Side by side : Paul John Select Casks

Following on from my Oloroso & PX review of Paul John here, I've now written a comparison of their two Select Casks.

A pair of unpeated and peated drams at just over 55% ABV

Paul John say "The Select Casks whiskies are drawn from selected cask profiles and have a distinct and unique character. The CLASSIC is an elegant masterpiece from selected casks while the PEATED offers delicious wafts of peat."

Dram	Classic Select	Peated Select
Characteristics	55.2% ABV Natural colour, NCF American White Oak Ex-Bourbon Barrels	55.5% ABV Natural colour, NCF American White Oak Ex-Bourbon Barrels
Distillery notes	The lush freshness of this Single Malt envelops you from the very beginning. To give you this experience, we’ve matured it in selectively chosen cask profiles and bottled it without chill filtration, at cask strength. Relish the tropical rush, Goan style. Nose: Fruity, malty aromas are intertwined with honey. A hint of bourbon teases your senses. Palate: With the very first sip, flavours of malted barley greet you. A heady mix of bourbon and manuka honey-liquorice makes for an attractive spine. And while you relish this experience, the unexpected flavour of toasted honeycomb takes you by surprise. Finish: This Single Malt has an absolutely elegant finish, with juicy Demerara tones ensuring a soft, friendly finish.	This Single Malt astonishes even a seasoned whisky aficionado. Unexpected flavours balance each other, offering the perfect tipple. It is a wholesome Goan experience, packed into every sip. Nose: The smoky, sweet and earthy fragrances have mellow resonances of spice. Palate: As the crisp Muscovado and Demerara sugars create layered nuances, the smokiness of the Single Malt sets in, creating a perfect balance. A hint of spice radiates from the hickory and Dominican-style cocoa. Finish: The delicate finish of this Single Malt has notes of Dominican cocoa laced with the tart edge of marmalade.
My thoughts:
Appearance
	Mid gold in the glass, swirls cling as a thick line, form large beads which fall as thick legs.	Mid gold in the glass, swirls cling as a thick line, form large beads which fall as thick legs.
Nose	Malty to start, a little damp wood and some orchard fruit: pears, apples and peaches. A little Chinese Five spice and pine needles.	Sweet Highland peat smoke to start, honey, brown sugar and a hint of salinity. A little damp wood, peppery spice and herbal hints.
Palate	Thick sweet arrival, immediately spicy and with a sour citrus bite. There's thick honey, wood varnish, vanilla and a chilli spice - this could easily be a bourbon. Mint and orange zest hints follow with a little tropical fruit.	Thick but watery arrival, lots of dry smoke to start with - a little strange! There's some salinity and some tropical fruit: pineapple, mango, kiwi. The liquid seem oily on the tongue giving orange zest, tobacco and dark chocolate hints. A lovely peppery spice as the liquid disappears.
Finish	Lingering chilli spice and sweet honey.	Lingering smoke, spice and honey sweetness.
Overall	Both of these are obviously young whiskies but the Indian climate have matured them a lot faster than the same time would in Scotland. The high ABV masks some of the rough edges and to be honest they are nice drams. Unfortunately US company Sazerac acquired a majority(?) shareholding in Paul John in 2017, 'let go' of their two excellent Brand Ambassadors more recently and to be honest seem to have all but disappeared from the UK market - when was the last time you saw a bottle on a shelf or heard anything about them? People sell whisky and Paul John don't seem to have anyone doing that in the UK anymore.

Ex-Brand Ambassadors Craig & Shilton