Tastes

Nose: Light coal ash, the Tools aisle in Home Depot, tobacco leaves, old leaves and wet peat, smoked meats, and a hint of mint. coming back to it there's this sweet, almost-overdone caramel. The peat smoke had drastically died down, revealing some salted candied-pecans, another bit of sweetness like molasses and dates, as swell as some cinnamon brown-sugar candied bacon (Mmmmm.....). Palate: Peppery and hot at first, like peppered beef jerky. Lots of black and white pepper, sawdust, buttermilk biscuits, leather, tobacco, warm sea brine. Much more brine on the second wash, with heavily toasted barley, the crust off a loaf of wheat bread, and campfire smoke. Finish: Long and warm! There's this earthy sawdust/tobacco/leather note that lasts and lasts through occasional spikes of black pepper and Buckwheat honey (which if you ever get a chance to try, is totally worthwhile). Water: Just a few drops of water brings out an explosion of honey, caramel, and molasses on the nose, with a newly defined leather note, seaweed, and smoke from burning leaves. Much calmer on the tongue, which levels out much of the spice into something like a smokey pine resin. The finish is all ash and sawdust now. Conclusion: This one confirms my suspicion that my nose is much better than my tastebuds - I could pick apart the nose on this for days, but the palate is a bit more uniform to me. There's some great complexity in here - not just a whole bunch of peat smoke in a bottle. As far as entry level Islays go, this might be my go to. The only thing that would make it better would be a tad more sherry influence - I want some smokey, stewed dark fruits.

Nose: Bright lemon honey, apricots, and a prairie full of wildflowers! Orange marmalade and buttery malt take the stage, and wow this is fruity a beautiful! Green pears and a little oaky spice appear the second time in. Palate: A bit of surprising spicy kick up front. Definitely malt forward with butter, biscuits, toffee brittle, and a small bit of soft apple. More spice the next sip with cinnamon, oak, and ginger. The malt turns to almost a sunflower seed nuttiness. Finish: Medium length. Butter and graham crackers along with some tart green apple that only shows up much later. The malt fades into a subtle sweet smokiness. Water does away with most of the fruity floral notes, replacing them with more creamy malt. The spicy is dulled a bit, but elongated, stretching out into roiling waves of spice. The sweetness in the finish dies, replaced with cinnamon, vanilla, and smokey oak. Conclusion: I have a soft spot for floral whiskies and the nose on this one definitely provides! A nice, floral, fruity nose with a surprisingly spicy taste, I don't know if it's something to keep in stock, but I'll never say no to it!

Nose: Big phenolic burst of crayons, sheet rock compound, sea brine, erasers. There's almost a floral-like sweetness behind all the medicinal and briney notes that's like walking through a humid greenhouse in the spring while everything is in full bloom - an earthy type of floral note. Coming back, there's an interesting resinous note similar to pine pitch and a minty candied lemon peel brightness. Palate: A bit tingly and cooling initially, though it starts to heat up after a few moments. Lots and lots of oak, like chewing on a pencil. Much less sweetness than in the nose. Peatiness in the form of rubber, lump charcoal, and new work gloves. There's a nice, light, ashy smoke note that I love, as well as a nice spicy kick that is hard to define. The only fruit I can find is something reminiscent of the bitter spray you get when you twist a lemon peel. Finish: Looong and warm! That medicinal rubber lasts and lasts though some nice oak comes back after a while to add some complexity long after the golden liquid is gone. Coming back to it, I find a nice evergreen/pine note that lingers alongside the brine and oil. Water subdues much of the spice and pine notes in the nose, opening up the phenols into a playdough, crayon wax sort of scent with a touch of honey. Much sweeter with water, like a heather honey bomb that moves towards buttercream frosting after a burst of smoke and spice midway. The finish is bigger, bolder, and longer after adding water - as well as significantly more complex with spice and oak weaving in and out of a smokey shortbread base. Conclusion: Damn, that nose is phenomenal! That interesting mix of industrial notes with floral/piney earth notes is something I could examine all day. The taste is a bit of a letdown compared to the nose, with little sweetness/fruit/greens - it's all peat. With a little water though, the palate comes alive - so much more complex and interesting! This is one to take a small sip and enjoy for the rest of the day, because that finish lasts until you brush your teeth before bed. If I could have the nose from the straight liquid combined with the taste from a few added drops of water, this would be an absolute showstopper.

Nose: Refreshingly malty forward with some graham cracker, dark caramel, and a bit of something spicy. Maybe a small amount of orange peel the second time in, though that graham cracker, malt, cinnamon note is definitely still the dominating scent. Palate: Cool and sweet on the tongue. Vanilla biscotti, and butterscotch. A nice amount of oak and spice at the end. Reminds me of cinnamon graham crackers with vanilla buttercream frosting. There's also something in there that reminds me of toasted coconut. Finish: Long and mouthwatering. Oatmeal and malt notes last and last after the spice fades. Much of the initial sweetness and spices fade really quickly, though graham cracker crumbs linger for longer than it takes to type this review. Conclusion: I would not consider this a complex whiskey in any way, but what it does present is nice and balanced. Delicious cinnamon graham cracker and malt dominate every aspect of this. A great cheap pour for when you just want to relax and not think too hard about what's in the glass. Easy, drinkable, affordable.

At the distillery and got served a glass of this after a cocktail. It came cloudy and unfiltered - nice! Nose: Reminds me of a young, green malt even though it's 80% wheat. A bit of surprising rye kick too. Dark wildflower honey and caramel syrup. Vanilla toffee. Goddamn, it's straight butterscotch syrup now. Palate:. Very sweet with some nice spiciness at the end. A little smokey like burnt toffee, which I like. Sawdust and grain bin. A little bit of greenness, like grass and some sort of herby note. Finish: Medium length and mild. Sweetness disappears first, leaving black pepper and sawdust. I'd say old corn, but there's no corn in the mashbill! Conclusion: For a young local, this is pretty impressive. Definitely young, and a bit sweet for me, but overall I like it.

