Holyrood Smoulder is the latest limited edition from Holyrood distillery. It is a single malt created from a mash of 75% heavily peated Highland malt with smaller percentages of unpeated malt, plumage archer and brown malt. It was primarily aged in first-fill bourbon, with some rum barriques and Oloroso actives. More background info is told as a collection of passionate short stories on their website.
Holyrood Smoulder (47,1%, OB 2026)
Nose: quite heavily peated indeed, with a nice waft of (youngish) peat. I detect generous sweetness as well, probably from the first-fill bourbon and rum casks. Smoked pears, hints of buttery dough, some gooseberries and plenty of sooty notes. Campfire in the woods. Then a hint of mezcal with a slightly floral top note. Slightly burnt bread crust. Highland peat indeed, so it’s a little drier than the common Islay style.
Mouth: big peat and big sweetness again, balancing each other. The deep earthiness is nice, with black pepper and ginger providing a firm spicy layer. Then mid-palate there are some hints of grapefruit, mild herbal bitters and smoking leaves. Just a hint of red apple and mocha, along with some sharper nutty notes.
Finish: medium to long, on roasted hazelnuts and plenty of smoke.
Another experimental approach, using an unusual mash and a clever cask combination. Great nose, and although it gets slightly rougher on the palate, it leaves little to be desired. Already available from the distillery weite or retailers like Royal Mile Whiskies.