Tastes

Horse Soldier bourbon had been circulating in my local liquor stores for a couple of years but I had resisted buying a bottle as I was under the impression that it was all about branding (if you have seen the 12 Strong movie or read the background story, you will know what I mean) and not a quality product. Well, I was wrong. This is a quality bourbon. I attended a Horse Soldier tasting even last week where I tried the three expressions in the core range and was given the Straight Bourbon expression as part of the package. At 87 proof it won’t blow your socks off or wow your palette with complexity. What it will do is give you a solid bourbon with those usual bourbon notes of vanilla, cinnamon, toffee, honey, and some warming species on the finish. It’s very rounded and easy to drink neat, but it does have a decent amount of rye in the mash bill so I suspect it would also be good with ice or in a cocktail. If you prefer higher proof bourbons, they also have a cask strength (wheated) expression which provides that extra punch and a longer finish. This straight bourbon goes for about $45 where I live, and I think it’s a fair price. 80/100

Bourbon fans, stop chasing those overpriced and allocated bottles. Instead, buy Rare Breed. It’s an amazing bourbon at an affordable price (less than $50 in most areas) that’s widely available. Drink it neat, drink it over ice, drink it with water. Tons of flavor whichever way you like it. It’s great and better than most whiskies twice the price.

I’m a big fan of Glendronach. I’ve tried everything from the 12 up to the 21 and loved them all, so the Port Wood was a low risk purchase for me. It’s so complex with lovely spices, chocolate, dark fruits, toffee, and a touch of citrus to name a few of the tasting notes. A surprisingly long finish which tells me there’s probably some old whiskies in this. If you are a fan of Glendronach or just a fan of port finished scotch in general, go grab a bottle of this. You won’t regret it. Yes, $100 might seem expensive for a NAS whisky, but this is spectacular. Some people might say they can get the Glenmorangie Quinta Ruban for less money (and that’s true) but this is head and shoulders above the Glenmo.

I’ve had this at my whisky club on two or three occasions and it never fails to impress with its wonderful Christmas notes of orange chocolate , ginger spice, dark fruits and leather. If this was in the $80 to $120 range it would be a killer whisky worthy of anyone’s collection. However, it has a few problems — problems that you just can’t ignore: it’s bottled at a miserly 40% ABV, and it’s fast approaching $300 where I live. For the average whisky fan it’s just ridiculously overpriced in the same way that Johnnie Walker Blue is overpriced.

The fourth in the Dewars ‘smooth’ series, Japanese Smooth is eight year Dewars that’s finished for an additional six months in Japanese mizunara oak casks. $25 — 40% ABV. Just like the other smooth releases, this is very easy sipping. Initially, I wasn’t very keen on it as the palate seemed too bitter on the finish with some oaky dryness, but after being open a few days the bitter-oaky notes seem to have mellowed out and the floral, honey and toffee notes have come forward along with a touch of cinnamon on the finish. Overall, I like it. It’s an inexpensive way to try a mizunara-finished whisky.

Looking for a smooth, port-finished whisky at a very reasonable price? You might want to grab a bottle of Dewars Portuguese Smooth. It’s the third release in Dewar's "Smooth" series that previously had the Caribbean Smooth Rum Cask Finish and the Ilegal Smooth Mezcal Cask Finish. It’s an 8 year old Dewars that’s finished in ruby port casks. Think bargain-priced Glenmorangie Quinta Ruban. Pinkish color. Sweet and fruity on the nose. The palate is also quite sweet with strawberries, some honey and cereal notes. It doesn’t hang around too much on the finish and is a little bit tart with a hint of toasted nuts. A dash of water takes away the slight tart note and adds a hint of sweet chocolate (Turkish delight.?) I wouldn’t recommend this to the peat-heads, but if you are a fan of Dewars, or if you tend to like Sherry/port finished scotches, it definitely hits the spot as an affordable daily-sipper. Added note: it’s not as good as the Glenmorangie Quinta Ruban, but it’s a third of the price!

Having enjoyed the Portuguese Smooth, I decided to try the Ilegal expression. Light-gold color. Sweet-fruity nose. Initially it’s very light and seriously smooth on the palate with nice citrus notes, but that sweetness quickly fades and is replaced with the Mezcal influence that brings in a sour but pleasant finish. Unlike the Portuguese Smooth, this doesn’t give any indications that it’s a Dewars. Overall, a very nice summer dram. I added a dash of water which immediately toned down the sour finish. I haven’t tried it over ice, but I suspect it would be good. I prefer the Portuguese Smooth because it fits my palate preference better, but I’m not disappointed with this purchase — especially at just over $20. If you are a Mezcal/Tequila fan this is definitely worth giving a go.

My whisky club had this last night. It scored well (mid to high 80s for most members) due to its rich/fruity taste profile and complexity, but why didn’t Glenfiddich bottle this at 46% ABV? High-price whiskies at low ABV are ok when given as a gift where the primary objective it to impress with a fancy hinged closure on the box (think JW Blue Label), but most whisky fans want/deserve more than slick presentation when asked to pay $200+ for a bottle. This is very good whisky which could have been a great whisky if the Glenfiddich sales/marketing folks had less influence. I gave it 84/100, but am pretty sure a boost to the ABV would have pushed the score closer to 90. As my school teacher would say ‘could do better’.

As much as I like this site with its varied reviews and a sense of being part of the whisky fabric, it’s not without a few issues; not least of which are some strangely low scores given by the experts which are totally at odds with the scores from the novices like me. Case in point is Deanston 12. Yes, I know we all have different palates and therefore different preferences, but a good whisky is a good whisky. The Distiller score of 79 is simply wrong. First, the basics: 46.3% ABV, natural color, non chill-filtered. Off to a good start I would say. The nose is quite sweet with fruits (apples/pears) and a hint of malt. The palate offers a thick mouthfeel with nice toffee notes and more maltiness. The finish is medium in length which fades away nicely with a slightly bitter citrus note that balances the sweet arrival. At $59 this l is a solid 88 in my book. Take note, Distiller.

The nose has those typically sweet fruity notes you expect from Macallan. The palate carries over those dark fruits but adds some honey and chocolate coupled with lovely Christmas cake notes. The finish is long with some nuttiness and ginger coming through along with a slightly bitter citrus note. A few drops of water reduces the bitterness and enhances the chocolate notes. It’s a perfect Christmas dram. Criticisms? Yes, there are some: It’s a little thin on the mouthfeel, you won’t be able to justify the price so don’t try, the Classic Cut releases are cheaper and probably better. But . . . . . If you love Macallan, or need to complete your collection of this series, or just want to splurge for Christmas, then go grab a bottle. As whisky fans, we don’t always have to substantiate the cost/value proposition. Sometimes we buy whiskies because we want to; simple as that. 88/90.