Nose: Butter, pears, and fresh green herbs. Next comes nice malt and buttered toast. More rye spice the second time in, though none of that dill/fennel I usually get from ryes - thank god! For some reason it reminds me of walking through a humid pine/fir forest after a rain - that resinous earth smell. Palate: Malty sweetness with a nice big kick of spices, like mint, rye, and that mix of cinnamon/allspice that I get from single pot stills. There's this light citrus/pine note that rides above all that creamy malt. Finish: Long, mouthwatering on the tongue and dry on the edges. This lasts and lasts through waves of toasty malt, butter, and vanilla cream. There's a nice tingle on the sides of the tongue that I really like. Conclusion: Damn! This is phenomenal! It combines all the tasty maltiness with great spiciness from both single pot still and rye (but without all the nasty dill/cilantro/fennel from american ryes). Definitely glad I have another bottle of this around.

Nose: The initial nosing brings out lots of green grass, rye spice, and a sort of licorice sweetness. Lots of dill, cilantro, and maybe even fennel - this is full of herbs. It almost reminds me of caraway, which makes me hesitant - I hate caraway... Palate: Cooling and not too sweet at first. No alcohol burn and only a slight tingle mid-tongue. Immediate burst of mint, licorice, and fennel before some grain forward notes that I'd almost call "malty" if this were a malt whiskey - interesting. This reminds me of a Spruce-tip Shortbread Cookie I had the other day. Finish: Short-Medium and slightly dry. The herbs die out pretty quickly, leaving walnut and char with some lingering oak. Water dulls the overpowering herbs a bit, bringing out a buttery almond sort of scent. There's also the unmistakable scent of DEET bugspray put on while out in the forest. It feels much oilier and sweeter now with less licorice and caraway (thank god...) and more of a vegetal green note with some mint. Buttery on the taste now and lasts longer, though that nice char and oak is gone from the finish. Conclusion: To be honest, this is one of the last bottles I'd grab on a normal night, I just can't do the dominating notes of licorice and caraway. I couldn't have more than a very small pour of this every once in a while. That being said, I think this is one of the most interesting and well-crafted whiskies I've ever had. It is more complex than anything 4x it's age and changes with ever sip. There's layer after layer of herb and spice that you could pick through for hours. I have some serious respect for this one, it's just not the flavors I'd pick. For that, I'm scoring it not on how much I like it, but instead on what it deserves as such a unique whiskey.

Nose: Corn dust and dandelion - that unmistakable smell of pulling dandelion weeds in the garden. A slight fruitiness, like light cherries and soft red apples. A bit of ethanol burn and much less spice than I expected. Much more vanilla on the nose the second time in, like some buttercream frosting. Palate: Thick and sweet at first, followed by a burst of spices. Lots of cinnamon, nutmeg, subtle peppery notes, and more as is roils on the tongue. Behind that is a sort of floral creaminess that I can't quite describe. Second time around I find a lot more oak influence, like chewing on a spicy toothpick. Finish: Medium length, dry mid tongue and mouthwatering at the same time. Lots of corn and honey sweetness as well as some oak and tanned leather. Conclusion: I am impressed, I'd take this over the standard Four Roses Single Barrels I've had. That floral base throughout is phenomenal - I'm a sucker for floral whiskies and this has got it. The mouthfeel on this sticks out as one of the defining characteristics, just so thick and silky smooth. I also didn't expect the explosion of spice on that palate since there was no hint of it on the nose. Definitely a bottle to buy again.

Nose: Ethanol and herbal notes on the immediate nosing - mint, fresh grass, anise, and more spice from the rye in there. Not overly sweet, which I like, but what's there is more like dark toffee and butterscotch. Palate: Much sweeter on the taste than the nose implies. Nice and spicy with lots of cinnamon, pepper, allspice, oak. Corn dust and graham cracker are a base for all the herbs and spices in there along with some vanilla pudding. There's a bit of waxy bitterness in there that's a little off-putting. Finish: Long and warming. The finish is all spices, and cream. Absolutely identical to chocolate eclairs! Conclusion: For a $14 bottle, this can't be beat. Honestly, this outclasses most bourbons up to the $40 range. I bought this as a bottle to bring camping, cheap and easy, but I had no idea it would be this good! The only complaint I could give would be that odd walnut/waxy bitter note in there that doesn't really meld with the rest of it. For the price, this is one I will keep stocked at all times!

The third and final bottle I purchased this month for the whiskey club. Surprisingly the first scotch for the group. Nose: Mmmmm... warm golden malt. Buttercream and graham crackers with a small amount of ripe pear. Sultanas and biscuits and a bit of vanilla. I've seen people say that they smell beeswax and I can definitely confirm that! We have about 50lbs of it on the shelf in the closet and it's identical (yes, I compared). Palate: Cool, thick sweetness. Biscuits, toasted oats, shortbread cookies, maybe a small bit of coconut too. That graham cracker from the nose comes out on the palate as well. Lots of heather honey, like a cooling sweetness rather than cloying. Finish: Medium length and mouthwatering. Dominated by toasty maltiness and biscuity shortbread. The honey lingers for whole time as well, though muted. Conclusion: I wasn't completely sure this would be a worthwhile pour at first because I found the nose rather one-dimensional to begin with. I was definitely wrong! After delving into this, I found it to be way more complex that I first expected! What this lack in fruit and spice, it makes up for in a wide variety of biscuity, grainy, buttery notes. "One-dimensional" was not the correct term, it's more like a complex of similar notes.