The fourth dram in the Blind Tasting Competition was another zero-pointer for me (you’ll quickly discover this to be a recurring theme…). While I guessed this to be a decent older Speyside whisky, it turned out to be Hazelburn, which I often find hardly distinguishable as a Campbeltown whisky.

So, let’s just dive in, because there’s not much more to say without really making a fool of myself…

Sniff:
A lighter sherry than the previous drams, but still sherry. Some dried peaches and apricots, also a slightly bitter note behind it. Almond flour, but after a minute or so it mellows a bit and becomes a rather gentle whisky.

Sip:
The palate is a lot more gentle than the first three drams (JPH and I tried these four in one sitting). There’s a little bit of alcohol heat, but just a nice tingle. A nice fruitiness, some oak and warm bread. There’s some barley, some slightly burnt pound cake. A hint of vanilla too.

Swallow:
The finish is soft, but not short at all. The almond flour bitterness lingers, with the crusty pound cake, although it doesn’t have that sweetness. Dried apricots and peaches, a hint of dried apple as well.

A nice dram with softer sherry notes, which made me veer towards Speyside. I guessed Glen Grant, quite randomly, because most of the other Speyside distilleries are slightly different in my opinion. Of course, ALL Speyside distilleries are different, since this one isn’t from there…

Anyway, at the moment of tasting this, it was still available at Best of Wines for € 150, but it’s sold out by now. Not entirely surprising.

87/100