Tastes

Nose - apricot, butterscotch, fig, sultana, creme brûlée, lemon, lime, walnut, banana, honey, cinnamon, apple, moderate ethanol burn. Taste - fig, ginger, honey, apple, pear, pineapple, allspice, lemon zest, clove, bitter walnut, salted caramel, vanilla, dry oak, mild to moderate alcohol bite, finishing medium length with stone fruit, citrus zest, and drying oak flavors. At almost 40 years old, this is among the oldest spirits I’ve tasted. The nose is fruity, citrusy, and nutty. The source information doesn’t indicate whether a component was aged in a sherry cask, but I bet it was. The palate is nicely honeyed with a lemony ginger zing, some bitter nuttiness, and a borderline tannic, oaky finish. Overall this is solid whiskey, but those strong citrus and bitter notes rain on an otherwise tasty parade. Nonetheless, it’s always a treat being able to try something this old. Many thanks to @jonwilkinson7309 for providing the sample!

Nose - mushroom, bell pepper, apple, light peat, cereal grain, sulphur, lemon oil, honey, mild to moderate ethanol burn. Taste - honey, fungal notes, sulphur, apple, pear, cereal grain, oily peat, lemon pith, white pepper, caramel, candy corn, vanilla, mild to moderate alcohol bite, finishing short with cereal grain, honey, and fungal flavors. I’ve never tried a Cutty Sark product before, but I understand that this release contains a different blend of grains and malts, along with being bottled at a higher 50% ABV. The nose is pretty rough. The standout aromas are grain, oil, and mushroom. The sulphur dominates the other more subtle notes like honey, apple, and pear. The palate is particularly oily, with more fungal sulphur alongside grain, orchard fruit, and stale candy corn flavors. This is not good, but it’s not horrific either. I thought I was smelling a tequila like Corralejo at first. There are some pleasant blended malt qualities, but those oily, mushroomy, sulphuric notes overwhelm the senses. Safe to say, I won’t be picking up one of these anytime soon. Many thanks to @ContemplativeFox for providing the generous sample!

Nose - butterscotch, cherry, cola, vanilla, polished oak, leather, sweet tobacco, orange, baked apple, lemon, black pepper, dill, cinnamon, nutmeg, dark chocolate, coffee, musky deodorant, moderate to high ethanol burn. Taste - butterscotch, vanilla, cinnamon, allspice, orange zest, clove, lemon, spearmint, leather, tobacco, green pepper, dark chocolate, sweet floral notes, rich oak, cherry, brown sugar, moderate alcohol bite, finishing medium long with butterscotch, baking spice, peppery vegetal, and oak flavors. This is the third Four Roses Small Batch release I’ve tried. The standard offering was lackluster. The Select was pretty good. I’m expecting that this will be very good, or at least that’s what the $150 MSRP and $400+ secondary prices would indicate. The nose is rich, fruity, spicy, and complex. There’s a strong butterscotch aroma, backed by citrus, red fruit, and chocolate. It’s also rather herbal with some nice high rye pepper, dill, and a note that reminds me of my grandfather’s deodorant when I was a child. The palate brings the fruity sweetness, but there’s even more spicy, herbal, minty, vegetal qualities. The finish lingers nicely with spicy, oaky flavors fading slowly. This is great whiskey. It checks all the boxes for an old, high rye, Kentucky bourbon. Personally though, I have the same issues here that I did with the other Small Batch releases. The strong herbal, vegetal attributes detract from my enjoyment, although this is surely a subjective preference problem and not an issue with the quality. A huge thank you to @PBMichiganWolverine for providing the generous sample! This is a unicorn bottle that I appreciate being able to try.

