Tastes
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Parker's Heritage Barrel Finished in Orange Curaçao Barrels
Bourbon — Kentucky, USA
Reviewed January 25, 2022 (edited February 23, 2022)This tastes like a bottled cocktail. It essentially is a bottled cocktail. If you were to approach this expecting an old fashioned made with a silky, balanced, standout bourbon and heavy dashes of orange bitters, I think you’d be pretty pleased. At 110 proof, sipped neat at room temperature, it drinks like a diluted cocktail, which is pretty bonkers and a clear sign of quality distillate and skillful aging. The orange is heavy-handed, but I certainly don’t hate the final experience. It is prominent and trends toward candied orange or a rock & rye, but again: think cocktail. I remember a generally tepid response when this came out. If there was a problem with this release, it was conceptual: while the rabid American whiskey fanbase has come to understand they’ll get something unique from the Parker’s line, they still crave the idea of an exemplary, unadulterated, and authentic whiskey experience. This is an experimental take that is actually pretty nice (to my tastes) but stepped over an informal line for such a highly-anticipated limited release. I can understand why this had a lukewarm reception with many who felt cheated when they finally luck into the rare opportunity to get their hands on a flagship name brand allocated release, only to find that it’s such a departure from their expectations and much harder to brag about to their bourbon buddies (regardless of whether rare bottles are actually a “better” product or not). I enjoy this and it’s likely even worth MSRP (~$90), but don’t begrudge those that feel differently. I think this would have been best as a one-off limited release at $60-$70, but Heaven Hill is certainly doing just fine without my unsolicited advice and it’s possible that consensus has gradually shifted over the past couple years to accept this one as an adventurous but worthy endeavor.90.0 USD per Bottle -
Booker's 30th Anniversary Bourbon
Bourbon — Kentucky, USA
Reviewed January 20, 2022 (edited January 30, 2024)Just… wow. Stays true enough to the profile to be readily identifiable as a Bookers, but clearly so much more even from the first taste. Rich spiced cherry is the most prominent to me. Corn. Caramel. Dusty chaff and barn oak. Nutmeg. Dark chocolate. Each taste starts gentle and sweet and the flavor builds slowly and steadily, evolving into a crescendo of flavor and spice. That gentle start helps it drink well below the proof without sacrificing any flavor. Even poured blind, I’d bet many more folks than usual could tell that they were tasting something pretty special. Awesome stuff. -
Aberlour 12 Year Double Cask Matured
Single Malt — Highlands, Scotland
Reviewed January 18, 2022 (edited February 2, 2022)My first Aberlour. Product styling carries a very intentional old school gravitas with the raised lettering on the bottle and oversized neck,which I am drawn to. Nice deep orange color. Nose is pretty monotone - orange rind and a licorice/anise note. A touch of oak. Perhaps dry curaçao and cola. Gentle and could nose for days, but carries a slight medicinal note that knocks it down a notch. Palate seems to favor the bourbon casks and leave sherry to such a subtle role that it skews instead of complements, which surprises me given the color and my preconceived notions of Aberlour sherry-bombs. Orange rind. Vanilla-infused sugar. Anise. Loads of honey. Cinnamon. Dark chocolate. Drambuie. A vein of cherry cough syrup. Couldn’t place it at first but there’s a strong floral component, both orange blossom and rosewater. Medium finish featuring the licorice again. Didn't notice the first time around but you may get a very prominent black coffee/tobacco note, which ain't terrible but definitely earthy and alkaline. Nothing bad… just nothing that beings me back in for more. The flavors are composed and pretty direct, just not overly enjoyable. If you have a better appreciation for anise this might be up your alley.52.0 USD per Bottle -
Macallan Classic Cut (2018 Release)
Single Malt — Highlands, Scotland
