Tastes

NOSE: Leather armchairs and plum pudding. PALATE: Exquisite oak finish, like a fine dark chocolate. OVERALL: Forget Macallan, this is where the sherry’s at. If you love that profile this is proper top shelf stuff.

NOSE: More bourbon than sherry notes. PALATE: Bit of fruit and spice, but the vanilla and honey dominate. Finish is oily and silky. OVERALL: Very friendly and well executed but perhaps a rather safe choice for a connoisseur looking for bold flavor.

NOSE: Oatmeal. Banoffee pie. Peach cobbler. Apple crumble. Rhubarb pie with crispy dark crust. Shortbread. Cold butter. Apple Cider Vinegar. Dry leaves. Riesling petrol. Walnuts? Water emphasises fruits. TASTE: Coconut butter biscuits. More banana. Gentle cardamom spice and green apple skin finish. Water dials down the spice and dials up sweetness. OVERALL: Nose is very unique! The unmalted barley brings a totally different profile compared to Scotch. Light yes, but so so flavorful. Interesting to not find two main whiskey flavors at all: vanilla and caramel.

NOSE: Quite floral and sweet. Maybe a hint of vanilla. TASTE: Sweet creme brulee with very subtle notes of dry leaves or cigar. There is some tart pear to give it balance. OVERALL: It’s like Suntory’s The Chita but more delicate.

NOSE: Gentle and delicate, but deep. There’s fresh moss, mint maybe, with a rich creamy vanilla bean underneath. With a side of creme brûlée. PALATE: It’s a fresh fruit bomb. Peach. Pear. Lime. Surprised to find it so fresh after 21 years! Sweet but there’s some dry leaves or cigar in there too. Dries into a sweet finish where that old oak gives you some mint chocolate flavors. OVERALL: Just a pleasure from nose to finish. Zero burn or sharp notes. It’s really a carefully perfected flavor journey. Would love to spend more time with this, maybe bump the score even further up.

Caveat: first bourbon ever. NOSE: Intense vanilla. Burnt caramel. Some cinnamon. Charred wood. No fruit to be seen. TASTE: Caramel notes with a fiery, dry, and quite sour finish. OVERALL: I didn’t get it on the first try clearly. Not offensive at all and probably amazing in cocktails, but neat or with water... the flavors just seem so one-dimensional and harsh compared to scotch.

Nose: barbequed lemons and sea salt. Taste: first toffee, then saltwater, finishing very dry on the tongue. Overall: quite similar profile to Talisker albeit very subtle peat.

Nose: Malty not sweet at all, some light pear and citrus keep it lively, hints of cigar smoke. Distinctive. Taste: Werther’s Original toffee, shortbread, burnt toast with butter, plum pudding, spicy dark chocolate finish burns the tongue served neat. Overall: Such pure deep classic malt flavors, not overpowered by sweetness, finishing, or peat. Beautiful classic malt.

NOSE: There is a distinctive iodine note carrying some toffee and melon along. TASTE: Bit buttery with some spice on the finish, but the triple distillation shows in a smooth but muted taste. OVERALL: It isn’t that light actually. I would call it pretty full flavored. Interesting half-way house between Scotch and Irish Whiskey.

NOSE: Caramel popcorn. Coconut vanilla butter cake. It’s a thing. Maybe a honeydew melon, too. TASTE: Sweet vanilla chiffon cake, dries into buttery oaky spiciness after 5 seconds. Not oily but quite thick. OVERALL: The coconut, butter, and popcorn on the nose separates this from single malts. Could be a great intro whiskey, but also offers rich, deep flavor for more sophisticated sippers. Fantastic value for Japanese whiskey.