Tastes
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This has quite a bit of that unpleasant papery flavor that ruined San Matias Legado Blanco, but the balance is a lot better with some out faint citrus and generally decent tequila notes. I'm not a big fan of it, but it lacks the worst of the bitter rancidness of the Legado. I can see using this for mixing or for sipping, but really just barely. I'd rather have something else. Just looking at this and its funky cork that's falling apart, I can't help but wonder whether maybe the cork contaminated my bottle because I just don't get a profile that's at all like what Distiller decribes. No fruit, no smoke, barely any flavor.23.0 USD per Bottle
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Jose Cuervo Especial Silver
Tequila Mixto — Tequila Valley, Jalisco, Mexico
Reviewed September 10, 2020Rating: 8/23 I recall liking this better than most people (though still not particularly liking it). Let's see if that assessment holds. N: I get mint, cedar, confectioner's sugar, perhaps a bit of agave, and a dash of caramel coloring. P: The confectioner's sugar really hits me along with the big cedar flavor. There's some suggestion of agave, but this isn't really what I think of when I think of tequila. There's something a tad savory and there's also a hint of citrus (mostly orange), mint, and perhaps a dash of almond. There's also a lot of alcohol flavor and some harshness, but it doesn't taste like rubber, so it's probably just the distillate's lightness being shown off here more than the inclusion of excessive heads and tails. It's prickly and fairly light in the flavor department, but with a chalky sweetness. The prickliness does help to cover for the harshness, but it doesn't succeed entirely. F: The confectioner's sugar really takes over here, drowning out most of the other flavors. Suggestions of orange and some bitter flavor from the caramel flavoring and cedar remain along with a substantial alcohol presence. This is the low point of this drink. I have to say that this isn't as good as I remembered. I still think that most of the hate this gets is from people who associate it with bad experiences at parties, but it's an actively unenjoyable experience. It isn't actively painful though and I imagine that it would be fine drowned in margarita mix. It's below a 10, but not as bad as a 6 and probably not a 7 either. I'm going with an 8 because the harshness really does start getting to me.10.0 USD per Bottle -
El Jimador Reposado Tequila
Tequila Reposado — Tequila Valley, Jalisco, Mexico
Reviewed September 10, 2020 (edited September 27, 2020)Rating: 10/23 N: This immediately reminds me of Cuervo Gold with a cedar presence mixed with confectioner's sugar and a tad of citrus. There's a bit more herbal presence here that has some subtlety and natural tequila scent, but the main impression is Cuervo Gold. Not a great start. P: This palate is much better than that of Cuervo Gold. It's fuller and smoother with a more genuine tasting light caramel sweetness that might or might not be real agave but definitely is less like confectioner's sugar. There's something surprisingly bitter and meaty like in Corralejo Reposado, yet the flavor is still fairly light. I get a light dusting of mint in here. This strikes me as sort of like tequila, but not super convincing because it has that Cuervo Gold profile as well. It's moderately complex, but the balance is fairly out of whack. The anejo is fuller and substantially more balanced. There's an occasional note of tomato, but it is quick to vanish. F: I get confectioner's sugar, but also some cedar, hints of agave, and so on. Like with Cuervo Gold, this is the low point of this tequila, but it isn't super low like it is with Cuervo Gold. This isn't a good tequila. The fact that I've been comparing it with Cuervo Gold should make that no surprise. It is significant'y worse than the anejo as well without costing much less, so I would never recommend getting this. It's substantially smoother with less alcohol and a better, fuller profile than Cuervo, so there is no doubt that this is a far better tequila. Still, it tastes kind of wrong. An 11 would probably be too generous, but an 8 would be too severe for sure. I think a 10 is about where this belongs.16.0 USD per Bottle -
El Jimador Añejo Tequila
Tequila Añejo — Tequila Valley, Jalisco, Mexico
Reviewed September 10, 2020Rating: 12/23 N: It smells kind of sweet and a bit prickly. Some caramel, but still a suggestion of confectioner's sugar/. I get some mellow wood with a kind of funky, dry scent to it rather than the rich, bold character of a bourbon. There's nothing too exciting on the nose though. It's decently full and slightly rich, but there's sort of a chalky mineral sweetness coming through that stops it from being really impressive. P: This is substantially richer than the reposado with a big woody flavor to it. It has some of that same cedar, but what it really strikes me as is French oak. It's bitter with this bold woody presence, hints of creosote, mint, and a light mineral edge that contrasts. There are suggestions of citrus but they are faint this time and tend toward lemon a bit more than in the reposado. It has the same prickliness (but not harshness) and is still on the sweet side with kind of a light (not-artificial) caramel flavor. It tastes a bit like it's trying to be Fuentaseca, but isn't nearly as sophisticated. This tastes more like tequila than Cuervo Gold does, but perhaps it doesn't taste quite as genuine as El Jimador Reposado does. It tastes pretty decent with a solid balance, but it isn't super complex and it doesn't taste a whole lot like what I would recognize as tequila. It's quite sweet, but not