Tastes

Rating: 17/23 I recently inherited this old bottle of Chivas 12. It's one of those ones that someone bought and forgot about frequently, leaving it a bit over half full 13 years after bottling. So this is sort of Chivas 25. But not actually. N: A bit of sharp, alcohol, waxy bite. Hints of caramel malt, but not a lot. This has a nice waxy layer, but there isn't much else there. I'm surprised. The alcohol is a bit overwhelming on the nose. P: OK, this is surprisingly complex and balanced. It's sweet with malty toffee richness balanced with smoke, black pepper, ginger, cinnamon, clove, robust vanilla, and faint woody undertones. It's quite complex and mellow, while also being surprisingly full. I wouldn't expect this of a 12 year old scotch, but I think that the extra years interacting with the air in the bottle really helped this. There is some charred wood as well, but it isn't overwhelming. And there certainly isn't any sulphur. F: Clean with remnants of the malty caramel. Mild woody notes with woody spices and some vanilla. A thin layer of clean water with light minerals. This is a totally fine, but fairly boring, finish. - Conclusion - This is just very approachable and easy to sip. It's quite good. The Sexton (9/23) is nowhere near this. There's a bit of a more mature, decadent vibe going on in McIvor 17 (16/23), but this is more complex while being similarly balanced. Between the two, I think I like this better. The malt really shows more here as well. There's a little more burn to the McIvor (which really doesn't burn much), but there's a little more ethanol flavor here. They're close. I don't think that this is going to be higher than a 17, but when I opened this bottle, I though that it wasn't going to be higher than a 12. Bladnoch 17 California Red Wine Cask Finish (17/23) is more interesting and out there than this, but it's less balanced and complex. This is another case where the two aren't too far apart, but I honestly think that this is better. I'm now thinking at least a 17 for this, but it could be an 18. Maybe even a 19 Glen Grant 18 (17/23) is fresher with more floral, woody, vanilla, and bourbon character. Those flavors are more overt, but also carry more life. This has a more full, oily decadence, but it's a bit muted (not quite muddled) in comparison. Honestly, these two are the closest that I've found so far. It's a tough call. I might be able to be convinced that this is slightly better, pushing it up to an 18, but I'm not there right now. So it's a 17, which is frankly amazing for the likes of Chivas 12. I guess that extended air did a lot of good. I sure would have expected it to get bitter and watery over this time period.

Rating: 18/23 N: Dusty with some fairly mature barrel spice and a tartness. A nice big corn sweetness, but not in a syrupy sense. That corn is building and I like it. P: Mellow, but spicy with sweet corn and some mild cherry. There's a hint of earth to the woodiness and also some faint anise. The spices include black pepper, cinnamon, ginger, and faint clove. The dustiness brings out a big, dusty vanilla. Very faint dill. F: Spicy and dusty with a bit more tannins. Faint vanilla. More bitter and tannic than I'd like, but that occasional vanilla sweetness is nice. - Conclusion - Side by side, I think that this beats Russell's Reserve 10 (16/23). The Russell's is just more challenging with more of an alcohol bite. Blanton's has more sweetness than this does, but it has less of a mature flavor. I think that the two are competitive. I might slightly favor this for that mature aged flavor. Belle Meade Cask Strength (18/23) has some nice herbal and bitter character, but it tastes a bit more youthful and has more of an alcoholic blast to it. This is clearly better. Smoke Wagon Uncut Unfiltered (18/23) has more of an alcohol bite than this does, but it's more decadent and complex. This might taste a bit older, but honestly I'd probably give the win to the Smoke Wagon. Russell's Reserve Single Barrel has more depth but less complexity than this. This Russell's is giving more of an old vibe than the last one was and I think it's pretty close in quality to the Eight & Sand. Overall, I'm getting real 18 vibes here. Some of the scores of what I compared this against are a bit dodgy, so this is not the most scientific of tastings, but an 18 seems about right. Coming back to this a few days later, it's still a really nice 18. Thanks @soonershrink for sharing another great dram!

