Tastes
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Aberfeldy 12 Year
Single Malt — Highlands, Scotland
Reviewed February 26, 2024 (edited March 19, 2024)First time I've had this. Great buy at Costco and I couldn't resist for under $30. Warning, I'm a Dewar's fanboy, so no surprises on my reaction to this easy sipper. Tasted neat from a glencairn. The nose is sweet malt, fresh cosmic apples, and the slightest of floral notes that dance above a delicate barrel note. On the palate this is easy to sip. Dewar's 12 Double Aged is my house pour for cocktails like the Rob Roy, Bobby Burns, Penicillin and almost anything that uses scotch whisky, including the occasional Old Fashioned. I also love a wee dram over a coconut water ice cube when I'm just kicking back. I think this is a far more fulfilling drink in many ways. This is not a sherried scotch, but there's ample orchard fruit to be found in its spectrum. Apples, pears, apricots and muskmelon all make an appearance. Slight black pepper, soft vanilla, and sweet woody notes fill in the blanks. The finish is fast, clean and sweet. No peat smoke to be found... For the price, this is well above average. It's certainly not the best scotch I've had, but it'll do on any day that ends in a "y".34.99 USD per Bottle -
I've been enjoying this in various Martini riffs and in a G&T with FT Elderflower tonic and a slice of lemon. My first time tasting this gin. Let's dive in. On the nose this is very similar to Bombay Sapphire. In fact, its nearly indistinguishable. Very delicate, little ethanol. Perhaps even a touch richer. Tasted neat this again in the same flavor family as Bombay Sapphire, our house "rack" pour. It plays just a touch sweeter and richer but not by too much. Neither is particularly juniper forward. Both offer moderate citrus and herbal notes with delicate florals in the background against a foundation of light juniper. The Famers has a bit more Angelica and is set apart by the traces of elderflower making it a bit more floral and complex. Both had similar levels of black pepper and spice. In a Martini I thought the Famers distinguished itself nicely, but certainly didn't light up the sky. The vermouth in a 3:1 cocktail swamped the differences. In a G&T they were essentially indistinguishable to my wife and I, and she is a devout Sapphire believer. This is using the aforementioned Fever Tree Elderflower tonic. I like this quite a bit, but considering its $28 for 750 versus $32 for 1.75l, I think I'll stick with Sapphire.
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Sampled neat from a Flaviar taster. Before I get to the review, I certainly don't recommend Flaviar. Nothing about my experience with them would convince me to join their program. The nose is sweet with some grapey notes and a solid apple profile. This smells like a wonderful jelly to put on toast in the morning. On the palate this is soft, sweet and undemanding. Not sure if this is worth having in a cocktail. I can imaging the lemon juice totally crushing it in a Sidecar. There's no way for me to be certain as the "sampler" would be a pretty depressing neat pour at most restaurants. Anyway, its inoffensive. At the going rate which seems to be about $35 I'm not sure I wouldn't opt for something like a VSOP cognac. That would mean a step down to 80 proof, but maybe a bit more interesting complexity on the palate? I rate it on a scale of 1 to 5. A competent mass-market product should land on a bell curve with the average clustered between 2 and 3. This is a competent, average brandy.
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This one intrigued me enough to track down a bottle. So far I've tasted it neat, on ice, in a gimlet variation made with grapefruit cordial instead of the typical lime cordial, and in a couple different martini variations. Let's dive in. On the nose this gin conjures a rich garden of herbs. Not at all floral, this expression leans into rosemary and sage with support from coriander and notes of fennel. There's some juniper, of course, but it's definitely a co-star in this gin. I will treat this as a contemporary gin in my home bar, more so than as a true London Dry. On the taste buds form follows fragrance and this expresses itself as an herb garden of flavors. Never over the top, this just gets the balance so right. It's the Greek hillside of wild herbs caught in a bottle much as St. George Terroir is the fir covered alpine forests of mountainous California. Really nicely done! My favorite use for this is definitely a Martini, where the herbal personality of this gin balances the bitter elements of Dolin Dry Vermouth perfectly. 3:1 is ideal with a few drops of saline and maybe a single dash of orange bitters. Try it as a Gibson with a few drops of celery bitters (exactly what I'm enjoying as I type this). This is a flexible gin that is extremely well executed. Great in gin-forward cocktails (although I could wish for a few more proof points), satisfying on its own, tasty with tonic and magnificent in a well-stirred Martini. Highly recommended.39.99 USD per Bottle
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Aberlour 16 Double Cask
Single Malt — Speyside, Scotland
Reviewed November 12, 2023 (edited December 9, 2023)Tasted neat from a grappa copita. This is silky, suave and fruity. The nose gives up apples and pears and berries. The palate follows suit. Lacking in ABV intensity this opens with the sherry influence and fresh figs and quickly transitions to layers of wood tannins and leather. The finish is delicate, lasting and nuanced I strongly prefer a'bunadh, but i can see how that might be intense for some drinkers. If this were just a bit more assertive it would easily make 4 stars. -
Chattanooga Whiskey 99 Rye
Rye — Tennessee, USA
