James Eadie 15yo Fife Blend

James Eadie 15yo Fife Blend

Region: Lowlands

ABV: 56.3%

Price: £135.00

This bottling released at this years Fife Whisky Festival, and is a blend of 15 year old bourbon matured Daftmill and a 25 year old marsala-finished Cameronbridge

Nose

Initially, the nose shows toffee apples, warm cinnamon spice, creamy vanilla custard, with a bit of a sweet varnish aroma giving away the grain component of this blend. There's also a bit of grated ginger, poached pears and baked banana appearing. The alcohol feels reasonably well integrated, there's a bit of star anise and clove spice appearing. We definitely get the marsala influence here, warm poaching spices and rich chocolate with light coffee aromas appear.

Palate

The palate opens with cinnamon sugar dusted doughnuts, cherry compote, and ginger cake laced with dried fruits. It's quite spicy up front, that ginger coming through prominently along with Szechuan peppercorns that dance around your tongue. Going back and we're finding orangeade, dark cooking chocolate, light mocha notes and a bit of yuzu right at the end. The mouthfeel is fine, there's a bit of texture here, and the finish lasts for a good length with mostly the fiery spice flavours lingering on.

Nose (with water)

Reduction brings forth a little bit more of a bourbon cask sweetness, caster sugar, vanilla sponge cake, along with some milk chocolate buttons too. There's still a bit of ginger spice, a smattering of fruit and some citrus appearing too, but it's a bit spicy still. 

Palate (with water)

The reduced palate is richer, not in marsala flavours, but more in charred oak, dry earth and wood spice. It's still fairly alcoholic, even after a good splash of water, but this is a mixture of brown sugar and toffee, along with aniseed and chili heat. The mouthfeel and finish seem broadly the same as without dilution.

Conclusion

It's a perfectly tasty dram, but we can't help but feel the Daftmill character has been overshadowed by the marsala cask finish on the Cameronbridge, and we're really all here for the Daftmill. It's quite spicy in places, this gives a good punch to the whisky but can be overpowering at the same time. We'd have a dram or two, but I don't think we'd bother with a bottle. 

Score: 6.5/10

Value

A 15 year old blend at £135 seems a little rough. We appreciate that this has Daftmill in it, but we don't think it's enough to justify the price.

• 10 - Perfection. One in a million
• 9 - Outstanding. Exceptional whisky.
• 8 - Great. Would seek this out.
• 7 - Good. Quality whisky.
• 6 - Above average. Happy to have a dram.
• 5 - Average. Drinkable whisky.
• 4 - Below average. Passable.
• 3 - Flawed. Noticeable negatives.
• 2 - Defective. Significant faults.
• 1 - Offensive. Pour it out.

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