Tastes

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.

Bitter oak and oaken spice up front, full, apricots, grainy, nutmeg, fading oiliness, herbal undertones.

Brine, mellowed peat, vanilla beans, banana, mellowed clover honey, toasted almonds, fruity, dried apricots, white peach, banana foster, gradually fade, sweet and burnt sugar.

Significant decline in quality since they quit using a blend of buffalo trace distillate. Oxidizes much better than initial tasting. Orchard fruits, Fuji apples, faint stone fruit aromas, pie crust, light baking spices, young (raw alcohol character), persistent toasted oak flavor.

Strawberries & rhubarb, pie crust, buttery, full-bodied, saccharin, mellow, approachable, mild baking spices