Wemyss Spice King 8 year old

I was less than impressed when I first got into this bottle of "hand-crafted" malt whisky. There was nothing particularly wrong with it; it just seemed a little thin, a little too much like a decent blend, yet it is priced like a single malt. However now that the bottle has been open for a bit and I've had time to get acquainted, I'm ready to re-evaluate.

Spice King is a vatted malt (or malt blend, in modern parlance). No idea what's in it. The nose gives off wafts of peat, honey, licorice, hints of fruit. Rather like a beefed-up Ballantine's Finest. It's a little hot neat in a snifter. Ice softens it and brings out more fruit (apples, pears) and malt, as well as a note of chocolate.

Surprisingly, peat is the predominant flavour. Peat and honey, not unlike Islay Mist. The fruity characteristics peek out from beneath the smoke but don't really assert themselves. There is also a bite to it that I normally associate with blends (starting to see a theme here?). Again, a bit of cold dilution goes a long way in opening it up. The peat becomes even oilier. It starts to behave more like a single malt.

It finishes with pleasantly soft peat and lingering sweetness. It leaves the impression of being well-rounded, drinkable stuff. Perhaps the reason it comes across so much like a blend is that it tries to do everything; that is, it tries to embody all of Scotland, much like a blend. With ice it tastes more distinct. Overall quite enjoyable.