Tastes
-
Glenkinchie Distillers Edition
Single Malt — Lowlands, Scotland
Reviewed March 9, 2023 (edited May 28, 2023)I don’t know how to do this without revealing something of a fetish. But I’m an honest man who wants to keep an accurate record of his experiences. At least in this forum where I use a fake name and no one knows me. The nose tonight was especially intriguing. A little banana. But something else. I’m taken back to a time, early in my career, when I popped into the nearby cubicle of a coworker. She was cute, but I hadn’t thought much about her. There was a very slight musty, sweaty smell. Not offensive, maybe offset by a little fabric softener. I glanced about and noticed she’d removed her shoes under her desk. Her little white socks must’ve been the source of the enticing odor. From that day on, I nursed a little crush. I don’t know why, but the olfactories sent a signal to my brain on nosing this dram that dredged up that little throwback. There’s honey and heather, a little smoke and salt. Then just grass and the warmth of the sun for a long time. Now I’m torn about whether to pour another dram or google “slightly sweaty socks”. This whisky smiles gently and urges, “Why not both?” -
Talk about a cluster fuck. I cracked open a new bottle, really excited to try this whisky. As I (gently) twisted the cap, the cork promptly broke off. I tried to grab it with a corkscrew but the remainder of the cork fucked off right into this beautiful naturally caramel colored malt. Nose: cork. That’s all I smell. Palate: Fucking cork. Heavy cork. Finish: lingering regret and corky cork cork. I wrote all that before I tried it at all. I tasted it and it’s fucking amazing. I don’t know how to save this bottle. FUCK!
-
3.75. My go to rating for a whiskey I liked but can’t praise too much. What’s hard to believe is I think, after 5 years of going balls deep in scotch and kind of scorning a lot of other things, I’m finally trying Canadian whisky for the first time. What?? Sometimes I surprise myself with what a needless snob I’ve been. Here’s the thing. Crown Royal isn’t anyone’s definition of challenging or complex. I’ve tried to avoid the cliche (because I’m a fucking snob) word “smooth”. But goddamn if this isn’t velvety smooth. The nose is tart green apples and salted caramel. On the tongue I get the same thing- caramel apple, with just a slight bitter woody note. It tastes a little watered down. Then on medium-short finish a twist of lemon and cane sugar join the … party? Book club, maybe. The whole thing is pleasant. I’ll do this again.
-
Jack Daniel's Gentleman Jack
Tennessee Whiskey — Tennessee, USA
Reviewed March 1, 2023 (edited May 28, 2023)There is a moment, separated by hours, not days, when your banana has too many brown spots. A few is fine, it’s not that much different than a pure yellow one. But then the spots begin to converge. And you’re like, “Dammit, what do I always buy 8 bananas and only eat 2?” So you grab one of these bananas and peel it. The first bite is pretty good. You tell yourself it’s actually not overripe. It’s halfway through the banana where you finally admit it’s creating that bitter, dry sting on the sides of your tongue. It tastes a little fermented. So you have 2 choices: throw it away or make something else out of it. You feel bad throwing it away. Here’s what I do: I drop it in the blender with ice, milk, vanilla and black toasted ground sesame seeds. And it’s delicious and I tell myself I’ve been waiting for the banana to reach this exact stage so it can be put to this exact use. I’m going to do the same thing tomorrow with the rest of my bananas. But I don’t. They go to waste and I move on to another treat. -
This is absolutely one of my favorite drams. I nursed it for 30 minutes and new things emerged as the whisky aerated. There’s so much going on here. Roasted pork is prominent, but only when I hold the nosing glass to far outside of my left nostril. On the palate, a surprising sweetness. It’s spicy but it doesn’t burn. I’m not a big fan of rye, which is very spicy, but somehow the cinnamon and pepper here are both bold and gentle in a way that makes me feel safe and protected. The finish is fruit and flowers. But wait. That was just the first time through. Now the smoked meat is gone. I’m not getting smoke. The nose is Japanese grape gummy candy. Soft, chewy, more authentic concord grape flavor than American candy. The pleasing spice on the palate stays and a grape aftertaste with cardamom lingers. Update: I finished the dram and posted the review. Then I noticed mesquite smoke had just permanently taken up residence in my sinuses. My Lord, I could live contentedly like this forever.
-
Yellow Spot 12 Year Single Pot Still
Single Pot Still — Ireland
Reviewed February 11, 2023 (edited February 26, 2023)Yellow Spot is abnormally complex for an Irish Whiskey or even a 12 year old whiskey. Every review and even the bottle itself give different opinions of what you can expect while experiencing this dram. It felt like I had taken a really intelligent, talented girl on a date, and throughout the evening she kept revealing new things that alternately shocked and intrigued me. I had 2.5 generous pours of Yellow Spot while I tried to sort out my feelings. Attraction, certainly. Nothing unpleasant, except a little confusion about why she’s content to be out with the likes of me. I got different things with each dram. Predominant I suppose was the sherry-soaked chocolate cake on the nose with cherries, apples and some kind of spicy heat. The palate is sweet summer fruits with bitter spices asserting themselves a bit hesitantly. It’s alternately oily, spicy and nutty, and now all three together. The finish is long and complex. I’ve had a great time. I think she’s interested in coming back to my place, but I also wouldn’t be surprised if she refused. She’s not really playing a game, she’s just not revealing everything she’s thinking. And I respect that. -
I wouldn’t say there’s a lot of complexity here, but I’m ok with that. Crisp and smooth, I get the same thing every time I pull the cork on this delightful whiskey: fresh pears on the nose (along with a light grassy aroma), chewy dried pears with a breezy mouth feel, and a burst of juice from the fresh pears on the finish. It’s not overly sweet. Once I got a little Spaghetti-Os on the palate, and that was great too. I felt like a 5 year old having a snack. 5 was a good year for me. I had my first kiss with my after school babysitter’s daughter. Anyway, there’s nothing that isn’t consistently pleasant about drinking this whiskey.
-
There’s something of a light eclectic tea happening here. Candied lemon rind on the nose, toast that got just a smidge darker than intended. The first drop is remarkably sweet on the tip of the tongue, a slightly bitter woody spiciness emerges until the two converge as buttered toast with marmalade. The spice recedes quickly on the finish but the warmth sticks around. A dash of warm cream, black tea with a pinch of raw cane sugar. As each of the notes bids you adieu in turn, you realize the only guest left is your old friend oak. He’s been an unassuming presence, keeping what might have become unbridled levity at certain points slightly more dignified. He thanks you sincerely and excuses himself. You were glad he came. You must remember to pay more attention to him next time.
-
Knappogue Castle 12 Year Bourbon Cask Matured
Single Malt — Ireland
Reviewed September 25, 2021 (edited October 30, 2021)The air is fragrant with the fruit of the season on a September Sunday drive through the vineyards of Napa Valley. The sweetness is surprisingly muted upon sipping, slightly salty and oily with vanilla cake and dried pears. The bourbon casks move to the forefront on the finish with oak and mushroom broth.
Results 1-10 of 116 Reviews