On the nose, sharp, peaty, meaty. Seems high proof on the nose with some ash in the back, earthy. Once acclimated a bit to the proof, more sweet and with plenty of smoke an ash - less sharp. The taste is hot and spicy, earthy, peaty, sweet bbq, ashy. The finish is sweet, bbq, dry at the back. It has a nice heat that lingers for some time. I'm thinking this one of the Ardbeg Cask Strengths I have, or a different CS Peated Scotch, or it could be McCarthy's too. Guessing 55% ABV - 60% ABV though, it does have a nice punch.
With water, things are similar - a bit more sweet on the nose and taste, but still plenty of ashy goodness. Finish flips, with the heat up from and sweet and wood in the back. Overall the nose is amazing, the taste is a bit of a let down, I'll rate it 4.25/5.0.
Turns out this was the McCarthy's Cask Strength, Single Barrel - Westmoreland Store Pick, Barrel #375, 56.2% ABV, bottled back in 2021. I went through several of these bottles as they were in the $60-$65 range and just really darn tasty. I think Westmoreland finally ran out of these, and I don't know if they'll be doing another single barrel or not. If they do, I'll jump in for sure (:
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