Rating: 18/23 I was planning to save this for a special occasion of some sort, but I saw another bottle at a good price, so I figured I'd better open this one to figure out if I should buy another. N: Faintly floral P: Decadent chocolate with apricot and tangerine. The flavors or muddled and obscured, but they're definitely there. This is full and rich. Faint floral notes with bitter vanilla and flat malt. This is decadent, but not the most complex dram that it could be. It's fuller than the regular Westward (16/23)with less of a weird wet paper flavor. The overall impression I get is that this is a better version that needs some time and air to mellow in the bottle. There's such decadence hidden in this palate that I can't let it go. F: I didn't expect this, but the finish is the most complex, decadent, and enjoyable part of this dram. It's surprisingly floral without being light. There's malt and a thin layer of that usual Westward funk. The chocolate sticks around a bit and there's plenty of vanilla. This is hard to describe, but it's the most complex form while also being decadent, interesting, balanced, and well-executed. - Conclusion - My bottle of Smoke Wagon Uncut Unfiltered (18/23) showcases more nuance and balance. This doesn't have as many dimensions, but it does have more decadence. Despite the lesser complexity here, this is still interesting to drink. The tannic boldness does come out here a lot, but it sometimes retreats, leaving some more toffee, malty, chocolate, apricot, tangerine, vanilla, maple decadence. This is a kind of weird experience. The regular bottle is odd, but predictable. Is this predictable? I'm not sure.It's a single barrel, after all. This has less going on, but it's more bold, rich, and full. Coming back to the Smoke Wagon, I appreciate the Smoke Wagon's complexity more, but there's a unique decadence here that I don't want to ignore. This is apparently not a huge improvement over the regular Westward (16/23), considering how competitive the Smoke Wagon is. Still, this needs some work. I think that this is between the regular Westward and the Smoke Wagon, so I'm going with a 17. This is a great distillery with a lot of potential and uniqueness, but this single barrel just didn't win me over. The Smoke Wagon does seem more complex and nuanced than this. OK, so I came back a few days later after having some weirdly earthy and chocolatey merlot and holy crap this has the decadent apricot flavor of 21 year old Irish whiskey! It's so decadent and delightful. I think that this is an anomalous situation, but wow is this delicious. Right now, I'm thinking that this is around a 21. Maybe a 20. It still has a lot of heat, so definitely not a 23. The flavor is decadent, but not absolutely blowing me away. Wow, what a finish. Hey, if you buy that merlot and this particular barrel, then I'm giving this very high marks. Aside from that situation, I do have more reservations. Regular Westward is more funky, complex, and bitter in comparison. I like both a lot, but the decadence here is just so much better. I mean, the regular Westward has more of that regular Westward funky flavor, but I'm not entirely sure that that is better. This has less of a bitter yeasty funk, with more decadence and less complexity. I give this the win for sure, but each has its place. I do get some nice yeastiness here too. Wild Turkey Rare Breed 116.8 (18-19/23) has a similar level of complexity with a possibly greater maturity, but also a bit more alcohol bite. Both are quite nice to sip, but do have some serious heat going on. I think that this is about on par with the Wild Turkey. Despite the decadence here, the Wild Turkey is much more complex. I think that indicates that this is either an 18 or a 19. I'm leaning a hair toward a 19 now, but I was previously set on an 18, so I think I'm landing on a high 18. Total Wine's Balcones True Blue Cask Strength (19/23) showcases much more ethanol, as well as just some of those regular home-barrel-aged flaws. There's nice vanilla decadence, but it has a lot of ethanol and some mild industrial flavors as well. Also, a surprisingly intense root beer flavor. My initial reaction is to prefer this Westward bottling. I really wasn't expecting that. based on this conclusion, I think that I should be giving this a 19. It's a bit of a situational dram I guess, but this is darned fine and never bad. I can still imagine this being an 18, but I'm fine with giving it a 19. I really don't see a 20 though with how muddled this is. There might be a perfect ABV that pushes this up higher, but I haven't found it. What really shocks me about this dram is how much the finish stands out. For most drams the finish is the worst part, but this has an amazing finish. I love that finish. That's really what pulls this up to a 19. Well, maybe only an 18. Still, the finish is without doubt the best part. I have my bottle of the Smoke Wagon at an 18 and this doesn't seem clearly better, so I think I'm going to give this an 18. It's quite enjoyable, but it's on the borderline in terms of value. Actually, it's over the borderline. At $90, this just isn't quite worth it, unfortunately.

