Tastes
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Nose: Sweet corn, orange zest, sweet mild vanilla, freshly mown hay, cherry flavoured sweets, a mild note of good oak cask. It's a friendly nose (did I mention it's sweet?) with just enough heft. [The dry-glass smells of sandalwood and sweat]. Palate: Sweet arrival, some extremely well behaved mild spices (cinnamon, nutmeg, caraway) which persist through the development, gaining further sweetness in the process. The development brings out orange notes and a nutty quality together with vanilla, caramel and brown sugar. The texture is good and you certainly don't notice that this is 100 proof. Finish: Medium. A little sweet spiced vanilla on the aftertaste. A nice bourbon, very drinkable and there are no off-notes anywhere but it's a bit generic. It starts off with just the right amount of oak, progresses through mild spiciness and finishes on a sweet note. Good stuff - not much more I can say, it's just "average-good". I did notice, however, that in Australia this is $160, which is absurd beyond all reasoning and if I had paid that much I'd be very annoyed because it's just not *that* good. I'd pay half that but to charge the same for this as for Springbank 12 year old? I think not. Thanks to @Soba45 for the tasting sample. "Average" : 79/100 (2.75 stars)160.0 AUD per Bottle
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Little Book Chapter 3: The Road Home
Blended American Whiskey — Kentucky , USA
Reviewed January 12, 2020 (edited April 1, 2020)Nose (neat): Rye spice, leather, tobacco, very fine oak notes, cedarwood, salt-water taffy and roasted peanuts. Over time the nose fills out further as vanilla, caramel, mint and menthol notes emerge. Nose (watered): A pleasant marriage of the notes that are apparent when neat, but a great deal of the bold character is lost. It tends to become merely a very nice example of the Jim Beam house nose. Palate (neat): Big, spicy and dry arrival with a fair amount of heat. There are certainly identifiable notes such as cinnamon, dill, clove and sour cherry, but any nuance is throttled by the overly busy oak tannins. This palate is so dry, bitter and hot it is almost a caricature. Palate (watered): Much softer arrival, still spicy and dry but the heat is tamed and the whisky is considerably more welcoming. Most importantly, the palate opens and develops to clearly display dark fruit, brown sugar, toffee, espresso and an excellent chewy woodiness. Overall water provides desperately needed balance and allows the whiskey's undeniable qualities to shine, and I thought the texture was also greatly improved. Finish (neat): Long. Dominated by hot and bitter spices that eventually just wear off. Finish (watered): Still long, but the bitter notes are now balanced by just the right degree of sweetness. A dark cherry and chestnut wood flavour is distinct in the aftertaste. When first poured neat there is a blast of ethanol on the nose - let it rest for 10 minutes and this blows away leaving the whiskey more approachable. It's authoritative but a little austere and it reminded me slightly of some dry cask-strength Speysiders I've nosed. On the whole, however, I thought it was a very good nose. The palate, on the other hand, leaves a great deal to be desired. The arrival was promising but it quickly took a wrong turn in the development, which to me seemed more like a collapse of the arrival into a melange of bitterness. To be quite honest I thought it bordered on undrinkable. However generous dilution completely transformed the palate, and the spirit is certainly bold enough to take water with no effort at all. I'm sure there are more seasoned bourbon drinkers than I who would love the neat palate, but for me it was just out of control and needed the discipline of water, which I thought rendered it far more elegant. If I rated this as neat I'd give it 2 stars and consider it a failure, however with water it's a 4-star dram, so I'm splitting the difference and rating it at 3. Many thanks to @Soba45 for the tasting sample. "Above Average" : 80/100 (3 stars) -
Nose: Fruity and crisp, with notes of fragrant citrus, green tea and light spice. There is a slightly unusual character to the profile. Palate: Sweet and mild arrival, fruity and earthy but the juniper is restrained. There is a berry-fruit aspect and a mild spicy note appears on the mid palate that reminds me a little of green shiso leaf, but it may be the influence of the sake foundation. The texture is silky. Finish: Medium/short. Not a powerful aftertaste but it is crisp and clean. A smooth, easy to drink gin that is very palatable. The character is not profound but what is there is good. It's of the mild Hendricks school of composition with added fruity-cereal notes from the sake. It's well balanced and certainly worth a try, but not a top-shelf spirit. Many thanks to Warwick for the tasting sample. "Good" : 83/100 (3.5 stars)70.0 AUD per Bottle
