Tastes

Nose: That caramelized fruit syrup at the bottom of a fruitcake pan and then a leathery, deep, resinous smoke. There's just a bit of sharpness at the end, like a minty, burnt scent. Lots of toffee and dark caramel, and buttery smoke. There's also a hint of sweet raisins and figs in there, as well as light sultanas. Palate: Definitely spicy at first and surprisingly thin. Almost like a super spicy rye at first - it's an explosion of spice.Then there's every type of smokiness you could imagine - burnt sugar, bonfire, barbeque, rubber, and almost burnt toast. Definitely buttered toast and smokey malt. Definitely some smoked bacon, that sweet fatty smoke. Finish: Looking and dry. The smoke comes in everchanging waves brining in a smoked sweet almond note. There's a burnt sugar or molasses sweetness that hides under that smokey buttered toast. After a couple sips the oak shows up as a dense, waxy bitter wood note.

Nose: It's like a facefull of fruit and malt! There's some plum and cherry syrup, loads of buttery malt, and bit of burn. There's a sweet orange note in there, not like the sour citrus, but more of a candied peel. Palate: Surprisingly thick and fresh. That might be one of the sweetest whiskies I've ever had, it's cherry/plum/apple syrup, orange icing sugar, and vanilla cream all at once. Vanilla and almond come through. Soft chewy candies and almond cookies vie for the spotlight here. Finish: Medium-long. Dry in the back but mouthwatering up front. Sweet, buttery malt is the forerunner and lingers through the end. There's also a subtle nutty bitterness back there, like walnuts, and more almond as well. Conclusion: For a bottle, at this price, I wasn't expecting this much flavor with no real drawbacks! The sweetness may be a bit much for some, but it's not cloying or overwhelming. There's a nice mix of fruit and malt that I've come to expect from Irish whiskies, but this turns both of those to 11. It's not the most complex, but I think this is one I'll give to beginners to help with identifying flavors, since they're easy to pick out in here.

Nose: Spicy oaky peat! A bit of vanilla an light honey sits beneath that nice layer of spicy smoke. A bit of an ethanol burn on the back end. Palate: Initially, there's loads of oily sweetness - light, floral honey, soft red apples, and green pears. The peat arrives as a spicy-sweet smoke, like apples roasted over a campfire. Nothing medicinal or industrial to this peat, more like that thick white/grey smoke right after you douse a fire that's built up a thick bed of coals. Finish: Short-medium length and a bit dry. Pretty boring finish actually. It's this light heather honey and campfire smoke. Water turns the nose into something I can only describe as smokey watermelon. A bit like saltwater taffy. It feels much thicker and cooler and much of the fruit disappears. In its place is much more char and smoke, almost tobacco-like, along with a slight charcoal-bitter note. It lasts a bit longer after some water, but still not long by any means. Conclusion: To be honest, I'm a bit disappointed. The nose is a bit boring and the finish is almost nonexistent besides some residual ambiguous smoke. It's definitely a tasty peat, not medicinal or industrial, but very campfire smoke-like. It's tasty, but I don't think it's worth the price.

Nose: Stewed cherries surprisingly comes out first, I was expecting ethanol instead due to the ABV. There's also some bright plum on front, followed by some sweet, biscuity, malt. Underneath the fruit, I also find some brown sugar and molasses and a hint of wood spice. Palate: Definitely some spice on the tongue at first - a bit tingly. Lots of honey, and TONS of graham cracker and biscuity malt. The sherry influence comes in after the malt, with yogurt-covered raisins, lots of dates, some nuttiness, and a slightly bitter wood note. There's a bit of an ambiguous smoky note in there as well. Finish: Medium length and dry. alt dominates the finish alongside some more raisins and dates. That bitter wood note also sticks around unfortunately - kinda like a walnut-type of bitter. Water dulls the nose a bit and definitely brings some alcohol burn, which was surprisingly lacking initially. Under the ethanol, there's some buttery grain, wood spice, and orange honey. It's much more voluminous and oily feeling now, with lots more oak, cinnamon, and cardamom. Loads more spices with water. The drying date note disappears and is replaced by more nuttiness and caramel-covered raisins. Conclusion: This reminds me of the bottom of a bag of trail mix - raisins, dates, and all the broken bits of nuts. I'm a pretty big fan of the heavy sherry influence, but I don't know if this is worth the price. I'd never turn down a glass, but I don't know if I'd pay the $100+ I've seen listed in some places.

Nose: Warm heather honey, sun-bleached grass, a bit of seashell, and a hint of pear. More fresh fruit, like berries and cream. A hint of orange hides in there as well, along with a little brine. I can pick up some oak and cinnamon spice at the back there. Palate: Oily and sweet. Green grass, coconut/strawberry/peach taffies, a hint of warm peat. Once I picked it up on the nose, I could finally put a name to it: "berries and cream". The peat there is almost a light, heathery, floral peat (almost cardamom-like) that I love. Definitely some shortbread cookie in there too. Earl grey tea and white pepper send it off. Finish: Long and sweet. The note that lingers reminds me of fruity saltwater taffy - like a somewhat dull tropical flavor without overwhelming sweetness. Sweet, buttery shortbread and that white pepper carry through as well. That bit of bergamot is definitely apparent once the hardier flavors pass. Conclusion: Wow! I was not expecting the explosion of fruit and flowers! I have a soft spot for Oban 14, but this absolutely blows that out of the water with layer after layer of fruit, cream, flowers, vanilla - like a whiskey parfait! For the price I paid, it would be hard to think of a better deal. Just enough peat without being overpowering, just enough fruity sweetness without being cloying, and bursting with a prairie of flowers.

