I failed miserably with Day 5 and didn’t score any points so I hoped to reverse the course with this lightly peated dram. It was a confusing experience tasting it as at first it’s very subdued and then opens up to reveal a very gentle peated expression with a touch of sherry notes. I thought it’s probably some older Islay whisky and I went for 22 yo Caol Ila 43% and as expected, it was totally wrong. Who would have thought that a decent whisky can come out from Loch Lomond and at that infant age.

Inchfad 2001 6 Year Old (Loch Lomond) (45%, 375 bottles)

Photo credit: whiskybase.com

Nose: It’s a closed nose and takes lots of times to spill out the goods. Honey, coals smoke in the backgroud, damp wood logs with a bit of moss. Gentle white pepper. Slowly some sherry sweetness from far away that get stronger with more breathing, get sour old sherry notes, gentle cooked cinnamon and nutmeg.

Palate: Gentle peat and coals smoke, ashes, cured meat in red and sweet sauce, oak wood spices, pepper.

Finish: Medium-long finish with sweet berries at first, soursweet berries and lingering drying coals smoke with sherry spices.

Thoughts: Real weird whisky. I couldn’t figure it out at first, but with time it’s showing gentle and mellow profile and I think I could like it a bit if not for the damp wood note on the nose. Maybe a few more years in the cask (in a better cask) could make it better.