When I had it in my head that I needed to get some more blends on the shelf, especially affordable drams that might suit a variety of moods, I stumbled across this blended malt. I was won over when I saw reviews that included floral notes. While floral whiskies can come off as soapy to some drinkers, including, I suspect some who tried this bottle based on its somewhat middling reviews, I am one of those odd drinkers that rather enjoy a floral profile. Maybe I am not so odd, I’ve heard it proposed that maybe the appeal of floral profiles is a generational defining quality and we are in the midst of a returning preference for those whiskies.

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Whisky: Coastal Embrace Chapter I Blended Malt 28 Year (1995), Murray McDavid

Country/Region: Scotland/Blended Malt

ABV: 52.3%

Cask: Bourbon Hogshead, French Oak Cognac Puncheon (5Y)

Age: 28 Years (Distilled 1995, Bottled 2024)

Notes: Coastal bonfires offered salty air, smoke, and charred wood with the gentle scent of heather and beach flowers in the background. Persimmons and calamansi offered a citrusy-fruity tang to cut through wood mulch and garden bed vibes— a kind of musty earth, wood, and small fruiting trees which sometimes dominated. Medium-bodied on the palate, initially oily, but more drying over time. Fruits arrived first as bruised mangos and papaya joined dried persimmons and dates; the initial burst of fruitiness went from juicy to concentrated and finally slightly bitter by the end with a touch of cocoa. Coastal vibes and a bit of dirty dockyard offered rusted barrels and a bit of diesel pump to the salty air. The finish was medium-length, though not particularly intense, as some of the heather and floral elements of the aroma made a return with wood mulch, rusted metal, and fruit skins.

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Score: 7 (84)

Mental Image: Dockside Planter Boxes

Conclusion: A lovely blend, this was as coastal as its name led me to expect. A great deal more peat and char appeared on the nose than I expected considering the age, this had the depth that a long maturation can bring, but it maintained some rough edges. It had some peppery spirit to the palate, which left it feeling a bit younger than a quarter center. The cognac cask finish often played a starring role with the dirtier aspects of the peated malt only appearing near the end.  The finish was nice and retained quite a bit of character as it faded. Overall, a lovely blend with a nice bit of character, though perhaps not always that well-rounded and sometimes a touch muddled.