Tastes

I usually hate blended and usually think japanese is overrated....Maybe because it's 90+ degrees out and this is super light and fresh, but I really like this. There's bright orchard fruit and honey. Crisp apple, ginger. Thyme (?), grapefruit, and a toasty hint. For $40ish a bottle I will definitely buy again.

Vanilla and oak right away. There's a slight barrel char. Caramel and spice, mostly cinnamon. Overall, it's pretty thin and one-note. Not balanced enough for cask to be more than above average, even after a couple splashes of water.

Nothing special. I find the NAS/casked/finished Glenfiddich offerings to be superior to their regular age statements. This is probably because their regular age statements are nothing more than meh-to-good. I expected more from an 18 in terms of flavors, especially with the characteristics that glenfiddich usually brings. This drinks closer to an entry level <12. There's fruitiness, mostly apple and appricot, but it's very mild. There's nothing else going on to play with those flavors which makes it mostly flat. Hints of toffee, holiday spice, salted roast caramel. But only hints....nothing screams quality. Not at all bad but definitely not worth the price when there's solid NAS special casked offerings from them for $50-120 that blow this out of the water.

Yum. It's on the sweeter side but there's a lot of good things going on here. Peach, citrus, caramel, vanilla. The peachy sweetness is almost like a Peach Arizona Iced tea and stays around awhile, which is nice. There's some warm spice from the wood but not at all charred. The sweetness is balanced by the spice and warmth but it's not hot... maybe needed a bit higher proof to really balance it out. The finish is thin but full of candied citrus. Overall, a great bottle.

Really good. Awesome for the price point. You're essentially getting a rich, layered bourbon that usually costs closer to $100 for half the price. Honey and caramel, vanilla and apple. Spice and cinnamon from the oak. The richness of it's age. A bit of char.

Macallan just doesn't excite me. This is good, but I guess the same Macallan sherry and barrel finishing that make people love Macallan always leads me to not love Macallan..... because it just tastes like Macallan. I really enjoyed the #6 because it skewed to a darker, richer place than others. This one was really good but not worth buying again at around $110, although I've now seen it at closer to $500+, so maybe it is worth buying at $110. The focus is on the wood and that is the predominant taste. There's zesty oak, a puff of char, and some fruity sweetness that all come from the wood. Beyond that, it's mostly Macallan sherry. Crisp apple, toffee, wood spices like clove and nutmeg. It has a pretty long finish that reminds you it's Macallan. I wish I had nicer things to say about something I gave 4 stars but I'm very conflicted....damn you rating systems.

It's actually a bit hot compared to what I expected. There's some vanilla and citrus, honey, and a puff of wood. The barrels are evident and do provide a semi-scotch palate. The wine influence pops and provides the bright fruitiness. In the end, it's Irish whiskey...but still a good sipper. At $100 a bottle there's no need for this in my life.

It's definitely influenced by bourbon. I enjoy their 14 year bourbon barrel, especially if you can still find it at the $60 range, as an easy go to sipper. This is that solid bottle x100 in the depth of flavor offerings, understanding that the predominant notes are from the bourbon (why you would buy it). There's toffee, vanilla, and fruit....apple...zesty citrus? that turns into a more carameled wood finish. The wood is the flavor maker here and adds the leather and a bitter tanginess that's a nice touch right before the apple and spiciness washes through. It's not hitting a bunch of amazing notes like others at the $150+ price point can, but it's very good. Tried with a few scotch beginners and some lifers at the table who all loved this one. With that said, while I would recommend it I also wouldn't buy another bottle at the $180 I paid.

Delicious. Creamy vanilla. Bright citrus. Berry thickness. It's a great sweet, easy sipper that hits quite a few notes. There's the Aberfeldy honey and orange blossom right away and the wine adds a great tang that delivers a chewy berry depth. I don't get the wine as its own isolated flavor in its original form, instead the wine enhances an already solid 18 year old with a slight oak and a heavy berry pie. The finish is not long but it is definitely dessert on my tounge. There's depth here. I'd buy this as a regular bottle even at the $150+ point.

Meh. There's hints of flavors here and there but nothing ever really comes together. There's a slight peat, some buttery vanilla, flowery heather, a bit of fruit. The finish is mostly some spiciness and bitterness of wood, but it's quick. Another step above a mixer but not a worthy sipper.