Tastes

Warm buttery caramel, moist cornbread, juicy Valencia oranges hang in the background, orchard fruits, red apple, vanilla cream soda, delicious grassy rye notes lays it on heavy with very little grainy bitterness, a little ground black pepper, allspice lingers on the upper palate, nutty, quite a bit of leather. The orange flavors round off the finish like a great Russell's. Definitely a wild turkey. Have been very satisfied with this company's products.

Pungent Sherry nose, though the PX feels a bit more subdued. Poached pears, light rubbery vanilla (asphalt), sawdust, gritty cereal grains, breakfast biscuit, Highland brine has a bite to it but not the savory salt flavor I like, plenty of European oak pepper, grassy, vague dried fruit notes, very dry and astringent. This used to be one of the best scotches <$100. Raw cereal gains and an astringent metalic/mineral aftertaste persist. Oxidized a bit and faded white chocolate, tart raspberry, faint Sherry prunes and leather notes came out. I can see it here as a lesser imitation of yesteryear's Macallan. Utterly underwhelming compared to what this product used to be. Huge decline in quality, value and fidelity across the whole <$100 scotch market over the last decade IMO. This tastes more along the lines of Johnnie Walker swill. Reading the other reviews, it seems either I got a bad batch or there's a bit of old product still circulating; color of mine is golden flax. Taste profile still doesn't match prior experience. I guess if you want something similar that I would actually recommend, try anCnoc, Caol Ila or Spice Tree.

Barreled 2010, 127proof. Exceptional. Fragrant cardamom, overripe banana, fuji apples, wild blueberries, Graham cracker, Jim beam sawdust, star anise, dark chocolate bitterness, leather, a pleasant brine always in the background, mellowed but full rye peppery spice, sour but not quite tart lemon, creamy cereal grains almost like oatmeal, maple syrup, spearmint, beautiful oak tannins, fruit cake, buttery scones. Dangerously smooth, doesn't taste like the proof after letting it sit a few minutes. The nose is a bit thin but the palate is complex. Always been a fan of Knob Creek and this has set the highest bar yet from their product line. Would recommend Pikesville.

Batch 21. Soft oak tannins & fluffy French toast. Buttery, thick vanilla frosting, cinnamon, nutmeg, prunes, somewhat herbal, butterscotch, golden delicious apples, a little citrus toward the end. The oiliness and oak tannins really shows the age. Vanilla beans linger after a quick finish. The flavors do seem to fade in and out; some whiskys, including scotch and rye, have this quality. Sits pretty squarely in the 'medium bourbon' category. A bit overpriced but I guess that's what you got to expect with a blend featuring an 18yr. Would pair with cigars. Would recommend Old Forester 1910.

Spring 2020 bottling. Citrus, rye spice, soft oakiness, faint clover honey, mint, salty, faint caramel, sawdust, clove, thick vanilla parfum, farmed strawberries. Each flavor is pronounced but lacks potency. Shows its youth. Passable as a decent whisky, though not quite enough to pick up again at this price point. Better than 1776 swill. Comparable to High West Rendezvous.

Red wine flavors dominate the palate from nose, taste and through to the finish. Overripe blackberry, wild blueberry, spicy black pepper midtones, raw rye grain character that shows imo a bourbon bottled/finished before its time, cacao, leather, candy bar caramel, weak butterscotch, buttery, forest honey, mix of raw and mostly mellow oaky tannins, cereal grains underneath, pleasant oiliness that coats the mouth briefly. Strong wheat flavor compared to most wheated bourbons. All of the distinct flavors seem to compete with the red wine influence; the cab keeps coming out just as the flavors present themselves. Its persistence makes it easy drinking but not very enjoyable. This whiskey pretends to be complex. Does not oxidize well at all. Would rather get Breaker's port barrel finished bourbon.

Burnt sugar, rich vanilla cake frosting, ginger spice, creamy cereal grains, full and hearty like a loaf of traditional rye bread, yellow cake, tangerine jam, lemon zest, chinese cinnamon. Intensely aromatic but not overwhelmingly so. Leather and the fruity character of raw cacao linger. Excellent proof. One of the best ryes on the market, has been pretty consistent in flavor profile and quality from year to year. Would recommend Russell's SiB rye, Knob Creek rye CS.

An approachable and nonagressive peatiness with that Islay mint like quality, sea salt, rich and buttery caramel, plenty of sherry prunes, dried apricots, butterscotch, a bit of oaken spice, meyer lemon, custard, oily. Sherry up front followed by a bourbon heavy finish. Stands out among Islay's, but not necessarily in a good way. Still a fine whisky.

Sherry funk, lemon pepper, grassy, clover honey, mellow oak, prunes, zesty, vanilla frosting underneath. Lemon and a buttery white chocolate lingers. Hibiki has a similar palate, though not as refined as this. Great proof for a scotch, much fuller.

110.4 proof, batch 20.08 - Comparable to some of the more aged Four Roses sib. Lemon, cardamom, subtle vanilla bean, softened oak, peppery, hard candy. Dissipates fairly quickly leaving a pleasant citrus flavor.