Tastes
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Rating: 12/23 I just tried the 6 year Ararat and like it more than I'd expected, so I'm excited to try this. N: Woodiness with some meaty notes and hints of floral orange peel at points. Disappointingly, there isn't a lot going on with this nose. P: Oh, this is funky. It's sweet, with a bit of an aggressive floral note mixed with caramel and some artificial sugar. Some spices with leather. There's also some burn going on here. It's rough around the edges for sure. Quite a bit of vanilla as well. F: This is kind of sweet and floral with vanilla and also a bit of a burn. Lingering faint meatiness too. - Conclusion - I'm a bit disappointed by this. It's not bad, but it's not great. It's less interesting than the 6 year old version and it has some odd sweet flavors going on. I just don't see the extra age here being an improvement. The alcohol is less present, but this is otherwise not as good, unfortunately. As far as the rating goes, I'm thinking an 11 for this. It could be a 10 to a 12, but not a 9. Coming back to this the next day, I'm thinking that those odd sweet flavors aren't as bad. It's not amazing, but I think it's more like a 12 or 13. It could be a 14. I'm thinking a 12, considering how it tasted at first.55.0 USD per Bottle
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Rating: 14/23 I've been curious to try Armenian brandy for quite some time. I'm not expecting a ton of this 6 year old offering, but I'm hoping that it at least shows some promise. N: A little bit of youthful bite, but lots of nice, big, sweet vanilla going on in here. Oh, then tar starts taking over and hints of orange peel come in too. Some of that nice cognac grape fruity sweetness. A hint of meat, but it isn't bad. P: Sweet, but youthful with a burn. Some clean water. Spices, hints of tar, very faint sulphur. Vanilla mixes a bit with some full fruity sweetness. It's actually bit of a creamy sweetness. Oh, that's confectioner's sugar. Hints of licorice. F: A bit sweeter than I'd like, but lingering spices and burn balance it out. A bit of vanilla and light meatiness. - Conclusion - This isn't bad. I'm not loving it, but I can sip it just fine. There's plenty of sugar in here and I'm fine with that. For the rating, I'm thinking that this is easily at least a 12. I don't think it's a 16 though. I'm thinking a 14. Coming back to this the next day, I'm thinking it's still a 14.50.0 USD per Bottle
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Strathmill 24 (1993) (Cadenhead's Small Batch)
Single Malt — Speyside, Scotland
Reviewed February 24, 2023 (edited February 27, 2023)Rating: 17/23 OK, I made it to tasting number 2400 on my spreadsheet surprisingly quickly after shifting to beer and trying some flights at breweries. So happy 2400 to me! I picked a 24 year old for number 24 and this was one of two I had available. N: This isn't the most mature, but it's sweet with malt and worthy grain. Some caramel and faint vegetal and tar along with the wort. Very faint though. There's also something very faintly fruity, but it's hard to place. Mostly, this smells a bit young, but sweet and approachable. Going in for the first sip, I get a lot more wood and spices. OK, this actually does have some age. P: This isn't as sweet as I'd expected. I like the sweetness, which veers into maple syrup territory. I also like the woody maturity, but the wood is a bit on the flat side. The spices have a hint of chili pepper along with ginger, cinnamon, and black pepper. Faint floral flavors come off of the vanilla in here. Some white pepper as well. F: Vanilla, spices. Hints of sweet malt, but the bitter wood is a bit stronger. - Conclusion - I like this. It isn't blowing my mind, but it's quite good. Somehow, it has both the good and bad qualities of both old and young scotches. It's kind of like someone blended old and young together - that would really explain this profile. I'm finding this to be competitive with Longmorn 13 (2005) (Gordon & MacPhail) (17/23). I'm inclined to give this the win. Surprisingly, this side-by-side does not win against Deanston 19 (1994) (Cadenhead's) (15/23). The Deanston is shockingly more tropical and sweet. I recall the Deanston suffering from too much burn, but maybe I've just been tasting things with too much burn right now. I also didn't think of the Deanston as particularly sweet. Maybe the air has helped it too. I was thinking of giving this an 18, but now I'm not so sure. I think I'll need to try this again. Coming back the next day, I'm liking the maturity here. It still has some alcohol bite though and isn't super strong. It tastes like a pretty standard old scotch, but it isn't really standing out too much. I was thinking an 18, but as I make my way through this glass I'm coming back around to a 17.130.0 USD per Bottle -
