Tastes

It smells kind of off like bad cheese like the Compass Box Hedonism. Beyond that, the nose is alcohol. On the palate, grain comes through with plenty of plum and cherry. There is some chocolate here too. It's surprisingly rich and has some stuff going on. The spice is nicely balanced and there is plenty of brown sugar sweetness. This isn't a terribly complex whiskey, but it does have a few things going on, there isn't overwhelming alcohol, and the bad notes on the nose don't make it to the palate. There's a good dose of vanilla, but it doesn't overwhelm. The vanilla actually goes well with the bit of tartness. There are some nice toasty caramel notes too. There's just a little smoke in here adding some richness and keeping the drink grounded. It isn't sensational, but the notes that don't quite land only miss by a little and the others are mostly on the good side. It's a good choice, but you can get substantially better scotch in this price range. Fruit, used teabags, floral, brown sugar, numbing wet cardboard that fits in surprisingly well. It's a little mild, but the complexity is nice and the balance works pretty well. It's quite drinkable, though not amazing.

Wow, this has character! The regular Glenfiddich 12 is quite good, but this blows it out of the water. Spice is the immediate flavor, though some banana and toffee quickly come in to mellow it out. Nutmeg is present too a surprising degree and some clove and allspice round it out. If you were ever looking for a fruitcake Scotch, this is it. The flavor is proudly sweet and is quite delicious. There is some standard Scotch tartness from the alcohol, but it is in no way overwhelming. This drink is quite creamy and mostly smooth. It reminds me of Spice Tree crossed with Glenfarclas 25. The Spice Tree is most assuredly spicier with more of an alcohol presence. The Spice Tree is a wonderful drink, but the difference between it and the Glenfiddich 14 seems comparable to the difference between Bushmill's Black Bush and Glenfiddich 12 at first taste. On second tasting, they seem for equivalent, but of different opinions when it comes to how a scotch should taste. In that regard, the Glenfiddich 14 falls into the Glenmorangie 18 camp of prioritizing richness. This is just Compass Box Spice Tree but creamier and with a bit less depth to its flavor. This is a great drink, but it lacks the variety of Highland Park 18. There is a lot going on here and it is rich and very enjoyable without being especially creamy. This drink would be better with some more depth, but it's delicious as is and is astonishingly good for the price. It's less varied than Compass Box Spice Tree, but it has the necessary depth. It's sweet and rummy with honey, spices, molasses, some wood, smoke, and vanilla. It's bourbony, creamy, and surprisingly smooth given them cinnamon flavor. It's very good, but would be better if stronger and aged longer. I'd love to try this at 21 years with a mix of bourbon and Sherry casks. The flavor is a bit weak and young with mineral elements, but the spices help to cover up the shortcomings. There is a lot of complexity and the standard alcohol notes aren't too strong. It would be really good if it were a bit older. It's a great choice at the price and is very sippable. It's a heck of a lot better than Glenmorangie The Original and is closer in quality to Compass Box Spice Tree. It hides the alcohol a heck of a lot better than most young whiskies and avoids those gross, bitter flavors. Compared with Springbank 10, the flavor is a little less complex and a lot less assertive, but arguably more balanced (at least when drinking it immediately prior to Springbank 10). This is hedonism. It's mellow despite its cinnamon flavor. There's some nice toffee in here that makes the mild smoke rich and sweet. There isn't much in the way of fruit or floral notes. The tartness is mild but the vanilla is definitely there. The salty nature really sells the toffee. None of the notes are off and there are some quite good flavors here. This is a pleasure to drink and the price is unbelievable. It needs more complexity and a couple of killer flavors, but as a sugary single malt for winter sipping, this is excellent. The nose is beautiful with fruit (mainly apple and apricot), floral, and spice notes. The palate is a bit less pristine with lots of apricot blossoms, some cinnamon, and a large dose of vanilla mixed with sea spray, minerals, and some smoke. It's kind of more like Irish whiskey mixed with bourbon. It's a delight to drink, but it pales in comparison to some more robust scotches and high quality Bourbons like Blanton's.

There is a lot of character backing this, though it does need a bit more richness to taste really old. It's woody, chocolatey, a bit spicy, smoky, leathery, a little tobacco-flavored, and a hint nutty. There's some vanilla and salt, the latter of which is a bit excessive for this flavor profile. The bitter orange peel strength brings in some mineral flavors an unnecessary bitterness that bring this drink down a bit, but it's still really good. A good substitute for Glenfarclas 25 at a lower price.

