THE HEARACH 6 ans 2018 Peated Itinéraires

Nose : refined, deep. Simultaneously herbaceous (fresh barley), lemony and ashy, the aroma palette quickly tips over into vanilla and liquorice. Allowed to breathe, oily, bucolic (dandelion) and briny (seaweed, lamb’s ear) peat is gradually covered in clouds of increasingly thick smoke.

Palate : well-balanced and smooth. A clear chocolate note edges its way through the ever-present peat for a remarkably fresh palette, intertwined with hints of vanilla and herbaceous notes in a nod to the nose. Slowly but surely, medicinal (ointment, dressing) flavours lend it the surge of vitality it needs to linger on and on.

Overall : long, serene. Now mentholated, floral (lily-of-the-valley, white lilac), sooty, tangy (grapefruit), liquorice and herbaceous (sage, verbena), peat continues to reign supreme. Caught in a briny breeze, the retro-nasal olfaction ventures closer to the seafront (kelp, ocean spray) while glints of lime glitter beneath the surface.