The other hogshead. The peatier one.
Nose: Lemon curd and lemon tart provide a citric-led opening before putty, clay and sea breeze give way to vapour rub and cold cream set against nougat and marshmallow. Water expresses ozone and wet blankets together with dried rope and twine.
Taste: Far more potent now. A wave of rocky, sharp and metallic coastalness together with medicinal smoke in the form of antiseptic cream and vaporous smoked menthol. Vanilla buttercream and vegetalness from seaweed, damp ferns and vegetable oil follows. Dilution here really amps the peated stakes up a notch – preserved lemons, granite and a host of ointments, creams and surface cleaners.
Finish: Long and medicinal with lemon cough sweet and the contents of a well-stocked medicine cabinet.
Edition 55 presents a heartily therapeutic version of Islay’s most indy bottled produce. Whilst far more overtly peated than edition 54, it too possesses the golden triptych of lemon, rocks and smoke. This said, I do prefer the sister release overall due to its more obvious level of maturity. Edition 55 is potent…in a phenolic manner that bottlings 50% its age tend toward.