Tastes

This is refreshingly different and not your typical sherry bomb or peat monster. It is the best rum finished product that I have tried in a long long time. Nose: Dark fruits, vanilla, and toffee/caramal Palate: Honey, caramel, vanilla, dark fruit and oak Finish: Oak tannin and slightly astringent with a lingering rum finish in the middle of your tongue. Mouthfeel: Starts off creamy and then seems to evaporate as it finishes. It definitely coats the mouth.

I've heard that compass box is great and everything that I've heard is true. This whisky is very solid for the price point and has me looking forward to finding other compass box offerings in the future. It has things that remind me of Irish Whisky and Bourbon. This whisky is sweet but not overly sweet and has quite a lot of complexity. Nose: Apples, toasted oak, vanilla, graham crackers Palate: Butter, creamy vanilla, raisins, citrus, and a lot of barrel impact Finish: Medium to short, with a bitter dark fruit Mouthfeel: Very creamy to start and then the ethanol seems to jump around the mouth. It leaves a very distinct pepper in the mid palate which I think is from the barrel impact. Very slightly astringent.

I agree with most people who say that this whiskey is overhyped, but the hype had to originate somewhere. It's so friendly that it reminds me of a wheated bourbon. Their marketing and presentation is phenomenal. Nose: Baking spice, caramel, honey, oak and candy corn Palate: Caramel, baking spice, candy corn, and oaky bitterness Finish: Very friendly with a light ethanol hit to remind you that it's whiskey Mouthfeel: Silky smooth and a little on the thin side, but I could drink this whole bottle in a night.

This is a roller coaster ride of a whiskey for me. I heard it was good, but I didn't think it would be this complex. This is a bottle I will pull out for special occasions and when I want to compare it to another whiskey. It's almost too complex to be a daily drinker and a little too difficult to find. I won’t replace this bottle. It’s not horrible but it’s definitely not my flavor profile. Nose: Strong ethanol smell, behind the ethanol you will find orange, cinnamon, and light baking spice, stale nuts, and perfume. Palate: Very friendly compared to initial ethanol hit on the nose. Maple & chocolate, oak, caramel, cinnamon, and vanilla. There are hints of oak, black licorice, and mint. I think the mint is from the high rye mash bill. Finish: Longer than I expected and slightly bitter. Mouthfeel: Tannins are drying out the side of the tongue. Ethanol spikes show up midway through. Thinner than I expected.

This is an Islay definitely worth bottling. It's so unique and colors outside the lines, but brings you back to the traditional Islay flavors. Nose: Citrus, seaweed, vanilla, shortbread cookie, oak Palate: Lemon and vanilla that dissipates into a leathery pipe tobacco Finish: Long with leather and raisins notes and finishes in pepper and mint Mouthfeel: Oily with a lot of ethanol spikes. It starts out super smooth but it finishes with an ethanol spike in the middle of the tongue.

This is very interesting for its age. I'm glad I picked this up because it shows how much peated whisky can change over time. I feel it stands up quite well to the rest of the Ardbeg line of whisky despite its age. I love that Ardbeg started providing quality whisky at a younger age to show that it is possible. Nose: Earthy, salty, and a smoked ham or a rauchbier. Palate: Figs, salt, earthy peat, medicinal, late hint of chocolate Finish: Medicinal medium long and it gets earthier and earthier Mouthfeel: Oily but a little thiner. The smoke almost combine with the ethanol to make it feel even more dense and it has ethanol spikes all over the mouth. It definitely feels hotter than the other Ardbegs that I've tried.

This is a delicious Islay and is very much in the Laphroaig style. It's intense and dense. It's a bigger whisky than I remember the Laphroaig 10 being. It also has more sweet notes to counterbalance the citrus that I normally get in the Laphroaig 10. This is a contender to be the best and most complex whisky that I've ever had, but it's definitely better to have this in colder weather as it is too dense to be a summer sipper. Nose: Strong citrus, peat, and sherry. There are light vanilla notes as well. Palate: Salt, dense smoke, brine, fig, raisin, vanilla. Finish: Very long and like a chameleon (ever changing). My favorite note is a dark chocolate smoke and there is a raisin sweetness/citrus leaving your mouth watering. Mouthfeel: Oily with very slight ethanol spikes around the mouth. It still reminds you that it is whisky, but doesn't make you pay for it.

Very hot but it has a nice sweetness. I would drink this on very cold days. Nose: Nutty dark fruit with a wine influence Palate: Spicy but sweet. It has figs and walnuts. Finish: Smooth and long with dark fruit finish with alcohol spikes as it dissipates.

This is so tasty! One of the best scotches that I've had so far. Nose: Sweat peat with citrus and honey. Slightly briny and has some coastal sea salt notes Palate: Citrus, salt, peat, smoke, pepper Finish: Medium with seaweed linger. Similar to a sushi burp. Mouthfeel: A little thin and has minor alcohol spikes around the palate.

Solid whiskey. Not a very complex whiskey but overall very approachable. Nose: Caramel and cinnamon. Smells spicy Palate: Very approachable and a lot of caramel Finish: Ethanol and barrel pepper. Mouthfeel: Pretty thin and slightly spiky