Tastes
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Tamdhu Batch Strength Batch 003
Single Malt — Speyside, Scotland
Reviewed August 23, 2019 (edited August 5, 2022)The appearance gives me the impression this is heavy on the refilled sherry casks. Rather light in color for a sherry bomb, still a strong amber color that's 3-4 shades darker than golden. Though with scotch, it's always iffy to even discuss the color, this one thankfully lets us know it is natural color! Nose - I've never gotten so much butter scotch on a nose before. Just a huge bomb of butter scotch with light milk chocolate behind it. I have to dig deep to find the dark fruits behind that just absolute dessert bomb on the nose. At the end I get the lightest bit of bready oak to finish it off. A drop of water brings out more of the sherry notes, the figs, raisins, dates, etc. That said there's far more dessert still on here. There's also a distinct cherry like note, I almost want to describe a Manhattan without the bourbon oak. Taste - A total and complete dessert scotch. I'm just getting wave after wave after wave of flavor. Every time I think the scotch is done, I just get another wave of flavor. I've had at least 6 distinct waves just on the first taste. Vanilla, chocolate, butter scotch, dark red fruits, perhaps a cherry, baked cherry pie crust, maybe a touch of ginger. Water oddly brings out a bit more of an alcohol spark and brings in some spices with the oak tannin. I have no idea how I've managed to not kill this bottle. It's absolutely incredible. Make no mistake this is not an older scotch but this is a darn near perfect example of a CS scotch. 4 point score is not something i give lightly, but unless you hate sherry or the 70-90 price points is well outside of your price range, this is a must buy.75.0 USD per Bottle -
Longrow 14 Year Sherry Cask Matured
Single Malt — Campbeltown, Scotland
Reviewed August 23, 2019 (edited February 19, 2020)Longrow 14 year Sherry Cask - 57.8% if that doesn't sound like heaven, I'm not sure what does. Amber color, slow forming legs, very much what you'd expect. I however don't believe this is a first fill sherry cask (bottle confirms, refilled). That said it has a nice color, these aren't overly used casks for sure. The nose gives off that springbank funk, peat, meaty salty savory, then finishes with dark fruits raisins, plums, a touch of chocolate powder, and a touch of sour notes from the sherry. A touch of water brings out more of a candy fruit note and pushes the funk and salt notes back a bit. That sour sherry note really comes out in the opening, followed by bitterness, funk, salt, and springbank's barely notes. I get hints of soy sauce as well. Water is bringing out some vanilla but the fruity soy sauce and now that springbank BBQ is coming through. Not much of a finish. Just somewhat fades from the super powerful opening. Leaves a bit of vanilla and oak on the back end. so let me walk through my rating here. A 3.0 is a whisky that you buy if it is to your profile and it is in your price range. Anything above you start to step out of your standard choices or you go a bit over your conformable spending zone. Below that and you start need a sale or perhaps you just pass on it all together. This is the saltiest springbank product I have had to date, it's dry and not overly sweat, and while it gives me all the notes I like in a longrow they're not shining through. As a result it's just a touch below a 3. I however think anyone who's a huge fan of these will still want to get this one.135.0 USD per Bottle -
I was never going to buy this after their odd comments, but a friend sent me a sample and I had a bottle the next day. Nose - Salt, vanilla, peach, cream, and a touch of green apple. Taste - Soft alcohol, fruity, vanilla, and tonight I'm getting a fairly decent amount of toasted oak. I'm getting a bit of a mix between a white bread and a light pastry with vanilla icing on it. Then there's that touch of citrus jelly almost like a jelly filled doughnut way in the back. There's a touch of bitter from the oak on the end, perhaps a touch of tea. Finish - here those salty and savory notes come back in with a rich vanilla. Compass Box has had a few misses lately and their prices are certainly creeping up as the age of the spirit goes down, but this one really is one of their best from the last few years.180.0 USD per Bottle
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Pro tip - let this one sit out a bit. Nose - Dark damp dunnage warehouse. Port pipes are sitting on heavily malt soaked wood. Dusty oak. Some nice spice notes. Taste - The 62+% coats the mouth, sweat malt, port pipe, old wood dries, spices. This is completely unique in how the wood spice and drying notes mix with huge abv and alcohol. The oak notes are completely unique while the sweetness gives us figs, dates, raisins, and vanilla sweetness. Really unique and tasty whisky. I've bought a second bottle. First bottle I bought was $128 but the newer bottle was $86. 3.25 - if this is your wheelhouse it's one to seek out. If not, you may still enjoy a pour, but not one to chase after.86.0 USD per Bottle
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Balvenie Single Barrel Sherry Cask 15 Year
Single Malt — Speyside, Scotland
Reviewed August 20, 2019 (edited October 19, 2022)I really have to assume this is the old first fill, it is certainly the darkest bottle I've seen and purchased in a shop I KNOW doesn't move scotch quickly. Nose - red fruits, dark caramels, and creme brulee. Taste - sherry BOMB. It's figs, plums, dark chocolate, milk chocolate, toasted oak. Finish is oak and raisins and it's slow and long lingering. If you can find this for 115 and it's a super dark bottle, get it. An absolutely must drink of anyone who likes sherry at all.115.0 USD per Bottle -
Springbank Single Cask 11 Year Sauternes
Single Malt — Campbeltown, Scotland
Reviewed August 20, 2019 (edited August 31, 2019)Nose - savory, salty wine, brine. This is the most savory springbank I've ever nosed, by a lot. Taste - Hot - really hot. Has that classic springbank BBQ peat, sugar cookie finish, then the Sauternes must be giving off that more salty savory notes or brings them out along with a very rich sweatness. The sweat and savory is really enjoyable but it hides any additional complexity. The finish is medium, hot, and sweat. I'm reviewing off a sample and I'd gladly buy a bottle at 150 or less. -
