Tastes
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Kilbeggan 8 Year Single Grain
Single Grain — Ireland
Reviewed September 13, 2020 (edited October 22, 2020)Rating: 7/23 I'm really hoping that this is a big improvement over the regular Kilbeggan Single Grain because I have not enjoyed Kilbeggan so far. N: This has a richer, fuller, smoother nose than the regular Kilbeggan Single Grain does. I get more wood and a more mellow profile with a bit of a damp cardboard element. There's kind of a harsh tartness that makes me think "grain whiskey" and leads into a little bit of fruit (apple with a dash of some citrus - maybe orange and pomelo?). P: The additional aging is readily apparent. I get a sweet toasted woodiness like some light caramels were mixed with mellow wood. It's also substantially smoother and more viscous than the regular Kilbeggan Single Grain. I get a hint of some sort of fruit that comes along with the grain tartness, but I can't place what it is. This is a kind of adequate palate in terms of richness and smoothness, but it isn't very complex and it isn't super enjoyable in the rich dimension or particularly smooth either. The regular Single Grain is more complex, though the end result with its tremendous harshness is quite inferior. Both have a lot of alcohol flavor to them, or at least grain imitating alcohol flavor. There's a dash of something not quite right with the way that the wood and caramel combine here. I want to blame artificial caramel or sulfur, but I don't think that it quite tastes like either. F: There's a bit of harsh pricklyness remaining, but nothing too much. Some rich, slightly musty wood that reminds me a bit of George Dickel BiB (2019) is there still, mixed with a dash of caramel sweetness. Neither a bad nor exciting finish. This is quite a boring dram and it still isn't very smooth. It might be a hair better than Pure Scot, but really they seem like they're about on the same level. Yeah, as the harshness comes out more and more, I think this might be a 7. I almost gave it an 8, but that harshness is a real problem. Wow, Kilbeggan is not impressing me.38.0 USD per Bottle -
Rating: 6/23 So, Kilbeggan Traditional was awful and this appears to be a low-end single grain. I'm worried, but I get the impression that this is supposed to be a step up from the Traditional, so I have some hope. N: Light musty wood with cinnamon, ginger, black pepper, and a hint of allspice. Perhaps a dash of vanilla, but there's not much fruity or anything else going on here. I get perhaps some light pear, peach, and apple. P: The flavor is clean and light, sort of like a spring water with some added sweetness, but there are also some hints of spice in here. I get cinnamon and ginger for sure, along with a bit of numbing clove that helps to cover up the harshness a tad. The sweetness is a bit like white peach, but isn't rich enough to be a delightful nectar. Overall, this is a passable but bland palate that doesn't have any clear flaws aside from the big one of being kind of harsh. The alcohol doesn't really show through that much though. I do get some grain with the alcohol that comes through, alongside some light hints of hay and minerals. It's a lot better than the Traditional's palate, but it's still far from being enjoyable. F: The spices linger with the grain and the alcohol comes forward a bit more. It's bitter, but nowhere nearly as much as the Traditional. There's some harshness lingering as well. It isn't a finish that I desperately feel a need to wash out of my mouth, but I do kind of want to take a sip of water to relieve the burn. This is an improvement over Kilbeggan Traditional, but it still isn't very good. This is more in the ballpark of Pure Scot. I think I prefer Pure Scot a tad though. I'm torn between a 6 and 7 on this a bit, but considering the immense harshness, I think a 6 is most justified. Perhaps I even overrated the Traditional with the 5 I gave it and it deserves more of a 4, but Pure Scot seems a fair bit better than this, tragically. I'm not sure what I should have expected from a young single grain aside from this though. Right now, I'm most inclined to say that a 5 for the Traditional and a 6 for this is fair.28.0 USD per Bottle
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Kilbeggan Blended Irish Whiskey
Blended — Ireland
