smoky single malt

first off, gong xi fa cai and a happy lunar new year to all. i think the phrase yum seng is most appropriate for the occasion. fact is, that was the phrase in the two weddings i had attended between december 2007 and january 2008.
anyway, over the last weekend, some friends came down and we adjourned to a new english pub called the george and dragon in the bangsar shopping complex.
well, its managed by the finnegans pubs people and has a similar range of draught beers and single malts. a review of the place is possible in the near future although the initial sampling of food leaves much to be desired.
one of the single malts available is the rather new smokehead launched in 2006. the pale straw single malt is a 43 percent alcohol by volume whisky and is also an islay style single malt with an intense smoky and peaty nose.
not one for the faint-hearted or those who like sweet sherry-casked single malts, the smokehead smokiness is tempered with a spicy mix of lemon and ginger to give a heady fragrance to the dram.
the palate continues with the spicy masala and a hint of sweetness exploding although it feels a bit thin before a short smoky and intense peppery-peaty finish for a life-changing second and continues for some time after not quite unlike the laphroaig.
this is one big whisky that requires some getting used to with a lot of smoke and fire.
go for it.