Tastes

Fruity with an unfortunately strong stale bread flavor. Maybe with the complexity I can accept that though? This is a sweet drink. The complexity includes toffee, almond, honey, smoke, peat. Too much iodine >< There are some interesting spice flavors like corriander present, but I don't love the effect. The complexity makes it a lot better than Old Pulteney 21, but not something that I would want to drink at anything near this price. It's sort of on the same level as Bastille 1789. The interesting complexity pulls it up from the hell that it gross bread, but doesn't totally save it. The richness and smoke are nice, but they don't totally offset the bad flavor and the richness in particular is surprisingly mild for a 25 year. Given the complexity and sweetness, I would get a bottle of this if it were priced under $50 because it has some unique character. As it is priced though, I'll be skipping it.

The flavor is mild and smooth with a lot of fruit, flowers, and minerals. It tastes young and the alcohol flavors do come out. There is a bitter undertone that pervades the finish. The fruitiness is nice as are some of the floral notes, but bitter minerality in the vein of some gins or vodkas comes out in the finish. It's smooth, but needs some more time in the cask. There's a fair amount of vanilla adding to the fruity-floral mix. There's a lot of sweetness, but it's still weak and the bitterness is distasteful. It isn't awful, but it tastes more like Jameson, Glenlivet 12, and E&J XO than it should at this price. It has some flavors going on, but they don't produce a beautiful marriage and are not good enough to warrant the price. The weakness and strong alcohol finish really hamstring this whiskey. This is usually drinkable, but is only enjoyable in the saddest of circumstances. Compared with Kavanagh, this is rich and complex with some apricot flavor. It's sweeter. It's richer than Bushmill's Black Bush and tastes less of alcohol. It's good enough, but it isn't great. This is pretty good in the right context, though it is never great. It is mildly sweet with mineral notes and an interestingly floral flavor of candied orange peel. You know, I appreciate the clean flavor here. There is that Irish bitterness, but it is subdued. Mostly, there are grain and hay flavors backed by strong floral, orange blossom, and malty notes. There's something here that provides a little richness that suggests toffee. It's a solid sipper but it definitely isn't exciting. It's sweet and playful. This is a mild Irish whiskey, but that also results in a reduction of the bad flavors. The clean flavor really wins this drink big points. Why didn't they stop distilling it earlier though? Drinking Bushmill's 21 right after this reveals no off notes, just nectar (so maybe this isn't as nice as it initially seems). This is pretty good - substantially better than Bushmill's Black Bush. Quite drinkable. Different from, but surprisingly competitive with Oban Little Bay. Certainly inferior to Nikka From The Barrel, though not by a tremendous amount.

Similar to Stein's, but maybe a little richer and spicier. Sweet to be sure but with far more mineral than I'd like. There's definitely caramel rather than toffee. It's a little toasty, but not toasty enough. It's pretty uninteresting. I wouldn't sip it.

Mischief Storm Tossed Rye Captains Josh & Casey F/V Cornelia Marie The alcohol is clearly there though it doesn't taste too much like alcohol fortunately. The flavor is fairly sweet with plenty of spice and mild nuts and caramel. Mostly, it's spicy, unfortunately. It doesn't escape that mineral either. I might be able to sip this, but I wouldn't really enjoy it.

Mischief Storm Tossed Rye Captain Sig Hansen F/V Northwestern Less spicy than other Mischief whiskeys. It's fairly smooth and balanced though it does still have too much mineral. It's kind of a mineral-floral entity with a mildly rich backing. There's a hint of hazelnut but it's quite mild. There isn't a ton of complexity and the flavor is pretty meh. I appreciate the reduced spiciness, but it mostly just tastes like low-end scotch.

The nose is a lot more dry and spicy than expected, with nary a hint of sweetness. Some mineral and interesting fruit notes (apple) do make it through, but it still smells light and young. The barrel presence is quite present on the nose and there's a bit of earthiness too. The palate is dry as expected and is also light, but a distinct juicy cherry and strawberry flavor comes through. Although there is spice, this drink is surprisingly smooth. It's also quite balances, despite its light flavor and it does have a fairly full body. In terms of style, it sure wouldn't be my first choice, but it's actually really good. The dancing complexity is quite nice and the fruitiness prints out some nice sweetness. Sometimes, the fruit sweetness does become a bit obtrusive like in Oban Little Bay. I'd like some more richness to balance out the fruity sweetness, but the amount of spice is just right with some pepper and clove. There's some bitter herbal character that comes in and works well. It's a solid inclusion that reminds me a bit of Copper Fox Rye, though less extreme. Overall, I enjoy this decently well, but it could use some more age. I'm torn between a 14 and a 15, but I think that the sweetness and herbaceousness on the finish are a bit jarring and net it the lower score of 14.

Very sweet and caramely. It has a bit of a banana flavor going on. There is some tart Ness and bitterness from the rye and there are also some mineral elements. It isn't bad but it's a bit of a mish-mash. There is some spice, but not all that much immediately. It gradually growns with ginger, cinnamon, and white pepper taking the fore. There is plenty of vanilla in the caramel. Behind that all though there is some apricot and citrus giving it a nice aura.the flavors mix well but it tastes a bit young and lacking in complexity. It could also do with being a bit less sweet. If you like sweet drinks, this is a great choice. Honestly, it's pretty good. If a tasted a bit older, it would be a fair deal better. It's roughly comparable to Swift Single Malt.

This tastes like a balanced bourbon. There is a pungent vanilla backing and there is some wood with some caramel sweetness mixed with the bitterness - it isn't so much toffee. There is a fair amount of spice here. It is a solid bourbon, maintaining a slightly rye profile all around, but it isn't exemplary. It's a bit harsh. The fruit is mild and dark but sweet, kind of like raisins. There is a corn flavor that is notable as it develops too.

This tastes more like a rye than the Michercs rye does, actually. There is a big tart presence that has some richness from the bitter flavor it is mixed with, but it is not terribly rich. There's a lot of spice here with cinnamon being notable. There is some vanilla, but not a ton. It's a bit bourbony for a rye, but it is more like rye than bourbon. Mostly, it tastes like a generic rye. It seems like a good mixer but I would t want to drink it straight.