Tastes

The nose is really assertive even though it has light flavors. There are lemon peel, salt, brine, some floral mineral notes, and hay. The palate is a lot better than expected though. It's refreshing and fruity with some sweetness that largely avoids gross bitter notes. The strength adds some nice warmth. With further sipping, spice come out. It tastes like white pepper with some cinnamon. The bitterness really starts coming out more, making this lose its appeal. The bitterness really becomes unappealing and the complexity fades as the unpalatable notes stand out the most. There's definitely some smoke in here too. This is borderline sippable, but isn't very enjoyable. That bit of graininess in the palate that adds a bit of toffee richness and sweetness is the one thing that saves this drink.The flavor is certainly rich, though I'm not sure it is all that sophisticated. Fruit and alcohol are the dominant flavors, with see vanilla and woody spices thrown in. It's kind of bitter and full, but not that superbly deep experience that I want. OK, it is quite rich, but it doesn't have a superb amount of variation. The Macallan 12 Sherry has nothing on this with its less-developed flavor and more alcohol presence. Fruity, woody, and old. Reasonably sweet with some clear cherry. It isn't as complex as Glenfarclas 25, but it has some of those influences. It tastes sort of somewhere between Glenfarclas 25 and Delord 1981. That's definitely a good thing, but both of those combined costs less than this...so why not buy both instead? Toffee, semi-sweet chocolate and raisins are there, as is some sort of nutty backing (almond? Sadly not that delicious coconut). This is a very balanced drink with flavors that delivers good flavors, but it doesn't have an astonishing amount of complexity and doesn't have any flavors that really leap out. If anything does, the raisin flavor here stands out as a uniquely excellent feature.

Sherry on the nose. Fruity with a clear cherry presence from the Sherry and a rich, buttery depth. It's like a good cherry pie and toys with the notion of becoming cough syrup but does not cross that line. The cherry is made more robust by prune flavors with just the faintest hint of caramel. In terms of spices, ginger and clove are present. The flavor definitely develops over time and is delightfully rich throughout. Chocolate makes a brief appearance, but there is no peat or smoke. Yeah, there is plenty of complexity here, but the thing that makes this scotch such a success that mixed in among the many delicious flavors, there are no bad or even out-of-place ones. A clear step up over the macallan 12 Sherry, though your budget will have to dictate whether it is a $180 / 360% improvement. The flavor is certainly rich, though I'm not sure it is all that sophisticated. Fruit and alcohol are the dominant flavors, with see vanilla and woody spices thrown in. It's kind of bitter and full, but not that superbly deep experience that I want. OK, it is quite rich, but it doesn't have a superb amount of variation. The Macallan 12 Sherry has nothing on this with its less-developed flavor and more alcohol presence. Fruity, woody, and old. Reasonably sweet with some clear cherry. It isn't as complex as Glenfarclas 25, but it has some of those influences. It tastes sort of somewhere between Glenfarclas 25 and Delord 1981. That's definitely a good thing, but both of those combined costs less than this...so why not buy both instead? Toffee, semi-sweet chocolate and raisins are there, as is some sort of nutty backing (almond? Sadly not that delicious coconut). This is a very balanced drink with flavors that delivers good flavors, but it doesn't have an astonishing amount of complexity and doesn't have any flavors that really leap out. If anything does, the raisin flavor here stands out as a uniquely excellent feature.

It sure smells nice: woody, spicy, and very fruity. The Sherry presence is quite clear. The palate is on the mild side, but there is a fair amount going on. Plenty of cherry is there, but it isn't overwhelming. Floral notes from the barrel are apparent. There's a nice mild wood flavor throughout and some of that nice cherry syrup adding some sweetness and viscosity. There's something nice about how the vanilla interacts too and the richness backing the drink is quite good as well. It's a delicate drink that is not overwhelmed by the alcohol in any way. It definitely has that strong sherry presence with a bourbon backing of vanilla and cinnamon. It reminds me a lot of a cross between Highland Park The Light and Highland Park The Dark, though it isn't quite as good as either. This is a fine sipper that solidifies the complexity that the Macallan 12 Sherry hints at, making a delightful experience from beginning to end. While it isn't a masterpiece for the ages, it is a very tasty and well-executed drink. Smells pretty standard : wood, fruit, and not super old. There's a bit more going on here than in either of the Macallan 12s, though it is a big step down from the Glenmorangie Signet. This has a lot of nuttiness though, which I absolutely love. Almond and coconut are dominant in the finish. There is some cherry, but also some orange. Dark chocolate adds richness. There is the tiniest bit of toffee hanging out with the vanilla to make this thing sweet. The complexity is great and it mostly covers the alcohol. The spices tend toward baking spices, so it doesn't burn too much. Even mid hints of sea spray dart through. I would put this right up there with the Macallan Rare Cask because it has so much complexity even though it is not as rich. It's great, but still a bit costly for the price. Maybe get some highland Park 18 and Glenfarclas 25 instead as a bump up in quality?

