The English Smokey Single Malt Whisky (43%, OB, 2020)

• ABV: 43%
• Age: NAS
• Bottling: OB
• Category: English single malt whisky
• Cost: £39.99
• Origin: St. George’s Distillery
• Vintage: undeclared

What they say

The English – Smokey. Aged to perfection in specially selected casks. A peated (45ppm) single malt whisky. A lovely waft of smoke on the palate, ideal alternative for the Islay fan

Official tasting notes:

• A gentle aroma with hints of vanilla, aniseed & ginger, a creamy palate, a little peat initially and then the smoke bomb! Finish is long, spicy and smokey

What I say

Sampled during the #EnglishWhisky Tweet tasting hosted by Sorren @OCDWhisky and @EnglishWhisky for St George’s Day 2020.

My tasting notes:

• Appearance: Bright gold (8/20), slow, fat tears and thick legs.
• Nose: Vanilla, butter and Tar, like a dropped ice cream melting on the road, something lemony and spiced tried to come through but gets smoked out, beech-smoked scallop meat & a squeeze of fresh lemon juice
• Taste: Buttery, oily, a wisp of smoke tickles the back of the throat, fat cereal barley, this is all about that buttery oil and smoke, there’s probably apple turnover covered in vanilla custard here too or even rhubarb and custard sweeties.
• Finish: Long, sweet butter, oily but becomes drying smoke, eucalyptus and menthol cigarettes.

Overall

A superb smokey dram full of buttery cereal barley and that distinct fruit spirit character tempered with masses of Vanilla from Bourbon barrel maturation. The result is a reminiscent of childhood summers so hot that the tarmac melted and so did your ice-cream – but then you could pop the tar bubbles with your lolly stick!

Score 86/100

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