This distillery had a shaky start. Before it was even finished in 1899, the firm was suspended with liabilities exceeding £70,000. Imagine how much that would be in today’s money. Nothing new about financial crises, eh?

The spring water from this little distillery comes from the Romach hills, high in calcium, and pristine. The distillery is the smallest distillery in the speyside region and is quite experimental producing the first organic whisky, and offering some wonderful oak finishes, such as Madiera and Sassicaia (I don’t know either, but I’ve got a case on the way and am looking forward to trying it)

This whisky really surprised me. I thought I might be a bit middle of the road, but the peat, citrus characters and barley sugar sweetness combine amazingly well.

I recorded my first impressions on you tube:

Tasting Notes:
Colour: Straw yellow
Body: Rounded with a balance of flavours
Finish: Slightly sweet with a hint of smoke and malt.
Nose: Citrus fruits (lemons & limes) with hint of honey and pine resin. Peaty malty notes in the background.
Palate: Smoky with cereal and malt flavours. Dries up with spicy/peppery notes followed by a delicate floral edge.

With water. (DO NOT DRINK WITH ICE. IT IS FOUL!!!!!)
Nose: Sweet, chocolate and fudge aromas. Floral elements and a hint of phenols (germolene).
Palate: Toasted/smoky flavours initially with a subtle fragrance. Some fruity notes develop along with an earthy, vanilla edge.

"Assertive, Aperitif" - Michael Jackson

"A bunch of Speyside fragrances. As bracing as a walk on a country trail along a ripe cornfield on a sunny Spring day." - Martine Nouet

"...a natural harmony between smoke, barley and light vanllins" - Jim Murray's Whisky Bible 2008

I have included tasting notes with water, but my opinion is this whisky drinks best straight up, without anything, especially ice. It is a very enjoyable dram.