As I would reveal at the end of the tasting when everyone would have made their final guesses, the fourth and last dram we tasted was the Yoichi Single Malt Peaty & Salty. It is a distillery exclusive bottled at 55% abv, without age statement, in a 50 cl bottle. I paid 130€ on auction for this bottle including 60€ in shipping cost as the seller was from Hong-Kong.
Colour:
This one is paler on Old Sauternes. Swirls again stick to the glass and eventually fall as slow thick legs.
Nose:
Coldorak: Definitely peat. Very maritime notes, iodine, sea salt, citrus, peach, pear. Though somehow it reminds me a bit of a highland peat even with the maritime notes. On the nose alone I’m quite sure the 4th is Peaty & Salty.
Ainulindalë: Vanilla & sweet crème brûlée again. Sweet saltiness and a background of fruit around peach and pear poached in wine over wax. OK I changed my mind about my Y2 🙂
Alistair: Salty, moderate peat. Salted dark chocolate.
Brian: Initial nose: @GlenScotiaMalts. I’m in Campbeltown and this is a @GlenScotiaMalts lots of maritime breeze and a little peat smoke. There are some vanilla and a little orchard fruit – YUMMY!
John: Are you sure this one isn’t from Campbeltown? Very reminiscent of my beloved @GlenScotiaMalts. Very coastal on the nose, earthy, damp, vanilla, light peat smoke, creamy and once again the 55% ABV is so well contained… very impressive. This is very much like some of their (Glen Scotia) peated single cask offerings. 😊
Paul: Peat, quite damp and earthy. Still some fruit in there though, pear and maybe a bit red grape? Quite creamy tot, seems to have a bit if everything this one. For the 1st time in the last hour and a half or so, I don’t think I’m confused! I thought that needed announcing.
Palate:
Coldorak: Definitely peat and salt. No doubt about it, the Peaty & Salty name is spot on. Quite a bit of pepper, some almost meaty note too, thinking about prunes stuffed with ham. (Me replying to Ainulindalë): Yeah, ashes and fruit BBQ, well described. But after grilling some meat, the BBQ grill was not cleaned and you put the fruits on it immediately after the meat. More citrus on a second sip.
Ainulindalë: Starts soft on vanilla and sweet peach then goes all the way up to ashes with slow progress, all over some sea saltiness. Ends up finding fruit behind these ashes, yet again. Fruit BBQ? With water: melts the fruit and the smoke together and brings the alcohol tinge out. Very nice that way, very heaty though
Alistair: Soft entry of juicy oak that rapidly hardens to barbecued pineapple. Smoke asserts as bitumen on fingers during a very hot summer afternoon.
Brian: (replying to John): Spot on John, Campbeltown on the nose, but not the palate – much more peaty. We’re on Islay now! Unexpectedly thick, oily, tongue coating, drying. There’s peat but also a wave of citrus, the pears from the nose, some cut grass and a lovely spicy ginger kick.
John: This might be Campbeltown on the nose but it’s more Islay on the palate… another great dram!
Paul: (replying to John too): Just what I was thinking John, earthy nose, ash palate. Oh there is a fair bit of peat there. Hides the abv well like the others. Little bit of sweetness. A little earthy, wood spice, ash, a little bit salty but more of a soft sea salt type of thing. (Replying to me – Coldorak): With you on the meaty thing mate. A honey-glazed ham type of thing?
Finish:
Coldorak: Smoked citrus and a bit of caramel, with a warmness staying long on the tongue without burning you.
Ainulindalë: A tinge of smoke over fruit ending on a floral side, long and nice, overwatching the sea.
Alistair: The finish is medium length with bitter orange and those Polo Fruits again, green and yellow ones.
Brian: Long smokey notes, the maritime breeze lingers and there are odd notes of citrus – YUMMY!
John & Paul didn’t write notes on the finish.
Rating:
Coldorak: 88/100
Ainulindalë: 89/100
Guesses so far:
Coldorak: Peaty & Salty
Ainulindalë: Peaty & Salty
Alistair: Yoichi 4 is Peaty & Salty without a doubt.
Brian: Peaty & Salty
John: Peaty & Salty
Paul: That has to be peaty.