Reviewed January 16, 2022 (edited January 29, 2023)A pretty good representation of my preferred profile: quintessential musty, malty, sherried scotch, but Macallan’s ego and/or prestige business model means many similarly enjoyable bottles are available for half the price. Lemon. Dates. Butterscotch. Hint of mace. Glazed scone or maybe some Irish soda bread. Hazelnut. A bit peppery and dances on the palate initially, but this settles out pretty quickly with air. Some vanilla and oak. Very creamy with a pillowy soft lemon curd initial finish that sneaks back up for some lingering nutmeg and Szechuan pepper. Some chocolate - more milk than dark. A bit more assertive than the 12 and also more complex. Definitely more assertive than the 18, but I think this bottle lacks some of the layers and nuance that I find in the very enjoyable but astronomically overpriced 18. I think there is room for this in the portfolio. Not sure how much this changes year to year as it’s the first I’ve tasted. I know Macallan catches well-deserved flak for its price, and potentially-deserved flak for being “not as good as it used to be”, but this one checked the box for me. Flavor is probably 4.25+ to me, but knocked down due to value. Still a quality pour in my book. -
Balanced and middle of the road, but is a bit like manufactured complexity that doesn’t quite all come together into anything greater than the sum of its parts. Some honey, stewed fruits, sherry, brine, and maybe a subtle puff of peat, but the biggest flavor is some prominent oak spice and astringency that is more challenging than complimentary. Good, but not great, so it’s hard to justify at the price, although I’ve seen a few stores with favorable prices that’ve somehow created at least the illusion of a bargain versus the overpriced fleecing that the 14 feels like nowadays.15.0 USD per Pour
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Aberfeldy 12 Year
Single Malt — Highlands, Scotland
Reviewed January 13, 2022 (edited March 7, 2022)No complaints and enjoyable enough moderately sherried malt. Creamy is the primary descriptor that comes to mind. Unobtrusive but pretty basic, this one is for having a pour or 3 without thinking much about it. Affordable and sessionable, but also forgettable. Price point and proof are about right for that experience, so a lukewarm recommendation, but a recommendation nonetheless if that’s what you’re after. I won’t be buying a bottle but certainly wouldn’t turn down a pour if offered or when the selection was limited.40.0 USD per Bottle -
Edradour 10 Year The Distillery Edition
Single Malt — Highlands, Scotland
Reviewed January 6, 2022 (edited February 25, 2022)Alright, I’m out here starting fights tonight. I am not a distiller or blender, and acknowledge the murky waters which comprise my credentials… but I have emptied more than a few bottles over the years and did stay at a Holiday Inn Express last night, so I feel righteous and qualified in making the the following claims: This is not re-seasoned sherry finished. This is not first fill sherry casked. This is not “oops a little sherry was left in the bottom of the barrel” dosed. This has to be just straight up blended with sherry. As in, I’d accept it easily if I were told it was 50/50. My bottle is looks purple brown and 3x darker than the Distiller picture (maybe some hyperbole), yet claims to be “natural color”. Perhaps they are being clever, since caramel colorant is indeed naturally derived… but this stuff might be darker than Goslings. Okay, rant over. Regarding the experience, I don’t find a lot on the nose and the palate doesn't quite "zing", but it is creamy and pleasantly malty, then brings orange, prune and fig. Marzipan and black walnut. Currant. Over-the-top rich, but the sweetness is well-moderated. Seems to have more kinship with well-aged and decadent rums (say Diplomatico with the sweetness cut in half) than other Scotches I am used to. There is a “bourbon-y” essence to it that surprises me - corn, oak, caramel, and vanilla. Is it legal to sneak a portion into new charred oak? Ultimately enjoyable to drink, inoffensive (beyond the suspicious opaque appearance), and a couple channels turned up to 11, I’ve enjoyed the bottle. I’m just not sure it’s worth a repurchase at > $60 given my penchant for musty and sulfuric sherry rather than lush and velvety Christmas pudding sherry. A decent drop, and I'd buy more if I could find it in the low $50s.63.0 USD per Bottle -
Aerstone Land Cask 10 Year
Single Malt — Scotland