Mild, with Sherry notes at the front that give way to macademia richness. The finish is nice and the drink is smooth and varies throughout. There isn't much wood here and there is no smoke, so it has a clear dessert vibe. The rare cask is much more robust and interesting, but this is definitely not bad despite a couple of off notes. Comparable to but sightly better than the glenmorangie 10. Yeah, it's a bit pricy and peat lovers will be unenthused, but it's fruity and sweet with a little bit of richness backing it. If that's what you like and you aren't concerned about it being a little spendy, it's a very good 12 year. Cherry and raisin come through, but the flavors are mild compared to the alcohol. It's sweet with just a little spice and wood, but could use some more body. It has a surprisingly bitter mineral element that just avoids tasting like stale bread. Cherry is quite apparent, as is smoke. The body is rich for the age, but mild overall. I appreciate the clean smokiness and the dark, understated cherry flavor. There is some spice in here too and a bit of sea spray, giving it a good balance and flavor for the age. It could use a bit more complexity to cover the smoke and wood, but it's a good choice at this age. The fruit is nice with some intriguing floral and vanilla notes. There's a bit of that immature brashness here though. It has a fair bit of an alcohol kick to it that that Macallan 15 avoids. It's solidly sippable, but not delightful. The complexity of the 15 is not fully there, though there are hints of it with the fruity, floral flavors and hints of caramel.

There is a lot of charred wood in here, but the unobtrusive cherry balances it well. The drink is smooth, but has some cinnamon spice and a kind of fun orange caramel finish. Chocolate is definitely here too at points. It's not amazing, but not bad either. There is some depth and some variation throughout. The wood is a bit too strong, so it reminds me a bit more of Stagg Jr. than I would like, but it isn't too far from Glengoyne 15, so that is a plus. Woodier and more subdued than the 12 Sherry Cask with less smoke and fruit. It's less sweet and fruity, making it a bit more bland but allowing a little more complexity to appear. There is still spiciness and the rich nuttiness is a bit more present, as is the oiliness. It's roughly as good as the Sherry cask if you are looking for something a bit more subtle and less exciting. There is a little too much alcohol flavor, though it is not all that harsh. It's sort of like the 12 Sherry Cask took some Glenfarclas influences.

It definitely has that rye character, but it isn't too strong. Like the Caribou Crossing Single Barrel, there is a lot of juniper in here, making it taste a bit like an aged gin. The catch though is that that flavor is a lot more palatable here. There's black pepper, ginger, and a lot of maple. It tastes a bit on the young side and doesn't have that mature complexity that I would really like from a whiskey. As an aged gin though it's pretty good. I could sip this, but it isn't terribly enjoyable. The things it does have going for it though are its clarity of character, clean finish, and refreshingness. It gets a pass, but barely. The vanilla mixes well with the other herbs, avoiding a gross, bitter outcome. There are hints of fruit that tend a little toward punchy cherry, but they sit in the background.

The nose is a bit like old cheese, so that must be partly due to the hot weather. There's a lot of mineral and disappointingly little fruit or wood. The palate on the other hand is kind of refreshing and pops with fruit. The fruit is held back a bit by some kind of strong alcohol. The cinnamon, ginger, and clove spices are just right. The flavor is balanced with a few things going on. There's vanilla, which works well with the minerals. I wish that the alcohol were less pronounced, but it isn't too overpowering. The sea spray is just present enough. There's a little smoke rounding things out but it is well under control. There's a bit more mineral than I would like here, unfortunately. Paired with some lightly iced water, the flavor becomes less sweet and more bitter. A big sip shows that there is still fruit and sweetness as well as sea spray complexity. The vanilla is still quite prominent too. Just enough tartness is present. The balance is fair. I enjoy it.