Enigma Lowland Blended Malt 10 Year (2014), Cadenhead’s
Whisky: Enigma Lowland Blended Malt 10 Year (2014), Cadenhead’s
Country/Region: Scotland/Lowland
ABV: 54.9%
Cask: Oloroso Hogshead Finish
Age: 10 Years (Distilled 2014, Bottled Oct. 2024)
Nose: Berries, vanilla, ginger, and cola; big cask-driven fruits, molasses, hints of citrus, malty.
Palate: Medium-bodied, syrupy and sweet, stewed berries, molasses, creamy at times, chocolate, jammy fruits, figs, black pepper toward the end.
Finish: Medium-length and drying, leather, dried fruits, and some herbal oolong milk tea.
Score: 7 (82)
Mental Image: “Death by Chocolate” Flourless Cake by Candlelight
Narrative & Notes: Big sticky cherries in syrup collided with sun-dried vanilla beans and ginger cola— the aroma was sticky and sweet with hints of something roasty and toasty in the background. Perhaps a blackstrap molasses cakes and cherries jubilee with a touch of vanilla creme pate and charred orange rind. Medium-bodied, the flavor profile was equally as syrupy and sweet with plenty of cherry and molasses syrups over cream, boba milk tea, and dense flourless chocolate cake. Dried dates and fig jam lingered on the mid-palate with hints of sweet apple bananas and a touch of black pepper. The finish was medium-length and drying with a strap of leather leading to dried fruits and some herbal oolong milk tea.
Well-composed and balanced, this unknown Lowlander (Ailsa Bay, perhaps?) was heavy with sherry-driven fruits and sugars from what must have been an absolutely riotous cask as the finish was only a year or so. I do not usually enjoy this style of whisky, when the cask influence is loud enough to blow out much of the malt. Yet, there was still plenty to love: the spirit was well-integrated considering its youth, and there was some nice variance between sticky sweet fruits and richer hints of dark chocolate and cola.
Overall, an intriguing whisky— if this had anything approaching balsamic notes and some brighter fruits, I would have bought every bottle they had. Since it did not, I would happily accept another pour, but this was one for the sherry fiends.
