Tastes

Nose- Traditional rye spice; crystalized ginger; plums; wet oak; orange citrus; creamy vanilla Palate- Wave of oranges initially; black licorice; rye spices; vanilla sweetness; aged oak; caramel; hint of butterscotch Finish- Long, spicy finish; Dark plums; aged oak; baking spices; anise Balanced, drinks below it’s proof, and most importantly, unique. The nose is that of an aged rye, and very enjoyable, but is just above average. The palate is full of citrus, rye spice, aged oak, and sweet butterscotch and vanilla. Extremely good on the palate. The finish is where this shines, and where the plum cask really comes though. Such a unique note of dark, juicy plums that’s unlike anything else and is SO tasty. As far as the price goes, $500 is $500, but this is damn tasty, and in a very cool bottle to boot.

Bottle 91/94 66.3% Nose- Brown sugar; followed by a wave of heavy, dark oak; leather; rich caramel; tobacco; candy sweetness Palate- Wave of drying oak initially; followed by baking spices; rich caramel; aged leather; Spanish peanuts; sweetened vanilla Finish- Long, drying and spicy finish with notes of aged oak; tobacco leaves; and vanilla sweetness Not for the faint of heart. Only an experienced bourbon drinker will appreciate this one. Nothing sweet about it, it’s all oak, leather and heavy barrel aromas and flavors. Initially I got a ton of ethanol on the nose, but some more time in the glass revealed more and more aromas. The palate dries the mouth out immediately, and the drinker is assaulted with heavy oak, baking spices, Spanish peanuts and a bit of sweet vanilla near the end. The finish is, of course, long as hell. More notes of oak and tobacco, with a faint sweetness at the very end. I could see many bourbon lovers knocking down the door for this one. Not exactly my cup of tea, but I get it.

Nose- Soft bonfire smoke, peaches in syrup, green herbs (thyme, rosemary), delicate fruits, aged oak, cinnamon spices Palate- Spiced honey initially, followed by a green vegetal note, washed over by light wispy peat smoke, a wave of tropical fruits and peaches, aged oak, and a spray of the sea Finish- Long, rich finish with notes of soft, earthen peat, delicate fruits, subtle kitchen spices, and aged oak This is a stunner. The nose is a symphony of notes, as my list went on and on. Beautiful balance of aromas. The palate sends you through waves of different flavors, and is rich and delicate at the same time, but overall extremely balanced. One of the longest finishes from a scotch that I can remember as well. Everything in this works perfectly, and I have 0 complaints.

Nose- Honeydew, subtle peat, spray of sea salt, hibiscus tea, honey, notes of baking spices in the foreground Palate- Wave of tropical fruits, honey, subtle-yet aged oak, cinnamon, caramel Finish- Long, oily finish with notes of subtle peat, cinnamon spice, creamy caramel, and honey The nose is very subdued, albeit enjoyable. The peat comes through, with notes of honeydew and hibiscus, but the other notes are a hard search. The palate is light and oily. Not incredibly complex, but refined and sends the drinker through wave of light peat, sweet honey notes, and cinnamon spice. The finish is surprisingly long, and the highlight of the whiskey. Lovely peat (still subtle), sweet caramel and honey, and closes out with cinnamon spice and aged oak.

Nose- Floral wildflowers, rich caramel, spiced oak, maple syrup, vanilla bean Palate- Wave of baking spices initially, followed by notes of charred oak, black pepper, caramel, nutmeg, and a hint of maple syrup Finish- medium, spicy finish with notes of charred oak, baking spices, and black pepper What a nose. Beautiful mingling of herbal, sweetness, and aged oak. Unfortunately, that is the whiskies most shining moment. The palate is average, with an emphasis and spices and black pepper. A bit of maple syrup sweetness comes though, as well as charred oak, but spice dominates the initial sip and finish.

Nose- Earthy peat initially, followed by a spray of sea salt, vanilla sweetness, butterscotch and sweet tart candies Palate- Wave of candy sweetness, smoked bbq meats, dry peat, vanilla, and earthy Finish- Medium-long, creamy finish with notes of earthy peat and a candy like sweetness Good stuff, although i’ve yet to find a Lagavulin I don’t like. Wonderful nose, and the palate takes you through different levels of earth, peat, and sweetness. Not the most complex, or mind-blowing dram in the world, but certainly enjoyable.

Nose- Ethanol initially, then a wave of cinnamon spice, cocoa powder, caramel, walnuts, and granny smith apples Palate- Wave of caramel, walnuts, rye spice, washed over by alcohol Finish- Short, mouth tingling finish with notes of caramel and a bit of wet oak The nose is the most impressive aspect of this bourbon, albeit covered up with ethanol. The palate is pretty one dimensional, with a good amount of heat, and the finish is short. Yes, this is cheap, but there are much better buys. 10/10 I would pay $5-10 more for a bottle of buffalo trace.

Lot B 2018 Nose- Caramel, candy sweetness, cookie dough ice cream, pencil shavings, cherries Palate- Candy-syrupy sweetness initially, a wave of toasted oak, cinnamon, pencil shavings, cherries, caramel, vanilla Finish- Medium/long finish with just the right amount of dryness and mouth coating goodness. Notes of aged oak, leather, cherry syrup, and cinnamon spice I reviewed this a couple years ago, and believe my palate has changed for the better. This is a balanced, delicious and enjoyable bourbon I could drink all day long. If you’re expecting something big, bold and going to punch you in the face, look elsewhere. If you’re looking for an extremely balanced bourbon where you can taste the age, sweetness, spice, and dark fruit influence all in one, this is for you. This tastes like a premium bourbon, one in which I would pay premium dollar for, but $500+? I would pass.

Nose- Cinnamon, herbal- mint, ripe cherries, wood spice, rye spice Palate- Wave of green tea initially, wet oak, cherry-cola, cloves, dark honey Finish- Long, creamy finish with flavors of fresh mint, cherries and bold, wet oak Overall, this is very good. The nose is a bit muted, but fresh mint and rye spice stand out. The palate is where this shines, with a unique green tea note and lovely wet, bold oak from start to finish. Enjoyable, long and mouth coating finish that keeps everything lovely and balanced.

Nose- Light and delicate red fruits, fresh herbs, buttery shortbread cookies, nutmeg and cinnamon, wood spice, vanilla, blood orange Palate- Fresh herbs initially, dark chocolate, nutmeg, raspberries, dates, peaches, rich vanilla, spiced oak Finish- Long, juicy finish with notes of wood spice, dark chocolate, deep, rich vanilla, and an unmistakable pineapple/mango note that really seals the deal Astonishing. This may just be the best whiskey i’ve ever tried. Every aspect of it is fantastic and I have exactly 0 complaints. Perfect age, perfect proof, with so much going on. Complex is an understatement, I could drink 5 glasses of this and still be placing notes. The palate is absolutely perfect, and takes you through waves of different flavors and mouth-coating textures. The mango/pineapple I get at the very very end of the finish is unique, delicious, and perfectly balanced. 5/5 seems unfair.