Tastes

Strawberry jam and wild rose on the nose. Honey comb, raspberries and cream oatmeal, and decadent yellow cake. Best of all, it manages all of these impressions without coming off as saccharine.

Pine sap, wood polish, hazelnut, strong and elixir like.

A joint note brought to you by K-dog and Da-monster. Candy corn in taste and mouthfeel, menthol, sweet corn, movie popcorn butter.

This scotch is infinitely unique, esoteric even. There’s a lot going on, and it’s all intense. The nose is an anchor to this intensity, sporting a nice lemony clarity, with undertones of peat moss, hay, nutritional yeast, ocean spray, and chestnut. The palate is slightly less integrated, with a vivacious array of flavors: yellow fruit, cardamom, roasted Kalamata olives, hints of chocolate, and salted cantaloupe. A dynamic barrel spice reveals notes of fresh ginger and Ceylon cinnamon and lends itself to a tangy addition to an otherwise oily mouthfeel. The smoky and cacao-like finish is a slow and hearty burn that you feel in your chest. While I live for an intense and truly singular whisky, I also enjoyed it with the rare addition of a few drops of water, which mellowed it down a bit. The nose exchanges that clarity for a more iodine feel. The palate becomes more muted, elevating sweeter cinnamon and cantaloupe notes along with candied ginger. A sweet pipe smoke finish rounds it out. This is a bottle that forces patience and plenty of space, kind of like a dear friend that you love and appreciate but whose energy requires some downtime in between visits (am I that friend…?).

Second best rye whiskey I’ve ever tasted, after Five Fathers. Smells like an old tobacco barn. Delectable notes of apple cherry tart, artisanal root beer, fresh black fig, oatmeal cream pie. Drying, woody finish with sherry sweetness.

Lemongrass, smoke, vanilla cake, dried kelp, and a citrus flourish. A nice, reliable peated whisky for any day.

Light and sweet nose of green pear, fresh marjoram, mint leaf. The palate is spritely and youthful with notes of lemon peel and sour cherry. Some depth is added with the flavor of vanilla, while there is also a wool note reminiscent of Deanston. Aftertaste of cookie dough. Empty glass smells like a cigar fresh out of the wrapper. A decent everyday scotch, especially apt for spring weather.

Among the darkest and most popping whiskies I’ve laid eyes on — a rich garnet color with a plummy tint. The nose is tantalizing — pepperoni, peat reek, salty honey pie, dried chile, leather polish, smoked honey. The palate boasts balsamic reduction, maduro cigar, fresh ginger, overripe raspberry, and candied blood orange. The finish is a flourish of flavor, spicy, sizzling, smoky, sea-salty, and spirited. Aftertaste of smoky-sweet chile ancho.

Grateful to get a taste of this hard-to-find whisky. Hibiscus flower and warming vanilla on the nose. Banana Runts on the palate, immediately discernible. Vanilla, again, and yellow cake with buttercream frosting. Yet the grain cuts the sweetness and lifts these sweeter notes to the floral register. Sweet and remarkably smooth barley finish that is decadent while not cloying. Thanks for sharing this gem, Kory.

Sample from Kory. This one, sadly, did not live up to the hype for me. It’s a good, everyday whisky. Citrus pith, sweet vanilla, and barrel spice on the nose. Pomander ball and peach rings on the palate. Finish is a flourish of spice and bright fruit.