Tastes

Nose: Floral, heather in the wind amidst barley and orange trees Palette: Honey, lemongrass, vanilla and cinnamon Finish: Long and enjoyable. Oak Tannins and rose petals

Eye: Dark Golden Brown Amber Nose: Stewed Spiced Plums; Honey, Vanilla, Butter Tongue: SO GOOD! Hitting all my Sherry-Bomb switches. Fig Newtons, cinnamon, baking spice, dark fruits baked pie. Finish: Long...sultanas, candied cinnamon, a bit of pepper on the back end. Overall: My favorite Sherry-Bomb! Better than Glendronach 18, Aberlour A’Bundah and Macallan 12 Sherry cask. Despite its youth and cask strength, this dram delivers a delicious sweet and spicy tasting experience that can last well over 2 minutes in your mouth. Amazing. I wanted to give it 5/5 but had to resist the perfect score as it is limited to 3993 bottles and does not leave an age statement. Otherwise, a perfect Sherry-Bomb.

Eye: Chardonnay Nose: Peat Monster indeed. This monster smells of wounds, old bandages, rubber cement, and iodine. Palate: Smoked fish, iodine, seaweed, medicinal vanilla, and tire rubber. Finish: Medium to long, wisps of smoke, and oddly vanilla. This lives up to the name. Peat is present throughout and it is a Monster. Ugly, hideous, and terrifying. Still, a unique experience worth a try but not a buy.

Eye: 14K liquid gold Nose: Freshly opened Sherry casks, with vanilla petals in the wind. Palate: Sherry on the front, with baked plums, with all-spice, sultana raisins, and dark cherry transforming quickly to luden’s cherry cough drops. Finish: Short side of medium with classic fruitcake spice, and lingering Sherry. I love Sherried Scotch and this blend is no different. Nothing close to a Sherry Bomb, but the presence is clearly noticeable from the nose to the finish. At 43% is it a bit on the light side and the oils do not quite coat the entire tongue. A shame it is isn’t at 46% as this gem could have scored a bit higher with greater depth. I would definitely drink this again.

Color: Honey Golden Brown Nose: Creme Brûlée with a sprig of mint Palate: Delicious. Apple pie a la mode flambé. Finish: Medium, sweet, and spicy Balance: More sweet than spicy but wonderfully so. Overall: One of my favorite Ryes in the world. Sweet baked honey apples with cinnamon. Caramel coating with vanilla and a hint of mint. The proof provides warmth without burning the palate. Definitely worth the price I paid.

Color: Maple Syrup Brown Nose: Charred Oak, vanilla, banana, and brown sugar Palate: Classic Bourbon profile, vanilla, tannins, cinnamon, caramel, and burnt banana fosters Finish: The spicy oak and cinnamon lingers long but the sweet Demerara sugars faded quickly Overall: A great, quality Bourbon with good mouth feel, and classic notes. The one dimensional finish and concentration of wood notes, are the only reason why it is not higher.

Color: Sunlight through Golden Grasses of Grain Nose: Green apples, grapes, heather, and with deep inhale, baking spice in the back of the throat Palate: Sweet creamy vanilla, honey comb cereal, oak tannins in the back with cinnamon nipping at your tonsils, if you still have them. Grass, leather, and smoke are present throughout. Finish: Long, warming, and inviting with pepper, cinnamon, citrus, and cardamom. Balance: It lives up to its name. Truly a great harmony of diverse yet complimentary flavors. It’s dangerous as the high ABV is not felt nor smelt. It did not require water though I will add 2 drops to the bottom of the dram and see what happens. Water: Nose became more floral, Rose, Geranium, African Violet. Palate:Complex, as water seems to enhance the fire on the tongue. Creamy cinnamon candy ice cream, with vegetal aftertaste, converging the sweet floral notes on the nose to more savory baking spice, oak tannins, and smoky leather. Finish: Just as long, salivating all the way. Overall: 4/5 this is an uncorking so the spirit can change with some time below the shoulder. I’ll report back if it does. Regardless, a truly enjoyable dram with a lot of layers and flavors. A deck it’s rebuy.

Delicious Sherry Bomb. Wish I had purchased a case. Eye: Dark burgundy brown Nose: Oloroso Sherry, Prunes, Raisins, Palette: Sherry Bomb, Sultanas, ripe Plums, a bit of oak. Great viscosity, mouth coating and warming. No hint of ethanol despite the 120+ proof. Finish: Long....Sherry, vanilla, oak, with Raisin Bran Best cask strength Sherry Bomb I’ve JD to date. My batch was #49. I will definitely be buying another should I find it.

Nose: Fruit forward, light whisper of strawberry, kiwi, lemon, with a pleasant floral bouquet, dusty oak back end and vanilla throughout. Hard to believe it’s 60.2% Palate: WOW! There’s that 60%! Spicy upfront, Creme brûlée in the middle, and vanilla creme puff on the sides after the spice dies down. There is oak on the back end. Finish: Medium to long with mineral water with lemon, oak, slightly metallic tang. Overall: What a great dram! Too bad it only comes in at 100ml sample.