Holyrood’s latest limited release blends a 75% heavily peated Highland malt in an unusual mashbill and a mix of first-fill bourbon, rum barriques and Oloroso-active casks. The result is smoky, sweet and earthy at 47.1% ABV.
Mash composition leans 75% heavily peated Highland malt with smaller amounts of unpeated malt, Plumage Archer and brown malt.
Maturation uses mostly first-fill bourbon casks plus some rum barriques and Oloroso-active casks, creating a balance of smoke and sweetness.
Tasting shows a bold, youthful peat on the nose, a sweet-and-smoky palate with spice and herbal notes, and a medium-long finish on roasted hazelnuts and smoke.
The whisky was primarily aged in first-fill bourbon casks, with a portion finished or aged in rum barriques and Oloroso-active casks. That combination aims to layer cask-driven sweetness over pronounced peat. The distillery provides additional background material and short stories about the release on its website.
The nose is described as distinctly and quite heavily peated, with a youthful peat waft. Noted aromas include:
The reviewer frames the peat as a Highland expression: drier and less maritime than typical Islay peat.
The palate is described as slightly rougher than the nose but still coherent in its smoke-versus-sweet balance.
The finish runs medium to long and closes on roasted hazelnuts and sustained smoke.
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