Nose - toffee, vanilla, cherry, buttery cinnamon, nutmeg, orange, cocoa, toasted almond, dry oak, herbal notes, black pepper, moderate ethanol burn. Taste - caramel, vanilla, sour apple, leather, tobacco, lemon oil, spearmint, orange, butter, tannic oak, peanut, cinnamon, clove, bitter herbal notes, moderate alcohol bite, finishing medium short with tannic oak, rye spice, and bitter herbal flavors. I haven’t tried many Four Roses offerings. I believe this is my third. The Small Batch was disappointing and the Single Barrel was pretty good. Let’s see how this one compares. The nose is moderately rich, but there’s nothing particularly noteworthy. It has the standard bourbon aromas with some buttery, toasty qualities in the mix as well. The palate is decent. It’s obviously a high rye bourbon, as it’s rather minty and herbal. The finish is rather dry, herbal, and unfortunately a bit sour as well. Overall this is good bourbon, but it doesn’t really stand out in any way. While I enjoy the extra kick that comes from the rye component, it turns slightly too vegetal and sour for my bourbon preferences. At $60 a bottle, I don’t think you’re getting a good value. I’d take the Single Barrel at $10 less over this one.

Nose - strawberry jam, anise, earthy mint, cocoa, currant, caramel, vanilla, black cherry, plum, clove, allspice, cinnamon bark, dry oak, mild to moderate ethanol burn. Taste - strawberry jam, spearmint, clove, anise, cranberry, butterscotch, vanilla, cherry, plum, cinnamon, sour oak, orange zest, moderate alcohol bite, finishing medium length with jammy red fruit, mint, spearmint, anise, and baking spice flavors. It’s Christmas Eve, and this whiskey has visions of sugar plums dancing through my head. I bought the bottle last year and haven’t had more than a few pours of it since. Let’s hope it keeps the Christmas spirits high. The nose is minty and jammy. Dark red fruits abound with a heavy dose of anise and other baking and rye spices. The palate keeps the mint train rolling, offset with those same dark red, jammy fruits, bark spices, and sour, almost tannic oak. Well this is good, but I really wanted to like it more. The aromas and flavors are nice, but something’s off. It’s slightly sour and generally feels like it’s lacking some necessary depth. The finish also misses the mark and is borderline thin. Overall, this profile had a lot of potential, but the execution just doesn’t deliver. It seems I’ve missed the glory days of MWND releases. I spent $110 on this bottle last year, and it’s not worth it. I can’t speak for the newest act, but it probably doesn’t deserve a pickup at anymore than retail.

Nose - toffee, dark chocolate, coffee, vanilla, orange, black cherry, spearmint, leather, tobacco, peanut butter, black pepper, rich oak, allspice, nutmeg, apple, moderate ethanol burn. Taste - salted caramel, brown sugar, coffee, dark chocolate, orange, rich oak, cinnamon, vanilla, leather, pretzel, spearmint, black pepper, tobacco, hazelnut, black cherry, moderate alcohol bite, finishing medium long with caramel, rich oak, dark chocolate, and caking spice flavors. In a previous blind tasting, I remember trying this and thinking it was really good, but not amazing. Granted, I was multiple drinks into the evening, and this was up against some other very strong offerings. So let’s see how it fares in a more controlled environment. The nose is beautiful. It’s reminiscent of a Texas bourbon. Rich, bold, and robust. It’s very dark with toffee, chocolate, coffee, and leather aromas front and center. The palate is powerful, but not too bright. The salted caramel note is really nice. It begs you to pick up the glass and take another sip. This sample is evaporating way too quickly. Well this is stunning bourbon, and the profile is right in the sweet spot for me. If I have to find a fault, I wish it were a bit more mature on the palate. At almost 60% ABV, this drinks slightly bright and right around its proof. Still I want a bottle, but unfortunately they’re $400 on the secondary now, so that won’t be happening anytime soon. It would be an instant buy at the $150 MSRP. Regardless, this is an outstanding whiskey that’s worth the high price tag. Many thanks to @pkingmartin for treating me to this one twice. Second time was the charm.

Nose - smoked herbal notes, anise, clove, apple, dill, caramel, dry vanilla, mint, white pepper, black cherry, orange, mild to moderate ethanol burn. Taste - bitter herbal notes, dill, rubber, anise, clove, black pepper, salted caramel, sour apple, spearmint, ginger, moderate alcohol bite, finishing medium short with spearmint, anise, and bitter herbal flavors. Wow this is a weird rye. I’ve never tried anything like it. The nose is vegetal, herbal, and smoky. It’s akin to burning a pile of fresh cooking herbs. It’s rather dry and astringent, but some fruit can be found, somewhat along the lines of apple and black cherry with a touch of orange. The palate is equally jarring. Did they age this in a first-fill pickle barrel? Dill abounds. It’s also minty, salty, and maybe even rubbery or fishy. Who knows. I’m well into uncharted flavor territory. This is a difficult one to rate. There is a lot of complexity here, which adds to the intrigue. Though in the end, it’s a bit thin, bright, bitter, sour, and off in some unpleasant ways. Nonetheless, it’s really cool being able to try such a unique whiskey. Many thanks to @ContemplativeFox for providing the sample!