Rating: 19/23 N: Sweet with interesting spices. It's kind of like one of those Christmas ribbon spice candies, but with more interesting faint herbal and vegetal character. This is shockingly nuanced and a delight to nose. Hints of orange peel, but sweet and light. White corn. The vegetal smells fortunately don't come across as rotting or otherwise unpleasant. It smells youthful, but not in a bad way. This is already a smashing success. I hope that the palate is at least somewhere near as good as the nose. P: Light and approachable for sure, with an interesting sweetness that highlights the grain in a way that reminds me of Sierra Norte, but is less challenging. This tastes youthful, but elegantly balanced. I certainly get that ribbon spice candy in here. The herbal flavor is here and is interesting, bringing in some mint that I didn't get on the nose. A hint of spearmint even, but it isn't bad. Some increased clove gives this a little bit more woody tannin. F: The ribbon spice candy lingers for a long time, along with a bit of orange peel, and hints of rye herbs. - Conclusion - This is a really surprising whiskey. It's totally unusual, with some odd flavors, yet it's quite in balance. It's light yet decadent, with youthful flavors meeting mature mellowness. It's good and it's unique and I would love to have a bottle. WhistlePig PiggyBack (16/23) is bolder with some similar flavors, but it's less mature, balanced, and nuanced. This is clearly the better of the two drams. I'm thinking no lower than an 18 and it could be a 20. Old Forester Rye (15/23) has similar complexity, but it's a bit more forceful with less maturity. They're fairly close, but I think I continually underrate that Old Forester by a large margin. These two are fairly close, but I might lean toward this one a bit. Sierra Norte Red Corn (15/23) is way funkier and more challenging than this is. Belle Meade Cask Strength Reserve (18-19/23) is bolder and more aggressive than this is, but it has a lot of spicy nuance to it. Honestly, I think that this might be slightly better. I'm actually getting old Willett vibes off of this. Well, I've had "old" Willett (I think it was 6 years) and it tasted nothing like this; however, this tastes to me a fair amount like a Willett rye that has had some extra time to mellow out and been brought down in proof. Everyone's favorite Willett Family Estate 4 (15/23) is muddled, blunt, and bitter in comparison to this. I'm going with a 19, but I could believe anything in the 17 to 20 range. This was a really surprisingly good find. Thanks for sharing @soonershrink !

Rating: 9/23 N: Dry and woody with a faint vanilla sweetness, hint of orange oil, and distant creosote. Mellow with a nice balance and maturity. It also smells bold for a mere 40% ABV. P: Ah, this is lighter than the nose led me to believe. And it's hotter too. There are plenty of spices along with wood, but the wood is fairly mature and carries hints of creosote. I'm getting cloves leading black pepper, with some cinnamon and ginger. Behind all that, there's vanilla and a little green banana sweetness. There's also a clean water flavor and a hint of limestone. All quite nice, except for the low proof. Still, not a bad palate. F: Clean with lingering spices and wood, as well as green banana, vanilla, and a hint of laffy taffy. - Conclusion - Surprisingly, despite the bold wood, there's never a lot of tannins happening here. It's a nice profile overall, but it's too weak. Nothing too exciting happening here, but it could be sipped. Evan Williams Bottled In Bond (10/23) is bolder and sweeter, but a lot hotter, with more pepper and less maturity. This is more subtle and refined. The two are close together, but this Evan Williams sip was the last one in a bottle that spent a couple of months open, so the oxidization probably helped it a fair amount. Earl Settler (10/23) tastes less mature, but it has a richer, fuller flavor, with spices, wood, banana, and vanilla coming through just fine. Seeing as this is all in the mixing range, I'm pretty sure I'd take the Earl Settler. Still, I'll be judging based on sippability. The alcohol is a bit strong here. The Sexton (9/23) has more going on and is richer, but it's much rougher around the edges. Still, I think that it might be closer to this than the Earl Settler is. I think that this is getting a 9, unfortunately.

Rating: 11/23 I received this sample blind, so I have no idea what to expect. I'm pretty confident it's whisk(e)y, but honestly I can't even be certain of that. E: A nice rich caramel color. A light amber. Nothing super dark, but not light like one of those scotches aged in somewhat tired barrels. Of course, this could just be E150a N: Funky. It's fruity but also meaty. Not exactly sulphuric, but weird. Oh, I am getting a bit of sulphur now. Smoke and some sort of vegetal scent that seems like a grain mash (perhaps an Irish style whiskey?) but honestly could be some sort of armagnac. A floral hint peeks out a times. And then sort of dry barrel tannins. This is very weird, out of balance, and not enjoyable. I do like the fruit and bit of barrel tannins, but the longer I leave this here, the more the sulphur takes over. Whatever this is, it's clearly fairly young. P: It's fairly hot and intense. Whatever the ABV on this is, it has to be fairly high - I'd guess over 55%. Surprisingly, the palate has a lot less sulphur and a lot more of the floral and fruit flavors. There's a bit of muddled vegetation that is rotting slightly in the background. I don't like that character and I feel like it clashes, but it's honestly not too bad. There's a nice malty sweetness and richness to this, but there's also some grain sharp burn and harshness. I'm definitely thinking single pot still here, but it could be a blend (or a weird malt like that one I tried from Breukelen).There's some lemon coming from the grain and then some light tangerine from the malt. Possibly a bit of light caramel, but that sweetness is mostly maltiness. I'm definitely getting some sherry influence here (though I could be convinced it is an odd red wine). There's a nice, slightly oily mouthfeel as well. Maybe a bit of mustard powder too? Oh, and a little bit of those sweet ribbon candies - the regular and the cinnamon ones (75% the regular though). This a huge improvement over the nose. It's still not great, but it's pretty drinkable. F: Lingering harshness with burning, lemon, and malt. A bit of mustard powder and light char. Odd. Not awful, but definitely too hot. - Conclusion - This reminds me a bit of The Sexton (9/23). There's more malt, funk, heat, and fullness here. I think that the two aren't super far apart, but this is clearly better. Breuckelen's 7 year old bourbon cask finished american single malt (12/23) has a lot of the bite that this has, but less of the sweet maltiness and funk. This is sweeter and more approachable - and I'm actually getting more vanilla and barrel from it now. I want to give this a higher rating for being more interesting and complex, but it's definitely flawed in multiple, significant ways. I'd take the Breuckelen over this. Overall, this is a 10 or 11 and I'm leaning toward an 11. This just seems closer to the Breuckelen than to The Sexton. Thank you @PBMichiganWolverine for the sample!

