Tastes

Nose - First note is that I really can't smell this well. It's just so hot that it's hard to note it. I'll honestly have to add water to give notes. So i get chocolate, cherries, and oak. It's weirdly not nosing that well, I know I've written a few reviews tonight a bit down on the nose, this isn't a bad nose, it's just I am not smelling much. What's here is great. Poured another half dram and the nose is exploding. Maybe the last glass being freshly cleared was the issue? I have no idea. Anyway no real change to the score or impact, same notes, just a hell of a lot more of them. Taste - I get berries and oak and cream and vanilla. It's just rich and hot and bitter. Water - So now I get more oak, more tannin, and more complex transitions. This is really pushing on the oaks and bitters and sweets. OK and I'm now getting some heaven hill nutty notes too. So this is very good bourbon but there's a lot of problems and flaws. I'm at 3.0 but odds are to be honest C919 I scored a 3.75 and to be honest I think that was an over rating. But that said this is not as good as the C919 or last year's A for that matter but if you like any ECBP you'll enjoy this one.

Odd this is here but no reviews? Nose - corn, vanilla, custard filling, and oak. This is on the more mellow side of bourbon, nice rich notes, and a bit earthy and acidic on the finish. I'm not digging this nose, but it's a lot of nice bourbon notes without any of the wow notes. Water and I get more vanilla cream and chocolate notes. An almost fluffy chocolate candy bar filling with oak and vanilla and caramel. Taste - Flavor is a whole other thing. I get dark cherries, chocolates, cream filled doughnuts, caramel, some candies...it's a mellow bourbon with CS richness. The finish is a very nice mellow chocolate and caramel...oak is here but it's lightly adding quality flavor and enhancing these nice sweet candy notes. There's a nutty note at the end as well, just in case you need that. This is awesome bourbon. it's insanely easy to drink with his high proof. For 207...yeah this is over priced and isn't full of those old aged bourbon notes. It's not SPECIAL. That said, you just can't dislike this one. it's just good good bourbon. The nose is a touch weak. 3.0 - keep in mind 2.0 is average and 3.0 is really good stuff. But there's just not enough special to push this to the higher scores, but there's nothing wrong to the point I'm debating a 3.25. Moving up to a 3.25. This is bourbon done as well as it can but without WOW, but it's so good at what it does.

Nose - sharp, acidic, light oak tannin, some citrus and some more sweet notes. I get almost a sugar cane and springbank combo here. There's not a lot of depth or complexity to the nose. It is pleasant but not inviting. Taste - Upfront I get those bannanas and pineapples and just that kinda rum citrus fruit note. Of course we get some salt, light peat, and a bit of a funky malt. There isn't a lot on the opening here either. But then the whisky transitions and I get notes of espresso (like a kona blend), some deep well aged and well made oak, light white chocolate, perhaps even a cinnamon roll icing. The overall experience is from sweet and light to complex and dark oak and espresso notes. All within that classic springbank funk and earthy expression. This is HIGHLY complex whisky and insanely nuanced. I'm sadly only going with a 3.5 as I can't get past how simple and frankly poor the nose is. This is a 2.0 nose on a 4.0 whisky. So we'll split the difference.

So I'll just apologize for what will be a terrible review. I'm just terrible with peat notes sometimes. nose - There isn't much to talk about here. It's super sweet, sugars, vanilla, oak, and peat. It's got a nice oak profile. There are some cool bourbon notes here. taste - rich, creamy, but insanely complex. The oak is complex and rich but yes a touch bitter. The malt is the classic octomore sweetness forward malt. Sorry guys, I don't have enough to say here. It's just really good octomore. It's that super sweet profile, candy cigarettes, peaty goodness, and just rich and velvety. I'll debate the final score but 3.75 for now. Really really good, but we'll see if I go 4.0 later.

Nose - heavy vanilla, cream, earthy peat, toasted oak, and just a very caramel toasted element. Taste - The flavor is all kinds of chemicals. There's of course vanilla and oak and earthy esters. But it's so unique. I get almost a really strong white wine finish here. There are notes of medicinal. This is far more bright and vibrant than a laphroiag but I get so much medicinal in a similar opening. I was pretty negative on this originally, but I'm a 2.0 on this. It's grown on me.

Nose - there's a distinct red wine note here. A lot of candy and fruits. There's roasted elements, burnt char, and while I get some good notes with this there is a youth to this whisky. Taste - Vanilla gives way to a very bitter red wine. I get some mint leading, with some fruits and minerals. There are earth notes that are interesting. Then sadly you get that mineral and youthful whisky. I think this is pretty average stuff, flawed for sure, but there are nice elements here. 2 stars and this is weird. There are some 3 star flavors and some 1 star notes.

