Tastes

Have seen many positive reviews on this so I went ahead and got it for $33 on sale. This is sourced bourbon though they will be producing their own soon. Poured neat, good legs and nice mouthfeel. Nose has vanilla, black cherry and a touch of rye spice. Some heat on the nose but not overbearing. Palate is sweet vanilla with cherry oak, mild caramel nuttiness and heat. Not a lot of body but the cherry vanilla is focused. Finish is medium with spice, oak and lingering sweetness. It runs a little hot as the proof doesn't expand and bloom the flavors just adds heat. My preference leans to the sweet side but would not repurchase. Its not bad, just not enough complexity, balance or depth to warrant price......71/100.....I paid $33 but at $40 or more there are so many better choices for same or less just steer clear imo

Second Total Wine scotch I purchased. Not much info anywhere on this one so going in blind. Its peated and has 8yr age statement so how bad can it be? Poured neat, nose has dusty cardboard, bread dough and mild smoky honey with malt. Palate begins with more smoky dusty honey malt but adds a touch of fruit and a yeasty note. It would be quite good but it lacks any power or depth so the thin taste just flutters around and your left wanting more. Couple drops of water opens it up a bit. Finish is ok with lingering smoke, black pepper ,gentle doughy malt and drying charred wood. I find peated scotches always finish well as the smoke notes carry for a while. This is a decent smoky scotch. Nothing great, but for newbies this is a good intro. Peatheads should open the wallet and go up the food chain to the big guys for their smoke fix. Since Im already there I will not repurchase but this is not bad..............75/100

First Lowland scotch ive had. Had Famous Grouse smoky black in my hand and thought...every time I buy a blended scotch I ***** about the grain alcohol so I put it back and got this. Glad I did. Poured neat, nose is a melon bomb. Cantaloupe mainly but some honeydew as well. Holiday spices , sweet malt and honey as well, all very fresh. Palate delivers on the nose with a punch of malty melon with some spicy zest and gentle oak. Has some mandarin notes too as listed on bottle. This is a wonderful unique single malt! Finish is long with all the fruits hanging on with the malt, spice and honey oak. The oak does build through the dram. No off notes or bitterness arrive leaving a warm pleasant aftertaste. This is not a heavy hitter at 80 proof yet the flavors while thin are not lacking. Its on the lighter side(kinda Irish like) of the spectrum but anyone who enjoys scotch or Irish should give this a go............84/100.....easy drinking spicy and fruity delight.

Budget single malt under $30 and peated too, sign me up. Poured neat, light color in glass. Nose has peat but its more of the medicinal bandaid variety. Some smoke too and olive brine. Dig deep and youll get malt, dusty cardboard and just a hint of orchard. Kinda mild but ok. Palate is malt with some smoke and char. Its a bit diluted at 80pf but what you get is decent flavor. Does make for an easy drinker. Finish is smoky with charred meat, some wood notes and far away malt. Islay lovers and hardcore peatheads can probably pass, this is more suited for a beginner. Lets be real though its still scotch with peat so its not bad in my book. Plus this is the malt that gives Teachers its smoke. Call it introductory peaty scotch that's good value for the $$...........78/100.......not a repurchase but if you've never had peat this is low cost option to get your feet wet. Still better than most blends

Lots of hoopla and high praise for this rye so I had to get it plus Im a fan of KC bourbon. ( side note: I cant stand the waxy seal Knob Creek uses! I digress) Poured neat, nice rich color with thick legs. Nose is Bulleit bourbon like with heavy leather, varnish, dusty cardboard and wood all laced with tea leaves, dry rye spice and toasted dill. Not a lot of sweetness, some light apple and cinnamon which makes palate quite jarring. Thick creamy mouthfeel brings an explosion of flavor! Excellent rye spice dough with candy apple and smoky cinnamon come rushing in along with sweet oak and char. Absolutely fantastic!! Delivers much more sweetness and depth than nose indicates and 100pf is not an issue at all. Even has the Knob Creek RC cola note. Finish is long with charred oak, fading rye dough with cinnamon, maple and faint dill. This is some serious rye. It stands shoulder to shoulder with mighty Pikesville. Just so much flavor assaulting the palate.........87/100.......... I love it when the taste is so much more than the smell, doesn't happen often but awesome when it does.

