Nose: The nose displays a smoky Mezcal-like character, which is a little unusual for Ord, along with some intense oak char, gooseberry, lime and barley. The sweetness of the barley and a touch of honey balance. With time hints of straw, apple and alcohol! Palate: The palate is quite rich and barley’d. Lightly oiled with hints of apricot, apple, straw and sweet honey. The alcohol, although high is well contained. The Finish is a little masked with lingering citrus, earth and charred oak.Finish:A drop of water opens the nose beautifully, bringing a real juiciness to the citrus (lime, lemon, tangerine) along with a slight sugar coating. The oak has become creamy and buttery and creamy. The palate is soft and buttery, but like the nose wonderfully citric. The middle has filled out well and showcases the barley, honey, lemon, lime and oak. Long, juicy and vanilla’d with hints of sweet rummy fruit and spice.

Nose: Now, that is an intensely alcoholic nose, which isn’t a surprise with almost Column still-like dried fruit, straw, apricot, honey, vanilla, barley and hints of lime, ginger and honeysuckle. Palate: The palate is denser and oilier with more noticeable vanilla and toffee’d oak. Hints of apricot, lemon, honeysuckle, lime and ginger. The Finish is quite masked but does show a touch of raw, toasty oak.Finish:Diluted the nose becomes quite floral – honeysuckle and orange blossom, even the honey seems perfumed! The oak displays a real tannic grip, almost akin to French oak, but some buttery vanilla softens. On the palate the emphasis still is on the grippy, toasty and creamy oak, although the fruit is still there and slightly fleshy in character. Long, vanilla’d and slightly citric. For an American oak aged expression of Dalmore the spirit is very clean and quite vibrant.

Bunnahabhain 1991
Aged 26 Years   ISLAY REGION   50.3%vol

Nose: A full on sherry monster nose! Herbal Oloroso, raisinated fruit, prune, stem ginger, French coffee, stewed apple, salt and hints of smoked bacon and green nuts. For an old Bunnah there is quite a prominent sooty peatiness. Stunningly deep, but apart from the peat the aromas are all wood derived. Palate: The palate is like the nose, but there is a lovely citric note which lightens the heavy, mature Oloroso character. Liquorice, prune, raisin, walnuts, green nuts, stewed apple notes are all describable, but the citrus and light saltiness add a pleasant vibrancy.Finish: For an old sherry monster it is surprisingly soft on the wood notes with lovely supple tannins on the finish along with dark coffee, green nuts and wood smoke.