Tastes

Ok, so this one is a unique, odd one for sure, but not necessary in a bad way. N: ripe fruity notes are front forward along with a malty cereal granola that’s almost like grape nuts cereal. I’d swear there was rye in this even though there isn’t, so that’s a neat trick in this one. Orange zest and a hint of vanilla in the background, touch of cherry and dried fruits as well. Some spice notes like allspice or cinnamon. Middle of the road complexity, likely could benefit from a little more aging or a nice finishing barrel. T: definitely malty and a rye-like spice to it on the frontside, cereal grains, woody oaky notes, fruity vanilla notes eventually pop through but quickly leave in the finish with a return of a white peppery heat, some herbal notes on the finish but not strong, light to medium ashy or smokiness as well. Overall, this is definitely a scotch style meets a heavy American distilling influence for sure. I prefer more of an actual scotch vs this. But the only thing I can say is give it a try. You might like it, you might think it’s just ok. Definitely has no category that it can fall in.

Batch 120- N: browns sugar, candied orange, vanilla cream, cherry, fruitiness from the brandy, light corn note, toasted oak, light nuttiness, balanced but not crazy complex. T: sweetness of brown sugar, fruity, brandy finish shows up nicely, touch of rye (maybe?), oak, all spice, peppery spice, ashy char, tobacco, medium finish. Overall, not bad, but I was expecting a little bit more from this one.

N: brown sugar, honey, grain maltiness, citrus, light crisper fruits, floral, baking spices, oak, hint of vanilla, not super complex. P: mainly what the nose is all mixed up, some bitter herbal notes, white peppery spice that transitions into an ashy char, lingers on a medium length finish, dry. For a blend, it’s ok. Not the worst I’ve had though.

N: honey, pear, light malty brown sugar, vanilla, oak, maybe a sherry finish, fairly simple overall. T: honey with light crisp fruit upfront, peppery spice follows, hint of an herbal quality, light ashy not, finish is medium in length. If you would have told me this was a budget blended scotch, I would have believed you. Reminds me very much of scotch vs a Japanese whiskey. A simple but pleasant sipper. Worth a try.

N: brown sugar, orange marmalade, honey, nutty granola note, dried fruits, vanilla, light oak, fairly simple and straight forward nose but pleasant. T: the nose, only translated into taste, a little peppery barrel spice, finish is short, light ashy note, a good simple profile overall, easy going sipper. Some might like it, others may find it too boring.

N: juicy ripe fruits, apple, pear, honey, sherry, cherry, citrusy grilled orange slices, baking spices. After 10-15 minutes of letting it open up, dried fruits start popping through, brown sugar syrup, granola cereal notes, floral notes of rose and carnation but very subtle, old leathery notes, peat is hard to pick out initially but it’s there. P: wonderful orchard fruits, brown sugar, malted cereal, a quick pop of citrus and baking spices that leads into a light brine and is immediately followed up with a smoked peppery char that builds as if you just slowly turned up the volume, finish is medium to long dominated by the smoked peppery char and fades to the briny sea air, a little sweet richness creeps back in as well. The 51% surely helps keep that edge. It is most definitely a JW, all the characteristics are there, but it is quite well balanced. This is an excellent contribution by JW that I’d purchase again if I could find it.

Nose: light, a little touch of alcohol upfront but manageable, hint of a simple malted grain note somewhat like granola, touch of honey, butterscotch, a little fruitiness, hint of vanilla, maybes a lemon or orange zest note, faint ghostly hint of sea salt air and peat but is a little hard to find. Taste: light and very easy going, honey, fruit, touch of creaminess, ashy peat smoke but not strong and overpowering, some barrel spices, finish is medium leaning more on the shorter side. For the price, this is honestly very good. If the noise and flavors were a little stronger, this would be a really decent sleeper scotch. Give it a try, it’s worth a look for under $20.

Nose: ethanol-like paint thinner immediately up front, takes a moment to push past this, lighter fruit notes, mild honey, herbal grassiness, cereal grain, ethanol thinner note just doesn’t subside enough to enjoy what little the nose has to offer, off putting. Taste: light fruitiness, some sweetness but not much, peppery spice note, a little hot, herbal or grassy note on the finish, pepperiness returns. Overall, not a good entry for a Japanese Blended Whisky. I’ve had much better. This almost tastes like it was a sourced whiskey from Scotland. And a poor selection at that. Very similar, if not nearly identical, to some bad budget blend scotches I’ve had in the past. If this really is not sourced, it was poorly done for Japanese standards. Unfortunately, I’d skip this one.

Nose: honey, light crisp fruit notes, floral, lightly toasted cereal notes, butter cookies, hint of vanilla cream. Pretty standard Irish if you ask me. Simple, light, but pleasant. Taste: crisp, fruit, honey, vanilla, light herbal peppery note, baking spices. As with most Irish whiskeys, not overly complicated, but still a good proper dram for the price. Easy, friendly drinker that will fit nicely into the lineup. A good alternative to Jameson if you want to get a little more out of your Irish whiskey but not spend a ton. Only a mild upgrade, but done quite nicely.

Nose: crisp orchard fruits of apple and pear that are lightly baked with a touch of sugar and spice, some slightly darker fruits, hint of cherry, stone fruit, golden raisins, honey, hint of vanilla, lemon peel, light floral note, light flaky buttery crust. Taste: apple, pear, cherry, honey, malt, floral grassy note, lemony citrus zest, light oiliness that coats just a touch, a little nuttiness, white peppery spice that lingers for a moment, a touch of barrel char. Not bad at all. Fairly friendly dram that’s quite enjoyable. Great, considering the price point. I enjoyed this one quite a bit.