Tastes

Orange peels on the nose, vanilla in the sip and full of peat and smoke. An incredible taste that is straightforward and incredibly smooth.

Tasting the Caol Ila this evening. Special appearance form the new Snifting glasses from The nose is light with smokey apple. Hints of the seaside thanks to the coastal region. The first sip and I’m hooked to the salty and sweet mix of fruit and sea-weed. It really is an incredible taste with a medium peat that is swimming in a smooth elegant fullness. Add a drop of water and the mouthfeel gets fuller and obviously lighter. The medicinal notes smooth out but the fruitiness disappears. This is a great whisky neat that is rich in flavour and powerfully full.

The smaller Sherry cask brings a more distinct taste. It’s a sweeter liquor with a strong oiliness. It seems to be a little less peaty than the Ten and it feels fuller with vanilla tones with a mild hint of plum. It’s signature Laphroaig with its peat and salt but has a broader taste profile than the select and the Ten. Add a touch of water and the whisky mouthfeel gets fuller and more interesting. The aftertaste lingers for ages and leaves vanilla smoke tones.’

A powerful smokey peat with a distinct brine and seaweed nose. The taste is a bold with the signature Laphroaig peat. It’s a smooth taste sensation that packs a salty sweet punch and lingers for ages. As the taste lingers you find taste overtones of vanilla and toffee. I struggled to identify the fruit but distillerapp says it pear. I can taste that now that it’s named but I also feel like there is a hint of raisin. My advice is not to add too much water. It starts smoothing out too much.

The Select is a blend of four of their other whiskies (The QC, 10, PX and Triple Wood). There’s a light smokiness on the nose which is the unmistakable Laphroaig “peat reek”. There isn’t a particular flavour that stands out to me. The taste is peaty and punchy but that disappears quickly and leaves you with a fruity taste which I still can’t place. All in all it’s a great taste but it lacks a distinctness and disappears quickly.

Sweet caramel and oak on the nose. Spicey, citrus with rye. The cinnamon spice lingers in the aftertaste.

Love the colour on this liquid, the darker tones make me feel like it’s holding more of the barrels flavour profile. I’m expectant for something more distinct to the IPA already. The nose has definite chocolate and butterscotch. The label said coffee as well but I didn’t get that. The first sip neat and it has a complex flavour profile with and elegantly smooth richness. Add a drop of water and the spices profile starts to open up on the nose. This whisky has a blend of smooth, spice and smoke. It lingers on the tongue for a while after you sip, letting to live that spice a bit more than usual. The pro’s at DistillerApp say is a short lingering of black pepper. It stayed a while longer for me. It’s a lovely whisky that brings something new and interesting to the Jameson flavour profile.

The hops are immediately noticeable on the nose. It’s light, fresh and reminds me of drinking a pint in Stratford almost 20 years ago. The taste near is super hoppy, I added a touch of water and it bought out those unmistakable Jameson tones. It’s smooth sweet, fruity and these a whiff of smoke (not enough for my liking). It’s a decent dram but it’s taste profile lacks distinction. The hops are great bits it’s tapered down the the Jameson flavour profile. Easy to drink, won’t disappoint, but nothing particularly interesting. (Maybe I’m just not a hops guy - wouldn’t turn it down though)

Immediately the colour is darker than the Ten which might be the ex-bourbon casks in the mix. The nose is unique, powerful smoked brine. There’s a familiar nature of citrus, spice and pear but there and additional taste of raisin and dried fruit. The Wee beastie has less smoothness and packs a bigger punch than the Ten. Although I think I’d prefer the Ten if forced to choose I do think this little beast will be repurchased many times over.

The nose is naturally Smokey but not such that it overpowers the fruity notes and a sweet caramel. The pros @distillerapp say it’s pear, lemon and honey. As you sip the smoke and peat creating a inviting ‘More’ish’ quality (maybe it’s just me but peat leaves me ready for the next sip) The zest of citrus become so apparent now and the sweetness disappears. The mouth feel is full and luxurious, Leaves the mouth zinging with spicey tones and a herbal quality.