Tastes

Nose- cherry syrup; apple pie; seasoned oak; pencil shavings Palate- dusty oak; butterscotch; cherries; vanilla; strawberry jam Finish- Long, drying finish; rye spice; bitter oak; dusty oak Man, I really wanted to like this one. Unfortunately there’s a bitter oak flavor that isnt very enjoyable. The nose is nice, with some tasty fruit flavors with aged oak. Beside the bitter note, I get some dusty oak and a hint of butterscotch on the palate. The finish is long and drying, but quite bland. I strongly prefer the straight bourbon to this one.

Nose- Aged oak; vanilla; fresh herbs; caramel; maple syrup; dark cola; freshly ground pepper Palate- Cherry cola initially; sawdust; green apple; fresh herbs; caramel; bitter chocolate Finish- Long, chewy finish; caramel; root beer sweetness; fresh green herbs; nutty influence; caramel Mmm. Tasty stuff. The nose is quite powerful and bold for 100 proof, with a lovely fresh herb note. Tons of oak, a dark cola and maple syrup round it out. The palate is where this truly shines. Lovely cherry cola to start out with, which is quickly overtaken by green apples, moving to fresh herbs again with a deep caramel on the back end. The finish is long with a chewy mouthfeel, root beer sweetness comes out along with some more herbs, some nuts, and more caramel. Lovely, unique stuff

Nose- sweet honey; floral orange blossom; toasted barley; fresh herbs; sandalwood; hint of pineapple Palate- Ginger spice; honey sweetness; shortbread cookies; fig jam; oranges; clove Finish- Long, oily finish; fresh oak; ginger spice; honey Great stuff. The nose is to die for on this one. Perfect balance of honey and fresh herbs. The palate doesn’t shine as brightly as the nose, but is still enjoyable in it’s own right. Nice long, oily finish. Nice amount of spice, honey, and some fresh oak. All in all, I like this dram alot. I wouldn’t buy a bottle, but id drink this at a bar all day long for the right price

Nose- pineapple juice; fresh apples; new oak Palate- oranges; bananas; brown sugar; lime juice; new oak Finish- medium, oily finish; brown sugar; bananas I’ve had better, especially from Balvenie. The 14 Caribbean cask is much better in all regards. Nice rum influence on the nose and palate, but the finish could be longer and is a bit thin. Tastes a bit young for 14 years as well.

Nose- Fresh pineapple juice; light, wispy peat; brown sugar; cambeltown funk; caramelized bananas; white chocolate; papaya Palate- pineapple juice again; bananas; honey sweetness; a touch of funky oak; road tar; light peat; ginger spice Finish- Medium, oily finish; bananas covered in brown sugar; honey; ginger; papaya Great stuff. The rum cask really shines through on all accounts without overpowering the dram. It’s all the yummy rum sweetness with just the right amount of peat, oak, and cambeltown funk. The finish could be longer, but all in all, this is extremely enjoyable, very easy to drink at almost 53%, and belongs on any scotch lovers whiskey shelf.

Nose- cherries; dusty, aged oak; old library books; vanilla; honey; almond croissants; floral wildflowers; raspberries Palate- Honey sweetness initially; baked cherry pie; old, dusty leather; musty oak; spearmint; red apples; caramel Finish- Long, creamy finish; vanilla custard; aged, balanced oak; raspberries; dusty leather This may be the most balanced dram I’ve ever encountered. Wow, this is amazing. An easy 5/5. The nose palate, and finish are all packed full of delicious flavors and tasting notes that go on and on. Throughout the entire experience is an old dusty oak note that is phenomenal. The price, though, is quite intense. Like $1000 intense. I would much prefer 3 2019 SMBLE’s than one Al Young for the money, and that’s only because the 2019 LE is so incredible on it’s own. Comparable to the 17 year Wild Turkey BiB that was just released, but just a bit more balanced and has more fruits and sweetness. Regardless of the price, this is one of the top drams of the past 5 years and really reinforces that Four Roses continues to do amazing things with their bourbon.

Nose- caramel; roasted nuts; brown sugar; orange zest; creamy vanilla Palate- Orange liqueur; milk chocolate; sweet sherry; vanilla toffee; lemon shortbread Finish- Short, thin finish; sherry sweetness; lemon oil; faint toasted oak Kind of how I expected this whiskey to be. The nose is heavenly, the palate is above average, and the finish is short and thin. Enjoyable overall, but if this was at 50% versus 40, it would be a slam dunk.

Nose- Blackberry jam; cherries; dark chocolate; dark roast coffee; intense peat; vanilla Palate- Earthy peat; cherries; espresso; vanilla; bitter fruits; cocoa powder; a touch of balsamic vinegar Finish- Long, spicy finish; espresso; peat smoke; plum jam Hmm, interesting one. The nose is fantastic, but unfortunately that’s where it peaks. Loads of blackberry jam and coffee on the nose. The palate is full of earthy peat, and even a touch of balsamic vinegar, but it doesn’t work very well together in my opinion. The finish is, as all Octo’s are, long. More espresso and peat on the finish. Not my favorite octomore, but still enjoyable.

1994 19 Year PX Sherry Puncheon #3385 Nose- Red licorice; dark chocolate; fig syrup; wood spice; caramel; freshly brewed mocha; plums; bananas Palate- Dusty oak initially; baking spices; fig jam; caramel; dark roast espresso; milk chocolate covered raisins Finish- Medium-long, thick and sticky finish; Wood spice; espresso; dark fruit syrup Stunning. The nose, palate, finish, and mouthfeel on this whiskey is superb. It does feel a bit hot at some points on the nose and tongue oddly enough, but at the same time the abv (53.4%) feels just right with the flavors and tasting notes it’s producing. If I could find a bottle of this, I would buy it. Can’t wait to try more Glendronach PX casks.

Nose- Gingerbread; cocoa powder; brown sugar; citrus; cinnamon bark; rye spices Palate- Drying oak initially; rye spice; molasses; caramel; citrus; dark chocolate; red licorice; dark fruits Finish- Long, drying and mouth tingling finish; dark chocolate; rye spice; aged oak; brown sugar Booker’s Rye, oh booker’s rye. The hype around this is astounding (like $1600 astounding), and truth be told, i’ve had better. Don’t get me wrong, it’s very very good. The highlight for me is the nose, with wonderful gingerbread, rye spice, and brown sugar rounding it out. The palate drinks way below 138 proof, but still lets you know it’s big and bold. The finish is, of course, as long as it gets, with dark chocolate, aged oak, and more brown sugar. Happy I got to try this, and it’s in a very cool bottle, but it’s wayyy overpriced.