Lindores Abbey New Make Spirit

The wife is away, the chores are done. It's late afternoon, and I have a six-bottle tasting of Lindores Abbey lined up. I'm very eager for these pours. Lindores Abbey is arguably the birthplace of Scotch Whisky, with widely recognized links to the earliest written record of the spirit. Distilling was happening at this location at least as early as 1494, though it was likely occurring long before. In 2017, after 523 years of inactivity at the site, the Lindores team is flowing spirit once more from their copper stills. The modern iteration of Lindores' first single malt whisky was released in 2021. But before we get to whisky itself, let's start with the new make. Nose: It's punchy and florally sweet, with notes of sweet cereal and mashed pear. After repeated nosings, there's a slightly cloying acetone, but I've probably pushed that by smelling too much. The high 63.5% ABV isn't hinted at at all. Palate: It's initially soft and velvety, followed quickly by a pleasant(?) tangy alcohol sensation. I get praline and toffee, vanilla, and perhaps some plum. It's whistle-clean but the flavors are very fleeting. Finish: Short to medium. The warmth is expected given the ABV, but it's a juicy red fruit with maybe the faintest hint of orange citrus. It's hard to summarize this as whisky, especially with only one other new make spirit I've tried (Whipper Snapper Crazy Uncle Moonshine, review #116). However, this is good stuff. It's pleasantly crisp, direct, and has a clear identity. The ABV makes a strong impact on the palate, which wasn't suggested by the nose. While I'm not usually a fan of aggressive heat on the palate, this comes across as a lively awakening for the tongue (like a well-spiced curry versus insanely hot sauce; one is good, the other is silly). There are no nasty signs of poor production, and nothing here is unpleasant or off-putting. Anyway, it's a solid start to my run of six Lindores pours and a new top spot holder for new make spirit. Lindores running scores: New make: 3.25/5