Tastes

After you get acclimated to the burn, this bourbon really is flavorful. The nose tells you nothing, no heavy alcohol proof, no heads up on the flavor, the nose is very generic to a typical bourbon. However the taste is really nice, baking spice, cherry, and that burnt wood. For a price that's around the mid $40 dollar range, the value of this whiskey is well worth what you'd pay for a $60 bottle. Great value, great taste, and definitely worth the bottle purchase. The high proof will put off a lot of new whiskey drinkers, so if you've just started your whiskey journey, I wouldn't recommend this bottle. Otherwise all others, just get a bottle if this, you won't be disappointed!

Cool whip, cool whip whipping cream, that's what you'll get with this one. You'll also get a hint of that port wine finish when you swallow, and it is very friendly. When I drink bourbon I want a hit bourbon, this one hits you or just glazes you as a bourbon. Meaning it leaves you wanting more, you wish there was more, but the volume on this one is a little to quiet for me. I like the concept of port wine finishes, but this whiskey is like a muscle car, with a V6 engine instead of a V8 engine, you wish there was more there.

Compared to the Machir Bay which I prefer more, this one on the nose smells like your typical Islay, that familiar hint of the smoke and ash that you anticipate when you take a taste. However the smoke on this one is blunted somewhat, muted strangely by a taste you would get in bourbon. This is one of the few Islay whiskeys I've had that fake you out, you think you're drinking Islay Scotch on the nose, but the taste quickly takes you to a bourbon, strange I know. I like it, I don't regret buying a bottle, but like it enough to buy another bottle? No. If I were to buy another bottle, it be Machir Bay.

Cinnamony is what describes this bourbon. You get that blast of cinnamon when you swallow followed by a tinge of red apple. The nose is woody, sorta of a saw dust smell. I find this whiskey growing on me the more I sipped it. It's about $5-$8 less than the Four Roses Single Barrel, if I were you I'd just go for the Four Roses Single Barrel, but if you have a sweet tooth, Four Roses Small Batch might be more towards your liking. Nothing wrong with this whiskey and very true to the 4 star rating, good whiskey for a good price.

From beginning of the nose, up until the aftertaste, you will get that surgery butter taste, not like movie buttered popcorn, but the kinda sugary butter you'd get from the buttered bread you get from Sizzler, if that makes any sense. That butter taste is what makes this whiskey unique, I definitely would buy another bottle.

My first rye and I figured to do some research on what was popular in the whiskey community as a good go to rye. So here I am buying Whistlepig, a bottle around $73 and I have to say, I paid too much. The nose is nice on this one, sorta sweet that turns into a green apple. The taste is spiky, bitter, their are hints of sweetness that show up but it goes away very quickly, as you swallow you get a nice alcohol burn that turns into a grassy aftertaste. If this is a good representation of rye whiskey, I have admit, I'm not a fan, or if I ever bought into rye whiskey I definitely have to be in the mood for a rye. $73 bottle of rye whiskey? If rye is your thing, then more power to you! I won't buy another bottle of rye whiskey, I guess education is expensive.

So friendly, the friendliest of Laphoaig's. At 40% it's the people's Laphroaig, but I think it falls short as to satisfying why people drink Laphroaig in the first place. This falls into just an okay Islay for me.

I've tried Laphroaig Cairdeas triple wood cask strength and Laphroaig 10 year, this quarter cask is by far the friendliest Laphroaig I've had. Your typical nose for an Islay, with the taste starting of with a briny, sea salty, sweetness, that turns into smoke once you swallow. However that campfire taste is a bit muted, imagine not standing in front of a fire, but having that fire in the background somewhere, that's the sort of the finish you have with this Scotch. At 48% alcohol I thought it would be more challenging, but it comes of very smooth in the end.

My only knock on this bourbon is the nose, theirs really nothing to it or anything remarkable. Everything else, is awesome! Such an enjoyable bourbon, that's not sickenly sweet and at 45 percent alcohol, it gives it enough kick to be interesting. I'm definitely looking at a repeat bottle purchase, this is my new go to bourbon, edging out four roses single barrel.

The nose on this is excellent! The smell reminds me if leather and a cherry had a baby, it would smell something like that.The taste opens up quickly to a medical cherry, followed by dryness, that turns spicy, then a woody after taste. Interesting bourbon nothing boring about this one.