Up North Distillery Single Malt

I spoke with the owner and distiller about the single malt, and they mentioned the only unusual aspect was its aging in barrels previously used for the distillery's honey spirits. The aroma has a significant amount of stale wood/cardboard, which is not appealing. On the palate, this stale note persists but is much less noticeable, and the single malt character is quite enjoyable, with some oak and honey evident in the finish. The sample I had in the tasting room didn't exhibit the same stale taste. I'm uncertain if my bottle was flawed, but it remains very pleasant, and I'd consider purchasing another.

After allowing the bottle to air out for some time, the stale putty flavor still dominates the aroma and taste. Without the putty flavor, the malt is quite enjoyable. I'll need to revisit that place again to see if I happened to get a bad bottle.