Tastes
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Bruichladdich The Classic Laddie Scottish Barley
Single Malt — Islay, Scotland
Reviewed July 11, 2023 (edited August 7, 2023)Nose: Vanilla, Apple, Malt Sugar, Pear, White Pepper. Palate: Malt Sweetness, Spirit Firward, Light Vanilla, Salinity, Spice, Full Oily Body, Light Pear Finish A solid whisky, its not very complex but thats okay. A strong malt forward taste makes up most of the palate, full and oily with a little bit of salinity and a light fruit finish. A little bit too spirit forward for my taste, I personally enjoy the Islay Barley 2013 more. For about the same price you can get a much better tasting whisky in my opinion. More fruit, more vanilla, and almost the same amount of malt without a super heavy spirit forward taste on the mid palate.19.0 USD per PourMox Boarding House -
Colonel E.H. Taylor, Jr. Straight Rye Bottled in Bond
Rye — Kentucky, USA
Reviewed June 18, 2023 (edited September 4, 2023)Nose: Banana Laffy Taffy, Cotton Candy, Clove, Honey, Burnt Bread, Peaches, Generic Rye Sweetness, Alcohol. Palate: Honey, Rye Toast, Banana Taffy, Pepper, Cherry, Oak, Caramel. A great bottle of rye, again if you can find it at MSRP, but that seems to be a reoccurring theme with most Buffalo Trace products. A bit heavy with the ethyl alcohol notes on the nose bur still awesome. Rich, sweet, and peppery. Not overly complex, but it still provides a robust and enjoyable taste.99.0 USD per BottleTotal Wine & More -
Old Rip Van Winkle 10 Year Bourbon (107 Proof)
Bourbon — Kentucky, USA
Reviewed June 18, 2023 (edited September 4, 2023)Nose: Maple Syrup, Honey, Oak, Cninnamon, Blood Orange, Vanilla, Corn Sweetness. Palate: Caramel, Sweet Cereal Grain, Fig Newton, Lemon Confi, Pastry Bread, Brown Sugar, Raisin, Hints of a Bitter Oak Finish. I've been surprised twice now by the Buffalo Trace distillers, I think this whiskey does really live up to the hype. Old Rip presents the drinker with flavors you will rarely ever get in whiskey, especially in bourbon, and its all thanks to that wheat they sneak into the mash. Sweet bready notes, dark dried fruits, jam, and amazing notes of granular sweetness as well. If you ever have a chance to try this whiskey, go for it (if the price is right). I got a small sample bottle from a co worker who won the lottery at our local Total Wine, and I am so grateful to have been able to try this whiskey for free. It is worth it if you can get it around msrp give or take $50. I am pleased and surprised by the quality of this whiskey, get one if you can.Total Wine & More -
Highland Park 18 Year Viking Pride
Single Malt — Islands, Scotland
Reviewed June 18, 2023 (edited August 24, 2023)Nose: Honey, Apples, Floral Sweetness, Dates, Salinity, Apricots, Vanilla, Grass, Butterscotch, Orange Citrus, Hints of peat. Palate: Floral Peat Smoke, Pepper, Brine, Apricot, Leather, Honey, Sultana, Plum, Nectarine. A great bottle of whisky, lovely balance of sweet fruits and earthy floral notes on the palate. The palate leads with light peat, pepper, leather, and grass. Then becomes floral and fruity. Rich orchard fruits hang around on the finish. An incredible example of what a properly aged whisky can be. Mellow, complex, and rich all at the same time. Impressive for only being 43% alcohol, a little bit higher proof could do it some good but amazing regardless.178.0 USD per BottleTotal Wine & More -
Nose: Heavy Malt, Creamy Sweetness, Hazelnut, Nutmeg, Cookie Dough, Vanilla, Honey. Palate: Apple, Pear, Marzipan, HEAVY Malt Sweetness, Generic Nutty Notes, Cinnamon, Mild Oak, Oak Tannins, Grassy Finish. I don't know if the term "Malt bomb" has been coined yet but The Sixteen from Benriach definitely is one. There is a wonderfully potent, creamy, sweet, malt sugar on the nose and the palate, something I have only found in this bottle. It is truly unique in that aspect. The sherry influence is barely noticeable in this whisky because the Bourbon cask and Virgin Oak cask takes up the palate, quite the opposite of the Original Twelve. A really great bottle of whisky considering the price I paid for it. I would highly recommend getting one if you can find it.87.0 USD per BottleTotal Wine & More
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Springbank 10 Year
Single Malt — Campbeltown, Scotland
