Tastes

Nose - mint chocolate chip ice cream, burnt brown sugar, clove, black pepper, grass, dusty corn, sweet dough, mild to moderate ethanol burn. Taste - chocolate mint, clove, allspice, caramel, cherry, vanilla, molasses, cinnamon, grass, bitter herbal notes, black pepper, moderate alcohol bite, finishing medium length with mint, chocolate, and baking spice flavors. What a strange rye! This is closer to liquefied Andes mints than a traditional example of the category. It’s robust and definitely has that bold Balcones backbone. However, there isn’t a tremendous amount of complexity, and the finish falls a bit flat, but it’s decent whiskey. I can see this one being divisive. Rye purists will likely balk, but it’s priced right at $40 a bottle. I think it’s worth picking up if you want to try something slightly wacky. This marks the beginning of a series of ten Texas whiskey reviews, which I’ve been really excited to kick off while patiently collecting various samples and bottles since my last run of Texas whiskey reviews a few months back. Over the next week or so, I’ll be tasting multiple expressions from Balcones, Garrison Brothers, and Ironroot Republic. I’m thinking that this rye will be the worst of the group, as I have some really solid whiskies on deck. Stay tuned!

Nose - toasted banana, toffee, vanilla, chocolate, apple, clove, tobacco, cinnamon, brown sugar, peanut, mint, anise, black pepper, grass, herbal notes, dry oak, moderate ethanol burn. Taste - salted caramel, vanilla, bananas foster, lemon, molasses, apple, bubble gum, leather, tobacco, dark chocolate, black pepper, cinnamon, clove, nutmeg, spicy oak, moderate alcohol bite, finishing medium short with caramel, baking spice, chocolate, and herbal flavors. My experience with Tennessee whiskey doesn’t run much deeper than Jack Daniel’s and Dickel. This is sourced, but it isn’t much like either of those usual suspects. The nose is sweet and spicy with toffee, chocolate, and a good amount of rye spice. The palate carries more of the rye spice, chocolate, and a dark molasses note, rather similar to Foursquare rum. This is pretty good. It’s a bit youthful on the palate, heading toward sour territory, but stops just short of it. The nose is sweet, spicy, and fairly rich, and the palate has some nice heft to it. Actually, I was going to rate this one notch lower, but it grew on me as I worked my way through the dram. At $60 a bottle, I’d say this isn’t a great value, but you could do much worse. Thank you to @ContemplativeFox for the sample!

Nose - strawberry, orange blossom, ash, caramel, light peat, vanilla, fig, apricot, sweet floral notes, grass, mild to moderate ethanol burn. Taste - strawberry, date, fig, ash, tar, apple, lemon, grass, sweet peat, vanilla, butterscotch, sweet floral notes, chili pepper, clove, apricot, mild to moderate alcohol bite, finishing medium length with strawberry, ash, and citrus zest flavors. Similar to the second USA Small Batch release, this is subtle and understated. It’s youthful, but not nearly as bright as Machir Bay. The port component is front and center on the nose and palate, with jammy strawberry and various dark fruits in the mix. There’s an ashy peatiness, but it takes a back seat to a sweet fruit punch quality. This is my third and final Kilchoman for now. Did I save the best for last? Well, it’s easily better than Machir Bay, but I’m not sure I like it more than the second USA Small Batch release. It’s close though. Both of these small batch releases are solid sippers and a decent value for money as well. Another thank you to @jonwilkinson7309 for the sample. I’d like to try more Kilchoman releases, but I’m not really sure where to start. There seem to be so many that analysis paralysis sets in and I end up skipping them altogether.

