Tastes

I'm impressed this whiskey is a long way off from typical lincoln county process bourbon/tennessee whiskey and yes Jack D. is just a bastardized bourbon and yes I drink it and the select/barrel proof stuff. Not sure if Chattanooga is a craft distillery at this point but there are no craft notes here but the taking of small batch literally like 8-12 barrels screams craft. Age says 2+ year and screams young craft but the product in the bottle says 4-6 year quality. The malting of the rye isn't new but I think they do it well and the increasing of the malted barley almost make this a wheat bourbon in terms of sweetness, softness and approachability. This nose is just lovely to live in; it's light caramel, vanilla, sweet cling peaches in light syrup (by product of the corn sweet-ness associated with bourbon), a hint of dried apricot even a touch of cherry flavor (think cough drop) and light wood accents even a bit of floral, milk chocolate and honey. This is the closest nose that I've found to Old rip van winkle 10 if you remove the cherry and chocolate. Palate is the honey comes off as a thick molasses, corn sweet ntoe, the peaches are more prevalent than on the nose, cherry rounds out the fruit, the wood is just an underlying thread flowing through some baking and rye spice rounds out the palate late as it goes to the finish. Finish is kind of hard to gage. The wood and general sweetness make this seem medium because they stick around a bit but the spice fruit and any floral notes are long gone very quickly. I'm going to say short finish but be aware that a sweet woody note will linger as almost an after taste. Price is great for what you get on the nose and palate, finish eh could hang around a bit longer rather than fall off a cliff. Can't wait to get the 111 proof and see if more flavors develop or are just ramped up and see if they have a 5 star superstar bourbon on our hands.

Wow with all the hype about 1792 full proof I'm a bit disappointed as this falls short for me of the sweet wheat, small batch and single barrels both distillery and store picks. Nose is all dusty corn sweetness and ethanol which is hard to get past. Buried behind that you get hints of a rich thick caramel and vanilla extract. No other typical barton/1792 distillery notes of banana runts and bubble gum other that the corn sweetness but then again that's in quite a few bourbons. The taste and finish are this bourbons redemption from a 2 point something bourbons. The ethanol punch is still there but there's just as much caramel, the texture is almost syrup in mouth feel, the vanilla shows up as does a light touch of wood and apple, the rye spice in this bourbon adds to the burn the ethanol provides. Finish is long with the corn sweetness, caramel, and wood hanging around the longest with just a hint of the rye spice for accent. Water/ice does tame the ethanol on both nose and palate but doesn't really allow for much else to come through. The notes that are there though don't go away either. This whiskey stands up to water and ice beautifully. Only other note with ice/water is the wood notes do ramp up a little bit and the finish does shorten and the syrup mouthfeel also lessens. Just seems to me like 1792 has better offerings and value wise Barton bottled in bond has the same ethanol punch closer proof at 100 vs 125 and costs $19 vs even MSRP of $45. Is 25 proof points and syrup mouthfeel worth $30????

This is Nikka's now NAS version of Suntory's Haukushu 12. They are in many ways almost identical. Nose are both subtle smoke, although this is more of a light Island smoke Highland park, Talisker style smoke where as the Haukushu is more sweet highland style smoke. It also becomes less noticeable with subsequent sips. Nosing also finds honey, wildflowers, stone fruits, light hint of apple, this departs a bit in that it adds some darker stewed almost sherry notes of fig and raisin. The oak is a sweet almost raw wood note not a charred or tannic one. Palate is fruit and honey sweet with the smoke only at the center, a surprising amount of clove, and pepper spice again almost a Talisker red chilli direction. The oak is more present on the palate but not overwhelming and brings the stewed raisin and fig with it. Finish brings back the smoke enveloped in the lingering sweetness. The spice hangs around well into the finish. Also the wood figures more prominently on the finish and is a bit more tannic and drying. Over all a very good whisky I personally think the Haikushu 12 is the better, softer, more subtle drinker but with the price going from $90-109 to $129-149 this is a very very good and close substitute at the old price point all be it without the 12 year or any age statement above an understood 3 years and a day in the Scottish tradition which gave birth to Nikka.

