Tastes

Maybe the hardest bottle ever to come up with a name for to even search. So story on this for me was I knew someone who wanted it, saw it...figured I'd grab it and share. I guess i was lucky on the price and point bs. 120-130 bucks. I'm not sure I'll get around to reviewing this with mike...we might, but there's just so much american whisky I have to review and rye isn't mike's thing. It's just hard to bring something like this up to review. Nose - To be honest it's not that bold. You get a nice minty wintery rye element with a nice amount of very soft oak. Combine that with some cherry cough drops and really I think you've more or less got this one down. It's like they took the 4 year rye, turned it down to 80% and then added oak. It's both what you'd expect with a blend of bourbon and rye and kinda disappointing because the bourbon isn't doing much, but Willet purple top bourbon isn't really to my knowledge all that bold on the nose generally. Taste - Earthy mossy oak with layers of spice from the rye and low sweetness caramel and oak dust. Unique without a doubt. And with each sip you really can find new elements here. I get a sweetness up front sometimes and other times the earthy almost vegetal elements come through instead. The more you sip this the more bourbon notes come through up front through more traditional sweet caramel and vanilla notes and the rye moves more towards the middle and finish. One thing is for sure, this wasn't a great bourbon, but it wasn't a bad one either. It was likely a very dull and middle of the road bourbon that they felt needed something else and MGP rye came to save the day. Yeah starting to get red cough drops at the end of a bourbon now. Finish - LONG! Really this is an impressive finish as it really coats the mouth and lingers forever. Mostly just good rye spice and quality oak casks are linger here. Honestly this is a winner and a loser. If you're excited by 6 year willet bourbon and 10 year mgp rye blended...I think you'll be disappointed. I don't think 6 year willet bourbon is any good. Sorry purple top fans. And while the sum of the parts don't resemble either part individually, I think we wasted some epic MGP rye to give life to boring bourbon. That said I know this is rare and I know it's expensive, but you really want 2-3 glasses of this in a sitting because it grows on you as you acclimate to it. And in that regard that's why I'm scoring this higher and why I think there's a winner here, it's just hard to get to. There's so much complexity and depth here to a whisky that seems to come on like a freight train. It's really bold and full of all kinds of crazy fun flavors. But it's not a 130 dollar flavor experience even if the parts kinda would normally justify that level of spend. I'm also note sure this bourbon is actually the same bourbon they put in purple top. There's a part of me thinking it's sourced barton at 6 years old (is that a thing?) Water add some more classic bourbon spice and some funky butter scotch notes fyi. Oh even some dark chocolate with perhaps some kinda cayenne pepper combo. OK so score...I'm really all over the map. So my system under a 1 is basically trash. 1 star is a quality whisky worth drinking for the right price. 2 star is average. 3 star is really good stuff that you really want unless it's crazy expensive. 4 star is wow 400 dollar kinda level stuff. 5 stars are unicorns and the things dreams are made of. 2.5 on this one. I can't think of a comp to try and set my score against. But lets see I gave the 4 year rye a 3 star. That is a whisky I just like more, but it's not as complex. I also might have overrated that one...but I'm also buying another bottle of that when mine is gone. I see some good stuff like the four gate batch 11 ruby rye springs which I bought a second of at 2.5...I might need to get better at scoring and buying lol. So for this one I'd want to give it a 2.65 so I guess 2.7 stars. I honestly think this is a winner at the price point, it's a bit disappointing when you dream of what it COULD be from the label. But overall there's so much good here and even the bad isn't so bad.

So my first lagvulin rare buy....I've had so many and I know these are so hit and miss. So I've had this actually a few times so far...not my normal neck pour thought...Also mezcal? WTF? Nose - A bit of a sour herbal/vegetal and yet lagavulin nose. I know many would want more notes here but I think this is enough for anyone. Smoke and hints of weird peppers with oak and mint with that classic lavaulin malt that brings vanilla and cream and just accretional quality. Taste - I'm not sure if the goal of a tasting is to review it or in this context explain why it's different. The opening is lagavulin 12, but then it turns vegetal and a bit different. And then we get to this insane finish. It's smoke and smoke but not the same. It's got elements of smoked oak but also just I dunno...we smoked something without oak character and it's here too. I think this is where I don't get mezcal but that's the flavor here. I even on a few pours get some buttery elements here. Bottom line it's pretty good but insanely complex. And where I'm sitting is this isn't a whisky I'm in love with or I love. I however I'm fascinated in what we have here. My god, how to score this....finish length and quality is a 5. The upfront is a 2 or 3 range. Good mouth feel. The nose doesn't do me much at all. So 3.5. I'm thinking 87-89 when I review it with mike. I paid just under 400 with fees and shipping to get this into the states. FOr that price it wasn't worth it but it's not a terrible price for a lagavulin this good.