Nose - orange blossom, honey, light peat, lemon meringue, ash, vanilla, powdered sugar, strawberry, cinnamon, grass, peach, chili pepper, bitter herbal notes, moderate ethanol burn. Taste - toasted almond, tar, orange zest, grass, lemon, rubber, honey, apple, cinnamon, clove, strawberry, caramel, chili pepper, vanilla, floral notes, moderate alcohol bite, finishing medium length with orange zest, tar, apple, and chili pepper flavors. After a lackluster experience yesterday with Machir Bay, I’m venturing into a few more interesting Kilchoman expressions, starting with this second USA Small Batch release. With the various cask types involved, I’m surprised by the nose’s light and subtle presentation. That young Kilchoman backbone is detectable, but it’s more elegant and refined here. The harsh lemon of the Machir Bay is softened to aromatic orange blossom and meringue. Similarly, the palate has a softer touch. Toasted almond, orange zest, baking spices, and chili pepper rise above the mist. This is certainly an improvement over Machir Bay, and at around the same price, it’s a winner. It still tastes young, but the different cask maturations work to dampen the brightness and bring out more complex aromas and flavors. Overall, this is good whisky, but not outstanding whisky. I’ll wrap up my Kilchoman review miniseries tomorrow with the third USA Small Batch release. And a big thank you to @jonwilkinson7309 for the sample.

Nose - fresh peat, rubber, lemon zest, tar, apple, honey, grass, strawberry, vanilla, sweet floral notes, white pepper, moderate ethanol burn. Taste - sweet peat, tar, honey, sour apple, brine, caramel, lemon pith, grapefruit, rubber, iodine, cinnamon, almond, grass, strawberry, black pepper, bitter herbal notes, moderate alcohol bite, finishing medium short with sweet peat smoke, bitter citrus, and tar flavors. This is my first Kilchoman, and I have a weird beef with it. Every time I drink this one, I get a headache, even with a very small amount. I’ve never had that experience with any other quality spirit. Who knows, maybe it’s just coincidence. Regardless, I won’t hold that against it with my rating. This smells and tastes young, but not in a completely negative way. The nose is very bright and fresh with creosote, acrid smoke, apple, and a lemony zing. The palate is effervescent with sweet peat, honey, apple, and more lemon, but it turns bitter here. This leads to a relatively short and forgettable finish. Overall, this is better than average, but nothing special. Compared to another young Islay, Wee Beastie, I like this one less. It’s young, bright, and disappointingly sour and bitter heading into the finish. Never fear. I’m not giving up on Kilchoman just yet. I’ll be reviewing two more interesting expressions starting tomorrow.

Nose - toffee, vanilla cream, apple, mint, cinnamon, nutmeg, anise, tobacco, clove, black pepper, orange zest, milk chocolate, marshmallow, walnut, rich oak, moderate ethanol burn. Taste - caramel, vanilla, clove, allspice, chili pepper, cocoa, mint, anise, raisin, tannic oak, ginger, floral notes, leather, tobacco, moderate alcohol bite, finishing medium length with caramel, orange zest, raisin, and baking spice flavors. This is my first of the Blood Oath releases. I’m really not sure what to expect. I know it’s pricy stuff, so my expectations are pretty high. The nose is rich and spicy. Standard bourbon notes are in the mix with a double dose of clove, mint, and anise, no doubt from the significant rye component. The cognac influence makes itself more known on the plate, with some jammy raisin and floral qualities. Otherwise, it’s similarly rich and spicy with strong baking spices carrying through the finish, along with caramel and a citrusy zing. Overall, this is tasty bourbon. It’s really rich, but actually comes off as younger than I know it is. I’m guessing the rye spice and citrus are fooling me into registering this as bright. It could also be the dilution. I agree with others that it seems a bit underproofed as well. I’d say this probably isn’t worth the price of a bottle, but it’s a solid sipper nonetheless. Big thanks to @pkingmartin for the sample!

Nose - toffee, buttercream frosting, tangerine, honey, strawberry, vanilla, pear, apple, grape, cinnamon, grass, lemon, black pepper, moderate ethanol burn. Taste - apple, pear, honey, caramel, strawberry, lemon, vanilla, grass, plum, almond, allspice, clove, lemon, ginger, moderate alcohol bite, finishing medium length with apple, honey, citrus, and baking spice flavors. After reviewing my records, I was surprised to find that the only Glenfiddich I’ve tried is the standard 12 year. Actually, I’m not that surprised. The general profile was always too light and fruity for my tastes. This is fruity, but it’s certainly not the light and boring Glenfiddich I’ve grown to ignore. The nose holds the standard honeyed fruit basket, but there’s more intrigue and oomph. The palate is surprisingly sharp, with crisp strawberry and prickly baking spices leading to a reasonable finish that fades nicely without veering into sour or bitter territory. I really like the inspiration behind this release. There’s a lot of quality in here, it’s blended well, and proofed correctly. While not amazing, I’d happily drink this any day, and that’s not something I could say after my past Glenfiddich experiences. Big thanks to @PBMichiganWolverine for the sample.

Nose - apple, pear, honey, fig, cocoa, caramel, vanilla, cereal grain, nutmeg, subtle peat, lemon, almond, dry floral notes, moderate ethanol burn. Taste - pear, green apple, honey, chili pepper, grape, fig, ginger, clove, nutmeg, caramel, vanilla, lemon zest, leather, rich malt, bitter herbal notes, dry oak, mild sulphur, mild to moderate alcohol bite, finishing medium length with green apple, honey, and feinty sulphur flavors. The nose has sweet, fermented fruits, the obligatory waxy honey note, some citrus, and a bit of peat. The palate brings more depth than expected from the nose. The same fruits are present, but there’s a rich maltiness that I sometimes find on other high quality whiskies made using old distillation and aging techniques. Some sulphuric off notes appear as well, but in a tasty Springbank-esque way. Another classic that’s taken me too long to review. For some reason, I had the idea coming in that this would be a wimpy, fruity, delicate pour. That’s not the case at all. This is complex and challenging in the same way that Craigellachie and Springbank are. Actually, this is rather similar to Craigellachie 13, albeit a bit more understated. This is great whisky that exudes quality from start to finish. Thank you to @jonwilkinson7309 for the sample!

Nose - caramel, sparkling apple cider, orange zest, sweet floral notes, vanilla, cinnamon, grass, mild ethanol burn. Taste - green apple, sweet floral notes, orange, caramel, lemon, grass, ginger, chili pepper, dry oak, cocoa, cinnamon, mild to moderate alcohol bite, finishing medium short and bright with green apple, caramel, and sweet floral flavors. I received this sample in the mail today and was really excited to dive into the review. This has two qualities I very rarely experience: a first release from a brand new distillery and it’s a Lowland whisky. The nose is delicate, fruity, and floral. It’s light and fresh with a bit of baking spice, but there’s not much else going on here. The palate carries most of the same flavor, but with more sour citrus, tingly ginger, and a hint of cocoa. Overall, this is above average but not much more than that. There are some really nice aromas and flavors, but they aren’t yet fully formed. It tastes young and bright, but I bet it’ll come together really nicely with a few more years of aging. From what little experience I have with Lowland whiskies, it seems to be par for the course. Light, fruity, and unassuming. A huge thank you to @PBMichiganWolverine for sending this one along. It was really cool being able to taste a first release from a distillery that shows a lot of promise for the future.

Nose - butterscotch, raisin, spiced vanilla, cardamom, graham cracker, almond, walnut, pecan, plum, fig, dark chocolate, leather, cinnamon, clove, black pepper, pine, rich oak, mint, burnt toast, moderate to high ethanol burn. Taste - salted caramel, vanilla, dark chocolate, brownie brittle, fig, date, apricot, clove, allspice, raisin, leather, tobacco, almond, walnut, chili pepper, spearmint, spicy oak, moderate alcohol bite, finishing medium long with dark chocolate, rich oak, spiced dark fruit, and baking spice flavors. Even though One Eight Distilling is located right in my backyard, I hadn’t heard of it until recently. It’s actually right across the street from Don Ciccio & Figli, which produces some delicious liqueurs. So let’s see what this DC distillery can do. The nose is intoxicating. It has everything but the kitchen sink. Chocolate, dark fruit, baking spice, and strong oak, and a nougaty nuttiness. The palate is similar, rich and spicy, with each one of the cask finishes integrating together well. This begs for a comparison to Joseph Magnus Bourbon. Both are highly finished whiskies from DC distilleries. So I’m pouring them side by side to see how they stack up. The One Eight is darker, richer, and fruitier. The Joseph Magnus actually smells closer to a standard bourbon when nosed after this. Similarly on the palate, the One Eight is darker and more brooding. I like the One Eight better in almost every way, with one exception. The mouthfeel is better on the Joseph Magnus, thicker and oilier than the thinner One Eight. Nonetheless, this is delicious whiskey. A big thank you to @pkingmartin for introducing me to the distillery and providing this sample for me to review.