Tastes

I think this is a good deal better than its predecessor which had no age statement. I always get suspicious when distilleries remove age statements because I feel they're embarrassed to admit their decreasing the age in order to maximize profit. I love that Bruichladdich did the opposite. They added an age statement and it's pretty obvious that it is indeed older than than the NAS that came before it. The smoke has nicely acclimated to the other flavors such stone fruit, brine, and caramel. If you've had the Classic Laddie you know what's there behind the peat. However, if you find those same notes in this, you'll find that they're darker, richer, and less sharp. If I had to describe the profile to a fellow lover of Islay, it's about halfway between Laphroaig and Ardbeg. It has the brine of Argbeg with the smoke and a little bit of the medicinal notes that Laphroaig has. Pick this up because it's good.

From the distillery that makes the most heavily peated Scotch in the world comes this beautifully delightful UNpeated Islay Scotch. "Unpeated" and "Islay" are two words you don't expect to see together...ever. When you think Islay you think heavily peated whiskies. However, you will NOT be disappointed by this Scotch because everything else that is unique to Islay is still very much there. It has the beautiful blend of saltiness and fruitiness that usually come second to peat, but come first in this. It does have a lot of butterscotch that is usually seen in highlands, but can still appear semi-frequently in Islay Scotches. I've seen a few people taste this and be convinced it's peated. So, this could be a great learning whisky to separate all of the great qualities in an Islay whisky.

So, I'm definitely not one for rye whiskies and the reason is because I haven't had a rye whiskey that tastes like this one does. This is just beautiful. It's so pretty. It's not weak by any means, but it's just wonderfully complex and balanced. It's just so different than anything I've had. On the nose, this beautiful wood and spice note comes through. I know this is vague, but hopefully this helps. Every year, when my family goes to get a Christmas tree we go to this place owned by a local farmer who specializes in woodworkings and fruits. The smell in his shop is that of shaved wood, homemade apple cider with fresh cinnamon, and freshly-picked produce. This is what this whiskey tastes like. It's so welcoming with its smooth spiced apple and light shaved wood flavors. I had no idea a rye could taste like this. If I had to have a comparison, it reminds me of the Jefferson's Ocean, both in terms of mouthfeel/light-heartedness as well as the wood influence. The flavors are, otherwise, rather different for obvious reasons. This is just so majestic. I just love drinking it and I seriously recommend it to anyone who isn't a huge fan of rye, because this will change your mind.

This is long overdue. I finally picked up a bottle of this extremely popular bourbon. I am on vacation and it was at a price I couldn't refuse. I have had the Eagle Rare multiple times and currently own a bottle back home. I have forever viewed this bourbon as the perfect entry bourbon and I still hold this true after having a few glasses. I've had it at the distillery, but having it in a controlled environment really allows me to see what it has to offer, and it does offer a lot. It's easy to drink, reasonably complex, and honestly humbling. If you're like me, you try to always branch out and try new things at various proofs and wood experimentations and ages. This whiskey brings me back home. This is the comfort food of bourbon. There's nothing super special about that changes my life, but it's something I would love to drink time and time again when I can't decide what else to drink. It really is a good, basic bourbon. With notes of vanilla and a hint of cinnamon, it is tasty enough to keep going. Now, back home in the midwest, this is virtually impossible to find. It flies off the shelf. I don't think it's quite worthy of that, but I get it if people just get it as a go-to. I'll try to ignore that fact that it's brought to us by the same people who do Pappy, which may be what drives the high demand. But, as a bourbon, it's good and worthy of the popularity, but if you don't find it at the right price, don't go for it. I got it for 22$ so I had to get it. It's perfect at that price, but I've seen it for 30-40 and for that, it just doesn't stand up. So, get it if it's cheap because I promise you won't be disappointed.

I genuinely can't decide what I think about this whiskey. So I'm on vacation and I wanted something casual to sip and I wanted it to be something I've never had before. So here we are. On the nose, that Jack Daniel's smooth, hot, bite comes through. For me, Knob creek has always been the top of the list when it comes to bity American whiskey. This is bity, but luckily it has a smooth way about it. It's kind of like James Bond. He packs a punch, but he still knows how to be suave and have a martini in a tuxedo. And this is why it confuses me. I can't tell if it's a simple, harsher whiskey, or a richer, more elegant one. At the end of the day, it lives up to what I expected of it. It isn't overly challenging and it is reasonably pleasant to sip on. The nice corn sweetness coupled with this banana note on the palate does make me appreciate Jack Daniels as a brand more which is always a good thing.