Reviewed September 13, 2020 (edited October 14, 2020)Rating: 5/23 N: Not much of a nose on this one. There's some fruit (apple, apricot, and lemon) along with a bit of grain and woody must. It doesn't smell bad and does smell decently aged, but it's muddled. P: The palate is sweeter than I expected with fruit (the same apple, apricot, and lemon) and sugar water hitting first. Then the burn sets in without a particular pepper flavor and the alcohol starts coming out. The alcohol brings out a bitterness and a bit of a savory note that I don't really like and it really stands out in here. This isn't a complex palate, but it does have some nice fruit flavor. Aside from that, it's mild and the alcohol is way too strong with a big harshness. There's a hint of bubblegum in here as well. F: The bitter alcohol is far and away the dominant flavor on the finish. There's also an occasional waft of the sweet fruit, but it pales in comparison to the alcohol. There's promise here for an older version of this, but as it is, this is deeply flawed. It would be easy enough to drown in a cocktail, but the harshness is particularly brutal. The obvious thing to compare this with is Pure Scot, which is more viscous and balanced with more sweetness and less alcohol, but which is also quite harsh. Still, between the two, I think that this is noticeably harsher. I can feel the tastebuds being ripped off of my tongue. Despite some oddities to its flavor, Pure Scot is a fair bit better than this, though this is in turn a substantial step up from Glen Logie. That puts this in the 5 to 6 range. I think that I might have overrated Glen Logie in giving it a 4, so I think that 5 seems about right here. I didn't have high expectations for this, but it failed to meet those that I had by a wide margin.24.0 USD per Bottle -
Rating: 18/23 I've never heard of a rye single malt. I have no idea what to expect, but Amrut is usually good. N: Rich. Wood, toasted grain, apple, orange. Some dark chocolate, a hint of vanilla. Not the most complex nose, but a darned enjoyable one. P: This is not the richest Amrut by any means, but it certainly is rich. Super smooth too. I get rye spice, but it's fairly muted and buried in the other rich flavors. Lots of candied orange, caramel, malt, and wood come out. There's a musty, slightly tart (possibly tart from the chocolate) sense of age in here that adds further complexity to the maltiness, a bit like Westward. It's not the most complex dram, but it has solid complexity, it's interesting, and it's very enjoyable. Not harsh, but there is a nice spiciness throughout. There's a little bit of vegetal and herbal funk that I really dig and balance wonderfully with the malt. Sazerac and Pikesville immediately spring to mind for comparison. Sazerac has a similar orange profile and elegance, as well as more of that standard rye spice dryness, but it actually has a more mineral sweetness to it and a more brash profile. It's tough to say which is more complex, but this is more smooth and rounded. For a mixed drink, Sazerac would be better, but this might be a better sipper. I think they're fairly comparable. I'd say that the richness and smoothness do align quite well with Pikesville, though Pikeville's bourbony flavors don't match up with this. The two are similar in quality, but I give the nod to Pikesville for its increased breadth of flavor. The maltiness does bring in a hint of a vegetal element that reminds me of Copper Fox Rye. This tastes very nicely aged. It's sort of like a 6-12 YO low rye Rye lightly crossed with an 18-25 YO scotch. F: The musty maltiness lasts the longest, but there's some chocolate in there with it and some dusty wood. It's a nice finish, though the palate is certainly better. The finish does go on and on with this hedonistic sense of age to it. Side-by-side, the Copper Fox tastes tremendously young and definitely not as malty. Aside from the faint malty similarity, I'd say that they are not similar. This is a smoother, richer, more elegant rye than Sazerac or Pikesville, I'd say. Pikeville has a similar core richness, but it turns out harsher and ends with a more raw, youthful finish that demonstrates less complexity. Much like Old Fitz, this isn't the most interesting to probe for complexities, but it's terrific to sit back and contemplate. It tastes quite old with this great hedonistic character to it. I don't think it's worth the price, but I'm very glad to have tried it and I'd be very interested to see it compared with some of the older WhistlePig releases. In comparison with some of those Boss Hogs, this might be a steal! It does have some of that Corsair Buck Yeah funky maltiness to it, though it's tough to say which is better from a tiny sip, particularly considering that they are such different beasts. I was going back and forth between this and Pikesville, but I've decided that this is better. I really love the mature, rich, maltiness that is showcased here. I'm leaning toward this, but the two are surprisingly similar in profile and quality. I'm thinking 16 to 18 on this one. I really don't think it's a 19 because it lacks complexity. I might bump Pikesville up to a 17 and this might be a hair better, but that's all a bit specualtive. I'm leaning 17, but could go 19. I'd love to see some more malted ryes like this! But not at such outlandish prices. To just compare with other Amruts, it's a kind of tough call between this and the Amrut Single Malt Cask Strength, but I'd give this the edge because of how the finish just goes on and on with this hedonistic age. I also have trouble with this versus the Amrut Madeira, though the Madeira does