Tastes
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Johnnie Walker Green Label 15 Year
Blended Malt — Scotland
Reviewed February 16, 2024 (edited March 28, 2024)Pale orange. Moderately thin but noticeably oily legs. Peach pits and jasmine flowers on the nose. A little salinity and yeasty biscuits. Nice weight and vanilla cream on the first taste. Sweet scones with a gentle sour cream tang. Lemon zest. White chocolate. A pleasant drying sensation brings saliva, then the gentle smoke takes over. Phenols are mild and a nice compliment to the lemon cream. Solid under $60, on a great day you might still find near $50, and, if you do, you should buy on sight.48.0 USD per Bottle -
Plantation Stiggins' Fancy Smoky Formula
Flavored Rum — Multiple Countries
Reviewed September 16, 2023 (edited December 7, 2023)Not tasting side-by-side with the regular expression, but I’d say the smoke/peat is extremely subtle and on a quick taste I’d be hard-pressed to identify this as something unique from everyday Stiggins. That being said, I do enjoy this as a sipper and I think it’s worth the price tag for a tasty treat. I also have enjoyed this more than I recall enjoying the typical release as well - it is different, but hard to put one’s finger on exactly how since the casking influence is muted. I recommend this neat to preserve the creamy consistency and keep the flavor concentrated which evokes a sophisticated pina colada or painkiller. The pineapple is delicious with a good balance of sweet, tart and bitter notes with a vegetal backbone that pairs nicely with the cane spirit. Yummy!35.0 USD per Bottle -
Glenfarclas 105 Cask Strength
Single Malt — Highlands, Scotland
Reviewed September 15, 2023 (edited December 7, 2023)Color me the fool who thought that Glanfarclas 105 was 105 proof. I will admit I made it 80% of the way through this bottle thinking “I like the ‘farclas profile but this sure is assertive for only a smidge over 50% abv”. When my dumb eyes finally registered the 120 proof everything clicked into place. This has a classic Glenfarclas profile - a tart, vegetal, vanilla nose, concentrated just like the proof. Then chocolate, bread, oak, apricot, and orange. Extremely creamy - both the distillate and proof. I like it. In the days of yore this was an affordable bottle… now that the 12 year has gone from 40 to 70 this is in the 90 range, up from 60. A shame because I think that price point disincentivizes exploration of proof with a challenging distillate. If you can find this for a reasonable price (<$75) and you like assertive Sherry, I’d say give it a whirl. -
Compass Box The Peat Monster (Painting Label)
Blended Malt — Scotland
Reviewed May 22, 2023 (edited December 7, 2023)Not complex but liked the experience. Sweet vanilla cream plus smoke. This bottle, a blend, used to be a slight upcharge vs some quality single malt competitors but its price has stayed pretty flat while those age-stated single malts ballooned, so I think this is available at a very fair price these days. Recommended. -
Dalmore Cigar Malt Reserve
Single Malt — Highlands, Scotland
Reviewed May 22, 2023 (edited December 7, 2023)Not a setting for detailed tasting notes. Was on the drinks list at a networking event and everything else was so pricey this seemed like a decent bargain by comparison. Not wowed, but enjoyed the experience. Not sure its a “purist” pour or anything to write your grandkids about, but is a rich dessert in a glass and quite nice to drink at that. Thick, creamy, and decadently sweet with an undercurrent of aged oak astringency. Fruit and barrel notes, some sherry but not a “bomb”. Would drink again at the right price, not worth buying a bottle unless you have $ and like dessert in a glass.25.0 USD per PourMajestic -
Bunnahabhain Stiùireadair
Single Malt — Islay, Scotland
Reviewed April 28, 2023 (edited August 8, 2023)Nice packaging. Great price. Unforgiveable name I am sure is designed explicitly to intrigue but stymie (in equal parts) foreign consumers Light golden brown with an orange tint. Nutty nose - clearly sherried, but done appealingly. Almond extract. Pear. Jasmine. Opens with sweet syrup, then a vegetal cocoa lacking the cream required to make chocolate. Full flavored and sharp, comes off as quite salty (something I also get in the 12 year). A touch of crisp Granny Smith apple tartness. Very much a salted chocolate syrup with pronounced nutty, sherried elements. A rich and weighty distillate. I’ve enjoyed this bottle a lot and is an easy recommendation I’d you like bold sherried single malt at the entry-level price point. Well done and is not hindered by the lack of age statement.43.0 USD per Bottle -
Thought about digging up something special for #300, but more organic to review the any-day pour that ended up in my glass tonight before the bottle ends up empty. Cheers all! A honeyed orange. Slightly above average weight. Like the bottle and packaging. Nose is vanilla, jasmine, and sugar syrup. Orange blossom. Fresh green bean. Butter cookie. The palate brings chocolate orange and vanilla custard. Super creamy for a 10-year. A bit of aspartame tang. Roasted pineapple. Beeswax. Can taste the bourbon cask and a bit of youthful barley. Pretty good - would reach for it again. Nice and direct flavor, good body, but pretty monotone profile with some sharpness. Brash but promising. Not worth it at everyday retail but I like it around $50.52.0 USD per Bottle
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Tullibardine Artisan
Single Malt — Highlands, Scotland
Reviewed February 2, 2023 (edited February 4, 2023)A light honey-orange. Thin body. Floral nose – jasmine, vanilla, Turkish cake. Sweet and light. Creamy and surprisingly viscous. Sweet but not overwhelming. Lemon peel. A raw oat note announces the malt’s youth. Almond. A tad bitter around the periphery. Overall, nothing too objectionable but nothing to write home about. Affordable, but can’t hide its youth. Sweet and simple I don’t regret the bottle but won’t seek a replacement.38.0 USD per Bottle -
A very pale straw yellow. Not a lot of body but leaves a few thin legs. OK. Like it or not, dem boys delivered the concept. Crisp apple balanced by a subtle cereal note. Creamy. Gentle honeysuckle. I find myself tempted to think of grain whisky, but nothing harsh in the nose whatsoever - it's just "simple". Orange blossom water. Pear. Almond. Honeydew. A lilting saccharine spice that builds and recedes gently. Beeswax. Vanilla. Gosh that’s easy to like. Conversely, it may also be tough to love. This is not a brooding, complex, or challenging dram. It’s just light, fruity, and approachable. At sub-$50 I think it competes with any of the typical entry-level age-stated highland/Speyside malts and is clearly the superior to a number of them. If it were less than $40 it'd be a home run.45.0 USD per Bottle
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