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Appearance: Clear as water, almost. Slightly viscous. Aroma: Alcohol, orange zest (from many types of orange), orange juice. Flavour and texture: Surprisingly friendly and sweet arrival, with an abundance of orange (of course). Clean, crisp and sweet with very little alcohol burn. The texture is just oily enough. Quite compelling for a focused liqueur. This is pretty much the gold standard for orange liqueurs. The only real competitor is Grand Marnier (which has its own charms). Just steer clear of any bargain basement or generic "Triple Sec" and use one of the two giants of the style - there is a darn good reason they rule the roost. As a neat drink it is actually not too bad and the official Distiller notes for this are right on the bullseye. It remains, however, primarily an ingredient and there are a multitude of cocktails that simply would not work without the magic touch of Cointreau. Let's face it - it's just plain very good stuff. If you're putting together a home bar you NEED to have this on the shelf. "Excellent" : 88/100 (4.5 stars)79.0 AUD per Bottle
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Glen Moray Elgin Heritage 15 Year
Single Malt — Speyside, Scotland
Reviewed January 9, 2020 (edited January 23, 2020)Nose: Orange liqueur, malt, mild banana, vanilla, apple cider, moist earth. As it rests in the glass the aromas of oak casks start to emerge. With water some floral and sherry notes come to the front, and although the nose loses a little definition the melded aromas are very pleasant. [After watering, the dry glass has an aroma of milk chocolate!]. Palate: A sweet arrival with mild baking spices and lemon zest. Hard caramel toffee, a faint hint of licorice (or maybe anise), stewed apples and more spicy notes are noticed as it develops. There is a faintly metallic barley note but it's not objectionable. The texture is full but just short of either creamy or oily. Adding water develops more caramel toffee characteristics but does not mute the spicy notes too much. Finish: Medium. Spices and cereal that gradually fade. You definitely taste barley grist at one point and it lingers into the aftertaste. Adding water breaks the finish - it becomes much shorter and less interesting. An enjoyable single malt if not an outstanding one. At AUS$72 it's very fairly priced for a 15 year old expression, but keep in mind it's not one of the greats. The Distiller official score is pretty much on target but I didn't get some of the tasting notes - in particular I didn't notice any smoke on the nose and neither did I think the palate was over-oaked (however bear in mind I tasted this right after the Method & Madness Single Grain which indeed has a madness degree of wood influence). Certainly worth a taste. At the price point it is a no-brainer experiment for enthusiasts and if you're on a tight budget and want to try a proper 15 year old scotch that is easy to drink, has a pleasant profile and a balanced character you could do far worse than this Glen Moray. "Above Average" : 82/100 (3.25 stars)72.0 AUD per Bottle -
Method and Madness Single Grain Finished in Virgin Spanish Oak Casks
Single Grain — Ireland
Reviewed January 9, 2020 (edited November 9, 2022)Nose: Oak, vanilla, something crisply floral (lemon peel?) and a resinous note (pencil shavings). The nose is completely dominated by the barrels. Palate: A rather spirity arrival with some bitter oak and grapefruit, but there is a little sweetness as well. There are also buttery notes but these are accompanied by an acidic quality like sour citrus peel. The texture is silky but modulated by sharp tannic notes. Finish: Medium. Hot spiciness that eventually trails off into a subtle, sweet minty aftertaste. This whisky is unusual compared to most single grains. Typically the better ones (particularly Scottish single grain) are matured for a long time in first-fill bourbon barrels and wind up with a buttery, toasty vanilla profile. This is completely alien to that, instead featuring brisk, almost harsh and spiky European oak tannin which gives it a woody and citric character. It's like a barrel full of bitter grapefruit. This makes it an interesting whiskey but it's not one you easily love. The Single Malt and Single Pot Still expressions I've tasted from this producer have been very good and instantly approachable for any whiskey enthusiast, but this one is brittle and more of a challenge. The nose is unremittingly woody in character and although some supporting aromas arise over time it is steadfast in its acerbic oakiness. It takes forever to open up and demands time and patience. I'll be interested to see if it mellows a little once there is some air in the bottle. The palate is similarly cantankerous with a bitter/sour quality coming from some highly active oak tannin. Well, yes, it IS aged in virgin Spanish oak so what do you expect, but I can't help but wonder if this was such a terrific experiment. A touch more refill bourbon softness would not have gone astray. As I said, an interesting whiskey, but certainly not one I'd recommend to a novice (N.B. the official Distiller notes are from an experienced critic and novices should be wary - this is not as approachable as it might seem from the description). You need time, patience and experience to really enjoy this. I'm not disappointed in it and I'm looking forward to the journey of exploring it as it oxidises, but if the choice was between this and the chestnut-barrel finished single pot still expression I'd choose the latter any time, even if it was twice the price, and as much as it is an "interesting" whisky there is no way I'd ever buy a second bottle of this. "Good (but not easy)" : 83/100 (3.5 stars)85.0 AUD per Bottle -
Amarula Cream Liqueur
Dairy/Egg Liqueurs — South Africa
