Tastes

Nose: Burned wood, blackberries, Concord grapes and touch of eucalyptus oil. Palate: Not particularly sweet, but I do get a grape candy note flavour poking though a very dominant dry woodsy flavour. There's some tarry peat in the mix as well. Finish: Lingering dry burned wood and eucalyptus oil. Medium length. This was overall a pretty disappointing bottle even though it was relatively inexpensive for an 18 year old scotch (101$ CAD). Makes me wonder whether I should even bother with the standard 18 year old?

Nose: Candied fruit and orange peels, slightly leathery. Palate: Initial burst of butterscotch followed by a bitter orange peel taste that takes over mid to late palate and dominates the waxy medium length finish. Not as complex, nor as sweet as I anticipated. Still it's a very nice scotch overall, however the orange peel flavour is quite intense and may be a bit off putting for some. Just wish it came with the same 46% abv as the 15 year old (which I think I prefer).

To be honest the first few times I tasted this whisky I was not impressed. I found it a bit too light and floral for my palate. A bit of a shrinking violet as far as whiskies go. For the first 1/2 bottle or so I used it mostly as a mixer. After that point however the flavour really started developing. I'm having my final dram from this bottle tonight and am seriously considering buying this again. I agree with the Distiller review on many points. I totally get the vanilla and ripe red apples on the nose along with the shortbread on the palate but there also a bit of a banana marshmallow candy flavour. The finish is a brief sweet pear note and slightly hot.

I'm getting shortbread cookies on the nose along with some honeyed graham crackers and floral notes. On the palate the thick creamy texture immediately noticeable. This is really nice! Vanilla custard, honey and a soft honeydew note developing mid-palate. Finishes spicy and peppery, maybe a bit hot but not unpleasant. Solid reasonably priced Irish whiskey.

This whisky has some very rum-like qualities and flavours. Nose: Brown sugar and vanilla. Palate: Butterscotch turning into salted caramel mid-palate with a touch of maple syrup. Finish is a bit hot, short to medium length with a lingering taste of brown sugar.

On the nose there's some maltiness, shortbread cookies and a whiff of sulfur. The palate has a more floral quality along with the shortbread. Unfortunately the slight sulphur note remains present on the palate as well. The finish has some vanilla and perhaps a bit of oak? I was expecting a bit more from this young whisky considering the excellent reviews so far. Maybe I got a bad batch?

My wife describes the nose as smelling like a hospital burning down due to the iodine note. I'm thinking more along the lines of a small campfire on the beach covered in wet seaweed. It's definitely not the same as I remember from my first bottle though which seemed more intensely phenolic. On the palate I get charred pork ribs and dates soaked in a liquid campfire. Although there is a slight amount of heat, the flavours are more along the lines of the smoky remains left by the flames. Oily soot coated honey on the long finish. Smoky, layered and delicious, this is the dram that made me fall in love with peated whisky a few years ago.

Excellent bang for the buck bourbon. At first I found it to be very similar to Bulleit but sweeter, fruitier and just tastier. Notes of apple, brown sugar, vanilla and a hint of oak on the palate. Goes down really easy, with a slight taste of tingling cinnamon on the finish. Would definitely buy again.