Tastes

Nose- Peaches in syrup; strawberries; vanilla; gingerbread; almonds; dark chocolate; coconut Palate- Initial wave of green apples; icing sugar; mangoes; earthy spice; sea salt; walnuts; hazelnuts; sherry sweetness Finish- Long, creamy finish; Coconuts; sea spray; dark chocolate; tropical fruits Man. Black arts never disappoints. My only complaint is that it’s not the most complex and mysterious dram in the world. Compared to the 4.1, the “mystery” just isn’t there. Still, this has an incredible nose, the palate is fantastic, and the finish is long and enjoyable. Loads of fresh berries and tropical fruits throughout, with hints of nuts and sherry as well. I don’t get much oak, which saddens me for a 26 year old. All in all, great dram, but could be better in a couple areas

Tree #7 Nose- Fresh oak; espresso beans; orange rind; milk chocolate; baked apples; mango jam Palate- Initial wave of pot still spice, quickly washed over by creamy vanilla; orange creamsicles; espresso; tobacco; honey; aged oak Finish- Long, creamy finish; pot still spices; creamy orange; vanilla; dark roast coffee What a complex dram. Initially, the ethanol dominated the nose, but after 3-5 minutes, the nose becomes beautiful. Espresso beans, chocolate, oranges, and fresh mango jam wash over the nose. The palate has some great pot still spices, an unmistakable note of orange creamsicles, vanilla, and honey. The finish is long as it gets, with dark roast coffee, more pot still spices, with orange to round it out. Great stuff, and definitely in the upper echelon of irish whiskies.

Nose- Musty leather initially; powdered sugar; fruit punch candies; vanilla cake; maple syrup; aged, funky oak; sweet caramel Palate- Wave of drying leather; grassy-earthy note; aged oak; red licorice; deep caramel; cherries; cinnamon; vanilla Finish- Long, drying and mouth coating; Rich oak; cherry syrup; vanilla bean Everything I expect from a Stagg. Big, bold, and full of oak and fruit. The heat is a little intense at times, but it’s overall very balanced and tasty. The nose is to die for. Incredibly complex and a bouquet of aromas. The palate isn’t quite up to the level of the nose, but it’s still great. Bold, a bit hot, and full of leather, oak, fruits, and red licorice. The finish is, as all staggs are, long. Tons of oak with some cherry syrup and vanilla bean. Not as good as the 2018, but still quite a fantastic bourbon.

Nose- Juicy pears; shortbread; green apples; wood spice; touch of honey Palate- Wave of green apples initially; floral spice; milk chocolate; date syrup Finish- medium, oily and thin; mangoes; wood spice; chocolate covered nuts Unbelievably drinkable. A bit thin at times, and not the longest finish in the world, but it’s delicious. If it wasn’t 40%, it would be an insta-buy for me. Somewhere from 46-50% would make this bottle amazing. Regardless, lovely notes of fruits, chocolate, honey sweetness, and a touch of oak make this whisky very enjoyable.

Glendronach 1/15/93 23 year cask #41 Nose- Rich, thick dark fruits (plums, cherries, pomegranates); cinnamon; raisins; tobacco leaf; dark chocolate; cedar wood Palate- Initial wave of baking spices; walnuts; dark chocolate; rum soaked raisins; juicy dark plums; wood spice Finish- Long, juicy finish; cedar wood; dark chocolate; tobacco Nice heavily sherried glendronach. Good stuff overall, but doesn’t quite live up to the hype the 1993 release gets. Lovely sherry influence on the nose (dark fruits, raisins, dark chocolate), along with baking spice and oak. The palate starts off with a wave of spice, which is quickly overtaken by a nutty walnut influence. The sherry then arrives on the palate in full force, leading to a long, juicy finish. More dark chocolate, along with more cedar wood and tobacco rounds it out. Believe me, this is a fantastic pour. One that any scotch aficionado would be lucky to have, but the hype it receives is a little overwhelming.

Nose- Big, bold rye spice; Kit-Kat candy bar; coconuts; fresh baked bread; bananas; wood spice; hint of maple syrup Palate- Initial wave of aged, funky oak; baking spices; cinnamon; rich vanilla; cherries; polished saddle leather; herbaceous/earthy notes near the end Finish- Long, spicy yet mouth coating finish; Baking spices; dark fruits (plums, red grapes); earthy with a hint of barrel char Great stuff. Nose is the highlight of this rye. Big, bold rye spices, but delicate at the same time, with an unmistakable note of Kit-Kats and tropical fruits. The palate is a tidal wave of flavors. Funky, aged oak, vanilla, baking spices, the list goes on and on. Very enjoyable. The finish is long as well, with just the right amount of a drying factor, while still coating the mouth in rye goodness. This is an expensive bottle, there’s no way around it, but with the juice inside, bottle design, and if money isn’t a big issue, I recommend you grab one.

60.1% Nose- Rich dark fruits (think plums and dates); hint of grapefruits; cinnamon; espresso beans; dark chocolate covered raisins; musty oak; vanilla custard Palate- Initial wave of dark fruits soaked in sugary syrup; sweet honey; milk chocolate; dusty oak; juicy peaches; rich vanilla; Finish- Long, rich and thick finish; ginger spice; honey sweetness; grapefruit sourness; musty oak Rich, thick, delicate, and balanced all at the same time. There’s some hype to this bottle, and it lives right up to it. From nose to finish this is thick and rich. The levels of dark, thick and syrupy fruits is unlike anything i’ve had (next to Bunna px). There’s a dusty/musty oak note on the nose and finish as well, which I love. No need for even a drop of water in this, no need to water down the goodness. This is getting harder and more expensive to find, so if you can grab a bottle, do it.

Nose- Initial wave of herbal wildflowers; juicy raspberries; vanilla; aged oak; honey; cinnamon spice Palate- wave of sweet honey; bright red fruits; juicy fruit gum; aged oak; cinnamon; rich vanilla Finish- Long, creamy and drying finish; Light dusting of cinnamon; juicy fruit gum; aged, spicy oak) This lives up to the hype. Wow, best four roses release i’ve tried. From nose to finish, this is perfectly balanced with an explosion of aromas and flavors. The palate on this is to die for. The nose was a bit subdued initially, but after a couple minutes in the glass it opened up greatly. The nose is described perfectly on the bottle (raspberries, honey, aged oak) with additional notes of herbal wildflowers and cinnamon. You can taste the age in all the right ways. The palate is fantastic and the most shining aspect of this whiskey. The finish, as expected, is long, with a drying sensation on the tongue and creamy mouthfeel.

49.5% 7 Year MGP Nose- Maple syrup; rye spice; caramel; almonds, dried cherries Palate- Caramel; Rich vanilla; almonds; dried apricots; spicy oak Finish- Medium/long, oily finish; Rye spices; Gingerbread; aged oak Great pour. Not overly complex, but balanced and very tasty. The nose has great aromas of almonds and rye spices (traditional MGP notes). The palate isn’t anything crazy, but I get tons of vanilla, aged oak, and dried fruits. My favorite part of this is the gingerbread spice I get on the finish, just lovely.

Nose- Caramel; rye spice; Swedish fish; anise Palate- Cinnamon red hots initially; spiced oak; leather Fish- Medium, spicy finish; rye spice; spiced oak Not my favorite pour in the world. Pretty simple although out. The highlight is a unique aroma of Swedish fish. Not much to say about this one, so here’s a list of ryes I like more than this that are cheaper: Old Forester Rye Elijah craig rye Whistle Pig 10 Sazerac (baby)