Tastes

Dalmore has some of my favorite whiskys. The 12yr is an easy to drink dram that will delight any first time drinker. Its a 40% ABV that might be low for many of us, but still flavorful. On the nose is very citrusy, sicilian lemon and orange at first. Then we get some honey, sugar notes and a hint of cereal. On the palate its like a good orange peel preserve or a candied crystalized orange. The mix of honey and orange flavors is like eating a orange dessert. Great dram! Cheers!

After a tasting tour at Garrison Brothers, I was very surprised with the quality of their Bourbon. All of their whiskys are very good! But this one finished at a Port cask is incredible! The 2024 release delivered 10500 bottles and mine is #4289. It come with a dark amber color, very thick legs in a full body and 107 proof. On the nose, we immediately get toffee, caramel, milk chocolate and a hint of cherry. The palate brings more of the wheat and malted barley to play with a french toast feeling bringing a bread toast mixed with caramel and clove together. The caramel and toffee overpowers a little. In the end, there’s a cinnamon and nutmeg finish, so the spices kick in. Very complex, delicious and very rich! Worth every penny!

My bottle of Horse Soldier Reserve Barrel Strenght was a 117.2 proof, so a little higher than their standard. It is a very rich, smooth, unchilled filtered whisky that brings a lot of sugar notes in it. On the nose there’s a lot of caramel, vanilla and anise or ginger to it. I also felt a fig jam coming. The palate comes with strong notes of butterscotch, a spicy bite and the sweetness lingers for a while. Caramel and vanilla will last a bit longer. Great bourbon! Cheers!

I went to visit Heaven Hill for a tasting tour and had the opportunity to taste a Heaven Hill Select Stock finished on a Armagnac barrel. It was a great bottle, but above my budget adter buying too many bottles. Then i saw this one with a Coffee barrel finish that intrigued me. As a lover of coffee, i knew i would like it. And I’m not disappointed. The nose clearly brings coffee, vanilla and caramel. On the palate, if you don’t know it’s from a coffee barrel, you might think it’s a very dark chocolate or mocha flavor with that hint of caramel. There’s a little smoky feeling there too, but the coffee ends uo overpowering a little, so if you’re not a fan of coffee, it’s not for you. Cheers!

This Milam & Greene seems young and missing flavor. It’s a good bourbon for mixing, but there will be cheaper bottles for that. On the nose there will be vanilla, sweet corn, a bit of caramel mixed with anise and pepper. The palate is flat bringing more of the young distilled corn and rye, but not too much flavor. There will be some sweetness, but predominantly baking spices, pepper and the distilled corn. Not much more than that.

This Blanton’s brings an interesting orangy, lime and sweet smeel on the nose at first and then it brings a fall tea mix with orange peels with cinnamon that could also be that chocolate with orange peel bar. On the palate is less complex. Its more citric and it misses the sweet notes. It’s a short experience not having a long finish. Kinda herbal by the end, mineral, but not long. Its a light body and underdelivers by the end, but still worth it. Cheers!

Very good Bourbon with wheated mash. On the nose, you’ll get cinnamon, nutmeg, leather, caramel. On the palate, it’s a good combination of the above with more caramel, vanilla and herbal notes. Spicy notes in the end. Everyone will say the Weller is an unexpensive Papi, and ill take it. Just great!

Cherry, allspice, cloves, caramel, vanilla