The Cabinet Barrel Proof American Whiskey (2022 Release)
Blended American Whiskey — Indiana, USA
Reviewed February 24, 2023 (edited October 31, 2023)Rating: 14/23 I've heard good things about Proof & Wood's 100 Seasons. Obviously, this is a much younger, more budget-friendly dram, but I'm still hoping that it will be a stand-out one. I just finished cutting and hauling some big hunks of wood, so this seems fitting to open now. The wax seal looks kind of cool, but geez, this one hard one to remove. The pull tab really isn't adequate here. I pulled and pulled, but eventually had to get a knife to cut the wax. Not affecting my rating, but just a thing I noted. N: A bitter, tart rye scent mixes with clean water. A layer of spices. Some bitter vanilla with a touch of black licorice. Significant minerality. Faint light caramel sweetness. P: This is fairly empty. It's the typical young (but not super young) whiskey problem. There are some nice notes that bring in some complexity, with rye herbs and spices mixed with vanilla being the primary profile. I get some apple as well as kettle corn and caramel corn. Hints of leather, but they're not that strong. F: Lingering kettle corn with vanilla and clean water. Licorice brings in bitter and herbal flavors. - Conclusion - This is fine enough, but I'm really underwhelmed. Toss it in the pile of boring sourced whiskey that is practically drowning the market. This certainly isn't bad, but it's not all that approachable or memorable. I'm thinking a 14 at the high end, but it's more likely a 12 and could be down to a 9. Coming back to this, it's definitely better than Red Line Experimental Barbados (13/23), but it isn't as rich and balanced as Russell's Reserve 10 (16/23). It's clearly a 14 or 15 then. Unfortunately, I'm leaning toward a 14. This is just too youthful.110.0 USD per Bottle -
Red Line Experimental Cask Series Single Barrel Straight Bourbon Finished In Barbados Rum Casks
Bourbon — USA
Reviewed February 19, 2023 (edited February 20, 2023)Rating: 13/23 N: Mmm. Bold vanilla sweetness with a connection to barrel spices and hints of caramel and chocolate. Its isn't a super full nose, but there are some nice scents in it. P: Not the fullest. I do get the heat from the proof, but it's not harsh. Getting past the thinness, there's a nice vanilla sweetness that is bold. A bit of leather comes in here as well, which is kind of interesting as it plays with black licorice, but is a little odd. I'm getting faint strong baijiu vibes out of this a hints of tropical fruits come in alongside the rubber. Lots of spices, with ginger being the strongest, but cinnamon also playing a big role. A tart layer gets in as well, sort of like granny smith apple skins. The more I sip this, the more the light character stands out. The vanilla remains decadent, but it tastes like there's a couple of layers missing here. I'm maybe getting some hints of gala apple, cherry, and orange now though. F: Yeah, the fruits linger, along with the spices. Some rubber and black licorice as well. Possibly hints of sweet corn as well. This is actually the best part, I think. - Conclusion - There's a lot of potential here, but my overall impression is that this dram is too long (and being sold at far too high of a price for what it is). This would be a great find at $20 and a fine buy at $30. At $40, it starts getting more questionable and at $50 we're getting into pass territory. I'd love to try and older expression though. As for a rating, I'm thinking a 13 or 14. Russell's Reserve 10 (15-16/23) is richer and way more balanced. It also has a lot of vanilla and side-by-side it's clear to me that this has more of a bitterness underneath it. I'm now thinking that a 14 is out and this could go as low as an 11. I am thinking of a 13 though. Coming back to this the next day and placing it alongside Rolling Fork's Foursquare 9 (12/23), I find this to be slightly better. Definitely not an 11. I'm now thinking a 13 or 14, so I'm probably going to go with a 13.100.0 USD per Bottle -
