Tastes

117.2 proof Nose- Caramel corn, butterscotch, rye spices, cocoa powder, cherry Palate- Rye spices initially, leather, caramel corn, powdered sugar, cherries Finish- Medium, spicy finish with notes of rye spices, powdered sugar, and oak Initially in the glass I was not impressed. But after some time to air out, this transformed into a solid whiskey. I really like the caramel corn and butterscotch on the nose, the primary smells im getting. The palate opens up with a wave of rye spice, the caramel corn returns, and some powdered sugar pops up near the end. I would expect a longer finish with such a high proof bourbon, but nonetheless, it is tasty... with oak, rye spices, and powdered sugar rounding it out. For $400 this is a hard pass for me. I would drink it at a bar for the right price, but I would pass on a bottle.

Nose- Salted caramel, raspberries, peat smoke, iodine, vanilla Palate- Peat smoke initially, iodine, oak, dark chocolate, plum jam, honey Finish- Long, thin finish with notes of bonfire, peat smoke, and dark chocolate I’ll start this off by saying im not the biggest Laphroaig fan in the world, but this one is very pleasant. The nose is good, but restrained at the same time. Nice balance of peat, sweetness, and fruits on the nose, but everything seems a little tame and I feel like there could be more. On the palate, peat prevails... with a nice balance of oak, dark chocolate and a plum-jam note that is quite enjoyable. The finish is, again, dominated by iodiny- peat, and wraps up with the dark chocolate note again.

Nose- sweet chilis, peat smoke, pineapple, lemon oil, green apple, pine needles Palate- Fire wood initially, peat smoke, rosemary, mango, citrus, sea salt Finish- Medium, creamy finish with notes of bonfire, bright citrus, and peat smoke Absolutely beautiful nose. In fact, the best nose I’ve experienced with an ardbeg. As a matter of fact... this is the best Ardbeg i’ve tried (although the 10 is pretty close to it, and about 7 times cheaper). Lovely pineapple and peat smoke, with a prominent green apple note developing as the glass sits awhile. The palate leads with, of course, peat. Lovely bonfire peat, followed by a wave of citrus and herbal notes. The finish is an enjoyable one. Not the longest in the world, but the peat does linger a while. Overall, it’s great. But due to value, I would take an Ardbeg 10 all day

Nose- Burnt caramel, dry oak, bitter cherries, milk chocolate, vanilla bean Palate- Sugar sweetness initially, drying oak, baking spices, dried cherries, mocha, peanuts Finish- Long, warming finish with notes of creamy mocha, baking spices, and dry oak Delicious. This one in a blind pour-off of Baker’s 13, Little book 3, and ECBP. Nice nose with a balance of sweetness and dry oak. The palate is chock full of different flavors... dried fruits, peanuts, and more drying oak, to name a few. The finish is long and warming, with a beautiful creamy mocha starting it out along with hints of baking spices and again revisiting that dry oak note.

Nose- Tropical fruits, banana, chilis, peat smoke, brine, sea salt, grassy Palate- Sweet fruits, peat smoke, earthy-vegetal, white peaches, peppery spice Finish- medium, oily finish with notes of peat smoke, candied fruits, and spice Another beauty. Love the tropical fruits on the nose, and the chili notes are unmistakable. Along with these are the usual lagavulin sea brine+ salt and peat smoke. The palate is great as well, starting out with a whiff of peat smoke, turning into sweet tropical fruits, briny sea notes, and finishing with a sweet spice. Medium, enjoyable finish, wrapping up all the flavors very well.

Nose- Heavy charred oak, honeyed bread, sweet caramel, banana, rosemary, dill, baking spices Palate- dry oak, dill, rye spices, cocoa powder, caramelized sugar, apples, vanilla Finish- Long, oily finish with notes of Toasted oak, baking spices, and sweet fruits Big, bold, and beautiful. Fantastic bourbon. The nose is complex and gets better with time, with a perfect balance of sweet, spice, and oak. The palate is very similar to the nose, perfectly balanced. The sweetness and rye spices compliment eachother well, and getting a lovely apple note as well. The finish is, as expected, extremely long and enjoyable.

Nose- Melon, lychee fruit, mizanura oak, ripe berries, cinnamon, rosemary Palate- Juicy berries initially, green apples, ginger spice, lime juice, mizunara oak Finish- Long, juicy finish of green apples, a nice amount of spice, and a squeeze of lime juice Mmm. Fantastic whisky. The nose is excellent, with my highlights being the green apple and melon notes. The palate is sublime, light, floral and spicy. The green apples shine through again, with ginger spice and zesty lime. The finish is also very good- and surprisingly long, which isn’t what ive experienced with other Japanese Whiskies. I think I like this more than Yama 18, and that’s saying something. Absolutely delicious, very complex, and easy to drink.

Nose- Earthy peat, ash, vegetal, moss, green grape Palate- honey initially, wave of spice, then that same earthy peat note, red wine influence, salt Finish- Long, spicy finish with notes of earthy peat, pepper, and red grapes This one is good, not fantastic, and certainly not my favorite bunna, but good. Nose has moss, earth and peat, with not much else (with water, green grapes and some stewed fruits developed). The palate has many layers, which I do like alot. Sweet to spice to peat to sweet and back to earthy peat again. Really develops in the mouth and is truly complex. I would grab a couple other peated whiskies before this (octomore, Lagavulin), but I believe this would stand toe to toe with 95% of the peated whiskies out there.

Nose- Dark roasted coffee, peat smoke, salted caramel, dark fruits Palate- Heavy peat, cigar ash, tobacco, dark fruits Finish- Long, oily finish with notes of peat smoke, ash, and salt Great nose. Absolutely love the dark roasted coffee, it’s almost unmistakable. The palate is unfortunately overpowered by ash, which I was hoping wouldn’t be the case. I got the same overpowering note with the Corryvreckan, but this certainly has a better nose. I’m getting a bit of peat smoke and dark fruits, but the ash is constant and i’m sure right up some people’s alley, but not mine.

Nose- Sweet peat, pineapple juice, seaweed, butterscotch, caramel, almonds, creamy vanilla, mushy banana (what a nose) Palate- Wave of spice, sea spray, heavy peat, oranges, lemons, butterscotch, and honey Finish- Long, spicy and mouth tingling finish with notes of peat smoke, lemons, sweet honey, and a bit of ash The tears on the glass are AMAZING. Like literal molasses in a glass. What a complex dram. The nose goes on and on and on and on and on. The palate has lovely peat with layers of citrus, sugared sweets, and seaside influence. The finish tingles the tongue, coats the mouth, and seemingly lasts forever. The finish wraps up with a little bit of everything... sweetness and peatness. This rocks