Compass Box 3 Year Deluxe Blended Malt
Blended Malt — Scotland
Reviewed August 19, 2019 (edited September 1, 2019)I don't know why I'm doing another review but I've been wanting to open this and see if this bottle is turning or if it's getting better. I've got about 6 oz left in the bottle and it's been there for a while. Gold color - with a touch of finishing gives it a nice look. Nose - bubble gum, oily citrus fruits, I don't get smoke but I get an earthy undertone. Oh wow how did I ignore vanilla, Huge vanilla. Taste - Citrus, bold bright over powering. Some spice. Oily, spicy, touch of oak, pepper. But this is so much sugary dessert. Finish - my god this finishes as just pure vanilla and caramel. it's insane. A bit short for the age and cost but so good. So good. I originally thought this was not closer to a 300 dollar bottle, but with time oxidizing. Oh man, this is dessert, complex, old, insanely good. Man, I'm fan boying on this one now. I really want another bottle! That said we're not into those all time great elite pours. This is very good if you enjoy the dessert notes, the fruits, and a bit of waxy notes. This is completely worth 300 dollars.300.0 USD per Bottle -
Western Reserve 14 Year Bourbon
Bourbon — Ohio, USA
Reviewed August 19, 2019 (edited December 25, 2021)So people keep asking about these, I figured I'd put my notes together. So completely terrible disclosure, just that it was bottled in Ohio. I'm betting this is Tennessee Dickle juice. Nose - Nice bright sweetness, fruity notes, dusty corn, caramel and vanilla. It's pretty standard bourbon notes with a bit more depth thanks to the age. Taste- Dusty corn, slightly sour, a bit of funk, vanilla, and caramel. Light body. So much dusty corn. If you like the dusty corn and sweetness, you'll enjoy. This however is a 115 dollar bottle of bourbon. That's not what I want at that price. This is a firm pass at these prices. I'd pay 40-50 and buy it again.115.0 USD per Bottle -
Compass Box The Circle No. 1
Blended Malt — Scotland
Reviewed August 19, 2019 (edited June 29, 2020)The Circle - This one was a bit of an unknown and good surprise. So lets get the details out there. Tamdhu 78.38% and it's between 15 and 19 years old. Then a sherry butt from Clynelish makes up 14.8%...aged...on the younger side of above. And then Highland Park, bourbon barrel, and a pretty common older age, 20+ years old. There you go compass box, I didn't share the ages! Oh and then younger highland malt makes up the last 1.5%. Color is pretty light golden. It doesn't look older and it surprises me on the sherry butt in there. 46% perhaps lightening it down. The nose has some nice barrel char surprisingly, light red fruit, vanilla, and dare I say some smoke? Flavor - it's just nice. Apples, touch of oak, nice sweat malt, some vanillas, and yeah there's a light smoke. Creamy mouth feel though it won't take water (the cream is killed). The 46% is sadly about 1% too low for a decent amount of water for me to play with it. Water does bring out some bite from the citrus notes and normally I'd think there's spice there but really this is clean no spice. Finish - oh yeah i get a wood and I swear smoke linger on the finish as the sweat flavors fade out. Not a long finish but it's on the long side of medium. So the question is if this is 150 dollars good? I honestly at first taste loved it but felt it was a bit over priced. Having now gotten is down to the top of the label (the compass box gold part so not THAT much) I'm really starting to appreciate this one. This really is as they call it "sunshine", it's sweat, balanced, complex, but it lacks the really complex notes you'll get with more aggressive notes. At first I took this to be a "lesser" note, but I completely disagree with that now. They've created a perfect day time sipper to have with friends. I'm not one to give more than a 3 score often. A 3 is a really high quality whisky, but this is priced right and just kills it. This would be a 4.5 from a lot of people.150.0 USD per Bottle -
Old Carter Straight Bourbon Batch 2 (2019 Release)
Bourbon — USA
Reviewed August 19, 2019 (edited January 12, 2020)With the insane bourbon boom comes many very good all be it younger bourbon options. This one also brings in a price tag nearing 200 bucks. Sadly my intrigue out paced my annoyance with this ever growing high priced NAS bourbon market. Color and body are pretty much bourbon, cask strength. It's coming in a bit lighter than say a 60 dollar ECBP, so I'm guessing we're a bit under 12 years, likely in the 7-9, but I have not researched it. The nose is very sweat, almost a banana bread like note, very little wood and the wood is this sweat nice tame note. I'm not getting any oak bitterness nor am I getting those dark leathers or those old cherry notes. I do however get some more fresh cherry like notes in here. Just like the nose this bourbon is all sweetness with just a few hints of oak bitter to keep it from being overly sweat. Carmel, vanilla, touch of varnish (there's some age here). There's a candied fruit note as well, something between a peach and a cherry but certainly not either. I'm also getting perhaps a touch of custard, heavy in some bready notes. Finish is medium, it's nice. It's not great. OK so I paid lets say 175, I bough it a while ago. Is it worth it if you're willing to spend that on a bourbon? That's a challenge for me. This isn't for those of us who love heavy oak. This isn't my favorite flavor profile where it gives me those more complex dark chocolates and cherries. It however is a very middle of the road creamy sweat flavor without much bitter and really no off putting notes. This is a bourbon you just can't dislike. I somewhat wish I'd bought a second bottle, but I'm really willing to spend on whisky I enjoy. I can't recommend though, it's over priced and it isn't going to wow. There are plenty of bottles in the 50-60 range that are going to compare to this. I'd for example put a lot of 1792 bottles next to this, and there's a lot in common between the two.180.0 USD per Bottle
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