The Tweedale: The Grain of Truth

You don't often come across a single grain spirit, especially not at an Ecuadorian restaurant. Well, I had the opportunity to sample one I hadn't seen before, this Tweeddale, a peated single grain from the Scottish Highlands. With a pale straw hue, this was bottled at 50% ABV and is comprised of 50% peated malted barley and 50% wheat. On the nose, it's definitely peaty! Like a fresh can of new tennis balls and Converse shoes, with lemon. It's very yeasty, offering nice bread aromas. Smells quite pleasant. After a few sips, the scent shifted to a fish market and a taxi's lemon air freshener. On the palate, you'll find thick vanilla and lemongrass notes. Spicy. It feels a bit young. On the second sip, I detected black pepper and ashes. It's very complex for a grain spirit. Aftertaste provided a very refined, thick vanilla. Truly wonderful. The creaminess from the grain is actually delivered very well. Overall, this might be the finest grain spirit ever. I genuinely enjoyed it, despite my biases against these types of whiskies. The higher ABV and peatiness worked wonders. Also, the inclusion of wheat made it much more refined. Highly recommended, my score is 89 out of 100.

The aroma is a faint hint of bananas and vanilla. The palate is a mild, creamy butterscotch. The finish is short and dry with a bit of spice. An acceptable single grain spirit.

Not much on the nose. Good sweet whiskey. A hint of sherry at the end. Very short finish.

This one was the peated variety, somewhat gentler due to the malt used.