Tastes

Classy labels and iconic angular bottle shape. Medium ochre brown, decent weight and legs. Classic bourbon toasted oak and vanilla on the nose. Very sweet. Heavy cream and caramel. Mace. Ripe banana. Allspice. Gentle ethanol. Palate is true to the nose. Damn near identical. Sweet caramel and toasted oak all day. Brown sugar. Bananas foster with aged rum. Delicious dessert. Consistent and predictable. Probably not the most complex or adventurous, but you know exactly what you’re getting.

Nice but simple Springbank-y packaging. Rose gold foil lettering is unique but undermined by generic eggshell white sticker labels. Simple by design, but parchment labels would have added authenticity and a tactile elegance. Medium straw with an orange tinge. Thinner body but just on the proper side of watery. Floral smoke dominates the nose. Bright and fresh. Heather. A touch of proof spice. Asian pear and a smidge of jasmine. Smoke is clean and elegant. Beechwood, or maybe alder. A thread of rose water. After an initial, gently sweet, floral+tropical lychee, the peat arrives and a saccharine smoke crashes the palate. Creamy vanilla custard, but tangy. After, the flavor settles into an extended salted caramel apple. Overly toasted pie crust rounds things out and loops back to the lingering smoke. Really nice whisky and well executed, but rarity drives the price point - IMO equivalent exoeriences are available on the shelf right now at $70… instead of rarely available and $100+.

Super clean tasting and experience, which, to date, is not something I've been able to say about Islay. Simple and direct vanilla cream - crisp and clean, then a thorough and delightful layer of smoke settles over everything. Really well executed and despite my years of resistance I'm beginning to see why this 12 year is worth 25-50% more than its peers. Not for complexity, but elegance and execution. I like Old Pulteney 12 year... this is the same profile but done with a master's stroke (maybe less a touch of salinity).

Packaging is nice but unfulfilled. The box is very well done - heavy paperboard with linen-y textured skin, rose-gold foil work, heavy parchment inset label, classy magnetic close. The bottle keeps the heavy labels and foil, but otherwise is very utilitarian glass and bottle shape, no linen texture, synthetic cork. Sorta got halfway to a good idea but stopped well short in the end. A deep amber with reddish-orange hue. Viscosity and legs don’t match expectations for 120 proof. The nose showcases sweet, fruit-forward casking, but does not obscure the rye heritage. Vegetal, floral, vanilla, mace and cardamom. Weed-whipped honeysuckle bush. Fresh green bean. The longer it sits lets the Port wine take over the aroma. Sharp ethanol neat, but diminishes quickly with dilution into a baked apple crisp. Again, the rye and proof present first. Only after can the other components and casking announce themselves. Orange liqueur, nutmeg, vanilla and a prominent spice when neat. Sweet but assertive. After dilution the flavors are still sharp, but approachable. Spiced, stewed pear with clove, orange zest, and more cider notes. Vanilla cavendish tobacco. Wasn’t smitten when I first opened it months ago, but revisiting can say with confidence this is pretty tasty stuff and well-barreled. Unlikely to ever be a thoughtlessly sweet sipper, but it is a spicy-sweet departure from convention. For $70, I think this is a good adventure and reasonable value. If the finishing sounds interesting to your palate, I recommend giving it a whirl.

Actually pretty competent bourbon. No age statement but surprisingly good. Not special but would happily drink again.

Packaging for Glenglassaugh’s core range is pretty meh but that’s admittedly low on the priority list. Pale straw color with a drop of orange. Thin body. Nose is quite bright. Yeasty and sharp. Bread dough, vanilla, lemon, and grape must. The palate is gently sweet with a subtle flavor that builds. More lemon-vanilla. A little grassy. Creamy lactose. Young floral highlands notes, but more grainy than malty. 46% ABV adds to the sharp aspartame bite without offending. A few drops of water mute out some of the sharpness but don’t substantially affect the overall experience or takeaways. Ultimately no objections to the sharp, flowers and cream profile, but tastes quite young and out of balance. Hard to see restocking this one, but you could do worse.

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.