I've debated buying this for a few months and finally just did it. The color is not bad but not good. It's Glengoyne where they do some terrible stuff and some awesome stuff. So lets jump into this. Nose - vanilla cream, buttery pastry, a touch of chocolate but more of a pastry chocolate if that makes sense, and well some kind of lacker or alcoholic chemical. Water brings down the nice sweet elements and spreads out the alcoholic chemical note so it's less intense on the end but it's all through this one. Taste - On the taste you get more sherry elements, there are some nice sherry elements. More on the milk chocolate side with some fruity elements. The malt is pretty classic Glengoyne which is a fairly dull and muted malt with some grains and sweetness. Think dessert but a light one. The problem I'm coming back to is that while we have all kinds of nice flavors...I'm getting hit by this YOUNG and acidic alcohol. It's masking flavors. Adding water... So water has made the whisky more acidic, more sour, and it might even taste younger. I was going to try and dive more into this one, but frankly I've had this a few times and I've gone from drain pouring a glass (actually 2 as I'd poured one for a friend and following great whisky, I had to pour it out) to actually thinking there's something here. Overall - I love the proof, it's got some nice texture, and there is that glengoyne character in the malt and sherry casks that fans will love. That said, I can't get past the young sour and spirity nature of this. 1.5 stars - I want to like this, there's a lot of nice elements, but the overall flavor is just ruined by what is clearly rushed whisky.

This one has gotten a lot of hate for the switch to PX and olorso, not being 20+ years old despite being labeled a 15, and don't knows what else. 80 bucks for me which seemed pretty fair, I swear I saw this for 100 last time, but I know it does go for less elsewhere. Nose - I know this is odd but I get almost a port like sweetness that I might get on a port finished bourbon or fruity port finished scotch. I get red fruits but not that darker notes. No chocolate either which is a bit unusual. Sweet, very sweet scotch. I do get some oak, slightly bitter. I get some alcohol which at 46% seems out of place. I get an almost berries and jam note with alcohol and a bit of sour. Taste - This has a bit of a chewy savory and fruity kinda character. There's some sour notes, some salted notes, I don't get overt peat, but there might be a PPM or two (I get a bit more on the 18). I can get some light milk chocolate notes, toasted breads, spices, just sweet and sugary fruity elements. Texture - oily and thick, shockingly great mouth feel for a 46%er, but lets not get overly excited if you're into cask strength. Finish - this is where this one really shines. It's got a medium to long lingering finish. The oak, their might be some salty smoke, a chocolate and vanilla element that's buttery. It's so a "dessert is served" element. Yet it's puckering and a bit bitter and while those elements can be forgotten, they balance the sweetness and make this a better finish. I'm down right blown away at 80 bucks and with how subpar the 12 is that this new 15 was able to pack so much refinement and quality into it. This is as good as a lot of 18 and even 21 year old scotches though it isn't as refined as some either. Score - I'm going 4 stars. It really is that stupid good. This, I might have to check but it might be the best value whisky I've reviewed. I do expect some to find this a bit sour and bitter and salty for them given I think people want a pure sherry bomb on these and that's not exactly what this is. Sorry I was just too focused on value when I reviewed this, dropping to 3.5. It's great but not 400 bucks good.

So 2020 these are going for at RETAIL 300-330 around here. Insanity? nose - it's a vanilla baked cookie. It's vanilla extract and some oak. This is on the extreme end of sweet vanilla bourbon with this just PERFECT oak that is sweet and inviting. The one issue is that while 45% can work, it doesn't work at all here. It's freaking insulting and you get it on the nose. Ok it's opened up and now I'm getting bubble gum, red fruits....it's an insane smell but it's also clearly been muted by being grossly and offensively under proofed. Taste - A bit dry. I'm getting some of the best bourbon flavors I've ever had. It's a cream and vanilla and just masterclass oak infusions. Everything here is sweet, candied, or this just perfect wood finish that is everything you dream of. But again, it's watery, it's light, it's subtle. This is a 5 star bourbon that they watered down but what remains is just masterful. One of the most well crafted bourbons I've ever had and one that could rival the best at a reasonable proof. This is crazy but at 45% i'm still going 4.5. This is one of the best bourbons I've ever had. 300 bucks though...I'm not upset with the price, but I'm nowhere close to happy and I don't see myself buying more.

nose - dark roasted malts, heavy vanilla, cherry, oak, chocolate, this thing is deep and intense Taste - so the thing is no matter how much you water this down, there's alcohol. It's a big of a problem. Now you get there rich vanilla oaks and cherries, and just oak. It's all good stuff. There's a level of acidic and muted and funk here and that isn't optimal but you'd have to water this down to get it. The bottom line is this is an amazing ECBP, but it isn't perfect. I'm giving it a 3.75 which is an amazing score for a bourbon, but there are real issues.