The heart malt for JW Gold this highland is known for its waxy texture and feel. It does not disappoint. Poured neat the nose is fruity(lotsa pear)and malty with candle wax and toasted barrel. Palate is true to nose adding honey and some floral aspects to round out. Very enjoyable mouthfeel. Im sure Im subconsciously interjecting more waxy notes than are really there but hey it works for me. Finish is nice malty dry barrel and lingering fruit with a whisp of smoke. This is along the lines of Craigellachie13 with the fruity malt and meaty feel. Not quite the equal but close........90/100

Had the Ezra 90pf and enjoyed it quite a bit. Great value. Saw this on closeout for $17.99 so why not. Neat, color is several shades darker than the 90 pf. Has good legs and glass coat. Noses caramel, vanilla and some dusty resin... fuller than the 90. For 101pf ethanol is not an issue. Palate is similar to EB90 with nutty caramel, pepper and oak but extra proof and age have amped it up. Carries more heat for sure but sweetness is increased, This is similar to Old Forester100(not as good though), I like it. Medium finish with cinnamon nutty oak and caramel. Not as dry as EB90. Its bolder and deeper with the 101 kick. For the money this is excellent. Ezra Brooks is a can't miss imo 90 or 101. Overall this is better than the standard 90pf imo(I did side by side tasting). I appreciate the extra age, robust flavor bump and lessening of dryness. 80/100.......... However, I can understand going with the 90pf as it is less $$ and still very good.

This is a bit different from most Islays. Much more subtle and refined. Poured neat , nose is complex with of course smoke but its restrained and mellow. Malt and wood, a floral quality, some raw carrot, bowling alley shoe spray along with salty ocean breeze and medicinal overtones round it all out. The palate is soft smoke and malt with an earthy peat quality with some vanilla sweetness and ground coffee. Again the refinement and nuance is unlike traditional Lap and Ard. Finish is dry barrel and long trailing smoky, salty malt with a dash of pepper. This is a thoughtful Islay. Instead of being walloped with peat and smoke you are only caressed and gently approached. Another thoroughly delicious Islay what a shock......91/100........ Im addicted to peated scotch its soooo good

Continuing with high quality Islay single malts this is unpeated( well a small amount 5ppm or so) and sherry finished. Most are peat and smoke dominant so this was a must try. Its un chill-filtered with natural color which is a plus imo. Poured neat, rich dark color with sticky legs. Noses deep dark fruits, sugared figs and dates, very meaty. Slight earthy malt note. I find the sherry finish very prominent. Oily thick mouthfeel leads palate of pure malt with sherry fruit notes. Has just a touch of smoke and sweet wood. Comes across silky, soft and subtle but is complex and intriguing. You want that next sip to continue exploring. Flavor is just dripping off your taste buds. The finish on this is fabulous, very long with sweet oak and malt and a smoky coffee note( I think small amounts of peat cause this). Alcohol burn is non existent as this is buttery smooth. Doesn't have the powerhouse flavor delivery of a Bruichladdich but has a lot going on with so much flavor and great depth. Sort of a "speak softly and carry a big stick" situation. It wont smack you in the face but will creep up on you until you realize that wow this stuff is amazing! I would lean toward Classic Laddie however this is an easy purchase and certain keeper. I paid $50 on sale and feel I got great value!........93/100........If you appreciate scotch you should try this......elegant and sophisticated

Had this a couple years back, wanted to revisit. Poured neat, good glass coat with thin legs. Nosing this is like sitting in an old study or den. You get chesterfield sofa leather, dusty books, wood ring with seasoned oak and heavily varnished flooring. There is some rye spice and a light vanilla sweetness. Palate is heated with initial caramel vanilla that gets overcome by heavy spice( raw cinnamon,clove,rye) and dominant wood. Body is thin but flavor is strong. Finish is drying oak and spice that has some bitterness. Its not overly harsh but wont be mistaken for smooth. More spicy than sweet. This is not comfort whiskey or dessert whiskey, this stuff wants to kick your ass.This is what they are going for I think with "Frontier whiskey"... in this regard they nailed it and I appreciate the effort. It presents a different profile from the usual suspects and is better than standard Jack and Jim and others....81/100