Single Malt Scotch Whiskey, 12 year
It is a beautiful gold that, from some angles, looks as though it wishes it could be red. It swirls slowly and there is a viscous cling in the glass.
The first sniff is like nectar, a light sweetness with a lingering woodiness. It is smooth, mild, and warm like mountain sunshine on dry pine needles.
The second sniff has a richer, heavier scent of the light sweetness with a dark, slightly bitter smoke. There are many other tastes and smells here that I cannot identify, but the summer woodland imagery persists in my mind's eye. I catch a hint of berry, or some kind of fruit.
The last sniff is sharp and tart, and the alcohol vapors are thick. I want to say there is a hint of apple somewhere in there.
The first sip is sweet, and the alcohol makes it sharp on my tongue. As I roll it around on my tongue, saliva dilutes the liquor and smooths the edge off the alcoholic burn. I'm still not sure what the fruit is, but as I breathe in, still rolling the Scotch around, I can taste the smokiness. I wasn't sure what it was before, but I was reminded of camping, and the taste of sap-heavy wood smoke crawled from my memory. The aftertaste wafts bitter ashes and sunlit honey suckles.
This glass is going to take a while to finish, and the bottle is going to be a close friend by the time it is empty. Hopefully, I will have discerned the secrets and subtleties long before that time. These are my first impressions as I begin my first attempts at sharpening my palate, and appreciating fine liquor.
