Lagg New Make Peated Spirit

(Good Spirits Co. Glasgow – Virtual ‘Fools Rush In’ Tasting, 01 April 2021). This was £18 for a 20cl bottle. The sister distillery to Arran are producing this peated new make to give a glimpse of the flavours the new distillery will be producing in their whisky in a few years time. So, we have a while to wait, but it’s looking promising at the moment. This tasting was for April Fool’s Day. The GSC set up an amazing line-up of drinks - each with their own ‘quirky’ nature. The line-up included Pino Grigio blush, Pinotage, Marsala wine, pot still vodka, botanical spirit, South African Whisky and a new make spirit. All great examples of their craft in their own right. Nose: Smoke, barley, sweet grist, peat, BBQ Palate: Peat! Peat! Peat! Alcohol heavy, very malty, char smoke, BBQ meat, chicory. There’s a green/herbal quality to the spirit. Finish: Ash/peat, BBQ meat. Moves towards charcoal on the aftertaste This new make tastes like a Mescal - with a kick!!! There’s a lovely ‘green’ hit to this that could easily be mistaken for an agave spirit. It already has more whisky notes than a typical new make, but if you’d told me it was a Mescal, I’d definitely believe it. Needs a little care when tasting, it’s 63.5% but tastes much smoother than its ABV. Fab! Came second out of the seven drinks, with 26% (5 votes) of the final vote for favourite of the night. 58% (11 votes) of those present said they enjoyed the spirit.

Suprisingly easy to drink. Fruity, peaty but not medicinal. Reminds me (another suprise) of white rhum agricole or jamaican white rum (hampden estate) or even cachaca (whith some imagination).

Had at whiskey bar in Glasgow, peaty but didn’t have the medicinal quality as much. Not bad.