Tastes

For the young age, this is surprisingly dark in the glass, rivaling any BiB and many good 5-7 year age stated drams. Forms large, looping and irregular-spaced lace at rest. A swirl coats thinly and then quickly drops to thin tendrils that return to stasis over a minute's time. Looks nice in the glass. Spoiler alert - If you like this, you should probably stop reading now. Nose is, well, weird. There's vanilla and brown sugar, but it's like it's buried beneath rotting banana peel and fetid swamp water. And even at 44%, nosing too deep will remind you it's young and the alcohol burn is somehow more brash than a higher ABV drink that is older. Not also that the fetid rot lingers far longer than it should. Palate is much like the nose - weird. Raw sugar cane, imitation vanilla, musty wood, unsweetened coconut flakes, and then a flash of alcohol and a quick close that reminds me of getting splashed in the mouth while washing dishes. There is an odd musty, tangy funk, that runs from the nose through the close and taints any small thing that may be good, or even just okay, about this drink. I wish my Florida-based family would stop buying this as a gift for me because it is truly bad. I've had nothing from this distillery that is acceptable, much less good. But, my pain is your reward: If you value your palate you can use my discomfort to your advantage and never ever buy this at any price or in any place. Ever.

Spur of the moment purchase in a Michigan Costco while traveling through. Price isn't great, but I've never seen it before and I really enjoy the 100 proof OF Rye. Medium amber in the glass, with long-lasting tendrils dropping slowly to stasis. At 65.1% ABV, nosing is an exercise in caution and patience. First whiff 5 minutes after pour is all ethanol, and I couldn't even get my nose to the rim. After 15 minutes, the ethanol is gone and I get a woodshop, with dry lumber, sawdust, a bit of metallic tang, and then suddenly a frosted Christmas spice cake, with clove and raisin and vanilla and nutmeg. A swirl immediately returns the alcohol and requires a full 10 minute reset to get away from burn and back to aroma. Proceed with caution here. Palate opens quite sweet and very hot, like a blast of sugar lava, burning all the way to mid-tongue before subsiding over a few more seconds. This should not be the first dram in an evening of tasting. Another 20 minutes in the glass and the heat has subsided enough that I can get to flavors. And it does not disappoint. Ginger, cinnamon, clove, cinnamon (yes, twice, separately), vanilla, and then mace all ride along a doughy, yeasty wave which immediately calls to mind the spice cake from the nose. Middle turns astringent and oak arrives to introduce a sudden burst of pine bough that leads to a gentle lidocaine numbing tingle and just the smallest amount of spiced vanilla chai on the close. There is no mint, at any point, anywhere, and I don't miss it at all. This is a Rye that is unapologetic in every way. Brash on the nose, hot on the tongue, and demanding of effort to get what it has to offer. I spent 40 minutes sipping and writing this, and I can't help but feel there's more to be found. I look forward to seeing how this changes over time, and will try my best to make it last at least 6 months. If you like Rye, and you can find it, you should buy it. If you're just starting your journey through Rye, you should buy this bottle plus a bottle of Woodford Reserve Rye and a bottle of the Old Forester 100 proof Rye, and then let this sit while you work your way through the Woodford and OF 100 proof. Fantastic dram.

Dark caramel in the glass, with thick legs and a viscous ring that hangs out near the top of the glass for minutes before I get bored watching and move to nosing. Nose is homemade caramel just before it starts to burn, then honey nougat, vanilla, and a fresh sugar cookie. This is all sweet, all the time. Palate opens with that rich caramel climbing and coating the tongue from front to midway, before soft molasses cookie and Nilla wafers juggle the midle and then yield to chai tea and then a slightly bitter black tea (with sugar, of course) on the close. There’s a lot of nuance here, and I’m impressed by the depth and richness of flavors. While it is all sweet, all the time, it isn’t cloying or too much. I like this, and even though MSRP is right up against the SBBP, they occupy such a different place in the flavor scale that I wouln’t compare the two, and think both should be regulars on rotation.

Nose is cut red apples, guava paste and honey graham crackers. Light, but not really delicate. Palate is smooth and sweet, leading with fresh pear and green tea with honey. Middle gives pencil shavings and then quickly moves to an oaky clean close. At 40% ABV i didnt expect any burn or really developed, deep flavors, and that holds true. This is a light, unchallenging Scotch uniquely suited for a hot day. For $30 (Costco), I’d say it’s worth having around to offer those who might want to try Scotch but would be put off by heavy smoke or sherry profiles.

Dark and brooding in the glass, a burnt orange liquid that clings for a minute and then drops in jagged teethlike tendrils returning to stasis after another minute. Nose is peat fire, then smoked dark fruit compote with a farmy back drop. Palate is mostly sweet, balancing cherries and red grapes and raspberry jam with smoked bacon and burning grass. Middle is slightly drier, with pencil shavings and then wood tannins shifting back to sweet with sultanas, flaked coconut and finally closing with clean campfire smoke and a gentle, warm, tingle. I like this quite a bit more than Machir Bay, and while it isn’t obviously Islay in profile, it is obviously peated and sherried, and that is right in my wheelhouse. Glad I finally found a bottle of this.

Nose is orange pith, sea brine, honeycomb and crunchberry cereal. Oddly sweet, yet slightly dry. Palate starts creamy and quickly turns prickly, revealing the 54.2% ABV up front. Once the heat is announced, there’s an odd mix of ginger, mace, anisette and grapefruit which moves to a lemonhead candy, and it all somehow works despite the apparent mismatch. Middle is dry, bitter oak, which removes any hint of lingering citric sweetness and moves quickly to a prickly juniper finish. This is very unique for me in that it doesn’t fit a style. There’s no obvious regional influence, no standard against which to compare. It’s a mishmash of a bunch of things and strikes me more like a well-crafted US Rye than anything Scotch. Let’s see what it’s like with more time and oxidation.

Revisit with a more mature palate. Plus, it’s a cask strength, so yeah, it theoretically changes with each run. Nose is a potpurri basket - there’s dried lavender, dried grass and dried honeycomb with an undercurrent of beach sand. Palate opens hot and spicy; dark, tart fruits enrobed with cardamom and nutmeg and ginger - surprisingly brash for 12 years and triple distilled. Middle shows cedar oil and dark vanilla that moves to a dry, tannic oak finish and a whisp of smoke that I now realize runs in the far background from start to end. Water tames the heat and sweetens the profile, adding plums and removing the cardamom at the open, swapping cedar oil for dried citrus peel in the middle and removing most of the astringency from the close. I much prefer with water. This whole range is pricey, and that’s where this falls down a little because there are many others that offer more return for less cost. Nonetheless, it is tasty, and something that I will buy again, if not often.

Nose is harsh ethanol and rotted bananas. Palate is thin and hot - banana runts turn quickly to ascerbic, fresh oak, and then blast a hot alcohol burn. The best thing about this is that it’s mercifully short. Adding water only makes it a more expensive version of Old #7 that is still somehow worse to drink. Just don’t. There is no reason for this to exist aside from more labels on shelves, and you are better served by damn near anything else. It doesn’t happen often, but I regret buying this bottle.