This is in no way a blow your mind whisky. It is however a solid one that has become my peated daily drinker since Islay and Island prices are going higher and higher. The idea of an lowland whisky with peat was intriguing. Yes AnCnoc cutter but it's also a $70 price tag, Ailsa Bay never saw it on my shelves to buy it. Enter Aerstone which is an expression from Ailsa Bay distillery. Nose is highland smoke which bring with some floral and light vegetal tones, honey, unripe pear and nectarine, vanilla, touch of peach and lemon in the back along with the typical malt that comes across almost as a funk on lowlands. Taste is the honey sweet, fruit and malt notes. Mid palate the smoke and light almost toasted wood comes into it's own. End of palate carrying into the finish is a ginger spiciness and the finish ends with wisps of smoke, honey and sweet black licorice. Only other lowland that I really enjoy is the Auchentoshan american oak but this one has become number one especially for the cost to whisky and enjoyment ratio.

This is the best offering since Kelpie or Dark Cove. Since Ardbeg has switched from their briny offerings to sweet profiles the Fest of Islay limited editions have been very good especially for NAS whisky. The briny ones were good though too. This one even though it's not on the brine side this is the best one yet IMO. Not sure if this is Mickey Heads going out on a high note or the new guard showing what great things they can do but this one is a winner. Nose make no mistake it's Ardbeg smoke is 1st. Then an almost Laphroaig medicinal note that is immediately replaced by ripe strawberries and raspberries. Then heavy syrup like malt notes appear and hiding way in the back is the citrus zest that is in every Ardbeg. Palate is sweet smoke, the sweet berry fruit notes along with a light peach note. Then the vanilla bean and vanilla cream show up big time a result of those wood sugars via heavy char barrels. Finally your left with some light wood and sweet smoke notes. Finish is a creeping pepper note with the sweet smoke and wood with some lingering vanilla sweetness and a mint after taste. Water actually kills the berries, sweetness and turns down the smoke on the nose. The medicinal note is much bigger becoming Campbeltown industrial in nature, the malt is more noticed and an alcohol note appears in lack of anything else. Palate with water keeps the sweetness but like a sweet tart candy and the vanilla cream stays because of the oils. The pepper note is ramped up with water and the mint notes are there in the end of the palate and stays with the wood and pepper through the finish. As is; was sweeter and had more depth with water makes it harsher and more a sweet Campbeltown. Think Kilkarren mixed with Tobermory and then just drink it neat.

Yes it's a young NAS from a new distillery on Skye but more complex and intriguing than the age suggests. I'm really interested to see what Torabhaig can really produce when they have the capital from the first few releases. When they can make some unique aged whisky and some complex interesting ones as they won't be hampered by pressure to get something on the shelves. Nose is Ardbeg smoke competing with pineapple, mango and pear fruit and vanilla and toffee sweetness. Behind what jumps out of the glass is a malty cereal note, hint of citrus and also a hint of sour mineral heavy peatbog bordering on laphroaig medicinal and a touch of wet wood. Taste is a bit of a departure from this rather light sweet nose you still get the sweet tropical fruit, the smoke and light but dry oak, and the vanilla toffee sweetness but mid palate and holding all the way to the finish is a very strong black pepper note (very high rye bourbon cask influence ala 4 roses or barton) and a almost tabasco sauce slow red pepper burn not an alcohol burn but from the peppery notes. Finish is the sweet and malty notes with the dominant pepper spice. This whisky takes cues from Ardbeg10 , Laphroaig 10, Tobermory, Talisker's red pepper, and throws in a huge amount of Ardbeg's Corryvreckan spicy black pepper to come up with a everything but the kitchen sink whisky; hopefully they keep it up.

