Tastes

Waited till this went on sale $27 then scooped it up. There seems to be a lot of disappointment compared to the 12 yr version. I never tried the 12 but this is supposedly 8yr which is still good by todays standards. Poured neat, good coating and legs. Nose is fantastic! Dark brown sugar, toasted marshmallows, little bit of baking and rye spice with some dusty oak. Very fresh and fragrant. Mouthfeel is thin but soft. Palate comes in hot with spicy cinnamon and caramel, nutmeg, rye dough and hefty black pepper oak. Its vibrant and aggressive flavor verging on harsh but walks the line. Finish is long oak and char with peppery heated cinnamon. This is spicy bourbon yet balanced with sweetness and oak. IMO it delivers on the profile of Four Roses single barrel without the excessive pepper and wood. .......84/100

First Willet product ive had. Seen some positive review on the higher proof bourbons so hopeful, $27 could be a bargain. Poured neat, good thick legs. Nose is unique with big red gum with fruity overtones, dusty wood and vanilla frosting. The 107 has a tinge of ethanol. Palate is a rush of atomic fireball, red hots and clove with some rye spice and oak rounding out. The most cinnamon heavy bourbon ive ever had. Finishes long with raw hot smoky cinnamon, rye spice and malty oak fading slowly dry. This is unlike any bourbon Ive had, in fact doesn't even taste like traditional bourbon to me. The 107pf brings a lot of flavor and it lasts but will probably be polarizing for most. Has some qualities I really like but overall not exactly what I want out of a bourbon..... 74/100 as I doubt I would repurchase....... Those who enjoy Fireball or other cinnamon whiskies should look this one up

This is very similar to their blended scotch Pigs nose which is decent. This is better........Poured neat , nose is bready malt, some light apple cinnamon and tea leaves with a bit of barrel and char. Palate is more of the same with sweet malt, oaky dough and char. Maybe a wisp of smoke but more like the fire's been out a long time. Finish is drying malt and char with wood notes that linger. Overall I find it pretty enjoyable. Vatted malt so no grain harshness to deal with. However its a little pricey(for malt blend) at mid to high 30's. Deanston virgin oak is in this profile, tastes better imo and is less$. Still Im not disappointed with Sheep Dip and even give it a recommend score of 81/100...........If you find it for decent price worth a shot if you like malty "scotchy" scotch

Ok so Ive already reviewed this. Just wanted to post bottle kill(no need to like- just comments if you want). Ive been going back to back with Laphroaig Lore. Weep for me as both bottles are now gone. Im hedging my bet to this over the Lore though both are fabulous. Thing is I drink the whole bottle not just a sample so I can get multiple impressions. No its not around long enough for oxidation to do much but nonetheless from an unashamed drinkers perspective this edges the Lore. It will come down to preference as usual but this is 20-50 less$... you decide

Well I think the 12 yr GD is great ($60ish). The amazing 15 yr though more $ is absolutely worth it ($90ish). I paid $173 out the door(most ive spent on a bottle) for this 18y and honestly have no regrets, zero buyers remorse. While I completely understand the concept of diminishing returns this scotch is so exquisite and utterly magnificent it somehow easily justifies its pricetag. Poured neat the nose is candied fruits, crumb cake, decadent caramelized brown sugar/dark toffee with orange marmalade,refined malt and mature oak. It is very complex and adding a drop or two will awaken even more. Luscious mouthfeel leads palate of dense aged malt, thick toffee and fudge with supporting sherried fruits and sweet smooth barrel. Repeated tasting reveals hints of honeydew, macadamia and leather. Very rich rewarding scotch if you take your time. There is no sharpness, no spike its so restrained yet bursting with flavor at same time. Finish is forever with melted caramel, malt, faded fruits, nuts and slightly drying oak giving balance. Make no mistake this is heavenly nectar that anyone who claims to enjoy scotch should at some point try. I don't think a pour is even close to enough, buy a bottle and explore.......97/100.......best scotch ive had to date. Im sure spending more, maybe much more will surpass this but alas we come back to diminishing returns. All I know is this- This GD18 is $173 well spent........side note: 84 for a score here is a fucking joke

Final entrant in the cask finish BM. Cognac and Madeira were both 6-9yr blends. This guy is only 9-10 so age stated 9yr. I don't know if its the extra 3 years or the sherry finish but DAMN this is easily better than the others and I really liked the Madeira. This has a refinement and richness along the lines of high end scotch. The easy smoothness of the deep dense flavors set it apart. Poured neat, nose is succulent fruits, light maple and salted caramel with some nuts and oak. The rye is present but in check as well as ethanol . Palate is scrumptious with dark fruit, maple fudge, melted toffee, oak, butter and rye spice all tied together with a cohesiveness you have to taste to understand. This is bourbon for scotch lovers. Tastes more like it was sourced from Glendronach rather than MGP. Finish is long with the palate ringing true without going dry or bitter. Sweet toffee, some cigar leaf and buttery oak for miles. The overall experience is quite impressive. Really no discussion whether to purchase full bottle at price(70-80$). I will have this as BM is a unique profile on its own and well worth the base offering. This sherry finish 9yr takes it to another level and is elite imo......95/100... Easy recommend and purchase despite lower proof...That's another thing most of my top bourbons are high proof bruisers this one here doesn't need that to deliver the goods.

