Poit Dhubh 8 Year Old Gaelic Malt Scotch Whisky

Poit Dhubh 8 year old gaelic malt scotch whisky is a blended scotch that is everything that Johnnie Walker Black Label should have been. Poit Dhubh comes across as a well blended scotch with character and a nice variety of scents and tastes. What first drew us to it was that it stated it was unchilfiltered. We figure that the only reason a scotch would hide something from its label is because they are ashamed of it. Let's have more honesty in labeling. Let all scotch makers say if they chilfilter or not, let them all say if they add colour or not. If you add colour or chilfilter something but are ashamed of it... then maybe just don't do it in the first place.

The first smell that comes across with this scotch is malt. We're now thinking we can sort of understand the smell of younger scotches. And younger isn't always bad, young can have a fresh youthfulness to it, more fuller malty smell and taste. This particular smell and taste disappears a little with age.

There's a slight smoky texture in the nose (one of us thought this was sort of a peaty smokiness, but the other disagreed. You can't always have full agreement in scotch tasting, but that's ok.) The smokiness blends with earthy notes and toasted nuts, and some gentle sweetness. We're thinking that there's some scents in there from some sherry casks. There's a little subtle fruitiness as well and a bit of iodine if you really search for it.

The delicious taste of malt comes out in the palate too, with subtle smoke and burnt oak lingering in the background. Hot ginger, mixed with sweet caramel gives this scotch added complexity. A tiny hint of dark chocolate adds to the overall flavours

This we found particularity interesting: The smell of the malt and then the taste of the malt gives a strange sort of effervescent feel. Now let's get this straight, there is absolutely no effervescent, but there's this weird sense of it. It defies logic and reason; the taste of the malt gave the brain this sort of sense of effervescence.

The finish carries on the slight smokiness of the palate, but in a non-intrusive way. Pleasant in all regards, with gentle apple sweetness.

We're sold on this as a really good blended scotch. If you need proof that blends can hold their own against single malts than give this a try. Would we purchase this again? We already have. Of course, it's a little more expensive than your run of the mill blended scotch ($50 Canadian in Nova Scotia) but it's well worth it.