Tastes

A balanced, Blended Scotch Whisky by the Strathisla Distillery in Speyside, Scotland aged for at least 12 years. It is crafted with some of the Chivas' rarest whiskies & malts then aged in Oloroso Sherry Casks. It has a delicate birth with notes of ripe melon, berries, creamy toffee & ginger; while a savory & complex life adds notes of toffee nougat, fresh cream, fig & a hint of dark chocolate; that leads to a rich & balanced death. February / March 2019 / August 2022

A balanced. Bourbon by Tom Lix for Cleveland Whiskey in Ohio (read more below). It has a delicate birth with notes of vanilla & sweet toffee; while sweet life adds notes of Cracker Jacks, caramel & warming spice; that leads to a long death with notes of port, fruit, honey & a hint of bitter & oak. May / October 2018 / August 2022

A complex, Single Malt Whisky by the De Molenberg Distillery in Mechelen, Belgium distilled from the mash in a copper pot still of Gouden Carolus Tripel beer; matured in first-fill Bourbon casks for 3 years & finished in custom-made ‘Hek Anker’ oak casks. It has a fresh & aromatic birth with notes of fruits, citrus, vanilla & crème brûlée; while a full & elegant life adds notes of wood, lime, apricot, peach, apple & vanilla; that leads to a quick & bittersweet death with notes of chocolate & orange zest. January 2020 / July 2022

An intense, Indian Single Malt Whisky by John Distilleries in Goa, India made from local malted barley, but the peat is imported from Scotland; aged in ex-Bourbon casks & bottled without chill-filtration at cask strength (55.5% ABV). It has an aromatic birth with notes of light peat smoke & roasted walnuts with salted caramel; while a complex life adds notes of oak, honey, campfire smoke, warm herbs, warm spice, and hints of papaya; that leads to a long & complex death with notes of dried orange, rose & malted barley. The high alcohol masks the signature potpourri notes. July 2019 / September 2021 / July 2022

A bold, unpeated, cask strength Indian Single Malt Whisky by Master Distiller Michael D’Souza for Paul John Distilleries in Goa, India made with indigenous local ingredients; distilled in traditional copper pot stills before it spends its sweet time in ex-Bourbon charred American Oak casks; then bottled at 55.2% ABV. It has a rich birth with notes of honey, stewed apple, pear, vanilla, freshly baked sponge cake, golden barley & a hint of salinity; while a bold & complex life adds notes of tropical fruits, banana, passion fruit, cinnamon, black pepper & dark chocolate; that leads to a spicy death of medium length with notes of oak, chili & cracked black pepper. January / May 2020 / September 2021 / July 2022

A rich, Single Malt Whisky by John Distilleries in Goa, India matured in bourbon barrels for 3-5 years. It has a fresh & juicy birth with notes of wheat, vanilla, sweet butter, sweet lemons & oranges; while a rich life adds notes of molasses, mango, green apple, orange, dark chocolate, oak hints of honey & cinnamon; that leads to a crisp & spicy death of medium length with notes of tropical fruit, black pepper, clove, tobacco, vanilla & spices. May 2019 / September 2021 / July 2022

A rich, Indian Single Malt Whisky by Surrinder Kumar in Haryana, India; crafted with local six-row barley, in a custom copper pot stills before maturing in a combination of ex-bourbon casks, ex-wine French oak casks & ex-Pedro Ximenez & Oloroso casks, that is bottled at 46% ABV. It has an aromatic birth with notes of fruit, oak spice, vanilla, caramel, crème brûlée, dried fruits & nuts; while a fruity life adds notes of vanilla, nutmeg, cedar, oak, dark chocolate, stewed: figs, prunes & raisins; that leads to a rich death of medium length with notes of orange curd & cinnamon. December 2022

A rich, oaky single malt whiskey from India with a birth of peat, creamy vanilla & sherry trifle; while life adds notes of dark chocolate fudge, coffee & citrus, that lead to a long death with barley, molasses & spice. May 2017 / December 2020 / August 2022

An elegant, peated Indian Single Malt Whisky sourced from a coastal Indian distillery by Amrut Distillerin in Kambipura, India with only 12,000 bottles available at 46% ABV.'It has an aromatic birth with notes of tropical fruits, vanilla, soft phenols & sea spray; while a rich life adds notes of fruit cocktail & a hint of iodine; that leads to a balanced death of medium length with notes of medicine & peat smoke. December 2022

An intense, sipper, with notes of cured bacon, smoky oak, leather, & caramelized fruit, while complex notes lead to a long and balanced finish, (reminds me of being at my childhood dentist. May 2017 / June 2022 / August 2022