More peat and smoke than Dalwhinnie 15 less than Oban 14. Sherry cask influence is much less than Dalwhinnie 15. Nose is honey, pear, peat sour note and smoke, rich malt smell, vanilla, wildflower, and heather light sherry oak in the back. The longer you nose it the more the sherry fruit and wood notes do come out. It even smells thick and dense in flavor. Taste is honey, heather/floral, and fruit both the pear and dark sherry fruits that leap out of the whisky. Oils that coat the mouth, bringing the peat note and very light smoke out with it. The vanilla cream rounds out the palate with a swelling of black pepper that kicks then subsides into a sweet and oily wood note. Finish is medium with the pear fruit and honey sweetness along with the sweet oak wood note hanging around with hints of smoke and charred wood. If the price was in the 50's or money was no object this would be a daily drinker and in contention with Oban 14 for if I could only drink one highland forever.

I bought this one before the increase at $79.00. Worth the increase?? No because I personally think that Clynelish is almost the same profile but with a bit more peat smoke and a richer, sea brine taste for $79.00 also it goes on sale more often because it's not a 15 year old. At the old price it was a wash between the two but for less you get a slightly better whisky and the prestige of being Brora's sister distillery. It gets the 3.25 from because it's a clone and the price increase. Nose at first the highland peat brings a slight sour note to the forefront this goes away after the first sip. Then it's honey, malty cereal, pear, touch of smoke (think Bunnahabhain light) vanilla cream, floral undertones, light wood and a bit of sherry stewed fruits. Palate is light peatiness before the honey and vanilla sweetness take over giving way to the wood notes and sherry fruit notes with a peppery build up. Finish is medium long with the oak and pepper sticking around finally clearing to a clinging malt cereal taste and the sweet mingles with the fruit notes in the back ground. A wax coating on the tongue and mouth also appears towards the end of the finish probably a remainder of the peat and oils. The floral grass/heather/foliage floral is only on the nose and is never seen again and it's too bad because that is one thing that is in all highland whisky except pure sherry maturation. Maybe the addition of the sherry to this overpowered them. Then again the pear notes disappear too.

Johnnie Walker 12 year black move over for the Monarch 15 year old from Dewar's. One thing that I always noticed and kept me from absolutely loving the JW black label was the heavy presents of the grain whiskey. The Dewar's also contains grain to be sure but it isn't leaping out of the glass at me probably because it's hidden behind a sherry cask layer. Nose is immediately fruit both the darker sherry raisin, plum, fig but also the lighter pear and apple. Floral hay/grass and heather is also very distinct on this one. Some underlying sweetness like light honey and vanilla. Palate is very inviting the light fruit and sweet honey notes come out first with some of the floral grass notes then the sherry cask comes in with the red fruit and notable sherry flavor (think GlenDronach) because the oak comes in next and makes for a semi dry oaky sherry flavor. Finally some barrel spice and a touch of alcohol tingle comes in toward the finish to make this dram mouthwatering. Finish is the longer end of short with the fruit, sherry, sweet and oak lingering around but with no bitterness. This is steps above J&B or Cutty Sark and has even edged out JW Black for me as a daily drinker and one I wouldn't be hurt to add some ice to in the summer. It's 15 years and roughly the same price tag as the JW black 12 year, however still doesn't rise above the taste of the JW Double black or the quality of the all single malt 15 year from JW.

Very interesting mix of Laphroaig medicinal notes and Lagavulin's meaty savory smoke notes with lots of sherry. The 15 ups the sherry influence from the 12 and makes things a bit complex in identity. Nose is medicinal out of the glass more so than the Campbeltown's I've tried. Smoke seems light definitely more about the anticeptic medicinal with a light sherry funk of Macallan or Glengoyne. Sweetness and dark sherry fruit of raisin and plum behind all that. Palate is where Bowmore really shines and changes dramatically. Start with more medicinal and some smoke and pepper immediately changing into the sweet vanillas, caramels, and ripe red and stewed sherry fruits. End of palate you really taste the Jim Beam casks of apple, vanilla and caramel fading into savory meaty smoke oak and a slight bitterness both of apple skin and the oak tannins. Leaving you with a taste of sweetness, smoke, oak, apple and a hint of pear. Really interesting and underrated of the Islay distilleries. It's a bit simple and straight forward but changes things up and has it all smoke, peat, sweet, fruit, oak the 12 is good, and the 15 in my opinion is a bit better. I really like the Beam cask influence that is noticeable.