Tastes
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Woodinville Straight Bourbon
Bourbon — Washington, USA
Reviewed December 26, 2021 (edited March 17, 2022)The nose is largely dominated by the oak of the cask. There are also notes of pear, cherry, and spearmint. On the palate, the whiskey presents with a light taste of caramel and charred wood. As it matures on the tongue it brings in a fair bit of spice, and the wood tannins come back into play. Burnt sugar, bitter cacao, and dried fruit come out in the aftertaste. After the taste, a hint of mint lays light in the mouth. A decent bourbon that would likely be good for cocktails. -
Oban 14 Year
Single Malt — Highlands, Scotland
Reviewed December 18, 2021 (edited February 12, 2022)The nose features hints of pear, orange peel, and cask wood, all carried to you on just a hint of sea foam. On the tongue, the whisky has a citrus sweetness accompanied by sea brine and just a hint of charcoal. The aftertaste is semi-dry, thin, and bitter. A mix of the cask and the brine. It has a taste that is distinctly its own. It is not a whisky I would enjoy often, but its character lends itself to being a whisky I would thoroughly enjoy under the right circumstances. A sip of this while watching a storm blow in from the sea would be a complete experience. -
Glenlivet 14 Year Cognac Cask Selection
Single Malt — Speyside, Scotland
Reviewed December 18, 2021 (edited December 21, 2021)The nose of the whisky is sweet with notes of orange, sweet plum, baking spice, and vanilla. On the tongue, the scotch carries the taste of the cask wood that opens into orange rind, floral notes, and brine. The influence of the cognac cask is apparent in the aftertaste, and slowly fades into a dry, bittersweet affair featuring a hint of burnt vanilla and a light smoke. An interesting, if rather unremarkable experience. The nose promises more than the taste delivers. -
Old Forester 100 Proof Bourbon
Bourbon — Kentucky, USA
Reviewed November 23, 2021 (edited October 6, 2022)The nose of the bourbon is sweet, and rich, and smokey. It features notes of oak smoke, caramel, toffee, and vanilla. On the tongue the bourbon is sweet and rich. It has a fire from the high proof that carries its rich vanilla quite well. In the body of the taste it builds into dark chocolate and burnt sugar. It finishes with smoke. The aftertaste is faintly bittersweet, like cacao nibs with a hint of the smoke still remaining. The bourbon lingers as a faint warmth in the chest. Absolutely marvelous neat. -
The nose of this rye is absolutely delightful. It begins with a heavy whiff of rye spice, and builds with sweet undertones of chocolate and cherries. There is a hint of floral nectar as well. The nose does a wonderful job of building anticipation for the taste. It promises big things. The rye is big and bold. It features a heavy spice and a sweet vanilla caramel flavor. The sweetness is mellowed by notes of wood and leather that build into the aftertaste. It is warm and rich and sweet. An excellent rye. It is a lovely experience neat, and I am forced to wonder what it might taste like in a manhattan.
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On the nose, the whiskey features notes of vanilla and charred wood reminiscent of bourbon casks. The spirit is thin and oily on the on the tongue. It begins with sweet vanilla and quickly transitions into char and oak in the body of the taste. It finishes with an astringent bitterness and a light smoke. There is a bitter aftertaste that is rather unpleasant after the swallow.
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Familia Camarena Reposado Tequila
Tequila Reposado — Los Altos, Jalisco, Mexico
Reviewed November 11, 2021On the nose, the tequila features the light scents of vanilla and cinnamon beneath the much stronger scents of agave and the oak cask. On the tongue, the tequila starts a little sweet with the distinct taste of the agave as well as a sweet vanilla flavor. The body of the taste mellows out into the wood of the cask which becomes a bitter finish. Good, not phenomenal, but it should be a fairly good base for cocktails. -
First and foremost the, the nose is entirely dominated by the scent of vanilla. The bourbon itself, and any complexity or hints of the cask it may carry, are nowhere to be found. Though one might think this drink a flavored bourbon, I assure you it is, in fact, a liqueur. The drink is like a syrup in consistency, with a gentle mouthfeel and only a hint of the whiskey. It tastes and feels more like a bourbon cream than an infused liqueur. The strong vanilla dominates the palate, and only the barest hint of bourbon rises in the finish. It is entirely sweet, with little to no complexity. What interesting notes there are come out of the finish and the aftertaste, where a hint of bourbon and a mere breath of the charred oak cask can be found. The bottle advertises enjoying its contents straight, chilled, in a cocktail, or with cola. I would personally only recommend the final rendition. Drinking it straight is too sweet, and the vanilla seems too dominant for a cocktail unless it is paired with a rye, a high rye bourbon, or a dark rum in whatever cocktail you are making. That said, do as you will. It makes a decent liqueur, but I would not recommend as a substitute for a bourbon in a drink.
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St. Germain Elderflower Liqueur
Floral Liqueurs — France
Reviewed September 30, 2021 (edited April 17, 2022)A delightful liqueur. The nose is splendidly floral with notes of elderflower, lychee berry, and grapefruit. On the palate the spirit opens up into a sweet berry affair. It features sweet notes of lychee, cherry, apricot, and a slightly tropical finish reminiscent of the grapefuit in the nose. The elderflower is almost lost in the sweetness of the drink. If anything it is more like an elderflower honey liqueur. A delightful spirit that I'd pair with gin, a tequila, or perhaps a cognac when building a cocktail. It could also be excellent to do a St. Germain wash in a glass before building a cocktail, similar to an absinthe wash. -
On the nose this whisky is soft and sweet. It has beautiful fruity notes that round out into a floral finish. On the palate, the whisky begins sweet with light notes of fruit that quickly transition into bitter floral notes and wood tannins from the cask. It is decent, but not remarkable. Decidedly unoffensive. That said, it makes a good hot toddy.
Results 11-20 of 110 Reviews