This whiskey is definitely interesting, but in a good way. Going in, I was looking for a half bottle of something I could sip during the weekend when I was on a trip to Texas. I was down between this and a Texas bourbon. This one caught my eye because, upon reading the back label, I say the potential for a perfect marriage of Scotch and American Whiskey. A few years ago, I did something similar and picked up a small bottle of a peated bourbon. It definitely wasn't my cup of...whiskey, but I appreciated it for the uniqueness. However, this was nothing like that as it just had a bit of peated malted barely from Scotland in the blend of pure American grain. This meant that it was still an American whiskey, but there was a hint of smokiness that made it quite delicious and the perfect thing to have in Texas along with some brisket burnt ends. It has a light and peppery nose with smoky caramel with a hint of walnut. On the palate it's pretty light and friendly at first, similar to Angel's Envy or Jefferson's Ocean. Then, the mid-palate reveals the rye and corn of the whiskey then the finish reveals the peated malt Scotch whisky in all its glory. It's like a bourbon in the mouth and like a Scotch when you swallow. Considering I got my start in whiskey from the super smoky Scotches of Islay, I really respect how High West was able to so perfectly blend a super peaty Scotch into a quintessential American Whiskey and make it work. To be clear, I am judging this based solely on what it is. It isn't trying to be the best American whiskey out there. It's just trying to be something casual and unique that will make you think as you drink it. I will say it completely succeeds in that area. However, the drawback is that it is quite pricey. The average, full-sized bottle runs about $60-70 which basically means it strikes any notion of this being a "casual" whiskey. But, I would purely keep this around to show people something unique. It is a great conversation starter and can really give people the chance to experience something they didn't know existed, and that is where I think this whiskey really shines.

This particular expression I tried was a Barrel Select from a local liquor store. I was genuinely very surprised by this bourbon. It was much friendlier than I was expecting it to be. For the price, I was expecting it to be a little harsh and pretty thin in terms of flavor. But, it actually overs a good amount. It's sweet and silky with a water-like consistency and mouthfeel. The flavor of sweet corn persists throughout. This bourbon is among the sweetest I've had which might be a turn-off for some, but I love most kinds of bourbon and this one is very deserving. For me, this would be a fantastic dumb reach bourbon because it isn't that expensive so you don't have to feel bad for drinking it frequently, and it isn't challenging to drink whatsoever. Looking for a casual drinker for when you just want a bourbon to casually sip, this is one I highly recommend.

So, right off the bat, you can tell that the rye content is pretty insane, which it is at 35%. This is a pretty classic style, but not one to which I'm regularly exposed. The spiciness is quite nice and the flavor integration between sweetness, vanilla, and spice is pretty approachable, thought-provoking, and delicious. Now, I've had the bigger brother (New Riff Single Barrel (bottled at cask strength)) and I think this is actually more enjoyable to drink. I often love what cask strength does for a whiskey, but in this case it actually takes it over the edge for me. This makes this Bottled in Bond a great sipping bourbon that is well-rounded and easy to drink. My only real issue with this bourbon is the price. This particular one was gifted to me, but it is generally sold for about $40. For me, that's too much for a standard bourbon expression. Therefore, I will put this in the same category as Belle Meade bourbon which is, "everyone must buy it because it is good and worth having...once." If this was at the $30 mark, I would buy it time and time again. This is just my opinion, but you can get bourbon that's just as good for 25-35$. But, please, seek this bourbon out and try it because it is extremely respectable and worth having.

On the nose, the classic Speyside notes of butterscotch and honey come through. However, there is so much more. The age gives way to figs, dried apricots, raisins, and a musty cellar quality that is quite warm and inviting. On the palate, it comes alive with the butterscotch and honey, but all of the aged fruits come through and overpower the classic Speyside notes in such a delightful way. It reminds you that this whisky is a quarter-century old. The MOST surprising part of this Scotch is the finish. It just keeps going...and going...and going. Not only does it go on and on, but new flavors reveal themselves over that time. For me, the sherry notes are the most prominent on the finish and I love it. My favorite part of this whisky? The price. I am willing to bet money that this is the only reputable Scottish distillery that offers a 25 year old expression for less than $500. I never thought I'd ever be casually sipping a 25 year old Scotch in the comforts of my own home. I highly recommend this to anyone looking for a special occasion whisky who wants to show off a Scotch with the big "25" on the label and doesn't want to break the bank.

So, I gave this a 5.0. For me, 5.0s are whiskies that are so delicious that I will do whatever I can to maintain a bottle in my collection at all times. This is no exception. I truly believe this is the best expression that Laphroaig has to offer. On the nose it is slightly smokier than the 10 and offers more of a "something's on fire" smokiness as apposed to a char smokiness of the 10. The brine from the 10 is still very much there, but the medicinal notes are turned down by about half. I like the medicinal notes of the 10, but it's something I have to be in the mood for. This, however, offers such a perfect balance between the smokiness, medicinal notes, and the citrus notes that you just don't want to put the glass down. The mouthfeel is so smooth and so rich and so savory that I seriously could drink a few glasses and consider it a meal. This Scotch is seriously delicious and deserves the upmost respect. I don't care what you have to do, but make this Scotch a part of your life immediately.