Second of cask finish trio. Ok now we are getting somewhere. I like this much more than the cognac finish. Deep rich color, thick pungent nose, heavy handed flavors and long finish. Poured neat, nose is meaty dark red fruits(mainly black cherry), sweet pipe tobacco, salted nuts and varnished oak. Let it air out and in comes some super ripe peach and the spicy rye nudges its way in too. Mouth feel on all the Belle Meades is very good no exception here. Palate is healthy smack of toffee, cherry and spicy rye. There's dark chocolate, nuts and sweet barrel. Its full of long lasting flavors that carry to finish. Cocoa and molasses with rye and oak ride off into the sunset. The fruits linger in the background to complete the show. Tad hot for proof but so good it doesn't matter. This is very similar to some of the better Old Forester variants so if you like OF100 or 1920 you will most likely be a fan. Is it worth the high price tag($70-80) well that's up to you. I think its more complex and refined than OF and the bottle has improved dramatically since opening so I just may spring for the 750ml of this..........90/100......Leaves only the sherry finish and L&G we have a clear winner

Got the three pack gift set of BM cask finishes. 375ml bottles for 89$ not a bad deal to try all 3. This is first up and you guessed it the lowest of the three. This is not a major demerit as its still quite good. Poured neat, nose is rich and sweet. Candy cigarettes , mini marshmallow and honey blend with a floral essence and waxed hardwoods. Glass at rest yields butterscotch and rye spice with just a pinch of dill. Palate is spicy rye with bullseye crème caramels and polished oak. The vanilla is robust and tasty. The floral vibe envelopes the whole experience and has cognac like qualities. Finish is drying oak, lingering vanilla and rose petals. It drinks a little hot for proof but I kinda like that anyway in a spicy bourbon such as this. Overall cask profile is not my first choice and doesn't warrant normal full bottle price tag for me(around$70). Glad I tried it, I like it a lot but not enough to buy it...........87/100.....if this was 40-50 id be all over it

Got this on sale for $ 38 been wanting to try for long time. Its aged 6-8 years and is high rye bourbon. Its actually 30% which is higher than most. Here's what Greenbrier says...... “To ensure that no other Bourbon in the world tastes like Belle Meade Bourbon, we created a proprietary blend using two different high-rye content mash bills and two complementary yeast strains from barrels aged between 6 to 8 years. Each batch of our proprietary blend consists of just 4 barrels and creates the signature flavor profile that makes Belle Meade Bourbon the award-winning Bourbon of choice for the discerning whiskey drinker.” Here's what I say.....Poured neat, nice amber color and good glasscoat. Nose leaps out of glass with spicy caramel, black cherries, old leather, dusty books and wood with brown sugar. Kinda reminds me of a sweeter more vibrant Bulleit. Thick oily mouthfeel brings palate of bold rye, melted butter, spicy oak and rich cherry vanilla. Has a note to it that reminds me of cherry pop rocks or Dr Pepper. Some nice heat but not harsh. Its aggressive but balanced. Finish is lingering polished wood and cinnamon with cola fading to dry heavy oak. After some time enjoying the bottle I quite like it.... its different. This is sourced from mgp but the aging and blending has vastly influenced this bourbon imo. The oily texture and combo of sweet and spicy has won me over .........86/100... yes its a little overpriced but I don't care, its bursting with flavor and has a unique profile. Will need to get some of the special cask finishes now......(have since purchased 3 pack 375ml of all three cask finish versions...reviews to follow)

As a massive Islay fan Ive read reviews on this and its heralded as some amazing shit. Is it hype or warranted we shall see. Found it at specs for 83$(great price). Poured neat, the Lap heritage is evident on the nose with salt cured bacon roasting in a fire pit, bandaids, menthol and malt just leaping out of the glass supported by ocean driftwood and dense peat smoke. Let it sit a bit and you can pull some anise and clove like spice. Rich and pungent yet ethanol is ghosted. Mouthfeel is diesel thick with palate bursting at the seams. You cannot take it all in on initial taste too much going on. Have to parse it out over subsequent samplings. Deep rich smoky malt, bbq meats, mentholated pinewood, vanilla frosted donut with creamed dark roast coffee power through your senses. Im sure if I wait this out I can pick out much more but its so damn delicious I want to take another pull. Finish is long extension of palate never going dry or tannic just maintaining and sustaining your complete enjoyment of this dram. Salty smoked meats with malt and peat enduring along side aged timbers. The cooling menthol is amplified with a drop if you choose. I can break it down based on the Laphroaig ive had. The 10yr is great and value is very high. The quarter cask is better and worth the upcharge. This is on another level and worth the $$ imo if you want to get the best Laphroaig experience under $100. I fear Im falling into the trap of high cost scotch but the old adage is true here you get what you pay for.....96/100.......pure concentration of flavors and complete lack of off notes or ethanol issues is the difference in pricing levels. Not quite on Lag 16 complexity level imo and Oogie is still a tough out but this is most certainly a major contender with tremendous depth and power