overwhelmingly so. F: The French oak lingers along with some minerality and maybe light suggestions of agave. There's nothing here that really strongly suggests tequila. Mostly, it tastes like an unobjectionable, light spirit aged in French oak long enough to cover up its character, but not long enough to taste super woody. I'm pretty torn on this one. I simultaneously kind of enjoy it but am put off by it. It's clearly better than the reposado by a solid margin and it's cheap, so for throwing in margaritas or something, I cannot object to this. It does remind me a bit of Gran Centenario Reposado, though with less of a musty paper flavor and more of that odd prickly orange whatever it is. The two seem fairly similar in quality though. Maybe I was a tad harsh in my last tasting of the Reposado giving it a 10 rather than an 11. This tastes fine enough to me. Compared with other tequilas, this seems like it's in the 11 to 14 range. I'm really pretty much deciding between a 12 and a 13 at this point. I'm leaning a tad toward a 12, but I'm not sure yet. This is no El Mayor Anejo, which is particularly meaningful because even that is a pretty mediocre tequila. Still, this is certainly not bad. I was briefly thinking that I might go for 13, but I think I need to land on 12 for this.22.0 USD per Bottle -
North British 2007 7 Year (The Ultimate)
Single Grain — Lowlands, Scotland
Reviewed September 9, 2020 (edited September 10, 2020)Rating: 10/23 This is from cask #231001 So, the sample bottle says "Single Malt", but it's a Lowlands distillery and I've never heard of any malt whisky coming out of North British. Furthermore, the first thing that the distillery's homepage says after "Welcome to The North British Distillery Company" is "One of Scotland's oldest and largest Scotch grain whisky producers". So, I call bull on it being a malt even before nosing or tasting it. N: Kind of sharp, but it also has a bit of a waxy richness that kind of reminds me of Clynelish. There's a bit of a floral smell that sometimes turns into fruitiness in the vein of peach and lemon. There is something a bit savory as well. It's an acceptable, but uninteresting nose. P: So, this definitely tastes like a grain whisky to me, but it tastes like a surprisingly good one. Now, it is quite harsh, so that's a problem. The alcohol doesn't really stand out though. I get a nice pepperiness mixed with that Clynelish wax, a hint of lemon, and a moderated floral flavor, all backed by a sort of sweetness and richness that are refined, more like what I'd expect from a 15 year old scotch and that carry a more malty character than I expected, but maybe what I'm getting is a surprising effect from the corn, which adds a nice sweetness. It's weird because there isn't much alcohol flavor and there's this nice smooth backing layer, yet this is only 7 years old. There is a harsh layer to it though. This is actually quite a nice palate. I was prepared to judge this before trying it and that was a mistake. I wouldn't say it's complex, but it's surprisingly easy to sip. F: It's a long and quite nice finish. That richness kind of stays with just the right amount of sweetness and occasional hint of fruit. It still isn't complex and some of the harshness till remains, but it is nicely balanced. Some of the grain character comes out more here as well and I start to get notes of hay. I didn't think I would like this, but I quite enjoy it. It's far from amazing, but I found that my 30 ml sample went far too quickly. It would be great if it were more complex, but the balance is there and it has clearly been crafted to be deliberately moderate in richness and fullness, toeing that line elegantly. If I could actually find a bottle for $48, I might buy it, but it would be largely for novelty. I like it well enough, but It still isn't a great whisky. It's better than the bargain bin stuff, possibly even including Sir Edward's 12 and Highland Queen Majesty Sauternes, but it just isn't a whole lot better and it certainly isn't as rich or nuanced. It's a clear step down from Aberlour 12, sadly, as well. Maybe I'm mostly just impressed because I expected disaster, but got drinkable. A 10 seems fair for this and an 11 might be reasonable. Whereas The Epicurean was straddling the line between 8 and 9, this is straddling between 10 and 11. I'm going for 10.48.0 USD per Bottle -
Rating: 15/23 Cool bottle, but I wish it weren't a screw top N: Rich, funky, sweet. I get fireworks, molasses, tropical fruits, chocolate. It retains some youthful character, but doesn't smell overly young. There's some vanilla and a little bit of spice in here too, suggesting bourbon barrel aging. P: Pretty smooth and sweet with the classic dark rum char on top of the usual fireworks, some baking spices, caramel, a bit of chocolate, a hint of vanilla, and some nice tropical fruits (banana, passionfruit, pineapple). The flavor is spicy, but not harsh and is sweet, but not excessively so. It's a quite balanced palate that is reasonably smooth and fairly complex. F: The bitter smoke lingers, along with some spices and vanilla. Chocolate and a bit of dark roast coffee dominate the long finish. It's a nice finish, but the nose and palate are better. For under $20, this is a great buy. It's a solid choice of dark rum for mixing, but a lot of what makes it so good is its balance and complexity rather than one particular flavor. I would absolutely take this over Myer's for sipping on any occasion, but it might be a good idea to stock Myer's (or something else) for mixing because it has a few bold flavors that can standup in a cocktail. Seeing that this is such a solid sipper, I'm inclined to go with at least a 14. Honestly, I might take this over Appleton Estate 12 because I prefer its balance and complexity with just the right amount of added sugar, but I can really see myself going either way, so that opinion might change tomorrow. I think Doorly's 12 is better, but if I were in a dark rum mood, I might pass it over for this. I'm going with 15.18.5 USD per Bottle
