Tastes

NOSE: Think hotel breakfast. Burnt toast with strawberry jam, smoked bacon with syrup, black tea. Burning candle. It really paints a rich scene. PALATE: Maple syrup with pepper, finishes with salty bacon and pepper. Great texture. OVERALL: For me, the best value bottle out there. Just unique and wonderful. It combines a popular recipe of peat + sherry, but delivers uniquely. Brunch in a bottle.

Nose: Pepper, orange, bitters, cinnamon. Very fragrant. Palate: Dry, peppery, spicy, finish is a bit spicy and hot, some raw cacao. Overall: This isn’t Japanese whisky despite the cask wood. It’s pretty punchy even for scotch. Reminds me of a good bourbon due to spice and pepper.

Nose: Floral, butter, caramel, like Chita but less burn. Palate: Juicy buttery spicy, finish gentle caramel. Overall: This is getting expensive for NAS, so would recommend The Chita which is the base single grain whisky of Harmony. Yes this is more interesting and refined, but almost 3x in price now.

NOSE: Right away this is a more refined style of bourbon. Nothing shouts at you. The vanilla, caramel, and cinnamon are balanced. Maybe banana in there. Sweet but complex. PALATE: It’s gentle for a bourbon, there is no punch or slap. Flavor develops from sweet to spicy and finishes with a clean oak. Very pleasant and layered sipper! OVERALL: In a blind test I may have even called this a Scotch!

NOSE: The color tells of sherry influence, but the nose is funky with peat. Good funky like dry autumn leaves and liquorice. Underneath you find salted roasted almonds and dried apricots. Sea salt. Maybe chocolate. PALATE: Salted toffee, dried apricots, spicy ginger and mint, settles into a long and warming sea salt, cherries, and dark chocolate note. OVERALL: This is a strong, full flavor profile. It marries aged Speyside with Islay peat flavors with a great harmony and plenty of layers to explore.

NOSE: Chocolate raisins. Chocolate pretzels. Chocolate dried apricots. Chocolate cherries. Caramel chocolate. Sea salt chocolate. Did I mention the chocolate? Vanilla bean, too. PALATE: Fire neat. Add spoonfuls of water until palatable. Sharp zesty fresh apricot. Oak char hits you like a fat cigar in your mouth. Spicy chili finish is fast and furious. OVERALL: If you find the Aberlour 18 too tame, go Abunadh. For most people the 18 gives you deeper flavor with less face slapping involved.

NOSE: Coconut, butter, petrol, brown sugar, vanilla. PALATE: Oatmeal, caramel, spice, apple and oak finish. OVERALL: Needs a bit of air and water to calm down, but offers a nice rich flavor journey.

NOSE: Sultanas, dried apricot, bitter orange marmalade, caramel, and incense smoke. Some wood notes too. Just a pleasant sweet fragrance that calls you in. PALATE: Honey and fresh apricot, quite a bit of cinnamon spice, even chili, some malty cookies, then a dry chocolate finish. OVERALL: Pretty incredible variety and balance of flavors for the money. Shows how blends can offer something unique that single malts cannot, in the combination of speyside, highland, and island notes.

NOSE: I can see the chocolate covered pretzels. PALATE: Juicy and fruity with more cereal and toast. OVERALL: Very strong full-bodied flavors based on barley and cask, rather than typical bourbon/sherry notes. Like it a lot!