A Flowery Song

Background: This honey and whisky liqueur is made from twelve-year-old blended scotch and claims to be “less sweet”.

Nose: Very interesting. Sweet honey, hints of orange and aged scotch.

Taste: Light honey taste with a heavy dose of dried orange peel and maybe a hint of cocoa. A fair bit of oak in the middle and a vague whisky taste throughout. As promised, only lightly sweet.

(Water? Huh? What is it good for?)

Nose: A lot more fruit on the nose, both the citrus noted earlier as well as some lighter apple-like scents.

Taste: The whisky itself is more forward, showing a heavily vanilla-leaning oak influence and the barest hint of vegetal-ness.

Overall: Much more drinkable by itself than the more sticky-sweet liqueurs, but still doesn't really come into its own until mixed.

Background: Drambuie is a malt whisky based liqueur, sweetened with honey and flavoured with a secret blend of spices. Allegedly, the recipe was given to the MacKinnon family by Bonnie Prince Charlie.

Nose: Sweet and spicy, with phenolic undertones.

Taste: Wow that's sweet. Honey with a peaty alcohol burn, developing into anise and a vaguely herbal middle. Medium finish is mainly phenols and a sickly sweet coating on the tongue that sticks around way too long.

(Insert dilution here)

Nose: Peat becomes more dominant.

Taste: Sweetness is less overpowering, but the cloying finish is still there. Saffron in the mix? Heather honey, I think.

Overall: Nice taste, but you need to keep drinking it or have something to eat to get rid of the aftertaste. Useful as a mixer.