Apple juice on the nose. It has a strongly woody profile that reminds me a bit of Swift sauternes. It's a smooth drink with a mellow sweetness and barely any smoke. Some spices and floral notes are present, but they are more there in hints. The flavor doesn't really develop beyond the first taste, so this is more a demonstration of commitment to aging than anything else. The finish is kind of meh. All told, this would be an excellent 12 year, but as a premium spirit, it is a let down. Definitely a good drink, but not the quality a 25 should really be delivering. It actually tastes a little bit of floor cleaner, so I'd prefer some (regular) Swift to this. On second tasting this is much better. It's a lot like a bitter American Single Malt with a somewhat creamy, malty element. I enjoy it and would definitely sip it, but it is not excellent. Kind if like a vanilla malt milkshake. I'd appreciate more complexity so at this price I'd go for something else. Some well-rounded spices and notes of red apples are present, but there's nothing to crazy happening here. Maybe a tad harsh, but mostly fine. It's really good, but just not worth the price. This may not be as good as Redbreast 21, but it is on par and is quite good, even in comparison. I was looking to kick this under the rug and declare Macallan Rare Cask or Glenmorangie Signet king, but this beat both of them. Long live Glenfarclas 25! Second opinions are worth considering. Third opinion: coffee combines with some other flavors to give it a noticeable flavor of floor polish. That flavor could be refined a bit, but the pure smoke mixed into it is satisfying and the myriad other flavors that dance in and out in the background are delightful. The nose is a fruity wood, sort of reminiscent of the smell of the Marten furs from the first volume of Spice And Wolf. The flavor has tons of wood, but it does not taste purely of floor polish. The floor polish is mild and rich apples and coconut take the fore. There is some mild cocoa presence. The depth gradually builds and it adds some mild spices and faint hints of tobacco. It varies as it goes on and is rich throughout. This is not excellent by 25 year Scotch standards, but it is excellent by regular Scotch standards. It's well developed and deep. It balances Islay with Speyside without tasting weird and it definitely tastes old. A great drink. The woodiness is strong, but the flavor is rich, deep, and developed. It is reminiscent of Tequila San Matias Extra Anejo, but has some Compass Box Spice Tree in it and is even deeper than the two combined. The degree to which the flavor of Glenfarclas 25 develops as it lingers is impressive. The quality is a bit contextual, but it is also quite enjoyable. This is a great drink and although it is expensive, it is hard to find another drink like this one in this price range. Even after drinking the best of other drinks, this leaps out as a delightfully complex and perfectly balanced dram with no flavors pushing each other off course. It's marvelous and the first perfect score of 23 out of 23 that I have ever given. Well done, Glenfarclas! The nose is tremendously leathery, but sweet and woody note come through. There are mild floral notes and the wood brings in some vanilla. The sweetness in the nose is rounded out by a rich, fruity apple flavor. Apple, rose blossoms, orange blossoms, oak, and leather rof course. The palate mirrors the nose with delightful matching of floral fruitiness with woody leather. There is just enough sweetness, but the flavors stand on their own without needing to be sweet. There is a little smoke, but just enough to balance things. The palate can be a bit harsh for newbies, but it is not particularly spicy. The richness is there is full, but it does not overwhelm the complexity. Surprisingly, the strong leather creates a rich canvas upon which the rest of this dram's complexity is painted. While I can think of other things that I find delightful, such as apricots, this whiskey has no off flavors and a great deal of spot-on flavors that are also balanced and deliver terrific complexity. Whole this may not be the paradigmatic scotch, it is a masterpiece.

The nose is young, light, and sweet. It smells awful. There's a lot of grass, some chalk, and a bit of malt perhaps. The palate is substantially better than the nose suggests, but it's still very borderline. There's some nice Sherry, but there's a definite youthfulness and lightness that pull this drink right on down. There is a bit of malty richness saving it from total disaster, but that's a low bar for it. Frankly, I can swallow this if it's served - and it isn't inundated with sulphur - but it's not enjoyable to drink, bordering on tough. There isn't a ton of complexity either. This could be a good whiskey to start with for aging at home though. A bigger sip emphasizes the Sherry and malt more, making this more palatable. The more I drink, the more I prefer this to Shieldaig 12, but I think that's after my palate has been numbed. Regardless, it isn't a great whiskey.

