Abhainn Dearg Single Malt

The ninety-sixth stop on our journey is Abhainn Dearg. This relatively new distillery is situated on the Island of Lewis in the Outer Hebrides, making it the westernmost distillery in Scotland. Their stills are designed based on early illicit distilling methods; looking them up reveals they are quite unusual. This particular bottle is a 3-year-old single cask limited release. It's quite a pricey bottle at $250 (I'm glad I wasn't the one who bought it). Bottled at 46% ABV, it is non-chill filtered and has the natural color of pale white wine. The aroma begins with a fleeting sweetness, followed by intense floral notes of jasmine, orange blossom, honeysuckle, and perhaps some lavender. There's a strong, slightly tart oak presence, vanilla, and something akin to marshmallows or whipped cream. It's distinctive, but not unpleasant. Those peculiar stills truly make a difference. It also has vegetal notes like bamboo shoots or water chestnuts, along with a touch of earthiness. Honey and barley malt are present. Damp peat emerges but is quite subtle. Salty, damp wood and a hint of coconut are detected. Barrel char, anise, perfume, and a long-lost memory of bourbon are also present. Adding water reveals unsweetened raspberry green tea and more honey. The palate is generally quite light. It's earthy, somewhat tart, and peaty, but it's more of an earthy peat than a smoky one – almost no smoke is present. The peat is more reminiscent of Highland peat than Islay peat, yet still distinct from either. Pears and cinnamon, tart oak, and vegetal notes are noticeable. With water, it develops vanilla cream, faint coconut, light fruits (primarily oranges), and a piña colada impression. A hint of pepper lessens the tartness. The mouthfeel is light-bodied, thin, and dry. The finish is medium in length, featuring light earthy peat, green tea, vegetal notes, and a slight tartness. While I used the word 'tart' frequently, it's not an unpleasant sensation; rather, it adds another layer of complexity. It's much better than I anticipated. It offers a wealth of flavors for a 3-year-old spirit. I would liken it to Hedonism, not so much in flavor profile (though some similarities exist), but in its ability to defy expectations. Who would have thought a blended grain whisky could be the marvel that is Hedonism? The same applies here; how can something so young possess such depth? While it's far from spectacular, this is a good whisky. It shows its youth but also exhibits a maturity beyond its years. I look forward to trying a 10-year-old version. It's not worth the steep price tag, not by a long shot. Thanks to a friend for the sample. A solid 3 stars. Cheers.

Here we are again, with another lesser-known Scottish distillery our group needed to check off our list for a tour of Scotland: Abhainn Dearg (pronounced AV-un JUH-ruk). This small distillery is situated off the west coast of Scotland on the Isle of Lewis. It was established in 2008 by Marco Tayburn and its name translates to Red River. It's a very modest operation, producing only about 10,000 liters of whisky annually. This is their first release, which I believe is a 3-year-old bottled at 46% ABV. It has a pale straw color and forms significant, heavy droplets in the glass. The nose begins quite interestingly and is not unpleasant: butterscotch, boxed raisins, toffee, and cereal. With some time, there are some warm, mineral oil notes emanating from the glass, but I detect no barrel influence or alcohol notes. The palate is almost gag-inducing initially. I perceived some ethanol and school glue-like flavors at first and nearly spat it out, but showing a bit of bravery, I swirled it and allowed some air to mix in, which rewarded me with a hint of butterscotch and caramel. The issue was that nothing blended well; it was either the harsh elements or a brief taste of sweetness. The finish was short and quite harsh, dominated mostly by alcohol heat and dry wood notes. It felt too thin and abrasive to allow anything to come through the heat. It truly left a rough sensation. At least it's over. I can't say I genuinely enjoyed this one. Thanks to my friend, I had the opportunity to taste it. I see no reason to try it again, even if they eventually release 10-15 year old versions. There just wasn't enough positive to warrant investing more time or money to find out. Let's just give this a 2-star rating and mark the distillery off the list. Cheers.

There's a cook-off event in West Virginia called the Road Kill Cook Off (yes, only in our state is that considered normal). I imagine it's a fun, backwoods gathering with our wives/sisters/cousins (they're interchangeable there). I can save you considerable time by simulating some of their culinary creations by sending you a sample of this disaster. Good heavens, bless the master distiller for Abhainn's heart, but what were they thinking when they declared, "Yep, it's ready for release." This is the absolute nastiest whiskey I have ever encountered. It smells like a raccoon that got trapped in your car's engine, then cooked, and then left to sit in a hot desert parking lot. The taste is equally awful. Actually, I'd prefer the cooked raccoon from the car engine over this bottle of turpentine. My word, this is bad. Girvan has finally been dethroned. Take a sip, then use the rest to eliminate Japanese beetles in your garden.

Friday, fantastic. Worked late, had the Dodgers/Brewers game on. Now, time to try this initial release. A sample was proudly shared by my friend Is it Gin? That's the first impression. Botanical with an alcoholic aroma. It does mellow and become slightly sweeter and fruitier. Dried pineapples, honeysuckle, barley sugar. Damp, earthy woods/forest and ginger tea. Harsh and rough on the initial sip. Like cheap gin. Mineral and bitter. It has a flavor similar to the adhesive on envelopes and stamps. Wood and alcohol. This is all within a light to medium body. What lingers is the bitterness of lemons and burnt wood. This is by far the worst thing I've tasted in a long time. It has no redeeming qualities. I attempted to push through; it was challenging. I'd be surprised if anyone, besides, would want to buy it. [40/100][Tasted: 10/12/18]

The overall theme for this dram was easily captured. "Punch Up at a Wedding," also known as "No No No No No No No No" by Radiohead, truly reflects my feelings about the entire experience. The song is great, but the lyrics fit. Sorry to a friend, but at least they saved me money from trying this offering later on. The nose and palate had a very unpleasant funk. Not the good kind of funk from a Springbank, Ben Nevis, Pittyvaich, or Bowmore 15 Darkest. I'm talking about a funk like three-month-old sweaty gym shorts. Not good. This might rival a certain distillery as my least favorite. I hope they scrap the inaugural release and start completely over. Back to the drawing board. This isn't for me. To make the taste go away, I took a HUGE swig of a specific Laphroaig from the bottle.