Nose - earthy peat, charred orange zest, light sulphur, peach, lemon meringue, grape, spoiled cream, hay, sugar cookie, pineapple, mild to moderate ethanol burn. Taste - citrusy peat, peach, spoiled cream, lemon, orange zest, sulphur, brine, caramel, mint, decaying floral notes, sour apple, mild to moderate alcohol bite, finishing medium long with fresh peat, lemon, and light sulphur flavors. Other than a single taste of the Kilkerran 12 Year a while back, this is the first real experience I’ve had with the brand. I’m anticipating something Springbanky, but probably not quite as good. And I think that’s what we have here. The nose is Campbeltown funk lite. There’s earthy peat, a hint of pencil eraser sulphur, overripe stone fruit, and rotten citrus. The palate brings some spoiled cream and fruit, a touch of brine, and generalized notes of organic decay. This is slightly more challenging than the Glen Scotia 16 Year, but I like it about the same. However, it falls short of the majority of Springbank products I’ve tried, including the standard 10 Year. It hits a lot of those classic Campbeltown aromas and flavors, but they’re shallower, sourer, and more incomplete than I had hoped. And while the finish lingers nicely, the mouthfeel is on the thin side. A big thank you to @Richard-ModernDrinking for providing the generous sample!

Nose - strawberry, raisin, butterscotch, coffee, vanilla, dark chocolate, lime, black cherry, mint, clove, star anise, rich oak, mild to moderate ethanol burn. Taste - strawberry, ginger, lime, raisin, lemon zest, clove, star anise, butterscotch, cardamom, vanilla, cherry, cranberry, black pepper, bitter oak, moderate alcohol bite, finishing medium length with candied red fruit, butterscotch, and baking spice flavors. This particular bottling is a 10 Year bourbon sourced from MGP, finished by Litchfield in port casks, and proofed to 50%. The nose has red berries front and center. Actually, it has the same citrusy berry note I find on a bottle of Del Maguey Tobala mezcal I have. The high rye bourbon notes are in the background with some butterscotch, coffee, star anise, and baking spices presenting. The palate hits those same red berry notes with a heavy dose of citrus and some bitterness on the mid palate leading into the finish. This is definitely a port-finished bourbon, one of the better I’ve tried. The red berry notes are really nice, but the sourness and bitterness on the palate hold it back for me. Still, I’d happily drink this most days, and the profile seems particularly fitting for the Christmas season. A big thank you to @jonwilkinson7309 for the generous sample!

Nose - honey, pear, apple, orange blossom, fig, peach, caramel, vanilla cream, cinnamon, grass, cashew, honeysuckle, mild ethanol burn. Taste - pear, apple, honey, white pepper, lemon zest, light oak, bitter walnut, caramel, vanilla, mint, ginger, grass, sweet floral notes, honeysuckle, grape, mild to moderate alcohol bite, finishing medium length with honey, orchard fruit, and walnut flavors. I bought this bottle on a whim last year. I’d never heard of the distillery, but the few things I read about it looked promising. The nose is dominated by honeyed orchard fruits. There’s some light caramel, creamy vanilla, and a nice nuttiness as well. The palate is very similar, with a pleasant fruitiness, more citrus influence than on the nose, and a walnut bitterness or possibly some grape skin tannins, leading to an equally pleasant, lingering finish. So your friends who hate whiskey probably won’t hate this one nearly as much. It’s gentle, fruity, and unassuming. There’s really nothing wrong here, but it’s just not my preferred style of single malt. I can totally understand why this would receive very high ratings though. If you’re a fan of fruity, floral, light whiskies like Dalwhinnie, I think you’ll love this one. For me, it’s very good but I can’t go higher than that.