Rating: 14/23 Vermouth is always so difficult to judge, especially, on the white end of the spectrum, which has a lot more potential to be exposed and modified. This is certainly in that range. It's certainly not overly harsh, flat, or mild. The character here shows through, but it's restrained and balanced with the rest of the flavor here. What does it actually taste like though? It's spicy and definitely on the sweet side for dry vermouth. I'm a sucker for those baking spices, which remind me of Valentine's Liberator - one of my favorite gins. Unfortunately, this doesn't pair too well with Valentine's Liberator due to being too similar. The more I try this in martinis, the more I find it tastes like fruits a bit past their prime and sulphur. I was expecting to give this a shockingly high rating for a Total Wine brand later, but I'm not find ing that this is dragging everything down. OK, so Drumshanbo (13/23) is improved by this in a martini. I guess I'll give this a 14. Not bad for a store brand, but I feel like a martini benefits a lot of high quality ingredients (that go together) and I think that this could be a great choice with a bottom shelf gin, but I'd rather just get some nice mid-shelf ingredients. Eh, coming back to this with Drumshanbo, I'm getting more of that sulphur here than I expected. I'm thinking a 12 now. A devastating drop. I might even go lower at this point. Coming back to this yet again and trying it with Doc Porter's (15/23), I'm liking the combo. Maybe a touch of sulphur still, but it's slight. I'm liking this better than before and I'm liking the martini better than the neat Doc Porter's. Still, on its own, this is a little off. Mixing with caution seems advisable. I was sort of thinking that this was better than Doc Porter's, but it's inconsistent enough as a mixer that I think I need to go a bit lower. I'm thinking of maybe going with a 14 then seeing as the high point of this is solid. This works pretty well with New Riff Kentucky Wild Gin (17/23). OK, I'm now thinking that this id a good mixer. That 14 seems on the low side. I'm not finding this to be an improvement on the New Riff, but it does make the Doc Porter better. Maybe the Drumshanbo is just weird (highly probable). I'll bump this up from a 14 to a 15, but I think that's as jigh as I'm prepared to go right now.17.0 USD per Bottle
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Rating: 11/23 It was a shit day at work. A whole bunch of people got laid off. I came out of it all fine, but it was sad and maddening anyway. Coming home with that bad taste in my mouth, I figured it was a good opportunity to open up this bottle of grappa, which I'm sure will also leave a bad taste in my mouth (it's grappa after all). Distilled in 1991, it's surprising that this is still around. It seems quite a long time to leave grappa for. E: There are surprisingly bold legs here. That's enticing, as is the nice straw color. N: Sweet, but with a dry barrel quality to it. Surprising. Not nearly as vegetal and funky as I expected, but there's some of that going on. Actually, a little bit of bitter herbs and pepper. A bunch of rubber as well. I'm not enamored with this, but it's pretty nice. P: Dry and oily. A lot less sweetness than the nose suggested and a lot more funkiness. Rubber, petrol, vegetal funk, licorice, white pepper. A little bit of that flavorless sweet gummy gel stuff at the center of Mike and Ikes. A very light touch of fruit comes out of there eventually. It's like the mildest touch of orange and strawberry. F: Lingering sweetness from the Mike & Ikes, with an oily film that brings in bitter flavors, including licorice, white pepper, and rubber. Huh, this might be the best part. I'm not enjoying this, but I didn't really expect to. It's been interesting to try though. The flavors are subtle, so they do get muddled at times. It's quite challenging, but not actually bad. I don't think I'd go below a 10. Maybe a 9. It's certainly not a 16 though and I also doubt a 15. It's a touch call. That hint of sweet fruity candy really saves this. I'm thinking that this is going to be an 11. I really almost gave it a 12 though. It's a particularly tough one to rate. It's well worth trying, but I don't regret having a small bottle. Putting this briefly against Dudognon Reserve (10/23), I'm getting some surprising and delightful gooey toasted marshmallow flavor. There's more going on in the Dudognon and it has a bolder flavor. Well, it's less subtle at least. This is smoother and a bit more savory. It's a weird comparison. I'll leave this at an 11.72.0 USD per Bottle
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Foursquare 9 Single Cask Cask Strength (Rolling Fork)
Aged Rum — Barbados
