Tastes

Fruit and spicy tobacco notes. Otherwise, not very complex. Another I use for mixing instead of drinking neat.

Oaky, spicy, leathery, with a bit of herbal bitterness. It's got a bit of youthful heat, so I prefer using this in mixed drinks instead of having it neat.

Super fruity-sweet, with some nice spicy notes to complement it (vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg.) Wouldn't mind putting this in my eggnog, though it might make some of my purist friends cringe at the thought.

One of my favorites for cold nights. For me, it's the right mix of toasty-herbal notes and spices, with just a little bit of earthy leather, without being too high on the smoky range.

I got a lot of smoky/grassy umami on the nose, with more spicy notes when I actually drank it. Decent, but not one of my favorites.

For someone with as sensitive a palate as mine, I fear single malts like Laphroaig are lost on me -- Who can look for those notes of toffee, vanilla, and pears, when I'm being mugged by a smoky peat monster that takes my palate hostage for the evening? It's unfortunate, because this single malt is a favorite for a number of my friends.

EXCELLENT single-grain whiskey, with a delightful nose of cherrywood and vanilla with spices like cinnamon and peppercorns that follow through the palate. One of my favorite discoveries in 2014.

Candy-like nose, with salt and char coming through. Tasty, but a bit smokier than I usually prefer; would opt for this over the EJ 18yr in a heartbeat, though.

Definitely get the spices and vanilla off the nose of this, with a little bit of fruitiness. Makes decent bourbon caramels.

Nice for an EDW/bar drink, and works well mixed, but a bit harsh for my palette. Love the toffee/vanilla sweet notes, though.