Tastes

On the nose, you can tell this is decently youthful. The fresh and young malt is apparent. This coupled with the peat smoke gives a unique bouquet compared to other Islay whiskies. It’s definitely an Islay whisky because of the nature of the smoke, but everything else is unique. The nose gives off the scent of fresh, green produce still covered in earth. The smoke is more like Lagavulin and Caol Ila rather than Ardbeg and Laphroaig. It’s very bright and less “bonfire-like.” On the palate, the smoke is very enlightening and bright and the fresh malt flavors persist. On the flip side, this is not what I would consider rich. The approach is simple and is no-nonsense. It comes, gives you what you want, then it’s on it’s way. It’s pretty light in mouthfeel. It’s still reasonably complex and delicious and pretty easy to drink for an Islay, but the richness isn’t as prominent compared to that of Lagavulin, Laphroaig, and Ardbeg. While not as rich, still a whisky I love drinking and tasting.

This is my favorite bourbon. The best part about it is that each Private Select is different. They use 10 staves to finish the bourbon and there is an option of 5 different types of staves charred various ways. The particular one I’m tasting is: 2 Maker’s 46 staves 7 Roasted French Mocha staves 1 Toasted French Spice stave This produces an extremely sweet flavor on the nose and palate. The sweetness has a milk chocolate-like feel to it from the French Mocha staves. Behind the sweetness is some spice from the Maker’s 46 staves and some smooth and elegant spice from the Toasted French spice. To top it off these are all bottle at cask strength to get the full experience. Really truly delicious. I’ve been to the Maker’s Mark distillery where they offer different Private Selects and those are equally delicious with their own character.

I love Maker’s Mark for their creativity. Their benchmark bourbon is very simple and delicious. But, they do things to their bourbon to make it stand out. Maker’s 46 is a great example. They finish their normal bourbon by using 10 oak staves charred in a certain way. When looking for the perfect char on the wood, they decided on the 46th option, hence Maker’s 46. This finishing process adds a lot of character and spice. It’s actually quite spicy. The vanilla notes are turned down and the spice notes are turned up compared to the normal bourbon. A very delicious bourbon with a very unique flavor because of a very unique finishing process. Highly recommend for people branching out and are tired of the “extra aged” and “double oaked” expressions of bourbon that are quite prevalent in the market.

A more complex Jim Beam. Nice fruity and oaky nose with a bunch of vanilla. On the palate it has some barrel bite for sure with some sourness almost. The vanilla and subtle fruit flavors come through on the palate with a hint of “dusty cellar.” Good cheap bourbon for casual drinking.

Jim Beam with a twist. More wood notes on the nose and palate. Still sharp like the normal Jim Beam, but the wood helps smooths out some of the harshness. Not the most complex whiskey I’ve had, but something worth getting that’s cheap and not too thought-provoking.

On the nose the wood definitely is at the front, but the complexity of the standard Woodford is definitely still there. It’s the perfect marriage of wood and complexity. Notes of cinnamon come through on the nose and palate. Very delicious and well-rounded

This whisky is excellent. Unlike the cheaper Johnnie Walkers (red and black), this whisky is very smooth and complex. This is the only Blended Malt in the Johnnie Walker line. Because this is a blend of 4 single malts, it packs a punch of flavor. On the nose, you can tell that the base is something fruity (Cragganmore & Linkwood). You are hit with oranges and peaches as well as some honey. If you look for it, you get some of the sea spray character from Talisker as well as a hint of smoke from Caol Ila. On the palate, it’s very beautiful with fruit and floral notes. To draw a picture, imagine eating fruit and flowers from a garden on a shore of a Scottish Isle near a bonfire pit that had a fire in it the night prior. The fruit and flowers are the main event, but you are near the sea and and some fresh ashes which subliminally influences the experience of the fruit and flowers. It’s very smooth and just plain delicious.

A very pleasant surprise. I thought that because it was a few bucks cheaper than the 10 that it was going to be pretty basic. But it’s actually surprisingly complex. It may not be as complex as other Islay whiskies or even other Ardbegs, but for the price it is extremely good. Compared to the 10, the flavors are more pinpoint and dense. You still get a lot of smoke, brine, and sea salt quality, but they are more focused. The 10’s smoke might be more bright and sharp, but the An Oa’s smoke manages to be more manageable while being just as pungent. A very very good “not-your-classic-10/12-year-standard-whisky.” Great for something different. For people who like the path this takes from the standard 10, I recommend trying the Talisker Storm compared to the standard Talisker 10. Both the Ardbeg An Oa and the Talisker Storm are great (cheaper in most markets) alternates to the whiskies upon which they’re based.

Immediately on the nose, you can tell this isn’t your typical Islay. The peat smoke doesn’t punch you. Instead, the smoke is delicately wrapped around a lot of fruit flavors. Very approachable. You get a lot of peach and honey notes with the harmony of smoke. This is apparent on the palate as well. The alcohol is only 40% which is too low for a scotch in my opinion, but because of this and the decreased smoke, it is a very good entrance to Islay whiskies. The peach is so strong on the palate it can almost be considered refreshing. That being said, it’s not the richest whisky I’ve had and the finish isn’t as long as I’d like, but it’s a great way for someone who loves Highland whiskies to make their way to Islay.

Right off the bat, the nose is combination of smoky oak notes. Because of the use of quarter casks, the wood character is about double that of the 10. The meaty flavor of the 10 is subdued and has turned into sweet, fruity flavors. Strong peat is at the forefront with a nice sweet finish. I highly recommend for someone used to the flavor of the 10 who wants something slightly sweeter on the nose and palate.