Tastes

Very very good. I had expected a bit more to it. A bit more floral and light than o had hoped.

Velvety smooth. Light and full at the same time. Honeysuckle and oranges on the lips. Latered and complex while still being open and approachable for the less experienced. A solid gift choice.

A VERY pretty whiskey! Warm honey, christmas baking spices on the nose and a hit of ginger and mace up front on the palate. Hands down the most pleasurable whiskey I have had. Sensuous and almost sexy mouthfeel. Luxurious, lingering finish.

An incredibly enjoyable dram! Layers of baking spices, dance with floral and fruity flavors in a beautiful expression. The peat remains full from start to lingering finish. A delightfully full body and complex flavor for only 43%. Warm vanilla lingers on the finish as well. Gorgeously deep Golden coloration. Would definitely recommend this expression.

Honey and warm maple syrup on the nose very light mouthfeel, thinly oily but very lightly so. Layered second and third approaches yield classic sherry finished notes. Quiet enjoyable warm season scotch. Light, clean, sweet

Not surprisingly, quite heavily oak forward, but not as much as I would have expected. Warm leather and vanilla dominate in this presentation on first approach. Subsequent approaches yield more subtle flavors of cream, anise and even a bit of dried poppyseed. The nose turns a warm buttery caramel the longer it rests in the glass. Quite enjoyable.

Rich amber golden coloration. The nose is quite fruity, moving toward blood orange blended with a soft peat. Very thin mouthfeel, lightly but persistently oily. Peat smoke is much more full on the pállate than the nose. Aftertaste is thin and a bit acrid, furniture polish-like in its varnish quality. A fair expression of a budget blended Scotch. While you may be able to find some bottlings with more flavor at this level, you could certainly do far worse than John Barr.

Charred oak on the nose with an underlying sweetness of salted caramel and butter rum. Not overly complex or outstanding. Mouthfeel is a little thin, sweet grains upfront with caramel and a hint of bitterness. Clean and surprisingly smooth for a 50% bottling at this price point.