Tastes

Look: Burnt orange, considering this is a ten year whiskey, I figured it would be darker. There’s lacing and plenty of alcohol legs dripping after swirling. A really clear looking spirit. Nose: Some pretty good rye notes, dark bread, slight dill notes, clove, brown sugar. There’s also what I think is a woody note throughout the all the notes. Palette: way more impressive than the nose was leading me to believe, Whistle Pig 10 is initially pretty sweet up front, vanilla with the rye bread, and baking spices/clove hitting initially, and really lasting until some barrel notes mix in. Finish: Oaky, slight pepper in the finish, but a pretty long lasting intense, then changing to more rye bread notes. After a few minutes, the taste really reminds me of what I can only relate to musty produce. Just a real earthy flavor. Overall: The nose initially led me to believe this would be disappointing, but after trying Whistle Pig 10, I can see why this rye is sought after. Not sure I can justify the price tag, but Whistle Pig is still a great rye.

Look: Sazerac is burnt orange, crystal clear, and a really nice looking whiskey Nose: Anise, slight dill, cinnamon, plenty of spices. I’m also getting some vanilla and brown sugar. Really, a nice smelling rye, if not slightly more bourbon like. Swirling opens up some more spices, and a sweet clove I’d think from the rye. Taste: initially, I’m hit with some sweetness, followed up by pepper, cinnamon, and a nice mix of sweet, and spice. Finish: The sweetness is the last flavor I really get, kind of a clove and banana flavor. The finish itself is pretty short, with most flavor gone within thirty seconds. Not hot or bitter really. Overall: I like Sazerac, though I’m not sure it’s my favorite rye. The sweetness and general bourbon like quality is a slight detractor because this is a rye. That said, an easy drinker and a quality whisky still.

Last drink of the night at Matchstick, so my senses were pretty terrible by then, so maybe not a fair review. Special reserve seemed a little mild in flavor compared to every other drink I had that night. My first impressions are this is just an overly sought after bottle, but I’ll have to give this another shot

First glass of the night, was at a party so no great notes for any of these but it smelled like a perfectly fine bourbon, and tasted like one with MAYBE some saltiness added to the mix. Nothing I’d spend 70 dollars for.

My nose was pretty burnt out at this point, but my god I could smell the port. Such an easy drinking whiskey, plenty of fruit notes.

Admittedly, I had had a drink before hand, and my senses are terrible after one, but the coffee grain tasted pretty great. Sweet, vanilla to a different level than I’ve ever tasted before. I’ve never had Japanese whiskey, so maybe it’s just a different style in general, but this was a unique whisky.

Look: A mellow yellow/ gold from the lighting I am getting at the bar. Plenty of alcohol legs and lacing. Nose: Pear, vanilla, kind of a bread note too, like cooked buttery bread. Slight butterscotch and honey. Palate: I get largely that pear up front, vanilla, slight spice as I swirl the dram around and then more fruit notes mixed with vanilla. Finish: apple is what I’m tasting in the finish, a slight burn, but the flavor diminishes relatively quickly. Also, the flavor I get is when you eat a grape that’s really a little too early to eat, and you get more of that earthy soil flavor. By no means bad. Slightly dry, but nothing that really makes it hard to get any saliva. Overall: I have no complaints about Glenlevit 12. At the price, this is about what you’d expect from a scotch, not terribly complex but really easy to drink and enjoyable too.

Really didn’t get any good notes, but it seemed like a pretty decent highland/speyside.

Look: Dark orange, lacing on the glass, translucent and a beautiful reflection off the tree out my window Nose: when taking a whiff, the first thing I thought was a bowl of Wheaties. Behind the wheat note you can find vanilla brown sugar, and clove. Swirling the whiskey gives way to more wheat. A drop of water opens a more medicinal note, as well as a more muted fruit aroma. Palate: Kind of the typical wheated whiskey notes - wheat, vanilla and some nice oak. Letting the bourbon sit, I get a bit more sweetness, with the obvious burn of alcohol sitting in your mouth. The flavor is nice, if not unexpected. Finish: Bitterness, but not acrid, fair amount of heat, with woody notes and some pepper lingering on the finish. Overall: I snagged this for 21.99 at my local Cub, and, for that price, this is a great wheated bourbon. Compared to Weller, no, this isn’t as good, however, this is a whiskey worth exploring.