At first blush, this is a less complex and more abrasive version of Highland Park The Dark that has a bit of The Light's mellowness. Beyond that, it has some beautiful fruit with some nice sea spray and a respectable amount of barrel. The flavor is nuanced but also acceptably rich. The fruit is a tad tropical in a fun way. I'd love to drink this, though it is not a truly excellent expression. Some more richness and less mineral would do this drink wonders.the fruit includes mango, papaya, orange, cherry, and passion fruit yet it isn't excessively tropical. I love the flavor here and would be happy to drink it as a staple even though it is t my first choice. The nose is dark fruit and the palate has plenty of that too. There is some nice plum and dried bing cherry flavor that mixes with the delightful amount of coconut and almond. This is a really rich and hedonistic drink. Although it does need some more complexity, it does have the usual scotch smoke and sea spray elements. It's a very hedonistic drink at a great price. The alcohol is q bit much, but this is still very tasty. It competes with Glengoyne 15 to be the heir to Glenmorangie Signet quite successfully. If this were compxified and less dominated by alcohol, this would be a killer drink. The nose has some nice coconut and plums with a bit of a rich leather backing. The palate has a fair amount of tannins with some nice juicy red fruit. It lacks the coastal ruggedness of Johnnie Walker Green, but it has more of a fruity, leathery richness with a bit more spice as well. This is very good, though better drinks can be had in this price range.

There is a lot of richness and some nice balance here. The flavor is smooth, though there is a bit more cherry than I would like. The fullness and balance are there, but I wish the flavor developed more. As it stands, this is good, but not a showstopper. It reminds me of Glengoyne 15, but it's a bit smoother. The richness makes this quite good, but maybe not at the level that necessitates always having one on hand.

The nose is light with some kind of tart odd fruit and some rubber. There's a fair amount of herbaceousness on the nose with a bit of vegetal character too. The fruity nose is largely raisin with a hint of apple and apricot. The floral vanilla is there on the nose too. There's also a tad of rich nutty waxiness. The palate is pretty harsh, which is no shocker. The balance is actually pretty good though. There's plenty of waxiness on the palate a la Clynelish 14. It's light enough with some fruitiness. It works as a 10 year, but it's far from being an excellent whiskey. There's a bit of lemon rind, but it isn't overwhelming. There's some malt and vanilla as well. It's good for a 10 year and is kind of drinkable, but it isn't a great whiskey. The specific flavors work pretty well, sort of like Oban, but I don't love it. I would definitely drink it if served though. I wanted to bump this up, but the bitterness comes with a tad (a tad) of rancidness, so 12 seems reasonable. Props for doing so well at this age, but it's not very good.

This is an interesting evolution of Glen Scotia 15. It has some more character to it. It's maltier with more gross bread but not in a super offensive way (not in a great way either though). It tastes very earthy. There's some sweetness here but unfortunately there is more on the nose than in the body. It's a bit spicier than Glen Scotia 15 with more fruit (astringent citrus) and flowers coming out. The smoke is also a bit sharper. The barrelnis definitely there, but it is less monotone and oppressive than in Glen Scotia 15. I'd say this edges out Glen Scotia 15 and I'd be fine drinking it, but I am not a bit fan. Ultimately, it still has a strong gross bread flavor, making it disappointing. It's disappointing that the caramel flavor that is so present in the nose turns out to just be more like cereal in the palate and is less rich. The balance ultimately works fine, but not in a really compelling way. I would drink this without complaint if offered it and it might suit some people's palates, so maybe it is a reasonable choice at the Glen Scotia 15 price point, but at its own price point this is just not worth it.

Following Highland Park The Light, this blares a bunch of discordant flavors. What is going on here? There's a bunch of smoke and a substantial amount of peat (possibly out-shouting the smoke). It's mostly in-your-face with smoke and peat and this off-putting underlying bitterness. There's a good deal of vanilla and floral notes brining in minerality and gross bread with the sweetness. It's kind of herbal in a difficult-to-place and slightly medicinal manner (due to the bitterness). The flavors eventually balance out a bit better and this tastes like a solid Islay whiskey, but not one that I would choose to seek out. A tiny bit of citrus astringency punches the sweetness down even further, unfortunately. The bitterness turns out to be a lot of barrel. I would drink this, but I wouldn't be a huge fan.