Whisky tasting

It's time for something different altogether — a whisky tasting.

• Whisky: Palo by Teerenpeli
• Country of Origin: Finland
• Age: NAS (No Age Statement)
• ABV: 46 %

I will preface this by saying that I am very keen on smoky whiskies, especially Islay Scotches — their intense smokiness and peatiness really make them stand out. Knowing already from an acquaintance that Palo is quite smoky, my mind immediately went to the Islay Single Malt archetype as a reference point.

With that expectation in mind, I ended up being very surprised by this (golden brown) whisky from Lahti, Finland — and in the best way possible. Many flavours of Islay whiskies are characterised by a robust, pronounced smokiness that verges on savouriness due to the strong presence of peats. While that is, as said, something I truly enjoy, Palo turned that expectation on its head in many (fun) ways.

First and foremost, Palo caught me off-guard with how bright it was in comparison: even though there was a fairly strong smoke there, I also felt a surprisingly fruity and zesty, if slightly round, flavour of cherries and cranberries right on the top of my tongue.

That was also in stark contrast with the aroma, which was quite a bit more mellow, with an almost creamy and sappy fragrance — it was more cereal than berries on the scent-side of things.

Things took another turn vis-à-vis the aftertaste, which, especially after a brisk nosing, was very strong with savoury notes — a little bit of liquorice here, some salmiakki there. The smokiness was again noticeably present in the aftermath.

It also took some time for the flavour to settle, as the whisky is on the stronger side at 46 % — although not quite so strong as to warrant diluting it; it was very palatable as-is.

I kept finding new things in this whisky with each sip, new analyses forming with every flick of the wrist. Truly a roller coaster of a drink with a nigh-kaleidoscopic flavour profile, this is easily a five-star whisky.