Tastes

The nose is rich but subdued with wet wood, cinnamon, almond, and butterscotch. The palate is mild for a bourbon with an initially light flavor until some bitter wood comes in in the background. The cinnamon and allspice flavors that come out aren't all that harsh, but they do give this drink a pronounced spicy flavor and accentuate it's woodiness. There's a little bit of bitter herbal flavor in here too, but it's mostly spiced. The wet wood is disappointing, but the wateriness is the big disappointment. It doesn't nearly taste a full 15 years old. Really, it tastes more like it was over-aged with staves. There isn't a ton of fruit here, but there's a little bit of tartness that gives way to bright cherry. Still, this whole thing tastes really watered down. At barrel strength, I bet this would be really good. Some strong floral and present vanilla notes eventually make it in, but the floral flavor adds to the lightness. I just don't understand why they watered this down so much. It's good, but far from worthy of the price. This has more fullness of flavor than Evan Williams Black does, but it also has a more watery mouthfeel. Of the two, I definitely prefer this one; however, you could convince me that this was just Evan Williams Black stuck in a jar with some lightly toasted wood chips for a few days quite easily. It has substantially less presence than Jim Beam Black does, though it also tastes less like it has added sugar. It's better than Jim Beam due to its smoke and woody richness, but it's just so watery. It's heartbreaking to taste how good this could have been at a higher proof. There are some good flavors in here, but they are just so weak. Eagle Rare has more richness and more diversity of flavor without that wet wood. At well under half the price, Eagle Rare is far better than I.W. Harper. This is mintier and grassier than Eagle Rare. This is a good follow-up to tequila. It has some nice caramel that doesn't reach the butterscotch level. The sawdust is partially masked by the strong vanilla, though it does unfortunately still show through. The palate is viscous enough relative to the tequila. The finish is disappointingly short though. I do that get grapefruit dryness on the nose and on the palate now. Maybe that can help to explain and forgive a lot of the sawdust since it mixes so much with the earthy presence. That grapefruit kind of fades and blends into some nice bits of ref fruit, with sweet raspberry being the most prominent flavor, though fresh cherry being clearly present as well. The refreshing raspberry is nice for overcoming the cardboard. I know thst this all sounds nice, but compared with other bourbons this is really quite a mild and simplistic release. There's a lot of vanilla and sawdust on the finish.

Good Lord this smells young and sweet. The nose reminds me of Balcones Baby Blue. It smells super light, which is weird because it's so dark. It has kind of a corn dust scent with a malted barley presence. Yeah. I guess it has a bit of that young malt whiskey scent too. The palate is largely what I expected, though there is a bit more complexity. It's sweet and kind of chalky with some cherry notes that are off-putting but not overwhelming. It tastes young, but not as young as something like E&J XO or Jose Cuervo. The corn sweetness is clearly there and so is the malted barley. The rye is detectable, thankfully balancing the whole thing out. The wheat is much harder to place and frankly is only beneficial here in that it cuts through the other flavors a bit to mellow out the youngness.

It's a bit on the mild side. Rye easily comes through, but it doesn't taste at all like it was aged for 8 years. It's reasonably sweet but also tart. The rye spiciness is subdued like a trained dog. The cinnamon adds some nice sweetness without adding an overpowering harshness. It has some mild fruitiness. This reminds me of an upgraded version of Bulleit Rye. The bitter woodiness is kind of there, but it sure doesn't make itself shown too much. There isn't a ton of complexity and there are some off notes. The spices stand out the most, but not in an uber aggressive way. It has a dry, rich nose, but not a ton of distinction. The palate is rich and bitter with woodiness and a big dose of spice. Some fruit eventually comes out with a cherry flavor that gradually becomes more fresh. There's a lot of tannin going on here and it brings out some nice leather and toasted almond notes. There's a little bit of brown sugar, but not much. It tastes good though; after the initial bitter bite the flavors start to even out. The cherry gradually becomes more pronounced, but never becomes overwhelming. This doesn't quite have all of the nuance of Eagle Rare, but it has some really good richness. The spice is strong, but not overwhelming. It gradually becomes more appealingly hedonistic, but it never rises to a superb level of hedonism or complexity despite its good flavors and balance. There's plenty of vanilla in here yet it isn't overwhelming. Surprisingly, the vanilla doesn't make the flavor excessively floral despite the high amount of rye and dry nature here. There are floral flavors mixed with the fruit, but they're under control. As it progresses, the fruit acquires more of a bitter orange peel flavor and becomes more subdued, along with the almond flavor. The rye tartness and bitter spice start to dominate, which is disappointing, but it's still good.

