Tastes

Nose: Brown sugar, caramel, warm vanilla, deep wood, marshmallow, butter popcorn. Palate: Creme brulee, leather, the oak notes are very pronounced, there's a light berry note that comes through on the finish, with vanilla cream, finishing in very fleeting spice. Thoughts: A beautiful bourbon, that given its impressive bottle, rich heritage, and allocation leaves a little something to be desired. The nose and palate are both great, lots of rich flavors with butter and caramel really popping. Unfortunately, the biggest letdown is the definitively short finish. It seems to linger for just a second before just falling into the abyss. It took me a couple of sips to really get a feel for this bourbon and all its characteristics. A nice bottle to have in a collection, and a treat when you get to try it.

Nose: Dried fruits(raisins), roasted nuts, honeydew melon, lightly floral, bright citrus, astringent sweetness. Palate: Big, rich waves of Sherry right off the back. Washing out into bright grape sweetness. Roasted almonds and chocolate-covered marzipan. The finish is short and quick, coming on with pink peppercorns and rapidly fading into a dry sweet end. Thoughts: It's cool to see the effects a hot humid climate can have on a whisky. There is a lot to like here for such a young Malt. The tropical melon notes, the bright citrus, and honey. There's a delicate floral note both in nose and palate that have a definitive tropical style to them. All in all this whisky is easy drinking, and something decidedly different from the usual Scotch style offerings. Novices and seasoned veterans alike will find something to like here.

Nose: Creamy vanilla, salted caramel, honeydew melon, apricots, light wafts of cured meats. Palate: The sherry is what strikes me right away, not what I was expecting given its golden hue. Salted pecans, bread pudding, prosciutto-wrapped melon comes to mind with its salty fat and sweet fruit notes from the melon. Thoughts: This has been on top of my lists for a while, every time I have it, that feeling is only reinforced. Like the coastal Scotch offerings from Clynelish and Oban with their briny saltiness, and sweet fruit notes. Not at all aggressive with peat but lightly smoked to give you a salivating property that's hard to explain...like a smokehouse but very light. All in this is one of my favorite Japanese Whiskys.

Nose: Dusty oak, Vanilla, there is some banana, butter toffee, red hots. Palate: Dark chocolate coated toffee, deep rich caramel come through first. There is maple syrup and the grain note of graham cracker. The finish is sweet, rich and lingering. The spice notes here are complex with oak, cinnamon, clove, and vanilla all holding up the rich sweetness. Thoughts: The higher proof here really shows how much complexity and depth are in these bottles. Very rich and luscious on this occasion, though some of these bottles have varied for me slightly. Some seem to have more pronounced oak, others more sweetness. A great dessert bourbon, and one of the best of the best in the 10-year bourbon category. Extras: Barrel #4827 Barrelled 11-19-2001

Nose: Dark Chocolate, cherries, cinnamon, candied orange. Palate: Warming vanilla, caramelized almonds come through. The dark chocolate and cherries from the nose explode big here. The finish is rich, rolling with deep spice and sweet vanilla. Thoughts: The big bold, everyday bourbon. It greets you with that Kentucky hug of warm vanilla, rich dark cherries, and spicy cinnamon. At 10 years this bourbon is wonderfully complex yet easy-drinking, it makes for a great end to the night or just dessert. Unfortunately difficult to find in some markets but well worth seeking out, consider this to be the bolder, "more assertive" cousin to Buffalo Trace.

Nose: Rich oak, butter toffee, vanilla creme over warm berry cobbler. Palate: Powerful waves of dark chocolate, creme brulee, vanilla extract. Dark thick maple syrup comes through with an oak punch. The tail end carries the warming spice of clove and cinnamon, before fading into a longer lighter menthol finish. Thoughts: This is warm toast with cinnamon sugar and butter. The mouthfeel is super rich and oily. The finish lingers on and on, it's warm, sweet, and just the faintest amount of spice. It's cooling and warming all at once. There are more and more bourbons that cost far more than this while giving you much less. If you're ever looking for a nice gift for a bourbon fan, this is a great choice!

Nose: Deep rich sweetness, molasses, caramelized sugar, black pepper, gingerbread, warm oak. There's a great little dusty note that instantly takes you to a rickhouse on a hot Kentucky summer day...a good sign of expectations to come. Palate: First notes are maple syrup, vanilla, sugar cookies, cinnamon rolls. Progressively moving into spicier territory, peppercorns, baking spices, hints of wintergreen. The finish is shorter than I'd like, but the minty tingle remains. All in it's very smooth and almost gentle....this is where I feel the Oat comes in. Thoughts: This is a great bourbon, it drinks easily and I would be happy to have this as an everyday drinker. Great nose, great palate, mild finish. Unfortunately, it's the price that holds it back a little. Woodford's own Double Oaked Bourbon comes in at nearly half the price and has all the similar notes, albeit with some extra spice from the inclusion of the additional Rye that has been replaced with Oat here. Personally, a nice to have collector's bottle.

Peat, Sweet, Smoke, Salty/Briny, Buttery, Toffee, Vanilla. This is a real surprise bottle for me. There's so much going on here. Far and away the best thing JW has to offer. There's a great blend of poached pear, meets the salty sweet of prosciutto. It even manages a slightly oiliness that is unexpected. There's more to like about this Scotch every time I have it. A great transition Scotch for those venturing away from the Highland/Speyside regulars. Big takeaway is it lacks the overpowering medicinal/iodine qualities of some other big Islay's carry.