Rating: 10/23 Port finishes can be overwhelming, especially for delicate spirits. Hopefully Clonakilty hasn't overdone it with this one. N: Kind of light, but with syrupy fruits (strawberry, peach, black plum) with some modestly toasted nuts surrounded by a thick ring of minerals. Decadent, yet oddly restrained. Touches of grain, but not a lot of personality from the base spirit shows here. P: Sweet and fruity, but thin and hot with weird spices that quickly overwhelm the fruit. Now the fruit just tastes thin. Strawberry, blackberry, and ripe black plum flesh. A bit of nuttiness with some buckwheat vibes to it. There's a bit of lingering funkiness that I can't quite get past, kind of like a worn out PX sherry. F: Surprisingly bitter with dry tannins and a funkiness that doesn't disperse too much. - Conclusion - This is a bit too funky while still being young and flat. That port takes over a bit too much. I think that this is almost certainly better than a 10. I liked Clonakilty American Oak significantly better. Coming back to this, I'm getting some twizzlers. Still some nuttiness, but a lot of twizzlers. It reminds me of youngish Glenfarclas. Maybe around 15 years (that's young for Glenfarclas). The flavor is still muddled here though. This is beating The Sexton (9/23), but isn't quite on the same level as Evan William's Bottled In Bond (10/23). I think that rating for the Evan Williams might be a hair low (at least because this sip has had a lot of air and has mellowed out and gained a little nuttiness). This is certainly farther from The Sexton than the Evan Williams, so I'm giving this a 10. I could be convinced that this might be an 11, but a 12 would be a hard sell. I could even be convince to go down to an 8 if I came back to this and its bitter flavors lingered more. Coming back for the final sip, Dudognon Reserve (10/23, but possibly a bit underrated) is beating this. Thank you @jdriip for this sample!

Rating: 14/23 I've never had Clonakilty before, but I've heard promising things, so I'm looking forward to giving this one a go! N: Light and sweet with some alcohol showing through. Marshmallows with a light oaky vanilla. Some orange as I dig in, then some slightly vegetal grain that's just a tad toasted. Not a very interesting or appealing nose, unfortunately. It smells too young. P: Sweet, with that american oak vanilla really showing through. There's an Irish whiskey oiliness going on too, along with some grain. Not much in the way of fruit, but perhaps a bit of candied orange. Also, occasional hints of white pepper. Very light tannins coming out of the white pepper. This isn't the most complex dram, nor is it particularly mature, but it's mostly clean and approachable with a nice sweetness and typical profile. F: Oaky vanilla, showing a bit more bitterness coming off of dry grain. Faint remnants of the tannins and spice. Not a very inspiring or memorable finish. - Conclusion - This is fine. It's a solid dram that's easy to sip, but it's nothing to write home about. I'm looking at a 13 or 14, most likely. Coming back to this, I'm liking the nice sweet vanilla flavor. It's clean and a bit too light, but it's elegant and easy to sip. I'm finding it to be better than Dudognon Reserve (10/23), but weak and one-note when placed alongside Dudgnon Vieille Reserve (16/23). I think that a 14 is definitely the upper limit here. It could even be a 12. This is less woody and bitter than Knappogue Castle 12 (15/23). The Knappogue Castle is fuller and more mature, with some additional nuttiness. I like the vanilla sweetness here, but there's more bite. I was about to give this a 13, but I'll let it have that 14. Honestly, this could still be a 13. Coming back for the final couple of sips, I think that a 13 to 14 is still the right score here. Thank you @jdriip for sharing!

