Uile-bheist Colpach Earth & Spice

Aroma: Fruitcake, vanilla, caramel, sherry. Taste: A sweet and spicy start with ginger in syrup, apple crumble, treacle tart, and subtle oak spices. The development is minimal, but you get more spicy complexity with clove and cinnamon emerging. The texture is pleasant. Finish: Medium/Short. Sherry and malt. This whisky is a mix of malts from five unnamed highland and Speyside distilleries. It is produced by a distillery in Inverness alongside a similar blended malt called Smoke & Sea (so it's easy to guess its character). It’s an adequate blend but not outstanding. There are no unpleasant tastes, nothing harsh or difficult, but nothing particularly memorable either. I enjoyed the drink but didn't feel the desire to purchase a bottle. This is a new distillery and their first spirit was made in 2023, so it's still aging. In the meantime, they are making themselves known by offering two sourced blended malts along with their new-make spirit. They are also going against the usual trend by not making gin for income while the whisky matures. Instead, they have established a craft brewery that works with the distillery, and they offer a variety of very good beer and ale. Tours are available and are worthwhile. The name of the distillery is Gaelic and means “monster” (a reference to Nessie, of course), and the name of the blend is the Gaelic word for a mythical water-horse monster. They emphasize mythology as part of their identity at this distillery. Tasted at the distillery, April 5th, 2025. “Above Average”: 82/100 (3.25 stars)