What do you know....I knew I didn't review this. Nose - ginger, malt, cake, barely, oak....complex, confusing....and not very good. There' honey and tea and all kinds of weird notes but ultimately. It's young oak and malt doing god knows what. It's fun to nose and I don't dislike it, but it's nothing special. Taste - Sweet upfront malts. I want to say this is honey comb cereal meets alcohol and young oak over tones. But there's more here. Some mint and some herbal notes. Caramel for sure. A lot of odd oaks Ok so this is complex stuff but it's not that good. It's not bad. I like it but I'm just not sure how to explain all these flavors as not being better than they are. I'm giving it a 2.25 which is higher than my enjoyment but I think the complexity needs to be respected. If you can try this....it's an interesting american single malt choice. But get the sherry or peated first....imo they're better.

In line you're always being asked, what's the best. The best car, the best house, the best steak, the best watch, the best choice or whatever else. I think we obsess over this idea and I think at times it leads up to chasing after unicorns that we'll simply never find. Or it creates this chase that has no end because there is no end to such a chase. Is this the best whisky I have ever had? Well, it's certainly the one I've liked the most and had enough to feel confident in that. Do I own a bottle? Nope. Will I ever? Nope! But it is the most enjoyable whisky I can recall. All based on memory here folks. nose - a neck pour of this brings out what I'll reference as sour milk, and off putting note if there ever were one, but not here. This is a sign of something magic about to come about in a lagavulin . A sign of umami and peat and smoke and amazing sherry casks starting their process of uncoiling. Mike references this as more of a mushroom and maybe a raw uncooked one is fair. As it uncoils or when having it once opened up, there's this old school grape sherry element as I call it that's distinct, strong, and yet doesn't remotely try and over power the malt. Smoke is HUGE, and assertive and that lagavulin malt isn't hidden at all. Every aspect of this nose is exceptional. Alcohol at 59.9% isn't anywhere to be found. It's however certainly rich. Taste - Where to even start. Obviously, you let something like this spend 20-50 minutes uncoiling. Just rich and creamy mouth feel that hits you with waves of smoke and peat and the most masterfully crafted sherry notes ever. But then you start getting notes of mint, tobacco, vanilla, deep dark coal, bitter burnt BBQ notes and then chocolates and dried figs. Overall - I can't explain this whisky in smell and taste notes alone. It might be the biggest and boldest lagavulin ever made. It might be the most refined basically 60% whisky I've ever been near. It also has among the most amazing sherry casks ever chosen, but they very clearly didn't allow this one to be over powered by sherry either. Instead sherry enhances the insane smoke and just sheer power of that lagavulin malt. Balance is found and refinement while giving us one of the most over the top experiences in whisky history. This is now a 4 figure bottle and going up by the day. I'm not sure if I could even justify the price today, but thankfully I've had a good 4-5 pours of it and likely will get at least one more, but I'll work HARD to make it at least 2. I've never had anything this intense, refined, and old world.....it's a master piece that each time I get a chance to have takes me on a journey to a truly special place. This is almost an unobtainable bottle and they trade secondary almost always first to people who are known buyers, so for anyone to jump in, good luck and you'll likely pay a premium. But this is the lagavulin if you see at a bar, you just buy, don't even think about the price.

Oddly this just made to here locally...seems like it's a year behind? Anyway on to the neck pour review. Nose - buttery as all hell. Oak and kinda weird springbanky malt and funk that's not springbank? I often get sugar cookies on springbank but this is more buttered savory bread with some kind of off note and maybe old dried wine in the back ground. Sea salt, chocolate, bit of fig, bit of alcohol bite, Taste - The taste brings me back to more classic longrow but the savory buttery element here is still turned up to 12. Heavy salt and very sweet. There's however not much depth. Not a lot of complexity. It's pretty rich and full of body and flavor. Ultimately I think at 10 years it's too young. I think this could have gone back into the bourbon casks for a few more years to round it out more. 2 stars from me. It's a pass at the 160 it sold for. I'm struggling to add much but I'll let it open up and see if that helps.

Oh my old friend, you're home, finally! Nose - this is the most heavily sherried 25 I've had to date. Reminding me instantly of Arran 25's sherry casks with a mix of beef broth, sherry sweetness, some kind of natural barely, rock candy, salt, sugar cookies, cherries, and god knows what else. Simply wonderfully rich and complex. Taste - Oily and waxy raw grain turns to vanillas and rich salty sugar cookies and these magical sherry notes. Light milk chocolate and honey weave their way into this one. Finishing with light smoke and slight oak tannins to remind you it's 25 years old but not enough to even slightly offend. The finish just won't go away. Only issue? It's 46%...this need desperately to be at 50% Anyway this is the best springbank 25 to date. 4.5 out of 5. Absolutely amazing. Another just master piece from Scotland most loved and best distillery. Worth the price? Nope! Edit - worth the price? I bought a second. And moving it up to a 5 star rating. This is maybe the best springbank I own. I took a bit of time for me to realize just how insane this is. I bought 2. Get you a pour at least guys!