Rating: 18/23 N: Kind of tart and dry, with some sweet, spiced apple (like apple pie filling) coming in in the background. This really is not at all a full nose though and I am getting a touch of alcohol. There is also the faintest very tart tropical fruit note. Hints of buttered cornbread. In spite of all of the nice descriptors here, this is actually a very dry, tart, and thin nose. It's not enjoyable. P: Nice rich spices come out, leading into wood grain and a bit of woody bitterness. Some bitter herb notes as well, but also rich, sweet apples. A hint of slightly buttery cornbread richness. Overall, a rich and decadent palate, but not that interesting or tasty. Eventually, I get a substantial vanilla profile. F: The rich fullness and spice linger. Spicy, with rich, full wood that has some sweetnes in its core. Maybe a touch of vanilla, but certainly not that apple from the palate. - Conclusion - This is pretty easy to sip, but I'm not all that impressed by it. Early Settler (10/23) has a similar amount of complexity, though it's lighter and sweeter. This is certainly more complex and is definitely better. Russell's Reserve 10 (16/23) is similarly complex, but more thin and bitter. I think that this is the clear winner. Russell's Reserve Single Barrel is a bit bolded, but is much spicier with less immediate complexity. I'm finding this to be competitive with Russell's Reserve Single Barrel and Smoke Wagon Uncut Unfiltered, so I'm thinking that this is an 18. Honestly, this is much better than I expected. THank you @soonershrink for the sample!

Rating: 18/23 N: Musty wood, vanilla, cornbread, limestone, peanut, ginger, orange peel, dark chocolate. A bit of sawdust. Overall, this smells mature and quite tasty, but there's nothing really unique about it. P: The high proof hits immediately, but there's flavor to back it up. The longer it goes on, the more impressed I am by how the flavor lingers. It starts with black pepper, cinnamon, clove, and ginger, then some musty, dusty wood comes in with a mellow sweetness of vanilla, cornbread, and popcorn balls. Faint limestone. This isn't the most complex palate, but it has a nice mix of complexity, balance, and decadence. It shows off its age well, but it also drives home that 12 years for a bourbon really isn't all that impressive. Taking a bigger sip, some caramel mixed with sweet corn comes out, along with a touch of orange. It's a nice decadence. The proof is clearly carrying a lot of the weight of the robust flavor though. Faint wood beam, with some bitterness even. F: Clean, clear, sweet, spicy, vanilla, with mellow cornbread. This is an easy finish, but not one that really stands out. - Conclusion - I'm liking this a lot. It's easy drinking, but is it luxury? No. As much as I like this, it's kind of forgettable. Russell's Reserve 10 (16/23) is more complex, but less full, with more of a flinty minerality. This might taste slightly more mature. Russell's Reserve Single Barrel is maybe slightly less full, but it's quite similar. Both are decadent, but this probably tastes a little fuller. They have similar heat. The Russell's is fruitier, but somehow a bit less mature tasting. Overall, I think I prefer this. OK, so this is going to be getting a great rating from me. It's still not amazing, but it's delightful. I'm thinking that a 19 is the most appropriate rating. I wouldn't go below an 18, nor would I go up to a 21. My bottle of Balcones True Blue Cask Strength (19/23) is more challenging than this, but it's more decadent and complex. Honestly, I think that the two of these are similar in quality, so a 19 is quite appropriate. Choosing between these two, I'd give the Balcones the win most likely. Coming back to try this again, I like its mellowness and sweet woody vanilla and spice. This is more approachable, but the Russell's Reserve Single Barrel is more nuanced. They're close in quality, but I'm thinking about dropping this to an 18 or maybe even a 17. Uncle Nearest 1856 (15/23) has a similar level of complexity and mellowness, but has a bit less dusty wood and more alcohol bitterness. This is clearly better, but it isn't blowing me away in comparison. Russell's Reserve 10 is more bitter and odd, but it's more complex. A nicely oxidized bottle of Rabbit Hole Cavehill is lighter with more popcorn ball flavor. It's pretty approachable, but not as full and decadent as this. Belle Meade Cask Strength Reserve tastes surprisingly more herbal and mature side by side with this. It's delicious next to this. I might need to go down to a 17. Ending on Blanton's, I appreciate the greater sweetness of the Blanton's, as well as its slightly cleaner profile. It is lighter though, whereas this is more decadent. I think that I have to give the nod to this and end on an 18. I'm glad that Rare Perfection delivered something better than they did with their 14 year old Canadian this time. Thanks @Milliardo for sharing!