kind of come out initially with some sulfur, which may have been why I pegged it as young initially. The Amrut Fusion initially tastes weak and young in comparison to this, but while the youth remains, the peat comes out and brings a bold character to the Fusion that puts it a smidge above this. If I had to rate the Amrut's right now (excluding Portonova, which isn't on hand), I'd go something like Kadhambam, Madeira, Peated CS, Fusion, Rye SM, Peated, SM CS, SM. But they're all things I'd be happy to drink. Actually, this is an especially good whiskey, so I'm surprised to not be putting it higher on the list. Amrut may be my new favorite distillery. Looping back around to rating, I think I'm going to go with a low 18 for this. The best way I think I can describe this is Pikesville meets Westward meets 21 YO Speyside scotch. The way it projects age is truly fascinating. The nose, palate, and finish are all delightfully hedonistic. If this were less than $100, I would totally snag a bottle. Tragically, it's quite expensive and difficult to find. I could buy two bottles of Pikesville and a bottle of Westward for less than this.167.0 USD per Bottle
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Jägermeister Cold Brew Coffee
Bitter Liqueurs — Germany
Reviewed September 12, 2020 (edited January 31, 2022)Rating: 14/23 I've taken an occasional sip now and then since my initial tasting and sadly none have been as enjoyable as that one. I still like this well enough and I greatly appreciate that it doesn't have nearly as much as that intrusive cola flavor, but I think my initial rating was likely slightly too high. This seems more like a 13 to 14 now. I'll give it the benefit of the doubt for this particular tasting since I only had a few drops left and rate it at 14.23.0 USD per Bottle -
Coldcock American Herbal Flavored Whiskey
Flavored Whiskey — Kentucky (bottled in Florida), USA
Reviewed September 12, 2020 (edited December 26, 2021)Rating: 12/23 This is the last sip from my mini. This is still complex and generally tasty, but it's a tad more artificial than I'd remembered. It isn't terribly artificial, but I don't think it's as good as I previously gave it credit for. 12 seems more appropriate than 14.19.0 USD per Bottle -
Kirkland French Vodka
Unflavored Vodka — France
Reviewed September 12, 2020 (edited August 23, 2021)Rating: 14/23 I recall initially being really impressed by this when I didn't have much to compare it to on hand. We'll see how it holds up SBS with some really good vodkas. N: Unlike many vodkas, this does actually have a nose. I get a dab of lightly toasted grain mixed with light pepper and lemon peel. That's about it thought. P: This is pretty good. I get a light floral note up from that suggests vanilla before moving into a mix of grain, herbal, and vegetal flavors that eventually mix in some pepper and then give way to to a cleaner water flavor with a slight hint of lemon. This is a pretty smooth palate. There is something a bit oily and bitter in here though that I'm not a fan of. It doesn't taste like rubber or chemicals though. F: The pepper and clean water remain. A very light herbal and vegetal element with the slightest hint of lemon sticks around as well. It's a good clean finish. I like this well enough, but I don't like it as much as some of the other things I have on hand like Chopin Wheat and Ocean. Now, none of these are expensive, but Kirkland costs half as much as the alternatives, so it definitely has that going for it. The funny thing though is that although I have a few bottles of vodka now, I'm not really familiar with cocktails that use them, so they tend to sit on my shelf for a very long time. I mean, I'm familiar with Cape Cods and vodka martinis, but I don't get their appeals. Since I can't figure out anything else to do with my vodka and it's cheap and I don't buy much of it, it's very important that it be good neat. I'd say that this is fine in that regard. It tastes OK and is quite smooth. It is, however, decidedly lower quality all around than Chopin and Ocean are. The smoothness is much better than that of Beluga Noble, but the flavor isn't as good, so that's mixed. At the end of the day, I'm fine with this, but I probably won't be getting another bottle. Between the two, I think I have a slight preference for Beluga Noble despite its harshness. That's a high 14, so I think this is. a 13 to 14. I'm going with a low 14, but a 14 nonetheless.9.5 USD per Bottle -
16: There's a hint of vanilla and maybe the slightest waft of malt on the nose. It's a really nice nose for a vodka. The vanilla has a fairly rich character with but a tremendous amount of sweetness. Yeah, there really is that malt there. The flavor is nice and clean with substantial spiciness. It's not super rich, but it does have some flavor. The spiciness is quite prickly. There's some nice vanilla rather than rubbing alcohol. There's a bit of a melon fruitiness. There's some mild earthiness too. The palate has really solid complexity for a vodka and still manages to avoid most of that rubbing alcohol flavor. Yeah, that natural earthiness really comes out. There's some graininess that has to be rye, but it also reminds me a bit of potato. It's really solid, even as a sipper. I'm currently thinking 16. There's a lot of white pepper spice and maybe a bit of black pepper too. This is actually a fairly mild vodka, but it's still fairly complex and tasty. Definitely not a 17, but it might be a 15.9.5 USD per Bottle
