade' and a garish grate-ette of some 'Amatller' Ecuadorian 70% dark chocolate.
There’s a glugging waft of heathery honey infused with what I can only describe as the aftermath of an oral sherry and orange explosion. Followed by a warming winter waft of some warm baked apples drizzled with calvados and finely dusted with cinnamon and a light flurry of dried ground ginger.
This is a superbly faultless balanced dram, that's even smoother than the peaches that were picked up on the nose. Forget about categorising this as just a blend, it’s a dramtabulously sensational whisky, nay, a gargantuanly glorious blended whisky!
If there are still any blinded blended bigot’s outhere, one sip of this gem and you’ll well and truly be cured!
