Review by: zSolaris

Distillery: Blend of Caol Ila, Lagavulin, Oban, Talisker, Clynelish, and Inchgower.

Region: Blend.

Age: NAS.

ABV: 57.10%

Price: Sample courtesy of /u/bradbobaggins

Color: 1.3, Russet/Muscat.

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Nose: (according to the wife) There’s a ton of lemon here up front and center. It’s lemon that’s been grilled over a charcoal grill. A bit of savory notes come in afterwards with smoked ham and charcoal grilled Pacific saury. Some pears slide in toward the back along with a bit of malt and sweet bread.

Palate: Tons of lemons again come through. There’s a note of malt that reminds me a lot of a tart crust as well. With some water, a lot of fruits come rolling out. Pears, apples, and lemons in droves along with some other notes of orchard fruits. There’s a hint of grilled seafood, which give this another dimension of flavor.

Finish: Fairly long in length. It starts with a nice charcoal smoke before going to set of fruity notes. Lemon tart comes through, with a nice rich lemon curd. You get some apples, pears, and Korean melon. A bit of maritime smoke comes through here, it’s a mix of mixed grilled seafood and a bit of charcoal grilled Pacific saury.

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Conclusion: Diageo have come up with a fantastic representation of how good blends can be. This blended malt is full of flavor from start to finish. Lemons dominate the nose and the undiluted palate. A bit of water brings out a ton of other orchard fruits in droves. The bit of lemon tart toward the end is fantastic and has me wanting more. As great as these fruity notes are though, the real stars of the show are the charcoal grilled seafood notes. It is a bit subtle and I wish for more, but the notes add a really delicious and memorable element to what might have been another fruity dram. If those notes were dialed up a bit, not so much that they drown out everything else, this would be nearing perfection. As it is, it is still fantastic and I’m wishing for more.

Final Score: 88

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Scoring Legend:

• 95-100: As good as it gets. Jaw-dropping, eye-widening, unforgettable whisky.
• 90-94: Sublime, a personal favorite in its category.
• 85-89: Excellent, a standout dram.
• 80-84: Quite good. Quality stuff.
• 75-79: Decent whisky worth tasting.
• 70-74: Meh. It’s definitely drinkable, but it can do better.
• 60-69: Not so good. I might not turn down a glass if I needed a drink.
• 50-59: Save it for mixing.
• 0-49: Blech.