Old Raven

gift sample from a friend Fair warning -- when I pulled this off the shelf, I actually didn't know that it was a whisky; I thought that it'd be a brandy! Only after I took notes and googled a bit did I discover that it was a whisky (I'm pretty sure). What can I say, I'm lazy!

Nose: A little red sherry. Cherries and strawberries. Also ashy oak with hints of milk chocolate. Becomes fruitier with time. Honey sweetness and jammy. Musty malt, but well in the background. Caramel/toffee, almost like the crust of millionaire's bread. Tobacco and almost hints of bourbon and fruit liqueur.

Palate: Cherry liqueur alright, but then it flexes its malty muscles. The cherry gives way to gentle oak, cocoa, dark chocolate, and very subtle malt. It does have a very Scotchy quality hidden in there. Salt. Subtle smoke. Raspberries. The bit of a chocolate croissant right around the chocolate. It's so close that you can taste it.

Finish: More of the same merging of cherry/jammy red berry, chocolate, and waxy malt. A dessert malt. Does well and shows well for the quality. Direct, nice, and tasty. I'd be interested to see what else these guys make.