Tastes

Light on the nose, reflecting the clear gold color: soft fruit, vanilla, and dry grass. Palate introduces substance: light smoke and toffee, with some complexity in the form of marginally rougher cereal/grain. Lovely long and sweet finish accentuated with warming spices. For me, one cube max; delicate for the age statement and well within the worth/price window. Subtle and persistent.

Probably shouldn't do this with a cold, but here goes: relatively light on the nose (tasting against Makers), but with a decidedly spicy spike - even so the heavier caramel it's shrouded in still makes an appearance despite my insensitivity. Palate is rich: toffee, caramel, unspecified fruit, and with a bit of brine to keep the sweetness at bay. Medium finish, and rather smooth. Will need to revisit it when I'm well (if there's any left).

Rich dark cherries on the nose with vanilla and butterscotch. Palate more of the same while adding some oak and general woody complexity to hold the high ABV at bay. Relatively mild and quick finish with the barest hints of allspice and clove. Was unsure of the hype but gotta say: Pappy delivers here; a beautiful yet forceful expression.

Surprisingly prominent rustic apple on the nose, with touches of caramel sweetness. The palate starts off a bit hot, but opens into baking spice and cerealy grain while hanging on to the aromatic promises. Medium finish lets everything steadily taper off quietly. Interesting and well rounded, but no particularly bold statements here.

A prominently peaty nose with plenty of butterscotchy sweetness to keep the smoke from being suffocating. Decidedly smooth and sweet on the palate while connoting dried fruit and cereal; the peat is present, but lets the other flavors out to play. The finish falls off quickly at first but lingers as a mild spicy heat. Intended to showcase the possibilities of peat? Check. I imagine it should cater to both the fans of a smokier scotch as well as those looking to explore them as well.

Hints of spice sprinkled through a prominently sweet vanilla nose. Palate adds a pleasantly tempered peat, smoothed out with woody complexity. Medium finish lets some of the fire linger a bit as a shadow of the main event. Eminently potable as an uncomplicated but undeniably smooth operator

Somewhat hot on the nose a little unsuccessfully masked by a heavy-handed sweetness. Vanilla and butterscotch on the palate, with a cleverly quick finish. Not the most exciting product, but at least doesn't pretend to grandstand.

Somewhat fruity nose with hints of spice and vanilla that come out more fully on the palate. Moderate amount of peat makes for a nicely balanced dram, with a smattering of spice for complexity. Medium-short finish pulls you in for another sip. An easy one to regularly pull from the shelf.

Sweet and fruity on the nose. It smells thick and sweet and the palate does not disagree. Caramel, honey, vanilla, berries make for an impossibly inoffensive profile. Viscous and velvety, basically no need for water. Finish is a mildly surprising semi-dry sherry. A clear petition for the sweeter preferences of the wider audience, but content in its affability.

Corn and butterscotch heavy on the nose. Palate is much the same with hints of vanilla and honey sweetness, and pulled in new directions with touches of dried fruit and subtle baking spice. Finish burns fast and a little hot. Overall punchy and sweet, but with a fun complexity lurking beneath the surface.