Tastes

I was really excited to try this one. The bourbon/sherry/cognac seasoning with a 14 year age statement, and only $50...maybe this would be the one from legendary distiller Glenlivet that would become one of my new go-to whiskies! Unfortunately, not quite. It has a decent nose, fruity as advertised, but not as present as I like. The palate was okay, but again not as much there as I was hoping for considering the barrels it had visited. And then the finish faded almost immediately and left a bitter taste behind. To be fair, it's appeal does seem to change slightly day to day, and I've had a few hopeful sips that were briefly more pleasing on the tongue for some reason, but then the bitter aftertaste inevitably appears and I'm disappointed again. Maybe Glenlivet just isn't my thing...for now, returning to familiar territory (Glenfiddich, Glenmorangie, Balvenie, Macallan).

This has a great nose, the unmistakable spiciness of a Rye with an unusual sweet honeydew vibe. Give it three good whiffs and it smells better with each one. It goes down easy, maybe a touch sweeter than the average rye, notes of apricot and just the right amount of burn. I typically use Rye for an Old Fashioned, but so far haven't mixed a drink with this that really works...it's much better neat. Even adding ice seemed to diminish the flavor, so I'm content to just sip on this one. Maybe even equal as a sipper to Woodford Reserve Rye, but a unique flavor all its own.

Solid whisky. Notes of caramelized bananas...easy drinking. A close cousin to Irish whiskey, moreso than most Scotch whiskies. Not too shabby. Unfortunately, this is my brother’s bottle, so will have to savor this glass.

This is a tasting of batch 51. I had previously had a couple bottles of batch 18 that impressed me...but it’s been a while. This bottle is good, but not quite as good as I remember the batch 18 bottles being. Still, for a whiskey aged a mere 16 months, it’s not bad. Very much a sweet grain and vanilla aroma and flavor, reminiscent of Irish whiskey, but a bit yeastier. Considering that Great Wagon Road Distilling has only been around since 2013, I’d say they’re off to a great start, considerably better than any other young craft whiskey I’ve had. I look forward to the day they are able to release a bottle that’s been aged for years instead of months.

This is the final stop on my tour of the Glenmorangie core expressions, and it was worth the trip. The nose brings to mind marmalade and biscuits. The taste is crisp and smoke free, with hints of orange peel and honey. Perhaps not as complex as the Quinta Ruban, but an excellent easy drinking whisky. I’d buy this again.

This is now the third whisky I intend to keep in my bar at all times (alongside the Glenfiddich 14 and Glenmorangie Quinta Ruban 14). I was looking for a peated whisky to bring a little more smoke into my collection, and this one, while not overly smoky, is exactly what I was looking for. It’s a remarkably balanced dram, just the right amount of peat seemlessly interspersed with notes of vanilla, honey and spice. The 18 year expression is supposed to be exquisite, and if it’s even better than the 12, I might just have to make that a priority.

Bought this on a whim (always on the lookout for a solid “every day” dram). It’s not bad. I really like the nose a lot...very woody with citrus notes. The flavor is nice (you definitely get the vanilla from the bourbon cask), though lighter than most whiskies. Finishes with a lingering burn and then a faint bitterness. So in short, starts strong and diminishes from there, but never quite falls down. It’s good, but there are better at this price range (Old Pulteney 12 comes to mind).

Full disclosure, I’m a Scotch whisky drinker first and foremost, then Irish, then rye, then bourbon. And I rate all whisky/whiskey on how it is neat, and think that rye is typically better suited for cocktails than sipping, most especially for an Old Fashioned (my primary drink after a neat whisky). So with all that said, I will say 1) this makes a great Old Fashioned, and 2) it is the best sipping rye I’ve ever had. I find that as I get older, I prefer less sweet libations, hence rye beating out bourbon...but even still, many ryes can be a little harsh since they are spicy by nature. The Woodford, however, is an extremely well balanced rye, spicy and sweet in perfect measures and one of the few I will sip neat. The nose is very nice and reminds me of the sweet straw smell of walking through a field of ripe grain. On the tongue it’s fruity and peppery in a surprisingly complimentary fashion. It will never beat out a great single malt whisky, but as ryes go, you won’t do better.

For me, this is kind of the gold standard and one of my two primary whiskies. The nose is quintissential Scotch in it’s purist form...one whif is like coming home (though I tend to inhale a number of times before moving on to the initial sip). And on the tongue, just delightful...probably the easiest drinking and most satisfying whisky you’ll ever find. It’s Speyside all the way (no smoke to be found) with lovely notes of barley and vanilla, and just enough bite bottled at 43% to give it all the body and character you could want. When I’m in the mood for a Highland Scotch with a little smoke, I go with Glenmorangie Quinta Ruban 14 or Highland Park 12...but alternating between those and this one is just about all I’d ever need (not that I’ll stop sampling new drams...ever!). To give you a further idea how good this is, it replaced Macallan 15 Fine Oak in my bar when the price on that one shot up so dramatically...and frankly, I don’t feel like I’m missing out on anything at all. Highly recommended.

This one always throws me a little bit. On the one hand it smells nice and has a pleasantly balanced flavor (moreso than most Irish whiskeys), and yet is a bit lacking in presence. I actually really like everything about it, it just feels like the volume is turned down a touch too low. This is bottled at 40%, and I suspect would benefit from a stronger ABV...maybe 45% or even a little higher. Good, but could be better.