Reviewed February 16, 2023Rating: 12/23 N: Big oiliness. A hint of burnt sugar. As it warms up in my hand, faint brown sugar and tropical fruits come out. A hint of ethanol. P: Oily and sweet and hot. It tastes a bit on the young side, but not super young. Hot, but not harsh. There's some sweet water flavor, but I do get some typical rum flavors. Maybe that's largely the cane sugar coming through though. I get a little bit of wood and spice, but it's not a lot. On the late palate, there's a wave of vanilla, which is nice. It's watery, but enjoyable in a lightly decadent way. This isn't the most complex palate, but it's pretty sippable, aside from the high proof. F: Oiliness for sure. Lingering caramel hints - slightly on the burnt side. There are bits os spices lingering here as well. Maybe faint hints of tropical fruit and just a tiny waft of vanilla. - Conclusion - This isn't crushing Obtainium 13 Light Whiskey (13/23), but it's certainly winning. Diamond Port Mourant 13 (Hamilton) (13/23) Is more rich and complex than this, but isn't as sweet and fun. It's less hot though. So this doesn't seem as good and now I have a non-transitory preferences problem. Oh, I'm getting more of that rich, bold oiliness from the Obtainium now. This is much lower proof, but has similar heat. I'm now thinking that this isn't as good. It's quite close though, I'm thinking a 12 or 13. I think that this might just be a bit too harsh for a 13. Seems like a 12. Coming back to this, I'm appreciating the vanilla more. Russell's Reserve 10 (16/23) is slaying this. It's so much more complex and refined, with delicate floral vanilla and cherry. I'm definitely thinking that the 12 to 13 range is appropriate here. I'm unfortunately leaning slightly toward a 12. There's plenty to like here, but this is really disappointing for a 9 year old Foursquare. It just doesn't have the expected maturity and it's rough. It's not decadent or complex enough. Looking back at the description of this rum, it's ostensibly finished in rye barrels.Maybe that explains some of the heat, spice, and clean water, but the rye finish isn't really adding here, unfortunately. Digging in, I do taste some rye character, but it's not great. It tastes young and I don't think that it's a good match for this rum. This is just an underwhelming Foursquare.89.0 USD per Bottle -
Rating: 9/23 N: I definitely smell that sour mash character in here. There's orange zest and untoasted marshmallow, a touch of oaky vanilla, and something lightly savory. Nothing that interesting or enticing going on here. P: Sour mash with spices (black pepper, cinnamon, ginger, white pepper). There's some sugar sweetness as well, along with a little bit of caramel. Notes of vanilla and orange zest. More burn than I'd like, but this is low ABV and I don't get that savoriness that I smelled. Well, maybe a very faint hint of savoriness. F: More yeast and wood. Spices and faint vanilla. A little bit of lingering generic sweetness. - Conclusion - This isn't bad, but it's extremely forgettable and not actually enjoyable. I'm thinking around a 10, but it could be an 11. Not a 12 and probably not a 9. Eh, I'm leaning toward a 9 actually. It's just a bit too rough and I got more savoriness than I expected after my last sip. I'd go a high 9 though.20.0 USD per Bottle
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Rating: 10/23 N: Very light. A touch of savoriness, but then a nice sort of creamy sweet backing with touches of grain and faint orange peel and vanilla. Mellow oak in that underlying layer. There are some nice notes in here, but it's boring and seems too light overall. P: Sweetness that shows off the corn flavor a little bit, moving slightly into kettle corn territory (but with less salt), mixes with spices. It isn't burning too much, but it is very light. Faint licorice mixed with vanilla. F: The licorice and vanilla grow. Lingering hints of spices and corn sweetness. - Conclusion - This in't really objectionable, but it isn't really good either. It's not something I would actually want to sip, but it's too light to be a good mixer. Although I like this better than Jasper James (9/23) neat, the Jasper James is bolder and I think it would be a better mixer. Still, I'm rating based on sipping quality here (I only account for mixing with liqueurs, bitters, and other categories that are clearly meant for mixing). I get a bit of Jim Beam Original (9/23) vibe, but less bitter. I was thinking a 10 or 11 for this, but I don't think it's that much better than the Jim Beam. I do think it's a little bit better though - which it sure better be at twice the price. I'm going with a 10.21.0 USD per Bottle
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