Tastes

Murray’s Bible calls this a ‘hairy-chested bourbon’ and I can’t disagree. Though it’s only 47% alcohol it smells and tastes much stronger. It’s a deep orange in the glass, and it smells like a candy store run by a drunk, all butterscotch and booze. Sip it and the bombastic corn mash flavours swagger around your mouth and tongue until they cry surrender. The toasty vanilla finish goes on and on with only a hint of spice to liven it up. Though there’s not much complexity or subtlety here, the sheer braggadocio of this whisky is strangely endearing. I shall enjoy polishing off the bottle to make space for something else.

A bottle of HP18 costs a little over C$200 here in BC, Canada. Seeing the sky-high expert and punter ratings, though, I had to give it a go. I’ve found many delicious whiskies thanks to Distiller. So. It looks and smells like most other single malts. Nothing special there. The first thing to hit your tongue is That Malt Flavour, but where some Scotches drown it out with peat or sherry casks, HP puts it centre stage thanks to its overall subtlety. Then what? Smoky bacon, wet hay, and that thin, fragrant wildflower honey, with a long, mildly peaty thrum to finish. Yes, it’s nice. Very nice. But $200, five star nice? Not for this palate. If you love single malt above all other styles, this will be for you. But if you’re just as happy sipping Irish pot still, Canadian rye or bourbon, you’re better off saving your dough.

Signet is perhaps the most loved unpeated single malt on Distiller, so I brought a bottle back from England to test the hypothesis that I just don’t enjoy Scotch that much. I know, heresy, right? The nose of Terry’s chocolate orange, combined with the rich burnished bronze colour and the stunning bottle design definitely set you up for a delight. The taste is sweet, rich, long-lasting, with delicious coffee notes throughout. In fact, it tastes as good as coffee smells before it’s brewed. The malty taste I dislike in most Scotches is transmuted, here, into a kind of liquid tiramisu. So, reluctantly, I have to admit: you were right. It is divine.

This is a quite staggeringly potent bourbon. That means rich caramel, warm honey and a massive kick of alcohol. Even before you sip, the nose burns, albeit with a high grapey sweetness. Then it fills your mouth with a spicy, buttery, oaky deliciousness that stays and stays. This is the biggest, baddest American whisky I’ve ever had. Simply amazing.

The expert review is spot on: sherry nose, figs and prunes, and a lovely long finish combining oak and honey. The score belies the deliciousness of this whiskey though. In the royal family of Red Breast drams, this is truly a prince.

Irish single pot still. Love. It. The nose is lush: apricot brandy, Terry’s dark chocolate orange, a whiff of grape juice. The taste is fruity to the max with none of the yucky burnt flavour I get from most Scotches. The finish is nuts and orange pith. The whole experience is delightful. Top marks.

I love Canadian whisky, second only to Irish, and this is an excellent example. A deep, inviting rusty bronze and a boozy, sherried, faintly tangerine nose tempt the first sip. At 49.5%, it shouldn’t be as potent as it is. A few drops of water bring out satisfying a malty rye spices, a nice bit of corn sweetness, and a long fruitcake finish. At $100/litre in duty free, it’s pricy for a NAS Canadian, and not as good VFM as, say, cask strength Lot 40 or Pike Creek 21. Still, it’s as Canadian as, well, Wayne Gretzky and a damn fine dram.

Boom! The nose is a big whack of vanilla. The whisky, too, has a yummy, oaky flavour rather like a nice big bourbon. For a 20yo it’s a bit lacking in complexity. For a Canadian, it’s not especially spicy either. It is decidedly moreish, though, and not too expensive, so go for it!

I’m tasting this at the bar at YVR. I’m a huge fan of Canadian whiskey, but I don’t love this. The nose is indeed rather gluey, with a pleasant fruity warmth. Lots of spice is nice, but the red wine aftertaste (think dregs from last night’s glass, not sherried scotch) is... weird. Some sips I’d almost go for a 4, but then I think 3 max. The expert rating is surprising.

There’s not much complexity here, but this smells, looks and tastes the way American whisky should: demerara and spice on the nose, a lovely autumnal red-orange colour, and a big blast of banoffie pie in the mouth. A strong vanilla aftertaste brings home the charred oak. Simple, effective, love it.