Tastes

Nice and smooth. Really pleasant drinker.

It's fine, but I expected so much more given the hype. I'd give this a 6/10, and prefer Johnnie Walker Black if I'm having a blend in this price range.

Drinkable, but just barely.

**Price:** $27.99 at Total Wine in Houston, Texas **Setting:** Neat in a Glencairn, with a fat basset snoring nearby. **Color:** Focus group caramel. **Nose:** Honey and cereal. It’s a pleasant nose, but it’s quite muted compared to most other whiskies. **(15/25 points)** **Taste:** More honey and cereal, along with some light smoke and peat. It kind of tastes like honey nut cheerios at a beach campfire. It’s not complex, but the taste is really nice. **(45/50 points)** **Finish:** Fairly short in length. Honey nut cheerios that fades into a salty note. It’s a pleasant finish that gets out of the way and leaves you wanting more. **(18/25) points)** **Conclusion:** I’m a little embarrassed to say that I really like Johnnie Walker Black. It’s not something to sip and contemplate, but it goes down easy, tastes quite good, and leaves you wanting more. I work late most evenings and often don’t want to drink something nice while my concentration is elsewhere. I’ll usually turn to JWB, as I can drink something inexpensive yet enjoyable and not worry about parsing out every flavor or note. For the price, I find JWB to be difficult to beat. **Final Score: 78/100**

Price: $59.99 at Total Wine in Houston, Texas Setting: Neat in a Glencairn, with a fat basset hound in my lap and the Terror on in the background. Color: Dark amber Nose: Inviting. Brine, peat, meat, medicine and cleaning product. I’d buy a candle that smelled like this. Taste: Tasty. Brine, peat, cinnamon, melon, campfire smoke and meat. Finish: Lingering and complex. Brine, smoke and oak that then builds to a cinnamon burn. Really pleasant. Conclusion: Still as good as I remember. The nose, taste and finish are all solid – my only criticism is that the finish is perhaps a bit hot. The bottle claims that it was made by the sea, and that’s not just advertising – it tastes like one took a dunk in the ocean and swallowed a little seawater. Well worth the price, I’d gladly buy this again (and in fact, have done so). One of my favorite single malts. 90/100

Price: $59.99 at Total Wine in Houston, Texas Setting: Neat in a Glencairn, with a fat basset hound in my lap. Color: Dark amber Nose: Sweet and delicious. Stewed apples, roasted nuts, toffee, and baking spices. It smells like a tasty apple and nut desert. I want to take a bite. (20/25) Taste: Honeycomb, peanuts, stewed fruit, and oak. Really pleasant mouthfeel. (45/50) Finish: Short and light. Baking spices, apples and peanuts. (20/25) Conclusion: It's a solid dram and all its components are well-made. That being said, I think OG Macallan 12 is roughly the same in terms of enjoyment and that costs $10 less. I'm glad I tried this, but I don't know that I'd buy another bottle anytime soon. 85/100

**Price:** $35.99 at Total Wine in Houston, Texas **Setting:** Neat in a Glencairn, with a fat basset hound running in its sleep next to me. **Color:** Rich gold. **Nose:** Kelp, brine, peat, and a medicinal note my mind calls chapstick \(once you think this last one, it cannot be ignored\). Smells like a campfire at the beach. Pleasant but the weakest component of this whisky. **\(18/25 points\)** **Taste:** Robust flavors of barbecued meats, burn rubber, peat, brine, oak, and pepper. Lots going on here, but it all works. It also has great mouthfeel and very little alcohol burn. The bottle describes the taste as "Kissing a mermaid who had BBQ for dinner", which is a fair comparison. **\(46/50 points\)** **Finish:** Long and lingering. Lots of smoke with sweet malty and toffee notes that show up towards the end. **\(21/25\) points\)** **Conclusion:** Laphroaig 10 is another one of my favorite whiskies. It’s quite complex, and as a result, it’s a fun whisky to drink and analyze. It also brings back childhood memories of BBQ’s at the beach, which is nice. I personally use Laphroaig 10 as my benchmark entry level single malt, as I believe it handily beats most other whiskies in its price range. I suspect pretty much everyone one here has tried it, but if you haven’t, it’s a strong buy. **85/100**

Jack is one of the better mass produced spirits. Surprisingly smooth for the price. Serves as a good mixer. I'd give it a 5/10.

**Price:** $99.99 at Total Wine in Houston, Texas **Setting:** Neat in a Glencairn, with a fat basset hound in my lap. **Color:** Straw **Nose:** Stewed apples and figs. Nice but somewhat muted. **Taste:** Delicious. Dried fruit, honey, caramel, orange peel and cinnamon. I could drink this all day. **Finish:** Medium-long. Sweet and oaky. Really pleasant. **Conclusion:** Glenfarclas 17 is delicious and well-balanced. The taste and finish are both solid, and it is a very easy drinker. It’s a really nice dram, although it is somewhat pricey, and as such, it doesn’t have great QPR. Probably my favorite Speyside iteration. **9/10**