Reviewed June 5, 2023 (edited February 22, 2024)Nose: Apple, Pear, Campbeltown F U N K, Mint, Menthol, Peat, Brine, Butterscotch, White Pepper. Palate: Ripe Apple, Butterscotch, Brine, Malted Barley Sugar, Herbal Peat, Mild leather, Raisins, Must, Full Oily Body. To me, the Springbank 10 is almost the perfect whisky. I enjoy a whisky with a nice balance of sweet and savory notes, I enjoy a complex whisky, and I also like when a whisky is honest, the Springbank 10 is all of these things. On top of that, all the sweeter notes are my personally preferred notes of sweetness. Light fruits, malt sugar, and butterscotch. On top of all of that there is also a wonderful unique peatiness to it and a nice splash of brine. Sweet, Peaty, and Briney, all wonderful flavors combined for a special whisky experience. The whisky and the distillery are already praised by the people in the community who understand what a good quality whisky is, and if you're reading this, you probably do as well. There are some naysayers out there, but thats okay, they've yet to come to the part of their whisky Journey where they're able to understand what kind of quality is provided to them by Springbank. *cough* inexperienced age statement snobs *cough*. That was a dig at a certain review below mine. This would receive a higher score but due to the drastically rising prices of Scotch in the U.S. and simply the availability I am giving it a slightly lower score.90.0 USD per BottleTotal Wine & More -
Nose: Green Apple, Vanilla, Apricot, Fresh Sweet Bread, Grass, Marmalade, Caramel. Palate: Full bodied, Raisin, tannins, heather honey, oak spices, casis. This is going to be a whisky I come back to, ancnoc seems to consistently be a very gentle whisky when you first open it, then evolves beautifully with air. When I first tried the 12 year old expression of ancoc it was very unimpressive and lacked flavor if im being honest. Coming back to it a few weeks after the initial taste I was amazed at how dramatically different the whisky was. So much more flavor and richness was present in the 12, brought my personal rating up from a 3.0 to a 3.75. I will re review this one later but for now it gets a 3.5.
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Benriach The Twelve
Single Malt — Speyside, Scotland
Reviewed May 31, 2023 (edited February 10, 2024)Nose: Ripe Fruit, Apple, Malt Sugar, Fresh Challa, Maraschino Cherry, Spice, Brown Sugar, Maple Syrup. Palate: Barley Sugar, Baking Spices, Cherry, Raisin, Vanilla, Marzipan, Sherry Oak Tannins. A solid bottle of whisky. Straight forward and tasty with a good balance of sweet and savory notes, not much complexity but just enough to justify the price. The port and sherry cask influence is what you'll mostly be tasting, the bourbon cask notes are there but are hidden behind the more easily noticed desert wine cask influence. I feel like Benriach achieves what Macallan seeks to achieve with the palate. If you've got a buddy stuck on Macallan, point them towards the Benriach, you might be able to save a lost soul.69.0 USD per BottleTotal Wine & More -
Hazelburn 12 Year Oloroso Cask Matured
Single Malt — Campbeltown, Scotland
Reviewed May 24, 2023 (edited March 15, 2024)Nose: Honeydew Melon, Campbeltown f u n k, brown sugar, syrup, sweet cinnamon, fresh bread, black cherry, raisin. Palate: Leather, Cinnamon, macerated fruit, dates, sherry oak tannins, cranberry,umami finish, tobacco aftertaste. A great tasting whisky, Hazelburn seems to consistently have a nose that is incredibly complex but the palate itself isn't quite as nuanced. This bottling balnances the dry and tannic notes with some of the sweeter dark fruit notes that appear in other offerings from Springbank, a perfect example, the Springbank 15. Where Springbank 15 is overly tannic the Hazelburn 12 seems to be the sweet spot for a sweet/dry whisky with plenty of sweet notes on the front with dryer sherry cask tannins influencing the finish. I would have given it a higher rating but the price where I am is fucking insane.225.0 USD per BottleTotal Wine & More -
Nose: Salinity, Brine, Smoke, Heather, Honey, Leather Palate: Ash, Peat, Honey, Ripe Banana, Black Pepper, citrus, leather. A solid bottle of scotch whisky, not overly complex but a nice dram to have. I personally don't think it stands out enough from other peated whiskies at the same price point to garner all the accolades it has, but it's still a good bottle of whisky.75.0 USD per BottleTotal Wine & More
Results 11-20 of 33 Reviews