hs305 scored this whisky 82 points

...and it clearly confirms my suspicions. This is an extremely two-dimensional spirit with extreme spikes towards a peaty smokiness and agressive woodiness. Whoever loves these spikes might enjoy such a combo very much, to me it is rather disgusting (hey, where is the whisky in this mix?). Sorry, but my taste is simply different (and you know: There is no accounting for taste!)...
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The colour is burnished and the nose offers what could be expected: peat and wood. The distillate itself is hidden behind these curtains of impressive flavours so it is hard to detect any aromas of the spirit itself (are there any at all?). Not the kind of nose I appreciate...
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The taste is bitter from all the wooden and extreme ashy peat flavours but after some chewing I detect barley sugars, hooray! Is there anything else? Maybe, but my taste buds are blocked by the heavy spikes of the two dominant flavours - so they are unable to recognise more subtle ones (if there are any at all). Some water turns the nose punchier and the taste even more ashy-bitter. A further reduction releases additional barley sugars but still they cannot compete with the woods and smoke. This one is for lovers of extreme spirits only. Is this whisky? By definition: yes - according to my taste buds: no!
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The dram arrives mighty in the mouth with a mighty drying-astringent feeling from all the tannins and ashes. It is like licking in a wooden ashtray - sorry, I do not like this. The finish is long and sweeter (barley sugars only) but still mainly a two-dimensional peat-wood affair. Guess what...