The nose is full of smoke and brine, giving the drink and air of Viking manliness. Upon taking a sip, there is considerable depth, with tobacco and brine fighting to overcome the sweetness of grog. Although they ultimately win, the purity of vanilla remains briefly before the tobacco swallows it up. The complexity of this scotch is delightful. The flavor is rich with a hidden, toffee sweetness throughout that makes one think of some benevolent being overseeing the conflict below. Do not underestimate this scotch. Under most circumstances it adds something interesting and refreshing to the party. It is a bit odd and the depth could be greater, but this is a great Scotch. I particularly appreciate that despite its spring flavor, it is possible to drink another liquor that is not based on peat after it. Most of its quality comes from its unique combination of smoke, peat, salt, brine, and sweetness, but the fact that all of those flavors are distinguishable and exist in harmony makes this a great success. More variation over its life would be nice, but this is a terrific drink. Compared with an Islay Scotch, it has a creamy toffee sweetness with a smoky richness and some salty sea spray that makes a big and unique impression. It's sort of like (emphasis on "sort of") Springbank 10 with a sweeter body and finish, punchier flavors, and a bit less complexity. I really enjoy it. It smells smoky and fruity with a nice balanced sweetness. Drinking it, the smoke and the fruit come out with minerals and plenty of vanilla and floral elements that just skirt tasting like gross bread. There's peat, but the smoke is terrific with its chocolatey flavor. There is some spicy harshness that does blend a bit with alcohol unfortunately. This is rich and tasty. While it does need some polish, it's very good whiskey that reminds me of Highland Park The Dark at a fraction of the price with a bit less balance and more playfulness. The harshness and tartness do eventually become a bit overwhelming though. It lacks the nectar quality of Highland Park 18, but is still great.

The nose is rich and smokey with sweet toffee and vanilla. The palate has a lot of stale bread with some grass and not as much sweetness as expected. It's fairly drying. The smoke helps to balance the flavor a bit while the peat hinders that balance. The spice does nothing either way. There are some good flavors in here, but they are unfortunately eclipsed by the gross bread. This could be good if the peat were cut way back, but the sweetness is nice, especially with the toffee and vanilla (the hints of cherry are interesting, but not great). All told, this needs some flavors that marry a little better and the drop the gross bread. Aside from those issues, there is a lot of complexity and the flavors are very good. Fortunately, the gross bread quickly is dominated by the iodine from the peat and is eventually overpowered by the general peat and smoke on the finish. Among gross bread Scotches, this is a surprising success!

The nose is just alcohol. The honeyed apricot sweetness is nice. It reminds me of Bushmill's 21 but much stronger. There is a bit of stale bread, bit it isn't too bad. There is a bit of richness hanging out in the back, but it's just enough to make the drink a bit nuttier. There is some spice and the alcohol is a bit noticeable, but the flavor is still good. It's not extraordinarily complex, but it is quite good in terms of general flavor. The individual flavors are great and there is no masking of them in here. The flavors are quite good, but a bit mild and not terribly complex. It's kind of light tasting. It has a some mineral and gross bread mixed with honey, smoke, and some peat. It's actually a good balance that ties some elements that aren't usually all that great together. The complexity is nice and it has a good amount of character. This is the most successful gross bread flavor I've ever encountered. There are hints of pear and orange blossom too that are quite lovely and there is some nice salty sea spray and a surprisingly harsh (but still quite moderate) spice. The spice is more peppery (a mix of white herbalness and black richness) than cinnamony. There is some cask in here, but not a tremendous amount for a 17 year old drink. It sure isn't a wussy drink, despite its mild flavors. Valkyrie would have been a great name for this one. This is really a delightful drink, but it is not mind-blowing and is not worth the high price. For $100, it might be worth buying.

