Pike Creek 22 Year Old

APPEARANCE: Deep reddish-brown with golden glints. VISCOSITY: Formed thin lines; thick, oily droplets pooled, then descended the glass at a moderate rate as substantial oily streaks. AROMA: Subtle, smooth & aged; gentle rye sweetness; caramel, toffee & confectioners' sugar; some sweet sherry fruitiness, but with a tart rye spice integrated; herbal & woody; occasionally, a delightful note emerges, but it's fleeting. WITH WATER (2 drops into 10mL): a dusty sweetness arises. Score 6/10 PALATE: Very rich & full-bodied; moderately thick texture; medium intensity (3/5); quite sweet; a touch of rye spice; toffee, liquid honey, sugar & confectioners' sugar; tropical fruits, sherry tartness & dried fruit; woody. WITH WATER: sweeter. Score 8/10 FINISH: Medium and very sweet. WITH WATER: unchanged. Score 6/10 OVERALL: Quite pleasant and well-rounded and mature; exceptionally sweet and enjoyable; lovely sherry-influenced fruit notes. Weighted Score 7.2/10 IMAGERY: Enjoying a drink in a candy store along the Niagara Falls tourist route.

Excellent! I mistakenly identified this blind tasting as an Irish whiskey. It's smooth and creamy, with prominent notes of raisin or fig and a rich quality. However, compared side-by-side with less expensive Scotch, it doesn't justify its price.