Reviewed January 5, 2022 (edited January 30, 2022)A deep straw that looks surprisingly oily with a swirl. Pedestrian nose, nothing jumps out. Gentle simple syrup, a freshly snapped green bean, hay - maybe a hint of orange. A burning grassland smoke makes a slow and subtle takeover toward the end. Some loam and chalk. Appreciating the nose a bit more than I did at first, but still ok at best. Starts very unassertive without much sweetness. Builds into a gentle vegetal spice which lingers pleasantly while the peat slowly rolls in like fog in the valley. Lemon oil. Earth. Some sips flash a bit sweeter, but only noticeable given the usual absence. This one is a bit perplexing. Mild and unassuming but competently crafted. Unremarkable yet lacks defects. I find myself reaching for this more than expected: a sessionable peated dram. The lack of sweetness without being “dry” or “tannic” is both the biggest oddity and most compelling facet because it feels like a rarity. 80 proof feels correct - it hasn’t got the DNA to be a complex flavor bomb… just a really decent option for an any-day sipper. At $30 MSRP it’s a reasonable value - I don’t think there is any competition that does peat this well. I saw this on sale at Total Wine for $23 and should have bought a case in hindsight - it’s just nice to have on hand.30.0 USD per Bottle -
Stranahan's Blue Peak
American Single Malt — Colorado, USA
Reviewed January 2, 2022 (edited July 20, 2022)Pretty bottle - I like the packaging. Nose is a little sharp, but has a delicious ripe banana and light brown sugar note. Edges toward butterscotch occasionally. On the palate, this sh*t is bananas. Loads of bananas. Actually dried banana chips - where the taste builds as they rehydrate and is super-concentrated, but not quite "pure" banana flavor as one would expect. Definitely some caramel notes evoke bananas foster. A pronounced sharp, tart, and tangy apricot never lets go. Replicates the experience of some of the more musky and sulphuric Scotches without replicating the actual flavors. Honey and some floral influences. A pinch of mace. Quite creamy, but not viscous. Pours near the end of the bottle have tempered the banana to a degree, but have introduced a subtle milk chocolate note that adds some roundness, alkalinity, and a much needed additional layer to the flavor. The finish lingers for minutes. Slowly softening into something halfway between juicy fruit and bubble gum, and a thin but resonant vein of barrel char paying its respects. I really enjoy this and will definitely purchase again. Extremely fruity and creamy, but not bashful and gives the taste buds a hard slap. Carries a pleasantly challenging semi-saccharine tang and spice. Is unambiguously different than anything else I’ve had to date. Has a clear note that screams “American Single Malt” and actually has been a bit of an "a-ha moment" for me finally identifying a characteristic young malt note common to many ASMs and malted ryes. I’m presuming that this is universal and that longer aging subdues this (thus I don’t find it much in typical single malt Scotches), but perhaps it is more an outcome of a style than duration in a barrel.37.0 USD per Bottle -
Booker's Bourbon Batch 2020-01 "Granny's Batch"
Bourbon — Kentucky, USA
Reviewed December 4, 2021 (edited June 12, 2023)Side note: somewhat gratifying when you compile your tasting notes without reading any others on this site and when you go to post you see some similar flavors mentioned. Go taste buds! Neat. Glencairn. The nose is a close cousin to Knob Creek single barrel. The proof comes screaming out as cayenne-dusted corn. Lots of hay and musty barn wood, peanut brittle and bit of oak and barrel char. Appropriate for a bourbon like this but doesn’t quite stoke my fire. Palate is weighty. Definitely zippy but enjoyable neat. Initial wave is super dusty peanut shells, then sweetens nicely into honey water with cinnamon and char iodine. A bit of vegetal capsaicin and mint. Tingles and lingers nicely like an oak flavored cinnamon red hot. Seems to enhance the sweetness when left to air for a spell. Overall not terribly complex but pretty enjoyable corn syrup for grownups. Attempting to characterize this as an experience, it’s like the bougie high proof bourbon version of wandering into a Texas Roadhouse, skipping the steak and instead licking the peanut shells off a wood floor, biting a jalapeño, and then pounding the whole ramekin of that cinnamon honey butter and a scorching hot yeast roll. If that sounds like your kind of party I’d say grab a pour if you can still find one! Biggest knock is the significant price inflation for a bottle of bookers.
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