A series that passed somewhat under the radar over at WF, despite the staggering number of bottles. It’s true that I found No.4 rather lacklustre (WF 79), while Angus seemed to enjoy No.6 rather a bit more (WF 85). But nothing to write home about, really—just part of the story with many NAS whiskies of the time, and NAS tends to mean "odd story." Here, it’s all about a new Pantone colour, which strikes me as quite, well, ecclesiastical (the colour, not the story). Now, let’s see if the spirit itself is divine... Colour: gold. Nose: caramel and slightly burnt nuts and almonds, with a touch of char and rubber coming through, followed by new leather and hardwood shavings (walnut, cherry, that sort of thing). Also, some green walnuts, shoe polish, allspice, and a bit of orange peel. Not bad at all. Mouth: very much in line with the nose, with a rather bitter and peppery sherried side, plus some acidic, bitter coffee (which we like), then mixed spices and raw cinnamon. The green walnuts remain upfront, and we do quite like that bitterness. Finish: long, becoming nuttier but still spicy. Ginger and turmeric, with bitter oranges and a touch of Cynar in the aftertaste. Comments: really not bad at all, and it loves a splash of water, even though that bitterness would persist. Very modern, with that spicy edge.
BOW (88)
Gal Granov (84)
A series that passed somewhat under the radar over at WF, despite the staggering number of bottles. It’s true that I found No.4 rather lacklustre (WF 79), while Angus seemed to enjoy No.6 rather a bit more (WF 85). But nothing to write home about, really—just part of the story with many NAS whiskies of the time, and NAS tends to mean "odd story." Here, it’s all about a new Pantone colour, which strikes me as quite, well, ecclesiastical (the colour, not the story). Now, let’s see if the spirit itself is divine... Colour: gold. Nose: caramel and slightly burnt nuts and almonds, with a touch of char and rubber coming through, followed by new leather and hardwood shavings (walnut, cherry, that sort of thing). Also, some green walnuts, shoe polish, allspice, and a bit of orange peel. Not bad at all. Mouth: very much in line with the nose, with a rather bitter and peppery sherried side, plus some acidic, bitter coffee (which we like), then mixed spices and raw cinnamon. The green walnuts remain upfront, and we do quite like that bitterness. Finish: long, becoming nuttier but still spicy. Ginger and turmeric, with bitter oranges and a touch of Cynar in the aftertaste. Comments: really not bad at all, and it loves a splash of water, even though that bitterness would persist. Very modern, with that spicy edge.
