Tastes

On the nose, it’s rich. Peach, light berries and smoke. On the palate. Even more rich. The ethanol sting makes itself known, but the dominant flavors are clove, charred oak and grilled peach. Some light berries, but not a ton, and some vanilla showing up at the end. The finish is SUPER long. I love how oily and long it is. Great dram.

Ok, so Crown can’t do smoked whiskey for crap. Andalusia very much can. On the nose, notes of cocoa and oak, but the biggest, most fascinating thing I get on the nose is brown sugar-candied bacon. There’s a light, but sweet savoriness in there. On the palate, I’m reminded of the Balcones Froak, but with more smoke. There’s chocolate, coffee, brown sugar, red fruit, and tangy sweet bbq sauce. It’s unique. And delicious. The smoke is more sweet than anything. Much more inviting than the more challenging Islay scotches, and both are fantastic in their own right. Good long finish. Dangit, Texas strikes again.

On the nose, spiced apple cider and a touch of mint. Herbal on the palate, refreshing basil and tea. Orange and vanilla too. The apple didn’t carry over to the palate, which I was hoping for, but it’s still very enjoyable. Heavy cereal notes that carry through to the end, including the finish. There’s a slight bitterness in the aftertaste, like stevia (which happens to be my favorite artificial sweetener). It’s real nice.

A neat little journey. Copper and bread on the nose, not much ethanol. It’s smooth, but rich. I get a lot of grain and a little oak, and that’s just great. I can taste the sweetness of corn and the breadiness of barley or wheat, not really sure. Finish is a bit lacking, but everything else about it is what I like in brown liquid. It’s yummy, would definitely pick up for $40.

Second taste edit: blinded it with Laguna Madre and Cowboy Bourbon, and it ended up coming in third out of three fantastic bourbons. Strong wood and dust on the nose. Proof is there, but not overpowering. Classic GB sawdust in spades on the palate, along with strong oak, dark roast coffee, Demerara sugar, and then some cola on the back end. So rich, so dense, so long on the finish. 2020: This is excellent bourbon. On the nose, fresh vanilla bean and oak. No sharpness from the oak or the high proof, which I’m thankful for. On the palate, it’s layered. Peach, chocolate, coffee, and some more oaky vanilla all play together very well. And again, the sharpness and bitterness I often get from oaky bourbons is gone. All I get is the tannic lumber and vanillin. All the best parts of American oak. And the finish lingers forever. Oily, rich goodness here. Well done, Garrison Brothers.

This is a pretty darn good bourbon. I got some fun s’mores vibes on the nose. Cinnamon and allspice, mixed with light chocolate and a bit of smoky marshmallow. More of the same, mixed with some caramel and orange peel on the palate. Solid.

Fairly rich for a straight-down-the-middle bourbon. Caramel is overpowering, though. And the finish is nothing but alcohol.

Savory smoked meats jump right out of the glass on the nose. Distillery expert says bacon bits. I get that, though I’d say it’s more of a jerky note. It’s smoky, but it’s really not as campfire as it is meaty. I also get the pleasant aroma of sharpie. Time to taste it. It’s reminiscent of the Bowmore 18 I had a while ago or the Port Askaig 8. Ham in my dram. Savory and smoky, but smooth, and some cocoa, cashew and tart berry come through after the initial wave of savory. The wavory, so to speak. It’s nice, but the finish leaves something to be desired. It’s not very long, not very oily. And it’s a shame. I’d like these flavors to persist a bit more. Overall, yummy, it’s making me like Islay-style scotches even more.

On the nose, strawberry and apple. Not a whole lot of sherry yet. Once you taste it though... It’s a smooth, fruity, rich, oily, clingy boy that makes a nice bed in my mouth and lays down for a while. Barley and red fruit are pretty much all I get. By definition, that would make this a “simple” scotch, but I’m just fine with both of those things cranked up to 11. Did I mention rich? Digging a little bit, I get some vanilla mocha notes toward the end. That’s yummy.

Second taste edit: even over ice, it’s undrinkably sweet. If it’s designed to display classic Speyside, they did a pretty good job. It’s light, bright, and sweet. Copper shows up on the nose and palate, along with vanilla and butterscotch. It honestly reminds me more of an Irish malt with how sweet it is. It also has some tropical esters in the mid-palate that I do not appreciate. Approachable, simple, but not overly smooth. Slight grain mustiness on the finish, which sticks around moderately long. I prefer the Shieldaig blend to this because it’s less sugary sweet.