Reviews

🥃 Glendronach Ode to the Dark Matured in exceptional Pedro Ximénez sherry casks and bottled at 50.8% ABV, Glendronach Ode to the Dark is a rich Highland single malt that showcases the distillery’s signature style of bold sherry maturation with remarkable balance. Color: Deep mahogany with rich ruby highlights, hinting at the influence of the sherry casks. Nose: Fresh coffee, buttery toffee, dark chocolate, leather, and tobacco open the experience. As it develops, layers of raisins and prunes emerge, creating a deep and inviting aroma. Palate: Rich, silky, and full-bodied. Sweet and salty toffee leads into raisins, dark malt, and warming cinnamon spice. The sweetness is beautifully balanced by the oak, allowing each layer to build naturally without becoming heavy. Finish: Long, warm, and elegant. The fruit gradually fades into baking spices, with lingering cinnamon, clove, nutmeg, and gentle oak. Conclusion: A beautifully crafted sherried single malt with impressive depth and balance. Coffee, dark chocolate, dried fruits, and baking spices are woven together seamlessly, creating a whisky that is both bold and refined. One that rewards slow sipping and careful attention.

Tonight’s dram was the Kilkerran 8 Year Old Cask Strength Oloroso Cask (2024), and it surprised me. I expected the usual Oloroso notes—raisins, dried fruit, maybe Christmas cake. Instead, this whisky took me in a completely different direction. Nose: The first thing that hit me was umami. Soy sauce, smoked pork, leather, and a little tobacco. After a few drops of water, some briny olive notes appeared along with just enough salted caramel to soften the edges, but the savory character never disappeared. Palate: Rich and oily with a beautiful mouthfeel. Herbal, peppery, and gently smoky. Black pepper became more noticeable with water, and the sweetness stayed in the background. Instead of a sweet sherry bomb, it reminded me more of dark chocolate with flaky sea salt. Finish: Long, dry, and lingering. Smoke, a touch of walnut skin, oak, and that salty Campbeltown character that keeps inviting another sip. This whisky Sometimes is about savory depth, spice, salinity, and texture. It felt less like a dessert and more like sitting around a table with good cured meats, olives, and dark chocolate. Slàinte.

I bought this one at the distillery. I waited a while to open it as it was difficult to find another bottle. Now its everywhere. Being a Single Barrel, Bottle in Bond and aged 10 years old, it’s actually very affordable. Pretty dark color, medium body, but oily. On the nose: charred oak right upfront and sweet. Vanilla notes along with the oak and by the end I get this delicious cherry note. The charred oak combined with the alcohool gives a citrus feeling. Very good nose! On the palate: charred oak upfront with vanilla and the cherry cola comes along very nicely. Finish: the oak takes control with some dry nuts. This is a great Bourbon that I want to keep sipping, so I’ll have to get replacement bottles after I finish.

Jack Daniel’s has surprisingly good Ryes. I was reluctant to try other Jack Daniel’s because of the bad taste I have with Old no 7. But this is very good to my palate. I really love the banana notes. On the nose: banana foster, banana pudim On the palate: banana and cinnamon Finish: peppery, spicy For those who like banana, this is delicious! You might say it’s overpowering on banana notes, but I really like it! Cheers!

This is my first experience with Still Austin and it didn’t disappoint. Very good Rye Whiskey delivering great complexity in a variety of flavors. On the nose: Pine trees, herbal, dill, citrus/orangey, brown sugar On the palate: herbal sweetness, floral notes, brown sugar Finish: a peppery finish, less complex, but long. On the Rye tasting, this came in a very close second! Cheers!

I went to Peerless 2 years ago and was amazed by their Toasted Oak Bourbon. I haven’t had rhe chance to but a bottle until now for a Rye Tasting and this bottle came up at the top of 5 other bottles. Amazing flavors and complexity. On the nose: dark chocolate, caramel and pine trees. On the palate: charred oak, brown sugar and cinnamon. Finish: pepper and herbal sweetness, floral All the different parts of this experience were very good offering different flavors and profiles. Extremely good overall. An expensive bottle that is worth buying! Cheers!

This bottle is remanent of their MGP acquisition, so it was not distilled by Sagamore in Maryland, but rather barrels from Indiana. On the nose: brown sugar, vanilla, cinnamon On the palate: More brown sugar with cinnamon. That cinnamon roll feeling from Aunt’s Anne Finish: dry nuts and charred oak It was a very good experience! I’ll come back to it later.

Jack Daniel’s attempt to the Single Malt is at a minimum unique. It’s definitely not the profile that you can find in an average Single Malt. On the nose: the first thing that comes out is a funky rubbery/waxy notes with the standard molasses/brown sugar notes from Jack Daniel’s. A bit of dried fruits on the back of the rubber/sulphur notes. On the palate: a bit more spicy in the mouth, cinnamon present like there’s some rye in here, ginger also. The funkyness is present, but not as strong. It’s a bit savory instead of rubbery. Finish: the spiciness lingers with some nutiness. This is growing on me. At first I thought the funkyness was too agressive and now its getting better. The flavors are not so big on rubbery/sulphur/wax, but more on a mix of sweet, salty and spice. Very funky character, maybe trying to simulate a Campbelltown whiskey or a Benromach. Not bad at all! Cheers!

Great Jack Daniel’s release with a lot of good notes: On the nose: Ginger, vanilla, molasses, oak On the palate: vanilla sweetness with cinnamon, brown sugar, cream soda and some nuts. Finish: I get some frizzle of the soda feeling and charred oak and a hint of cherry. Overall, delightful whiskey! I think I’ll keep one in my shelf.

Isle of Skye is becoming a very good and affordable option on the Blended Malt arena. I enjoyed their 12, 12 Double Smoke and their 18. Now this no-aged ststement Cigar Reserve is very similar to their 18 profile with a bit more complexity. Color: Amber color, kind of copper Nose: Very strong on caramel, toffee with a hint of cloves and prune preserve or marmalade. Sweet, round, balanced. Palate: the prune marmalade with leather and sweet tobacco. Very dessert like scotch, butterscotch with dark fruit in it. Very pleasant and full! Finish: charred oak with molasses, caramel sweetness, toffee. That’s definitely a sipper with a cigar or after dinner or both. Very good and affordable. That’s my jam, or dram! Slainte!