Reviewed October 12, 2023 (edited November 16, 2023)I love rye in all its forms as a sipper and in cocktails. I'm also a fan of the expressions I've tried from Chattanooga, so adding a bottle of their rye to my shopping cart was a no brainer. Tasted neat from a copita sbs with my staple Wild Turkey 101 Rye. There's a color difference immediately noticeable. The C99 is a shade darker than the WT101. On the nose the WT is rich with delicate backing spice notes, carmel, vanilla, slight dill. The C99 is richer in wood and barrel notes, butterscotch, dark rye bread and caramelized sugar. The WT is smooth and dry on the palate offering a dry ginger, vanilla, rye toast opening that is far gentler than its 101 proof might suggest. The mid-palate is rich and the finish is very nice for a budget rye. There's a reason this is in my bar as a cocktail base and neat sipper over such competitors as Rittenhouse, Old Overholt, Old Forester, etc. The C99 offers a similarly smooth entry devoid of "young whiskey ethanol spark". The flavor builds from a creamy intro to a demisec mid palate topped with stewed cherries and very little of the vegetal elements I get from some rye. The C99 has a faster finish than the WT and fades quite cleanly. This is a great rye for a bourbon drinker. This is a great rye introduction. In a Manhattan this is a rich, silky rye that loves Cocchi Storico Vermouth di Torino and a couple dashes (3) of Angostura bitters. Chattanooga 99 Rye is a very good rye, full stop. This wont kick the chicken out of my cabinet. WT101 rye is about $24 for a 750, this is about $38. It's not 50% better for my money, but it was definitely worth buying a very enjoyable bottle. I might even re-up. It's a good change of pace.38.99 USD per Bottle -
Maker's Mark 46 Cask Strength
Bourbon — Kentucky, USA
Reviewed October 3, 2023 (edited October 5, 2023)I've enjoyed Maker's 46 since its introduction some 14 years ago. I typically prefer MM46 to the flagship label, but I find the MM101 to be the most satisfying of Bill Samuels' contribution to the bourbon world. It has been a while since I've had a bottle of the 46 on my bar and seeing the cask strength expression just sitting there on the shelf, all by itself... Tasted neat from a grappa copita after a few minutes rest. This is the last of the bottle, a perfect 1.5oz pour. I've enjoyed this in an Old Fashioned, a couple Manhattan variations, on a rock and neat and it didn't take long for the bottle to go from neck pour to final pour. The nose is cherries in syrup, almonds and walnuts, caramel and brown sugar. It's sweet, but certainly not saccharine. There's a whiff of ethanol and a touch of latex paint that hints at the 110+ proof. Mouthfeel is silky and not quite as rich as the very best cask strength whiskies can be. Still, it's quite good. The flavor is rich with slightly bitter wood tannin that plays against the sugar from the corn and the bready richness of the wheat. The profile is familiar 46 with the volume turned up a bit - or maybe the saturation knob was twiddled a bit. There's more contrast than I remember from my last bottle of MM46, but there's also that bitter element. The finish is moderate and unremarkable. There's a slight pepperiness and some left-over syrup that coats the back of the palate. Yes, I like this just fine. It's an excellent bourbon and a favorite wheated expression. But I'm not blown away. It's not a Knob Creek 120 proof flavor bomb. It's not a Chattanooga 111 Stagg Jr killer. It's good, but it's not great. I rate on a bell curve where the average product should score between 2 and 3; the peak of distribution. This is much better than average, but not quite good enough to make it into the top quintile.37.99 USD per Bottle -
Greenall's London Dry Gin
London Dry Gin — England
Reviewed September 26, 2023 (edited October 4, 2023)Exploring various gins I haven't had, this is a budget option that's pushed hard at Total Wine. Let's see what's going on here. Tasted neat from a copita sbs with Beefeater as the control. On the nose I get the bitter chemical scent of crushed aspirin, ethanol, floral elements and some juniper/pine at the end. Overall I'd say the nose isn't anything special and is more likely a liability than an asset. In comparison the Beefeater has a far more prominent juniper note, clean pine, ethanol and a sharp element that reads as sweet but is otherwise too muted to identify. On the palate the Greenall is soft, reminding me more of bad vodka than good gin. There's some juniper and vegetal notes but they are shy and cloaked by the overall "manufactured" personality of the gin. It's not bad per se, but definitely isn't anything I need to taste neat again. It tastes like cheap, weak gin - full stop. The Beefeater continues to dominate with a much bolder profile, stronger juniper, easily identified citrus elements, some slight mintiness, all followed by a fast fade through black pepper to a slightly chemical finish. Okay, neither of these is a neat sipper although the Beefeater is far less objectionable. How about mixed into a cocktail? I tried Martinis (my favorite) made 3:1 gin to Dolin Dry vermouth, 2 dashes of saline and a dash of orange bitters. Served up, no garnish The Beefeater is the clear winner but the J & G Greenall put up a much better showing here. I can see how some might even prefer the muted gin profile that is more of a partner with the vermouth. Not bad at all, but not a stand out either. It's soft but likes to work with the vermouth and was brightened by a twist. I wouldn't object to this martini at a restaurant, but again I think the Beefeater has both more personality and more developed flavor. Pricing isn't a big challenge. The J & G Greenall at about $15 for a 750ml bottle (when on sale) is about 15% less than the Beefeater, but otherwise they sell for an identical $17.99 per 750ml bottle. It's really no contest. I'll take the Beefeater.14.99 USD per Bottle -
Iron Smoke CASKet Strength Straight Bourbon
Bourbon — Fairport, NY, USA
Reviewed September 13, 2023 (edited September 15, 2023)Tasted at an event so take my notes with a grain of salt. Tasted neat. Color is indistinguishable from 80 proofer. Nose is more subtle than 80 proof. On palate this isnt bad. Reminds me of Benchmark barrel proof. Told its an $80 bottle. Hard pass for value. Unfortunately this is a 3 star whiskey with a 5 star price. 2 stars is a gift.79.99 USD per Bottle -
Iron Smoke Straight Bourbon
Bourbon — Fairport, NY, USA
Reviewed September 13, 2023 (edited September 15, 2023)Tasted neat at a tasting, so add a grain of salt. Aged in 30g barrels, nice coppery color. Good nose. Lots of carmel. Fresh sawn wood, & creamed corn. Dry. Tart. Woody. Really dry. But sweet. Not complex at all.
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