It smells a lot like alcohol, but I guess that's the expectation at this ABV. It's astoundingly smooth with sweetness quite present but hiding behind a ton of smoke and a lot of peat. There is a bit of spice, but especially given the ABV 5his drink deserves a commendation for its incredible smoothness. It's sort of like nectar with a lot of vanilla. There is a bit of salt, but isn't really brine. The flavor is rich and the drink tastes quite aged, though not to the extent of something like Delord 30. The aged flavor is nice, but like Delord 30, it lacks the complexity that I really want in an old drink. The flavors blend together, but rather than being muddled they marry well and provide a consistently nice richness (though there is not as much complexity as I would like). It has that smoothness of Blanton's that makes it interesting, but does not qualify it as a daily drinker. Dark Origins is a bit more complex, but it doesn't have as elegant of flavors. It's good, but it isn't that jaw-dropping masterpiece that would be expected in the $200+ range. It reminds me Glenfarclas 25, but sweeter and a bit less complex. The nose is sweet, fruity, and rich. The palate has minerals leaping out and is backed by a surprisingly rich woodiness. The red fruit sweetness is delightful. It might be a bit on the spicy side, but it's within the reasonable range. There is plenty of smoke and also some peat but the balance is nice with the smoke winning out. There is a definitive saltiness present here that makes sense for Highland Park but that I am not a big fan of. The sweetness adds a fun playful element. The bitterness could be construed as some milk chocolate mixed with tobacco and maybe some coffee beans on the finish. It's good, but not really what I want. I'd be thrilled to get to drink something with this complexity and number of distinct flavors at a party, but I wouldn't pay for a whole bottle. This is subtle with plenty of dark fruit, minerals, peat, smoke, vanilla, wood, caramel, etc. There's a lot going on, but it's too mild in my book. I would be delighted to drink it, but it costs twice what Highland Park 18 does and I like it a bit less.

It smells strong. There is a lot of smoke on the palate, but the defining feature initially is the iodine. Once that passes, some surprising apricot comes forth. There are substantial cereal notes present as well. It reminds me a bit of a cross between Highland Park 18 and Laphroiag 10. Some medicinal notes hang behind, with a hint of Band-Aids showing through. The herbal elements are light but there, taking on a more dusty flavor than the usual rotting, minty, or licorice flavors. There is definitely some mint though. This is really good! The balance could use some work but it has some interesting stuff going on. The fruits eventually include apples, dates, and raisins, further enhancing the complexity. The initial hit of iodine fades, making the drink more interesting. Some meaty notes come through and they bring with them a hint of almond. There are a lot of fun flavors coming out here and the flavors that do come out are quite good. This is a surprisingly underrated find. How is this not beloved? Here's a weird comparison: this is a bit lighter in flavor and a lot lighter in color than Tullibardine Burgundy is, but it has a lot more complexity. There's smoke and peat, but also fresh oranges and apples, and some nice cereal. The flavor is quite controlled with a good deal of complexity. I'd say that it's better than Glenrothes Whisky Maker's Cut, but is not on the level of Highland Park 18. The finish is clean and tasty. There's something a little perfumey here but it doesn't get out of hand. The flavor elegantly skirts the taste of alcohol though it does have a little I'd editable bitterness and is less full than I would like. It say it's better than Springbank 10, but it is in the same ballpark. The complexity and execution of the flavors that it has are to be commended, but it needs some more to fill it out. This is a terrific sipper that falls short of being world-class. It's delightful though. It compares very nicely with Highland Park The Dark at a fraction of the price. The flavor is similarly a little lacking in fullness, but it has some more citrus and sea spray instead of cherry and mineral (an odd distinction, I know). It's a tough call between these two, for sure. I might lean in favor of The Dark, but it's hard to tell whether that's because of bias. This has a nicer overall flavor than Springbank Hazelburn 13 does, even though it has a lighter and less mature flavor. The smoke is balanced with grass though it doesn't bring out wet wood. There's some nice fruit in here adding sweetness, though the caramel sweetness is on the immature side. In that regard, it reminds me a bit of a more mature Westward. The iodine sure does come through from the peat. Tobacco (which has some herbal elements) and vanilla come through with some nice tangerine. There's a bit of grass, but it is not overwhelming. This reminds me a lot of a peated Irish whiskey without the bad flavor and with some more lightness. In some ways, it seems like an improved Green Spot (though it certainly does have that Highland Park balanced profile. The balance is nice despite having a light character. There isn't an excessive amount of complexity, but the distinct flavors do flow into each other. It's probabaly not as good as Springbank 10 is for the money, but it's quite good nonetheless. It's also sort of like more complex and balanced Johnnie Walker. This is really good.