Tastes

Received a bottle of this in celebration of the birth of my baby. Shy at first, let it open up. As it does, salted caramel predominates. With time, I smell peach candy, star anise, honeyed barley, and cinnamon yeast donut. The palate reveals more caramel, whispers of lemon cheesecake and dried strawberries, and an over wrought grape soda note. Generally, the palate is gentle, sweetly malty. Up to this point the dram is fine, nice even. But now, the finish feels unrefined. The alcohol feels untethered from the notes of the nose and palate. Yet more caramel, warming pipe tobacco, canned pineapple, and menthol show up in the finish, though they do not coalesce pleasantly. Though the price would not suggest as much, this single malt is just okay; it can be enjoyed casually, but don’t think about it too much.

I’ve always appreciated Arran – but this one is my favorite expression yet. The nose is a total bouquet: floral, polished wood, and the scent that fills the room when you open up a new package of Albanese gummy bears. The palate’s notes are tantalizing. I taste raisins, dried pineapple, malty donut, salted melon, mangosteen, and drying heather. It boasts all this while being well integrated. It is luxuriant but not avant garde, cool but not eccentric. The finish blossoms, spreading like a sun-kiss, with a surprising hint of sea spray. This whisky is emblematic of why I can’t (and don’t want to) get away from single malt scotch. It amazes me how one single malt can be so different and uniquely its own compared to one that is produced just a quick ferry ride away in Campbeltown, for instance. Scotch has so much to offer; the land and the craft have so much to offer.

Nicole, apparently my newest whisky pal, surprised me with a generous pour of this for my birthday. (Charles may have publicly suggested it, but she could have said no.) Short of a trip to Scotland, I’d likely not have been able to try this. I smell antique leather and sweet earthiness immediately. Charles astutely notices dewy water. On the palate, I sense green olives; Nicole notices that it’s briny. The antique leather note is consistent, while the earthiness morphs into a gentler peat flavor. I taste salted cashews as well. There’s a subtly sweet, red fruit note at play as well, something like overripe raspberry. But that sweetness is understated, quietly undergirding the earthy and briny flavors that keep expanding. Smoke and salinity unfurl on the skull shining finish. Steve is captivated by this as well, remarking on the opening effect of what I attribute to the abundant proofing of this whisky. This was a wonderful gift to experience with some of the best people around!

Split this bottle with @KoryH. The nose is creamy, mossy, brazen, dreamy. The only single malt quite like it in aroma is Ledaig 18, which was a very special bottle indeed. The resemblance ends there though, but not at a fault. The palate is earthy, rich, and saline. Oysters on the half shell are a prominent note along with glazed cashews, cacao, cola, and cake. A deliciously grapey malt sweetness supports it all. The oiliest mouthfeel remains strong and spiritous, while the smoldering finish brings a raspberry surprise with its unfailing burn. Given its strength, this is one of the rare occasions that I added water to a pour. With a few drops, it becomes sweeter and mellower, with lemon meringue, table grapes, stuffed olives, and paraffin joining the cake and oyster flavors. Reached the end of my half, whose last pour was paired with raw oysters from the Carolina coast, inspired by the notes I’d been tasting. A wonderful expression of Kilkerran.

I’d been wanting to try Glenglassaugh for a long time. This first bottle has been impressive. In the glass, this scotch is richly colored and shows the slightest ruby hue. The nose is delicate — and a delicacy. Malt and honey present themselves first, followed by black cherry preserves. A genuinely interesting and appealing wood stain note shows up too, along with a nice maritime scent. The principal theme of the palate is deliciously fruity, with pomegranate and strawberry tart coming to mind. Vanilla and oak offer a supporting motif, and a flourish of salinity rounds the edges. The mouthfeel boasts a creamy texture that offsets the salty aspect and adds depth to the red fruit. The finish is drying and oaken, salty and rich. Finesse is the name of this opus. I hope to experience it again soon. Reminiscent of other notable malts: on par with Mortlach, more interesting than Macallan.

I’d tried this in a Milwaukee restaurant many years ago but realized only recently I never wrote a note for it. Since I first tried it though, it has become a bottle I frequently have on hand. That this is Bruichladdich’s flagship offering speaks to its specialness as a distillery. The scent is coastal and floral in character, with enticing notes of peach colada, echinacea, lemon, and impressions of barley fields at dusk. The palate is lightly fruity, along the lines of citron and white peach, but interesting flavors of almond paste and toasty espresso are in the mix as well. The finish is toasty, fruity, and spiritous, with a citrus appeal at the end. A peach pit aftertaste lingers. Bruichladdich makes a fantastic choice crafting their scotch to 100 proof.

First offering I’ve had from Battlehill and it makes me really appreciate the independent bottling side of scotch. This peated Bunnahabhain smells youthful and barley forward. The nose is also tangy and offers an enticing sourdough yeast note along with peat, fresh thyme, and the scent of kilning earthenware. The palate reveals more thyme, lemon custard, hayfield in the rain, salted nuts (including a peanut note that is unique to my scotch experience). I also get sweeter notes of raspberry crème brûlée and pear ginger tart. The mouthfeel is just slightly oily against the backdrop of a remarkable peat moss clarity. The finish is impeccable, with a beautiful burn that leaves peat smoke on the palate as if begging not to be forgotten. Storied, considered, existentially interesting, and all that despite the relative age. A unique and interesting malt.

A delightful nose of dried papaya and banana and vanilla cream. The palate continues the tropical fruit notes and adds orange peel and nectarine. The flavors of the palate open further with lovely floral notes of heather, jasmine oolong, and even hempflower. At the same time, the barley foundation carries these lighter, fruity notes gracefully. There’s a paraffin mouthfeel, while the finish is refreshing and cleansing with a slightly salty but definitively floral accent. A delicious everyday Irish whiskey for an affordable price.

An accessible single malt, and while it’s not phenomenal, I’m more than satisfied by its quality. A sweet, fruity nose gives aromas of red currants, homemade cranberry sauce, and overripe black plum. The palate is sweet as well, with treacle, banana tart tatin, milk chocolate, and boxed raisins carrying it. Interesting notes of fennel frond, sunburnt leather, and smoked sausage show up as well. The raisiny, cherrywood finish is rather syrupy sweet. While smooth, it lacks the depth and power that a slightly higher ABV would remedy. A good bottle to keep around.

Scorch is a bold experiment whose outcome is far more interesting than the hypothesis could have imagined. The aromas allure: burnt vanilla sugar, a peat fire, dark chocolate, wild thyme, and chile ristra. On the palate, a surprise beyond: tart raspberry, smoky pepper, steamed langoustine, candied orange peel, and suggestions of tar. Morphing on the palate is a double vectored mouthfeel, as if the viscosity spreads out across every surface before lighting to an astringent, charcoal cleanness. The charring deceives, making it hard to believe the spirit is only 46 percent. Somehow the finish is smooth and mellow, sweet and smoky, leaving the raspberry, chocolate, and chili flavors dancing gently. I’m glad to have partaken in this discovery, shared with Charles in gratitude for his helping me paint a new home.