A blended malt from Michel Couvreur, made from Scottish whisky which is aged in cellars in Burgundy using Sherry oak casks. The Candid expression is buttery and rich, with plenty of Sherry oak influence - think sun dried raisins and hints of almond oil - with touches of peat running though it.
Mince pie, petrichor, heavy fruit cake and a hearty helping of nutmeg.
Very well-balanced. Sherry notes are up front and sweet (almost creamy), but the robust peat earthiness keeps it all in check. There are a few notes of black liquorice tucked away in there too...
Mineral-y smoke and juicy sultana.
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I was surprised reading the 2 star review on this site saying that it was overly peated. I am not a huge fan of peat and this has become a staple of my mid-high range - it's like Christmas pudding: rich toast and lots of fruit with a lingering camp fire richness. The earthiness is balanced well by the sherry expression, and becomes powerful flavour that endures for a substantial amount of time. Not for everyone, but what is? I've had plenty of $100 drams that weren't as fun. It's worth having.
Nose is sherry quickly buried by peat smoke, oily, a little bit nutty, maybe marzipan. Palate is initially sweet and rich but is almost instantly overwhelmed by very peaty, almost sooty notes. The finish is once again peat and oil, with bitter liquorice the only lasting flavour. This is a bit of a brute of a whisky. Nose promises more than the palate delivers, the finish is short and the whole is overwhelmed by peat. I enjoy a peated whisky but for me this is just too unbalanced. Worth trying as a tutoring aid for the palate but not something I would choose to drink for pleasure. Interestingly, it was robust enough to work as a partner for some Indian spiced food, so maybe that's what we will use the rest of the bottle for.
