Reference Series 3.2

This highly awarded whisky, recognized as the world's best blended malt, has left me feeling let down. While it's a good drink, earning a 91 out of 100, I anticipated something extraordinary given its price point of around 250 dollars for a half-liter bottle. (I received a sample, so no excessive spending occurred!). It's bottled at 47.5% ABV and has a deep copper hue. The legs on the glass are quite attractive. This blended malt is produced by Master of Malt, an online liquor vendor. The aroma is absolutely stunning, featuring an elegant tobacco scent that reveals something new with each whiff: chocolate, a faint smokiness, raisin cake, prunes, butterscotch, freshly baked butter cake, Nutella, hazelnuts, a hint of lemon, orange candy, fresh tangerine, and a spicy tingle. Incredible. Despite this impressive nose, the palate is nice but somewhat uninspired, not quite matching the olfactory experience. It presents cereal, orange, tobacco, remarkable smoothness akin to water, clove, subtle spice, dry brown grasses, and a chocolatey, ashy aftertaste that lingers for a medium to long duration. Overall, I rate this dram a 91 out of 100, but I wouldn't spend 250 dollars on a bottle; I believe 75-90 dollars would be a more appropriate valuation for what it delivers. Cheers!

A representative brought this to a tasting event hosted by Boutique-y Whisky Company. It's no longer sold and has been discontinued. The representative presented a slideshow detailing flavor characteristics derived from two numerical values, offering insights into the distillery, age, color, and chill-filtration process. This particular whisky incorporates 10% Ardbeg and some very aged components. It's excellent, featuring notes of caramel, apples, raisins, subtle smoke, a saline/maritime tang, and concluding with a lingering sweet smokiness.