Reviewed January 9, 2020 (edited November 16, 2023)Appearance: Opaque beige, like milky coffee. Aroma: Fruity, malty, caramel nougat. There is an almost bizarre *tiny* waft that is reminiscent of scotch whisky. Flavour and Texture: Creamy and dairy sweet, a little alcohol is detectable but it's very light. Caramel and soft fruity flavours, but it's not bright fresh fruit - more like faint stewed figs or dates. There is a slight hazelnut or macadamia note in the aftertaste and a butterscotch character. Guilty confession time - I utterly adore this liqueur. I could drink far more of it than was healthy in a single sitting, I find it so compelling. The closest thing to which I can compare it is Bailey's Irish Cream but it is way better. I've served it to people who are not normally fond of creamy liqueurs and they have become instant converts. Part of my love for this is undoubtedly nostalgia, as I have vivid memories of the first time I tasted it and the company I was with, but that doesn't diminish its quality. Wonderful neat, on the rocks, as a milkshake, in strong black coffee, over ice-cream, and so on. Try freezing it to make Amarula gelato (yummy). "Good" : 84/100 (3.75 stars)35.0 AUD per Bottle -
Appearance: Dark, opaque midnight red - almost black. Hold it up to a light and you can just barely see through and the colour is more like a that of a merlot. Aroma: Cherry syrup. There is an aroma in the background reminiscent of almonds. Flavour and Texture: Sweet but less so than the aroma might lead you to believe. Certainly cherry but more bittersweet than sweet, and there is that almond presence again. The texture is fairly neutral. Very reminiscent of a tart cherry conserve. At first taste this may seem a little bitter-sour for a liqueur, but as you become accustomed to the profile it becomes more palatable. It's better as an ingredient than as a neat liqueur, however, and the best possible use IMHO is in a Singapore Sling (choose your own preferred recipe from the dozens available). It's also excellent added to ganache as a filling for home-made chocolates or added to red berry preserves for Danish pastries. "Very Good" : 85/100 (4 stars)46.0 AUD per Bottle
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Appearance: Transparent yellow-gold. Aroma: A sweet herbal-honey nose with a strong alcohol prickle. Flavour and Texture: Unctious and sugary-sweet on the arrival with a character almost like golden syrup. The honey is noticed after the initial sugar bloom and the herbal flavours follow, and there are notes of orange zest, menthol and licorice. The texture is thick and there is a soothing warmth to the aftertaste. Drambuie can be divisive. Some drinkers find it far too sweet and brightly herbal - an unnecessary embellishment of scotch whisky. For others it is the epitome of the ideal liqueur - high abv, bold taste, whisky based, no dairy component, etc. Personally I think it tastes like medicine - very nice medicine. In fact, the best medicine I know of to deal with the symptoms of the common cold is a hot toddy made with Drambuie. Pour a generous double dram into a tumbler, add the juice of half a lemon, two aspirin tablets and top it up with very hot water. Stir well and sip it as it cools. If it's not strong enough, add some whisky or more Drambuie. Go to bed and put a hat on the bedpost - keep drinking until you see two hats. Beats the heck out of any medicine I've bought in a pharmacy. As for drinking it for pleasure, I've been known to indulge but one small dram is usually enough - it's just not something I enjoy sufficiently to crave more and a little goes a long way. Oh, and as for the Rusty Nail - it's a good way to get smashed quickly but most times I'd rather not spoil a good whisky (and the hangover can be monumental). The one exception is camping in cold weather - a flask of pre-mixed rusty nail is just the thing to take the chill off a cold tent. "Good" : 84/100 (3.75 stars)64.0 AUD per Bottle
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Appearance: Opaque mid-brown, rather like a chocolate milkshake. Aroma: Jaffas (explained below). Flavour and Texture: Sweet mild malted milk chocolate quickly followed by sweet orange liqueur. That's it. The texture is on the thin side. This is one of several liqueurs being made by a fairly new Australian family company based in Thebarton, South Australia. So far their products have all been citrus, nut or chocolate based. This particular liqueur has a rather narrow profile - it's milk chocolate and orange, full stop. That doesn't make it bad, but it is very simple and I thought it would be improved with a little added complexity. I noted above that the aroma is of Jaffas. These are an iconic Australian sweet, round candies about the size of a marble with an eggshell-thin orange candy shell surrounding milk chocolate. They are much beloved and I bet this liqueur was crafted to emulate the aroma of a freshly opened packet. The taste is pleasant and mild, with a little nip of alcohol accompanying the orange component. I did think that the chocolate part of the recipe could do with some enhancement. It is too faint and shy and the texture is too thin. Have you ever ordered an iced chocolate which arrived with heaps of cracked ice in the glass. By the time you are half-way through enough of the ice has melted to make the remainder of the drink watery and unsatisfying. This is exactly like that and I wish they had used a more robust dark chocolate and made the texture thicker - it would be an altogether better liqueur. Still, there's nothing unpleasant about it, it just lacks a certain something. "Adequate" : 74/100 (2.25 stars)40.0 AUD per Bottle
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