Tastes

Grain forward. The nose is bright and sweet, white grapes and apples up front with a foundation of musty barley that gives nods to some hay and honey. The taste is honey and apples, in fact the finish is so close to honey crisp apples that it’s like a really heavily spiked cider. It’s almost like the emphasis of the nose and palate are flipped which makes it fun to go back and forth. Fresh and enjoyable.

This is truly magical. My favorite whisky is Ardbeg Uigeadail and this does something similar but at a different angle that really intrigues me. I love peat and brine and protein and sherry and all that those add up to together, but this replaces the darker sherry and protein in Oogie with a bright but rich fruitiness that accentuates the more ashy character of Laphroaig in a way that reminds me of a raspberry compote on a dark chocolate cake. The contrast and richness of both extremes is what I love about this whisky. At the end of the day it is what it is, a Laphroaig 10 where the iodine was replaced with fruit, which doesn’t satiate me like Ardbeg, but like a nice dessert, it’s not meant for a main course, but you won’t forget how good it tasted either.

B521. Very sweet cherry and vanilla on the nose, which is really where my preference lies for bourbon. The taste is mostly cherry up front that ebbs and flows into a dry oak and honey finish. If I think hard enough about it I can find some dark chocolate and caramel. In my humble opinion this is the most well rounded bourbon I’ve had that still has some proof punch, my favorite bourbon flavors, a hefty mid palate, some complexity, and doesn’t fight you along the way.

Vanilla, cinnamon, brown sugar, and a twinge of banana on the nose; careful, the high proof will bite you every so often if you go deep. The taste isn’t too different than the nose except that a cherry candy and barrel spice show up as well. The finish is long and in my opinion overly sweet. The proof is balanced better than I expected, but, just like on the nose, it can bite you if you’re not careful. It’s very good for the price, however, one of my favorite things about bourbon is living in the nose and I can’t with this one. My preference is more along the lines of Elijah Craig Barrel Proof.

Lots of bourbony goodness here. A little bit on the honey sweet side on the nose with hints of oak and cinnamon spice. The taste is very sweet and it sticks with you through the finish, leaving an overly sweet soda aftertaste. The sweetness carries bursts of oak, brown sugar, honey, and vanilla until just the cloying sugary feeling is left. It’s very good, especially for a good price, but a little “bright” without a lot of body or heft for my preference in order for me to consider this top shelf.

Sweet and briny smoke on the nose, very dense. Ashy campfire smoke up front on the taste, much like most Laphroaigs, it shifts midway to salty fruits, and lingers back and forth to sweet and smoke for a long and pleasant finish. The ashy smoke becomes more well rounded each time you return. I would happily enjoy this any time. I wish it was more available.

Honey and barrel spice on the nose, also a fruity note that I could convince myself is reminiscent of the Old No. 7 banana that I’m so used to, but I could also call it cherry candy, it’s buried so deep it’s hard to tell. The taste is very sweet typical bourbon flavors but with a touch of peanut butter in the middle and a longish cinnamon and barrel finish. Not very complex, but solid.

On a first pour the sherry and port dominate, with plums and raisins fighting toe to toe with red apples; much of what I expect from an Irish are buried. However after drinking a sherry bomb and coming back to this one the Irish roots shine through and the dominant nose is green apple, honey, and short bread cookie. No alcohol impact whatsoever at 40%. Really really sweet, even a hint of green apple on the taste, it’s so refreshing. I would compare this to a Green Spot in that sense, but with a bit more sherry and port influence. Really good, but for the price I’d prefer Yellow Spot or Red Breast for the weight and complexity.

A sherry bomb on the nose, dark fruits like plum and raisin, the malt comes through at the end, but a hint of barrel tannin also. The taste does not disappoint compared to what the nose promised. Very sweet dark fruit up front, some spice and barrel notes creep up and then are replaced by a nutty dry finish that lingers for a long time. Very oily, it drinks hotter than you’d think but not abrasive. I like this one a lot, shame that it’s discontinued.

I don’t get much on the nose at all, maybe a little honey and a touch of hay. The taste is well rounded with sweet apple, honey, and a slight hint of salt. The finish is very fast and mostly sweet. Solid but not outstanding.