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Beluga Noble Russian Vodka
Unflavored Vodka — Russia
Reviewed September 12, 2020 (edited April 21, 2021)Rating: 14/23 Something that's funny is that I don't remember why I bought this vodka. I really have no definitive recollection of it being considered to be good and I didn't know that the fish on the front of the bottle is 3D and made of metal. So the bottle looks freaking awesome, but this is vodka, so who knows what they're trying to pull with the liquid inside. N: It's vodka; it smells like nothing. There's a faint hint of grain, with that signature citrus like in a single grain whiskey. P: This really knocks my socks off. Immediately, I love this vodka. It's super smooth and very much in the neutral camp with a light sweetness that brings in the tender grain. There's just a tad of harshness, which I can forgive (it's barely perceptible) and maybe a faint hint of earth and pepper if you really look. There's a tad of alcohol, but you really need to be looking for it. A light pop of fruit and tartness do come out. I don't believe that all vodka needs to be neutral, but this is a neutral vodka that really shows how great a neutral vodka can be. It's a really nice sipper, aside from that little bit of harshness. There's no rubber or any other off flavor here. Just pure grain alcohol. F: The light sweetness, tartness, and alcohol remain the longest. It is sadly harsher than Ocean Organic Vodka, so even though I slightly prefer the profile of this, it is a bit harder to sip. This is still a great vodka, but it isn't at the level of something like Ocean or Chopin Wheat, unfortunately. Still, it immediately makes it into my top 3. Because of the harshness, I can't give it a 16, but I think it does earn a 15. I'd be happy sipping it. It's so disappointing that it's harsh on the finish though because it's so delightfully smooth up front. Chopin Wheat costs a little less than this and is just generally a bit better. If you need something truly neutral, this would be a solid choice, but Chopin Wheat is less harsh and has a good flavor to it. Ocean is a hair more expensive, so I can kind of understand picking this over it in certain circumstances. I don't regret buying this by any means, but when my Chopin Wheat runs out, I'll be buying a new bottle of it rather than just subbing this in. It's such a shame because aside from the harshness this is just as good as Chopin, albeit different in nature. I like the flavor (or perhaps lack thereof) here so much that I want to give it a higher rating than 15, but frankly given the harshness even a 15 feels a tad generous. Flavor-wise, it's about on par with Ocean, but the harshness here is much more substantial. I think I'm going to land on a 14 for this initial tasting.21.0 USD per Bottle -
Woodinville Vodka
Unflavored Vodka — Washington, USA
Reviewed September 12, 2020 (edited September 13, 2020)Rating: 15/23 I'm both surprised and disappointed to find that Distiller has an entry for Woodinville Vodka. See, I didn't think anyone else knew about this. When Woodinville was bought out, it was required to stop advertising its vodka in order to avoid competing with Belvedere (a weird strategy IMO). They can still make it though, so if you walk into the distillery and ask for a bottle, they'll be delighted to sell it to you (or so I hear). See, with this odd story and the fact that I don't own a bottle, I was kind of looking forward to writing "Woodinville Vodka - 40% ABV - Wheat" on a steno pad and snapping a picture of that as the official Distiller image. Sadly, we'll all just need to learn to appreciate this picture of the actual bottle instead. N: The nose actually is present here and it doesn't taste like harsh alcohol. It's a bit sweet with sort of a cereal smell. P: It's moderately viscous with a sweetness that hints at agave or perhaps butterscotch combined with a bit of briny and faintly herbal oiliness that reminds me of a blanco tequila like La Partida or a milder Fortaleza. There is eventually a bit of harshness, which is a disappointment, but not a disaster. F: The flavors linger a bit, particularly the oily brine and a faint waft of agave. The harshness stays a bit as well but it isn't too bad. Depending on the price of this, I might need to get a bottle. I don't think it's as good as Chopin Wheat, but I think it's about in the range of Beluga Noble and Ocean. I'm thinking 15.
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