Another day, another over priced bourbon that I shouldn't have bought? Lets find out. Nose - Vanilla forward youngish MGP. A lot of candy and a lot of fruit without a lot of dirty corn or barrel. Making me think there's a bit of age here. Very full of aromas and notes. Very rich. I'm pretty impressed. Taste - The nose was better. The flavor is much more traditional MGP. A bit of sharp sour notes with some butter scotch and toffee, oak, some light unsweet vanilla. Full mouthfeel full body and full of flavor. Overall, this is pretty good. If you're an old carter fan boy, I think you'll like it. If you're like me and a bit agnostic with them, this isn't a stunner. I'm at a 2.0 for this one. At 200 I don't get these guys but whatever.

This is coming to the channel hopefully sooner than later, but Mike's taking his time so lets just spoil this a bit. So this is mostly 15 year laphroiag bottled at near 50%. Do I even need to review it? Nose - Iodine forward smoke with this mix of sherry and funky oak and weird malt notes. Digging deeper there's spearmint. There's gasoline and there's oak. Under that lemon and lime come out, lightly smoked but still wet inside. Taste - This is medium to high viscosity and that creates this amazingly oily whisky experience. Laphroaig and bowmore and clynelish are all just playing together like best friends. Heavy smoke from campfire to medicinal to smoked BBQ to just smoked wood fire stove. It's wonderfully clean and also dirty. There's citrus and vanilla and creamer for your coffee. There's mint and smoke and citrus and so many wonderful notes. This is an amazing pour and I'm buying another one tomorrow. This is hands down the best compass box since tobias and when you factor in price, it's the best in a long time. I might have to compare this to flaming heart 2015. But to be fair, it's so much bigger and bolder and more creamy and just the mouth feel here is amazing. Score is between a 3.75 and a 4.0. I'm going to score this 3.75 but I'm thinking I"m letting the price influence me. This might be a 4. Buy a case. That's my review.

Sometimes we take a risk... Nose - young spirit without any doubt. Vanilla, peat, butter scotch, raw malt, a HINT of talisker spice but barely any. Overall, new make forward with a good bit of peat, but without any off putting elements at all. It's a clean new make in the sense that we don't have issues. Maybe a very narrow cut to off set some of these issues? Taste - See the nose for a lot of the flavor. However, we get with it a rich viscous mouth feel. Mouth coaching and creamy. Tootsie roll vanilla with butter scotch. Good salt levels and yes hints with water of the talisker spice and with water you START to get a BIT of talisker fruity malt elements. Ultimately, the value in this is the creamy mouthfeel and the bold flavor. Is it more peated than most talisker? Honestly, I'd have to compare this with something else at CS but I get more salt than modern talisker but peat? Smoke? Honestly, it's just more salty and rich. Maybe the alcohol is killing out the peat? I'm torn on where to score this. A part of me objectively thinks this much still young malt is a bad thing. I however don't dislike it, it's actually making me think of a good Lagavulin 12 weirdly enough. Not as royalty peated but the level of vanilla and mix of still without it being offensive or even slightly off putting. Overall, It's good whisky, it's bold, it's rich, it's full flavor, it's HUGE bodied....but it's 120 bucks. And I've not sold myself on this for 120. 2.25 on this one. You might talk me into a higher score. Let me know your thoughts. As for a buy? I really wish this was 80, but I also am thinking about Lag 12 which I think is a buy for 120 all day. I'm torn...so if you're digging these notes, get it. If you have any questions, I'd just pass.

Not sure why I had to get this but I'm a sucker for a bit of age and smoke. I'm just so forgiving on these. Nose - There's a weird battle ground being drawn here. The Marsala cask vs the smoke vs what I think is a fruity malt. There's not much depth here as the age even at 12 seems a bit young. A swirl brings out a nice malt and oak note. Some butter scotch, tannins, and vanilla. It's a nice profile for this price point. Taste - Medium mouth feel with a battle for vanilla, light butter scotch, wine casks, and then a wonderful rich lightly charred oak smoke. From there it lingers into some dark chocolate and toffee. There's even a bit of a coffee here as well. What really brings this together is how the smoke and coffee notes linger forever for such a young and to be fair somewhat thin and not overly cask driven dram. There's just been a wonderful balance found with this one despite what I suspect were less than ideal casks and a budget point on age and stock used set on this one. For about 60 bucks this is spectacular. It's easy to drink, approachable, and yet nails this. 2.5 stars - get it! I think it was 65 bucks, I'm not sure.