5th February 2015
Murky amber - brown beer, residual tan head. Slightly smoky Islay nose. Palate is dry with a little fine carbonation. The smoky Islay dominates but the TCP is not too bad, little fruity even! The salty caramel of the base beer is retained. Touch of tangy fruits before a savoury dry finish. TCP lingers on. Interesting and for me with regards to an Islay aged beer, pretty drinkable.

Bottle 330ml. @ [ (pre-Christmas tasting ) by chriso - London ]. [ As Hardknott Granite 2013 Whisky Cask ].Clear medium to dark brown amber color with a small to average, frothy - fizzy and open, fair lacing, mostly diminishing, off-white head. Aroma is moderate malty, caramel, wood, peat, sweet malt - dried fruit - berries. Flavour is moderate to heavy sweet and moderate bitter with a long duration, peat, wood, toasted, alcohol - whisky, smoke, dry, malt sweet, caramel. Body is medium, texture is oily, carbonation is soft to flat, finish feel is light alcoholic. [20141207]

Bottle shared at chriso’s winter tasting 7/12/2014. Thanks to Chriso. Clear reddy / amber coloured pour with a small fleeting off white head. Aroma is booze and smokey peat, a little medicinal. Flavour is composed of big vinous, booze, oak vinalla, peat, vanilla. Palate is boozy, alcohol, wood. Headache inducing alcohol. Lingering smokey sausage flavours Pretty harsh.

Bottle shared at the chriso pre-Christmas tasting 2014 - London. Pours clear amber with a bubbly topping. Lots of peat on the snout, some sugary bread, ripe fruits. Big sweet flavor, boozy, with dry smoke, ham, peat, metal, dried berries, earth and leaves. Full bodied with fine carbonation. Pretty chewy. A bit of alcohol burn on the finish, coupled with surging peat, strong malt sweetness, some grains, husk and earth bitterness. A bit rough and heavy handed.

Bottle at Craig’s. Pours clear brown with a tiny off-white head. Aromas of smoke, wood, phenolic. Taste is chewy barrel, but some sweetness from the original remains. Finishes boozy. Not bad.

Bottle at Craig’s. Pours ruby, nose is light peat smoke, berries, taste is rich berries, sweet, dry, peaty smoke, woody, just a tad thin.