Single Malt
Scotland
1 Jan 2014
1 Jan 2023
A most intriguing addition to the Mystery Malt series from independent bottler Murray McDavid. According to their website, this peated Highland single malt (technically all of the islands other than Islay reside in the official 'Highland' region) is from a distillery off the west coast that was founded in 1798. 'Safe Haven' may be another clue. We can't say any more... It spent eight years maturing, initially in a bourbon barrel before being finished in a cask that previously held Grapefruit Sour beer from the Wild Beer Co.! A release of 308 bottles.
Rich peat smoke, dried apples, tangy citrus, and a touch of gooseberry.
That citrus tang carries through, with zesty peels and vibrant grapefruit joining the oily peat smoke beneath.
Rich, tarry smoke lingers, with flamed citrus, dried hops, and oaken vanilla.
This is a stupendous dram. Initially there’s slightly-more-than-subtle sour grapefruit and light peat that marries together perfectly, followed by superbly balanced dried fruits then coastal salinity. The best comparison I can give is it’s a bit like a mix of the ‘Seaweed & Aeons & Maple Syrup & Toasted Oats’ and ‘Glenglassaugh Sandend’ with a hint subtle grapefruit. This is seriously good stuff and it’s such a shame that this will almost definitely never be available again.
