Tastes

A nice whisky, but Glenmo shines in its younger expressions, I think. The gentle spirit produced by the distillery's infamously tall stills is well matched with cask influence at 10-14 years. At 25 years, the whisky becomes an oak bomb. While a pleasant oak bomb, I'd rather buy several bottles of the Quinta Ruban or Nectar D'Or than one bottle of 25.

Strathisla continues to assert itself even after 21 years in oak and being in competition with 20-30 other malts. This one is good, if a bit thin, having notes of sweet malt (initially), sherry, buttermilk scone, apple, plum, and a touch of nutmeg. A perfectly competent whisky for which I probably wouldn't pay what Pernod is asking.

This 10-year-old has a zesty nose—orange and lemon are followed by other fruits, including green apple and a touch of banana. This zest carries through into the palate and is joined by fairly sour but slightly sweet notes (a hint of butterscotch and cake icing?). Surprisingly complex for something so young.

Neat, this whiskey will f*ck your face. Dry oak blankets the show, but plenty of standard bourbon notes are also to be found: vanilla, caramel, toasted corn, and brown sugar. This is a superb American whiskey, bumped down to four stars because the price is laughably high.