Tastes

Nose: Immediate solvent/ethanol burn. The candy sweetness, like green apple, is fleeting, but reminiscent of tart apple candy. A subtle floral notes also passes swiftly. Not very complex. Palate: Immediate burst of candy sweetness. Like tart candy with a bit of grain background. A bit of the alcohol solvent from the nose shows up at the end of the taste as well. Finish: Short and fiery, not in a good way. Conclusion: As a somebody currently working on a PhD in chemistry, I really wanted to like this solely because of the concept, but the best deception I can give is "Sour Apple-Flavored Rubbing Alcohol". There's just no complexity and it's hard to get past the alcohol burn that's more like an industrial solvent than a consumable alcohol. The only big flavors are a big load of tart apple and a bit of maltiness.

Nose: Big malty cereal base. Peat smoke rounds out the malt, but isn't overwhelming. There isn't much mineral or earth with the peat, instead it's mostly a sweeter smoke. A bit of darker honey comes out now, though not the floral kind. After a while butterscotch is now very apparent with something like a sweet toaster waffle. Palate: Immensely honey sweet and very floral, which was a bit unexpected. The peat isn't as prominent as in the nose, but helps to round out the end. A fruity note, almost like ripe pear, comes out as well. The peat tastes almost fresh, a little green. The more I sip this, the more immensely floral the initial taste is. Finish: The finish is long and mouth-watering. Oily from the peat, it leaves a warming feeling with no alcohol burn whatsoever. After a while the peat note takes a turn toward a more meaty, like bacon, taste.

Setting: In a Glencairn glass. I haven't eaten in a few hours, just lots of water. Palate seems about as neutral as can be. Nose: Sweet dark honey and brown sugar, makes me think of crystalized wildflower honey. Subtle, but lively floral notes sit on the top of the honey base. A bit of cherry towards the back, though not the sugary/syrupy variety. Possibly a hint of bubblegum as well? Palate: Immediate oak spice and red-hot cinnamon. Not nearly as sugary as the nose suggests, just a subtle dusty corn sweetness. Huge cinnamon note on the end that is distinctly different from the first round of spice. A bit of dry, nutty barley after a few sips. A few more sips now and I think I'm getting some of that bubblegum I noticed in the nose. Finish: Medium length. Neither astringent nor overly mouth-watering. Again, the cinnamon is big here, though it fades away into a unmistakable sweet-almond nuttiness. Notes: I don't remember getting this much cinnamon from this whiskey before, it is big and distinct. The contrast between the sweetness in the nose and the lack of sweetness in the taste is surprising. Next to no alcohol burn whatsoever.

Nose: Barrel spice and vanilla are immediately apparent. A dollop of green apple peaks its head out after. A bit of unripe pear also shows up. Palate: Sweet malty base with a bit of butter. Shortbread topped with a very light pear jam. The barrel spice is there towards the back, but not nearly as strong as it is in the nose. A bit of white pepper at the very end. Finish: Short-Medium length. Dry on the middle of the tongue, but mouthwatering at the same time. Almost no lingering alcohol burn. Dominated by cereal malt and buttery sweetness.

Nose: Dominated by bright green apple, almost like green apple candy. Slight floral notes are hidden underneath. Palate: Buttery and light caramel sweet. Candied lemon and lime peels follow now with hints of tart apple and floral clover honey. Finish: Medium length and absolutely mouthwatering. A little oily at first which rolls into smooth ripe pear, but not overly sweet.

Nose: Some menthol comes out with an initial slight alcohol burn. Brow sugar oatmeal cookies are followed closely by heavy oak and spiciness. Some darker wildflower honey shows up now, but not overwhelmingly sweet. I'm left with a distinct brown sugar and molasses scent. Palate: An immediate oily herb-astringency rolls into a dark-honey sweetness. Bitter oakiness suppresses most of the sweetness, but not all, leaving a bit of toasted oats. A bourbon that is not overly sweet is a relief as I've found many are just too sweet for me. Finish: Long finish. The heavy oak spice lingers and roils in waves. Off the heels of the oak spice is a surprising earthy sweetness that dissipates into oats and cream. Water opens up a lot more corn and golden-honey sweetness and pushes all the spiciness to the back, eliminating the slight menthol note. The immediate roiling oiliness is augmented, almost like too-sweet buttery icing now. Much of the spiciness disappears, replaced by corn sweetness and a bit of butter. The finish is significantly shorter as a dusty-sweet background.

Nose: Candied orange rind sits atop sweet cherries in syrup. A little pink grapefruit shows up after a while, though not the sourness usually associated with them. Some allspice accompanies the alcohol burn at the end. Palate: Mouthwatering plum sweetness rounds out into nutty malt notes, like toasted sweet almonds. Darker honeycomb with a subtle allspice accent are followed by a subtle toasted coconut. A bit of cinnamon bark shows up now with soft red apples. Finish: Medium length, absolutely mouthwatering. Creamy sweetness and toasted almond are accompanied by flighty oak spice. Might I say overtones of butterscotch?

This bottle has been open for quite some time, so oxidation may have had a great deal of effect on this whisky. Nose: Deep toasted barley note dominates, but is accented by very subtle peat smoke. Green pear cuts through on the back end with some nice salty brine. A slight nutty note, like walnut, hovers above throughout. Palate: Very sweet, almost butterscotch, mixed with definite malt notes, maybe a little bit of creamed oatmeal. Lightly salted gala apples give way to an earthy note that reminds me of cardboard, but not in a bad way. Finish: Medium length. Butter crackers, lightly salted toasted barley. Woody smoke notes. Honestly, it reminds me of the breading of good fried chicken.

Nose: Savory peat that blends into notes of salted, toasted cashews. White woodsmoke curls. Salt-dough is a better description for this whisky than the term 'briney'. Some bright fruits try to rise above the savory, but aren't very successful. Very light clover honey. Palate: Initial pear note is quickly replaced with woodsmoke, crusty rustic bread. A very small amount of cream sweetness. Lapsang Suchong tea rounds out an otherwise light-feeling body. Maybe a bit of dried straw in the end. Finish: The mouthwatering, long finish is reminiscent of vegetal moss and a good peat smoke. It becomes much more dry as it lingers. Water dulls the nose to a base of dried straw and a small bit of peat smoke. Most of the salt disappears and some meaty notes replace them. The taste is initially much sweeter, and a bit less complex. It's more dominated by malt notes with no real citrus. Wood notes, almost like pencil shavings are much more apparent. The finish is much more dry with a little more wood spice, though is also much shorter.

Nose: Heavy, bright orange blossom honey on a subtle background of sweet corn. Some sweet red cherry notes come alive after it breathes a while. A very fleeting hint of pine and licorice appears with alcohol burn at the very end after some vigorous swirling. After a while, I find some raisins coated in brown sugar. Palate: Delicious sweet citrus, like candied oranges and cherries in syrup. Candied corn and sweet clover honey follows. Brown sugar hangs above the rest of the flavors. Some oak spice shows up on the back end. Finish: Medium-long length with initial alcohol burn. Sweet cornbread transitions into dry corn kernels.