First time I’m trying a ‘Dram Mor’, but Angus did. Colour: full gold. Nose: good leafy and tobacco-y sherry, ridden with old and fresh walnuts and a clear amontillado-y character, with these wee buttery touches beyond all the walnuts. Notes of fudge and butterscotch too. With water: notes of bourbon. The casks had been well prepared (STR or such). Mouth (neat): rich and creamy, thick, syrupy, full of caramel cream, fudge indeed, Nutella (apologies) and maple syrup. No lace in this whisky (reminds me a sweet little LP by Alice Cooper) but this modern style just works. Heavy charring, I suppose. With water: some complexity this time, with herbs and small soft spices. Ginger cake, cinnamon rolls, raisin bread, marmalade, touches of oak shavings, cedar wood… Finish: rather long, rather on some spicy honey. A lot of pepper in the aftertaste, which is typically ‘modern’. That is to say oak-and-caramel-driven. Comments: modern, very well constructed, sweet-oak-forward, and just very good. I wouldn’t be as enthusiastic as Angus, (WF 89) but yeah, it’s getting there with its bourbon-like style – a good example of what some fine people would call ‘the bourbonisation of Scotch whisky’.
Words of Whisky (87)
:
Nose
Honeyed lemon yoghurt, loads of caramel and some buttery biscuits as well. Hints of dried red fruit and raw sugar too, with just the perfect amount of influence from the sherry cask, leaving room for crisp apple notes.
Taste
Very creamy and inviting. A hint of struck matches quickly makes way for spice cake, lemon peel, figs, and cherry syrup. Some wood spices too. Quite modern in a way.
Finish
Lingering spices with a syrupy sweetness. Pretty long too.
