Tastes

[12.15.2019] I've been drinking the for a few weeks but haven't had the time to post it. Bought it in the Windy City on a work trip 4 years back for a friend whose wife promptly put a retroactive hiatus on his habit. Kept waiting for a change but gave up after a bad week at work. Sweet, malty, smooth and easy at 93 proof (surprised me and I had to go back to the bottle!), this would be a go-to if it weren't for the price. As it stands, this is a mild mannered, palette pleaser overpriced in a market saturated with novelties. Best this about it is the uncut flavor and proof, complete with a malty taste u bastardized with synthetic smoke. If you need a bottle to complete a decorative set, pay me the shipping and I'll send it empty.

[11.16.2019] Went to the local Liquor Barn in Louisville last week in lieu of a distillery tour. We were down for NAILE and couldn't peel away from the charming Cottswalds and Southdowns for longer than a booze run. Luckily Basil's was running a tasting that afternoon. And boy, what a crowd that place can draw on a Saturday afternoon! This whiskey has everything I like about the Basil with all the bonuses of Rye. Wouldn't own the original but I would've bought a bottle of this if it weren't for the line at the register. Peppery without a harsh spicy bite, this is more like the pumpernickel version of rye and less like the white dog stuff I can buy at home. The extra time in oak barrels gives this a raw oak, woody, tannin flavor that adds complexity to what most other places would just run out as a decent rye whiskey.

[9.5.2019] Updated taste after we finished the funeral in Carey today. Sweet today, a little hint of maple and sugar. Leather and barrel oak are hidden by the sweetness. Solid drink tonight for a long week.

[6.25.2019] A final glass to close out another conference. This has been on my list for a while - would shudder to think what it cost in a Hilton. This was a great drink to close out the night. fruity/nutty like oatmeal toppings and similar but less overpowering than the Dalmore. This is an easy drinker with a lot of fruity complexity that my 1 am palette wasn't documenting. Would drink again.

[6.25.2019] Easy drink, smooth leather and barrel tannins - especially vanilla some light almost potpourri flavor. Easy drinker was $18 at a steakhouse and worth every penny for the company. Mad Tree brewing is terrible but these whiskey counterparts should be proud of themselves.

[6.25.2019] ADSA at the Hyatt in Cincinnati. This is an excellent rye for the age. Little pepper but spicy, some of the sweeter barrel effects like vannilins and tannins. This almost had a bit a cherry sweetness in the barrel flavor. Almost smooth but enough bite to prove the proof. Proud of the "Nasty" for making this whiskey. Colleagues over the weekend agree.

[6.23.2019] Dairy science meetings strike again. Working late on a presentation that should've been done weeks ago. Mistakes were made. This didn't taste like anything special and I don't think it's just the cheap hotel glass. Smooth, a bit salty and oily, with some of those leather and very soft barrel flavors. I wasn't a bit fan of the EC 12 year either, so take my review with a grain of salt. Not something I would buy but have 2 bottles on the shelf as gifts so I'll be sure to make good use of them. It's drinkable and doesn't forge an emotional connection.

[06.05.19] My initial reaction... dang, this is good. But I was worried it was just an overreaction after the BS that American Airlines has put me through this week (including a near plane wreck). So I obviously kept sipping. This is legit good. This tastes like you'd expect a pure corn whiskey to taste. Sweet, pure, with limited barrel flavor. It tastes surprisingly full(?) but I'm not sure what of. Floral/fruity like a subtle Irish whiskey and a bit salty/smoky but nothing distinct. This is smooth with a slight woody after taste, like a blend between those Utica moonshiners and Woodford. Easy drinker straight, this would be dangerous over ice. For those hopelessly delayed travelers, you can find this at DFW beside gate C10.

[12.27.2018] A friend shared his annual tradition of drinking this bottle while our girls exhausted themselves at an indoor bouncy house. A win-win even if the scotch had been disappointing. Fortunately, it was far from. I forgot to record the bottle number. Very sweet, like fruit and flowers in Spring, little to none of the smoke, peat, or common tannins or brine. This is a pure scotch, clean and fresh without anything over the top. balanced, easy drinker that is far better cold. If you let it sit in the glass you'll reveal some of the harsher alcohol tones. Solid drink that will also make you appreciate the affordable NAS blends on the market.

[12.15.2018] Lots to celebrate this year (not being dead is a start) but tonight we cracked this for my old PI's 60th. A great man and mentor, may he have many more years with his family and friends. I did not add any water to this, but ZT couldn't take the heat and added a little; he said it really opened up the flavor and vastly improved the dram. Personally, I didn't know how much more you could really improve it. Fantastic scotch, very peaty like the quarter cask and very warm from the high abv. I didn't pick up too much spice because the alcohol probably desensitized my taste buds. But the smoke and burnt dirt flavor would be hard to miss. Otherwise, I picked up a lot of salty bacon like a colonial demonstration kitchen in a bottle. A+, especially if I don't have to pick up the tab.