To say I'm skeptical of the multitude of new distilleries launching in Scotland these days is an understatement. Every time I see someone build a modern new distillery with steel washbacks and impressive efficiency estimates I think, who the hell are they making whisky for? Why would you spend a ton of money to build a new distillery to make whisky just like the big boys do. Efficiency is often the enemy of character in single malt production. But there are a choice few who have taken a different path - Ardnahoe, Ardnamurchan, Dornoch and this exceptional little distillery. These guys have really got their heads in the right place and while they're releasing very young whiskies, there's no question that the quality is top notch. Let's taste this, their second release. The color is old gold. The nose shows more briny ocean character and more citrus than the first release, which had harder edged tarry aromatics. This is exactly what Skye drinkers crave I think. The fresh ex-bourbon barrels also show up offering plenty of vanilla and subduing some of the brackishness. Zingy citrus, baking spice, baked orchard fruit and rich dark smoke offer great tension on the palate. It's got a very old school vibe to it and although the PPM seems lower on paper, the sticky lingering smoke on the palate is very welcome. Wonderfully balanced with a zesty citrus on the finish with keeps it all very lifted and fresh. Top notch stuff and a great indication of excellent whisky to come.