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Sweeter, fuller, and more interesting than Myers or Beenleigh. Molasses, wood, char, banana, some other tropical fruits perhaps (mango and pineapple?). It's tasty and sippable, but nothing too exciting. There's sort of a butterscotch caramel aspect to it too and some spice - notably black pepper, white pepper, cinnamon, and some sort of baking spice. I'm going to start it at a 12, but it could be an 11.18.5 USD per Bottle
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Rating: 12/23 N: I get a bit of fake caramel, but it fits nicely with the fireworks, tobacco, spice and tropical fruits (mango, pineapple, orange, banana). It's a forceful nose, but not a bad one. There's perhaps a faint hint of chocolate. P: The mouthfeel is thinner than expected with more of a rubbery tobacco presence. The tropical fruits come out quickly, along with the tobacco. I do taste the alcohol a bit and it is just a tad harsh. It's strongly flavored and not terribly complex, but decently balanced and kind of tasty. The alcohol presence does become increasingly obvious and intrusive though. F: A waft of alcohol lingers on the finish, along with a bit of rubbery bitterness, smoke, and chocolate. It's a bit underwhelming, but far from awful. This seems like a great dark rum for mixing. I should probably pick up a bottle for that purpose. For just sipping, Blackwell is the better choice. I could kind of sip this though, so it's better than I'd recalled. The harshness is a bit much though and so is the aggressive punch from the smoke that drown out most of the fruit. I'm on the fence between 11 and 12, but I think I'll land on 12 because of the clear usefulness of Myer's as a mixer.18.0 USD per Bottle
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The Epicurean Blended Malt
Blended Malt — Lowlands, Scotland
Reviewed September 5, 2020 (edited September 8, 2020)Rating: 9/23 I know nothing about this. It's a blended malt from the Lowlands, which is a bit of a surprise since I usually think of that region for its grain production. N: Not a big nose. It's young and light, with a lot of alcohol coming through. I get some grain - not very malted - and also some tartness along with sulfur, which I must say is not a very appealing combination. Not a good nose. P: Not as bad as I feared it would be. It's clearly quite young, but the higher proof accentuates the grain and cereal flavors. It's fairly light and I surprisingly get fairly little of the sulfur from the nose and what I do get largely fits in with a somewhat smoky flavor to the not-so-malted grain. There's a lot of alcohol in here. There's also something a hint fruity (light, like apple, pear, peach) and perhaps vaguely floral (perhaps a hint of vanilla), but this is really just all about the grain. It's on the harsh side, but I can forgive a little of that considering the proof. It's hard to tell if there's pepper in it because of the harshness, but there might be. It's gradually quite numbing, so maybe there's some clove in it. The complexity is so-so and the balance is tragically fairly off. F: The alcohol lingers, but I also get some hay. It's a bit more bitter on the finish and some smoke like burnt grass wafts up. It lasts a while and has a clean grassy field character to it. I don't like this, but I could stand to drink a pour of it. It's too young with too many problems in its profile. It reminds me a lot of Auchentoshan, which I enjoy at older ages, but struggle to appreciate at younger ones. I like Sir Edward's 12 better because of its richness and sweetness, but not tremendously better. It is without doubt a couple of steps up from Grant's. Seems like a 9. If this costs anything over $20, it isn't worth it, but at $15, it would be reasonably priced. $46?! Hard pass.46.0 USD per Bottle -
Rating: 7/23 Total Wine devoted an entire shelf in the middle of the bourbon section to this, suggesting that it really isn't all that good (at least for the price). So naturally I had to grab a mini to check it out. N: It has a richer nose than Bulleit does, with caramel, some woody spices that don't play up cinnamon too much, apple with some mineral tartness, light floral, and some cardboard. It smells young, but not painfully so. P: The nose is better. The palate is very young. It isn't undrinkable, but it tastes like caramel flavoring was added to cover up the youth. A little bit of that apple does come through along with some spice and quite a bit of mineral. It has an OK mouthfeel, but the flavor is miserably mild. What a let down. There's even a bit of unpleasant bitterness. I get a bit of alcohol, but not too much. F: Minerals and overly spicy wood. And something a bit bitter. There's really nothing much going on here. A faint wisp of nice sawdusty wood does come through at the end though. I'm very unimpressed. This is unpleasant. It's around the quality of Clyde May's Alabama style, but just a bit more off. I'm thinking of a 7. It reminds me a bit of IW Harper 15 with its lightness and sawdust, but only in comparison with other bourbons. This is even lighter than the likes of Jim Beam Black and Ezra Brooks. This is to those as IW Harper is to the likes of Elijah Craig and Wild Turkey Rare Breed. I won't say that this is a disappointment, because I expected it to be bad, but it sure is an unpleasant experience.20.0 USD per Bottle
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