Tastes

Nose: Twiggy smoke, Islay peat, mist/fog (yep), background orchard fruits. Ralfy was right; Caol Ila is very sniffable and is "like an orchard on a cold day." A really beautiful nose. Palate: Disappointingly watery mouthfeel, but big flavor. Twiggy peat with heaps and heaps of black pepper, juicy pears and mild green apple, smoke, and salt at the tail end that is sometimes overbearing. Overall delightful taste. Finish: Pleasant, lingering warmth with peat smoke wafting gently by. Black pepper and SALT SALT SALT! Final Thoughts: I thoroughly enjoyed this, but I wanted to like it more. It's unique in that it's got one foot in speyside and the other on Islay, and it truly is delightfully warming and pleasant. However, it lacks a certain clout due to the watery mouthfeel and can be cloyingly salty at times. I imagine the cask strength would be a real stunner though.

Nose: Dense, sweet, pear-scented essential oil. Palate: SYRUPY, almost too much so. Bushels and bushels of fresh, juicy pears sliced open and generously doused with honey. Finish: Syrupy honey lingers past the fruit. Final Thoughts: Outstanding! Another KILLER Speysider, but very different orchardiness to it with more pear, lemon, and green apple.

Nose: Malty toffee, sweetness, the slightest whiff of green apple, slight band-aids, mild island peat, slight smoke. Palate: ROUND and full! Delicious, sweet arrival that evolves progressing to peat, smoke, and concluding with a mouthwatering dryness. So far, this is the only palate I've found myself craving when I haven't had it in a while. Finish: Malt, smoke, and island peat. Final Thoughts: One of the best entry-level scotches I've sampled. Confirms everything I've heard about it. Amazingly complex and delicious. A true gem.

Nose: Singular seaweedy iodine-infused peat. Unmistakable. Palate: Huge, intense, take-no-prisoners peat. This is the definition of a scotch kicking you square in the nuts and not apologizing for it. Once you get past the onslaught of peat, you'll discover a delightful sweetness and full bodied barley spirit. Finish: Long and smoky. Wet peat, salty sea air at the beach. Final Thoughts: A classic. An unforgettable experience. Come on, how could you not love this whisky? That is, once you get into peat. Also worth noting is that, despite the whisky boom, quality remains high.

Nose: Whoa! What?! What the hell is this?? Old metal toolbox? Sheeps wool? Oil? Unlike any other whisky I've had. Absolutely singular, but NOT for beginners. Palate: Springbank funk + peat. The peat is definitely of the rubbery sort like wet rainboots without much smoke influence like the Islayers. Be advised that you may hate this palate, but I personally find it engaging, deep, complex, interesting, and singular whisky. Finish: Yep. Final Thoughts: Unlike anything else being made today. Totally off-the-wall bizarre, but one of the most fun drams I've ever had. Highly recommended.

Nose: Leather, toffee, burning twigs, peating level that's "just right," and a medicinal note mixed with a note of moldy warehouse funk (what Ralfy calls "fusty"). Palate: Slightly sweet arrival, developing on leather, warehouse funk, and medicine. As far as flavor profiles go, this is as good as it gets! One of my favorites. Finish: Confirms the palate, and no off notes arise. Utterly satisfying. Final Thoughts: Simply one of the best mass-produced whiskies on the market today. Absolutely spectral and expansive flavor profile, delicious, and fun. What more could anyone ask for? Highly recommended.

Nose: Lovely peat, black pepper, that slightly appley fruit that smells like the Caol Ila stillhouse, flavorful barbecue smoke, and the wine finish adds an icing sugar sweetness and vanilla note over the top. Beautiful and elegant. Palate: Sweet syrupy fruit (pears) arrival, after which the peat arrives along with some black pepper. Finish: Peat rush to start, then black pepper, ash, then a medium spiciness. Final Thoughts: I have found that my appreciation of the moscatel-finished Caol Ilas is not shared by everyone, but I must say that I LOVE this stuff. I feel the moscatel compliments the Caol Ila profile beautifully and I find this a wonderful dram. One of my favorite wine finished drams. Bravo, Caol Ila!

Nose: Softer than it's 10 yo brother. More velvety and vanilla-ed. Palate: Typical Laphroaig 10 notes, but velvety smooth. More sweetness here and better integrated. However, if you like intense raw peat of the 10yo, this may disappoint you. Finish: Delightful smokey finish, shockingly well developed and full until the very tail end with no indication of the high ABV. Final thoughts: An experience, and a good one. If you want a velvety vanilla blanket over the Laphroaig 10yo, you'll love this. If you want Laphroaig at it's most intense, stick with the 10yo.

Nose: DENSE red fruitiness with black cherries predominating and intense wood, will burn your nose if you sniff too hard or too close! Palate: INTENSELY fruity with deep dark red notes of cherry. Slight sweetness too, but a surprising bitterness accompanies the fruitiness leaving this one a hair less accessible than it's 12yo cousin. Still, the characteristic Aberlour fruitiness is something to behold. Easily one of my favorite Speysiders. Fantastic. Finish: The fruits gradually dry out over a long long time into oaky bitterness. Final Thoughts: This is a BRUISER of a Speysider! One of the most flavorful scotches I've had, beautifully complex fruitiness, and a long finish make this dram well worth visiting and revisiting. I've never been disappointed by a bottle of a'bunadh. The more I sample it, the more I conclude that it is one of the very very best around.

Nose: Mellow, friendly, and leathery. Peat is not overpowering, but is definitely Islay. Ash, sherry, twigs, slightest hint of lime. Nothing stands out, well married. Palate: The arrival is sweet! Was NOT expecting that. Leather, Islay peat, mild iodine, and no burn whatsoever (categorically different from the Ardbeg "teeth"). Hugely flavorful without kicking you in the nuts. Delicious, warming dram that is well married and mellow. Amazing. Finish: Long long long and warming with a gentle heat. Leathery dryness lingers the longest. Final Thoughts: A revelation. Absolutely brilliant. Wonderful stuff. As much as I like the Uigeadail, this one, I have to admit, is in a different league. I'm officially jumping on this bandwagon. Lagavulin 16 is absolutely incredible.