Nose: Cinnamon spice, clove, and orange zest are the most apparent notes initial. The spice turns into a bit of an ethanol burn. After that fades, it's like a stodgy fruitcake. It's hard to find much more behind the alcohol. Palate: Sweet, cool, and thick! There's a burst of icing sweetness followed by cinnamon, clove, orange, and oatmeal raisin cookies. Lurking in the back is some rye spice and a small bit of oak. Finish: Medium length. That oatmeal raisin note sticks around for quite a while. Some cinnamon and vanilla float in every now and then. Water opens up more warming spices, a small bit of cherry, oak, and vanilla on the nose - and gets rid of much of the ethanol burn. The mouthfeel is much bigger with some water, and there's a bit more of a burn. There's also much more rye spice, some red hots, earthy sawdust, leather and vanilla now. That oatmeal raisin cookie still dominates the finish, but is joined by much more oak and corn. Conclusion: At first, I was pretty disappointed by the nose on this - almost everything was hidden underneath a hot layer of ethanol. The taste on the other hand was an explosion of flavor in comparison. I don't know if I've ever found such a distinct oatmeal raisin cookie flavor in a bourbon before, but I'm a fan. All-in-all it was fun to buy, but I don't think I'd buy a bottle.

Nose: Fresh sweet cherries, red apples, orange citrus, and a surprising burst of orange/cherry blossom floral notes! Sweet orange honey and a small bit of oak spice hide in the back with a bit of brown sugar and vanilla. Back in there's some nice cinnamon, and caramel, like caramel popcorn almost. Palate: Sweet and mouthwatering! There's an initial taste of orange peel and edible flowers, and maybe a bit of mint? Not as sweet as the nose would suggest, but that initial sweetness is like orange icing sugar and there's definitely some brown sugar and honey. A bit of rye spice shows up now and expands into this whole-mouth tingle. Finish: Medium-long and slightly dry. There's this interesting buttered toast note that starts right after swallowing and simmers into an oakiness as it fades. There's an earthy herbal taste in there, like tobacco and bitter mint. Conclusion: I thought this was going to be another over-hyped bourbon, like Blantons and others, but I was pleasantly surprised - maybe I should start giving bourbon more credit than I usually do. That initial burst of fresh fruit and flowers was unexpected, and now I'm even wondering if I just imagined it - not what I typically find in bourbons! As far as complexity goes, this has layer after layer to pick apart. I should try sipping on this over an hour and see how it changes. If I find another bottle at retail price, I'll definitely pick it up!

Nose: Surprisingly fruity, like fresh cherries and plums. S small bit of spice and something like that sweet wet smell of the underside of a fallen log - in a good way though. Diving back in, those cherries and plums take on more of a stewed, syrupy fruit scent with some cinnamon, clove, and other nice fall spices. There's a bit of orange and grapefruit hidden back there somewhere too. Palate: Cool and sweet turns hot and spicy! Loads of cinnamon, brandied cherries, clove, oak, and a big scoop of brown sugar. Vanilla and sweeter corn notes show up now with some spikes of more intense spices. Finish: Long! That brown sugar and spice lasts and lasts! Waves of cinnamon and oak ride over that molasses base. Vanilla-honey notes linger even after most of the spices fade. Conclusion: As far as bourbons go, this is just about as good as it gets for me. I get tired of the "Spice and Corn" profile of most bourbons, but this adds in a surprising amount of fruit to break away from the pack. That cherry, plum, citrus element there is what really does it for me, I'm a fan.

Nose: An explosion of fruit and flowers! Candied oranges, berry syrup, plums, and nectarines. There's a small bit of biscuit and spice back there as well. There's a smell like one of those pre-packaged vanilla ice cream cones with the sugar cone, vanilla ice cream, chocolate and stale peanut chunk - but of course covered in loads of stewed stone fruits. Palate: Thick, sweet, and oily. It's like fruit syrup on the tongue. Nice buttery biscuit, a burst of cinnamon, oak, and other spices. There's a fruity sweetness that I really only ever get from peaches and nectarines - almost tart, but also a little nutty. A small bit of caramelized sugar, like the crisp outside of a Belgian waffle - loaded with whipped cream and peaches. Finish: Loooong... this lasts and lasts - roiling in waves of biscuit, stone fruits, dry, and mouthwatering. There's some vanilla and cream in those waves as well. Conclusion: And I never thought I'd find a whiskey as good as Redbreast 12 CS... The amount of stone fruits, floral notes, and vanilla biscuit goodness loaded into this liquid is astounding! This is an absolutely beautiful whiskey, unlike any I've had before, and it has a permanent place in my cabinet now!

Nose: Not as hot as expected. Very caramel, honey, vanilla sweet with a little bit of rye spice at the back. A little bit of earthiness that I can't quite define. Another go reveals a small bit of warm floral notes, but not much else. Palate: A nice bit of oak, cinnamon and other muddled spices on a bed of leather and honey. Much more cinnamon the second time around. Finish: Medium-long, hot and dry. The finish might be my favorite part - lots of oak, leather and corn dust sweetness. A bit of spice floats in and out as well. Conclusion: Not the most complex bourbon, but for the price, it's a nice one to keep around. It would probably be a bit sweet for my taste, but that nice earthiness and spice saves it.