14-Dec: Isle of Jura - Superstition

Almost there. 2 whiskies a night is my limit, so it's not a goal to catch up until later this week. #behind #catchingup #whisky #WhiskyAdvent

I love the smell of Superstition. This whisky has a beautiful nose. It's very well balanced, with wood notes and sweet malty goodness. It's a very straightforward Scotch, which is not meant to be damning with faint praise. I really like it! There are sherry notes but not overwhelming - like dried fruits or maybe fruitcake. Again, this is all very balanced. This is one of my favorites so far. Like yesterday's whisky, it's also 43% ABV.

Here are the usual pictures (I remembered to take them!):

   

13-Dec: GlenDronach 12-year-old

Now we're into the second half of the #WhiskyAdvent calendar. I'm really enjoying it. Still #behind, but also still #catchingup.

This GlenDronach is very nice indeed. I got some smokey notes that evolved as I drank this. At first I thought it was something peaty underneath, but I used to start fires in my parents' fireplace and the closest I can think to describe this smell is that of the first smoke off of newspaper when you use it to light a fire...like after you scrunch it under the grate that holds the logs. This whisky is smooth and a bit sweet but not overly so.

It's 43% ABV, which is a fairly common bottle strength for many mainstream whiskies. This is a complex whisky and has a lot to offer to a patient drinker. I got more and more from it as I finished my (small) sample. I'm going to have to find a bottle someday. Here is a picture of the empty bottle.

12-Dec: Caol Ila 12-year-old

Caol Ila (pronounced "cull-EEla" is an Islay distillery and as such does tend to produce the peaty/smokey type of Scotch.

#behind is as #behind does...catching up, though. Hey, we've managed to reach the halfway point of the #WhiskyAdvent calendar. Personally, I am really looking forward to Christmas break, not because I'll be off of work for 2 weeks (I won't) but because there is a chance to change gears and get ready for the new year.

As for this dram, we have a oily peaty sweet masterpiece. The tasting notes on Master of Malt have lots of things I don't get, but this 43% strength whisky is very very smooth. Upon further review, I do get citrus notes, to me they are akin to lemon-scented floor cleaner. Not sure I'd want to drink *that* but it is a nice smell, especially in the context of the rest of the flavors and aromas. And, boy, does this have an amazing, smokey finish. Hoo-rah!

I only took one picture of this one:

11-Dec: Arran - Batch 4 (That Boutique-y Whisky Company)

Ok, still #behind but no longer #waybehind. :-)

In case you don't know where the island of Arran is, it's here, due East of the Kintyre peninsula which is where Campbeltown lies (you'll remember that Glen Scotia is from Campbeltown):

I've had a number of expressions from Arran but this one is a very nice dram. I get fresh pineapples, and huge amounts of spicy maltiness (baking spices but I can't tell which ones). This is a strong dram, coming in at 52% ABV. But it's very smooth and not at all as "hot" as you might expect. I very much enjoyed this one.

There was another possibility for day 11 of the #WhiskyAdvent calendar: Auchentoshan Three Wood, a lowland malt from a distillery that I very much enjoy. The Three Wood expression is one I've enjoyed before. I might have to seek some out.

Here are the usual pix of the Arran: