Tastes

Nose - mild peat smoke, salted caramel, pineapple, mild tequila with lots of lime, musty grass, juicy fruit that only just began to spoil. Taste - sweet, mild smoke, toffee, coffee, floral, grape jelly, peanut, plum, sherry casks definitely present themselves, finishing clean and slightly sweet with a hint of pipe tobacco. After trying this a few times, I’m raising my rating. This is a delicious scotch. Really looking forward to trying the 18 year.

Nose - traditional bourbon nose, heavy oak, light vanilla, grape (maybe cherry), brown sugar, buttery cinnamon, sweet burn. Taste - big tongue-drying bite, wood, vanilla, caramel, finishing pleasantly with a nice cinnamon send-off. All the standard bourbon flavors, but not much complexity. Solid bourbon that covers the essentials well.

Nose - sweet orange and cherry, vanilla, muted cinnamon, oak, caramel/toffee, butter frosting. Taste - mild cinnamon, cocoa, very oaky, coconut, sweet while in the mouth, finishing woody and sour. This bourbon is good, although I feel the oak overpowers the more subtle, complex flavors. I’ve tried this a few times now and found that it really opens up with a few drops of water and some extra time to air before drinking it. The aromas you get on the nose really begin to come through.

Nose - apple and pear juice, honey, very slight banana, mild vanilla and oak, overwhelming sweetness with almost no ethanol burn. Taste - honey, apple juice, pineapple, banana comes through more, bubble gum, very sweet, almost no bite, finishing at first pleasant and sweet turning a bit sour/bitter after 30-60 seconds. Very pleasant speyside blend, although fairly monotone and lacking depth and complexity.

Nose - sweet peat smoke, smoked meat, BBQ, apple, pear, brine, seaweed, honey, leather, wet tobacco, lemon zest, black pepper, oak notes, roasted nut, toffee, mild to moderate ethanol burn. Taste - sweet and savory peat smoke, toffee, smoked meat, apple, pear, lemon zest, mildly tannic oak, black pepper, leather, mint, tobacco, mild alcohol bite, finishing medium length with fading sweet peat, smoked meat, juicy pear, nutty toffee flavors. This is really tasty, if not a bit simple and mild for an Islay. The smoked meat note is the most present, but the salty, nutty, and fruity undertones give this is a nice, well-rounded profile. I’m not sure I’ll buy another bottle, as I think there are better options in the price range, but I would never be disappointed to sip this if offered.

Nose - waves of vanilla, sweet cream, butterscotch, oak, clove, orange, banana, tobacco, medium ethanol burn. Taste - sweet oak, juicy spearmint, slightly herbal, tobacco, definitely high proof, big bite, moderately tannic, sucks moisture off the tongue, but very pleasant, quickly turning warm, minty sweet, and comforting, lingering longer than expected. Really wonderful whiskey. I recommend adding a couple drops of water to cut the alcohol slightly.

Nose - oak, vanilla, caramel, brown sugar, nutmeg, peanut butter, banana, moderate/high ethanol burn. Taste - dusty corn sweetness, oak notes, caramel, vanilla, mild banana, maple syrup, subtle rye spice, young/bright alcohol bite, finishing medium-length and lingering brown sugar, peanut, and ethanol flavors. Unremarkable, but a solid value for under $20 a bottle. It also mixes well with Coke.

Nose - cherry cola, butterscotch, cocoa, vanilla, orange. Taste - rich sweetness, vanilla, rich dark chocolate, light oak, effervescent, strong but pleasant bite finishing sweet and clean with a beautiful chocolate send-off.

Nose - cherry, buttery cinnamon, caramel, vanilla, toffee, mild ethanol burn. Taste - cinnamon, baking spices, slight chemical sweetness, mild to moderate alcohol bite, finishing medium short with cherry, caramel, and baking spice flavors. Great nose, good taste, pleasant finish.

Nose - sweet caramel, cinnamon, vanilla, cherry, oak. Taste - cinnamon, floral, herbal, medicinal, spicy sweet finishing sour. This is a solid whiskey, but tastes more like a rye than a bourbon to me.