Appearance: Rich, deep, amber colored; clear. Legs slow to form and thick
Nose: burst of fresh-cut fruit--nectarines, peaches, cherries, citrus--gives way to some citrus peel and dried figgy notes, and then some grain-y spice--cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice--all underpinned by a warm vanilla oakiness
(Most glasses showcased about the same notes, but the Norlan brought out a strong apple note, and some dark leather-y notes as well)
Palate: Those spice and citrus notes come across strong on the palate. Tangerine-like, and sweet with a warm--almost spicy--heat
Finish: while the citrus and spice explosion of the palate recedes, the oakiness lingers with a bit of barrel spice leaving almost the aftertaste of spicy food.
Overall: An excellent dram. I have to admit I was a little worried by the description; normally ‘potent’ and ‘edge’ mark some harsh off flavors, but not here! This whiskey shows that a blend can have fire and fierceness without the harsh alcohol flavors of underaged whiskeys--or even without relying on the harder wheaty notes (though I’d be surprised if there wasn’t any wheated bourbon in there).
Overall a wonderful and delightful whiskey, the best yet from Quest’s End I’d say (and I was rather critical of their first two).
