Tastes

As soon as I sipped this rye, it instantly vaulted into first place among all of the ryes I've tried, which admittedly is a much smaller number than scotches or bourbons. The blend of two differently aged whiskies has produced a complex set of aromas, but all of them delightful: cappuccino, caramel, rye spice, pineapple, and butterscotch. Then even more flavors pop up in the palate: creamy oatmeal, dill, vanilla, and citrus notes. The rye spice is quite strong in all three phases, but manifests most strongly after the swallow, when it combines with yeasty bread flavors, mint, and orange. At $60-70, this is not cheap, but it's much richer and more complex than its more affordable cousins.

So good, just so good. This is all Four Roses' OESK recipe, which is arguably the bourbon community's favorite variation. Because of the use of multiple single barrels, the proof varied from bottle to bottle between 100 and 120 proof. I'm not exactly sure the proof of the sample I tried, although judging by its lack of significant heat, I'd estimate it was in that 50-53% range rather than the higher end. This is (or was, since it's no longer widely available in stores) a stunning bourbon, and the best I've had from Four Roses. The nose exhibits the clarity and potency of flavor that comes only when everything -- distillation, aging, selection -- goes right. Vanilla latte, coconut, strawberry, butterscotch, banana crepe, and oak all have their turn. Then the palate turns to a rich breakfast spread: maple syrup drizzled over vanilla french toast, banana caramel crepes, and a few flecks of chocolate (which I find to be a signature of the OESK recipe). The age manifests as a sweet, lightly spicy oak that provides the frame for the other flavors. Elliott's Select finishes with a balanced conclusion of oak, rye spice, peach, apricot, and honey. This bourbon was $125 at retail, and multiples of that on the secondary market now. If I'd had a chance to buy this at retail, I'd have purchased 2 or 3 bottles.

This bourbon gets a 5, but a "soft" 5 (if that makes any sense), in my book. Blanton's Straight from the Barrel is the forbidden fruit, or at least the far-away fruit, in the Blanton's lineup -- available only overseas and not in the United States. This bourbon has a dark, almost cloudy, russet, clay-like color. Dark, sticky fruits, and chewy raisins and craisins, stand out immediately on the nose. Behind that, there's a clear and harmonious combination of vanilla and caramel. As a younger whiskey, Blanton's has less oakiness than older bourbons like Elijah Craig Barrel Proof on the nose, although there is a scent reminiscent of pencil shavings some of the time. Whole peppercorns round out the strong start. This bourbon drinks well below its proof, but lacks the complexity of the finest barrel-strength releases from other distilleries, or from the older products from Buffalo Trace itself. Unlike the nose, the palate is heavy on the dry side, with cedar and oak woodiness abounding from the first sip onward. There's more honey than caramel in this barrel. The vanilla from the nose carries over well to the palate, but those dark, sticky fruits or dried fruits are nowhere to be found (at least for me). The smokiness of Blanton's, from the barrel char, is stronger than other barrel-proof bourbons. The texture is oily, rich, and buttery. Compared to the nose, I once again get a surprising amount of oak on the swallow, along with cloves and rye spice. The combination of cinnamon and creaminess is reminiscent of eggnog. The spice dominates the back-end, which doesn't exhibit the harmony of the first two phases. At $100, this is one of the most expensive bottles of bourbon I've ever purchased. However, it's not the best. With Blanton's, the intangible factors add significantly to the enjoyment. By that, I mean the beautiful bottle and the fact that this bourbon isn't even available in the U.S., which adds to its cool factor. But, on taste alone, I'd happily grab a bottle of Elijah Craig Barrel Proof or Four Roses Private Selection for $70-80 (and grab a bottle of Wild Turkey 101 with the savings!).

Virtually all of Diageo's major distilleries offer a "distillers edition" or "distiller's edition," which is the base expression from a distillery with some added sherry finish. That's the formula with Lagavulin Distillers Edition, which is stupidly amazing, and Caol Ila and Oban have similar offerings. Talisker's Distillers Edition is finished in Amoroso sherry casks for the last few months before bottling, and that short amount of time does impart some significant changes to this single malt. Compared to Talisker 10, the powerful sherry influence diminishes some of the balance and variety of flavors that the base expression exhibits, and which makes it one of my favorite single malts. On the nose, I detect cherry, oily sherry, wisps of smoke, marzipan, and a distinct brininess. The palate is sweet and floral at first, with sherry and malt mixing with brine, a pinch of pepper, and citrus fruits. Overall, however, that sherry washes out more flavors than it adds, and makes this a less distinctive dram, one that I easily could have mistaken as the product of many Speyside distilleries. The finish consists of leather and shoe polish, gravel, and apple-flavored malt. A bottle can be found for about $80, so not much more than the original, but what's the point of the splurge when Talisker 10 is just so good? Thanks to Telex for the sample!

This is an unusual expression, and swims against the grain of Macallan's recent impulse to release highly priced, no-age-statement expressions. Double Cask is an experiment in aging, as the distillery acquired new American oak casks, seasoned them in sherry, and then used them for the bulk of this product. In some sense, it means they're using the sherry to age the casks rather than the other way around, and the result is casks that didn't spend as much time with the wine in them and that impart a milder flavor to the whisky that's later dumped in them. That's exactly what we get here. On the nose, there are notes more typical of a bourbon-aged or half-and-half whisky: vanilla, caramel, cream, oak, and mild sherry fruits and baking spices. The palate emphasizes the core malt flavor, which comes through best with ex-bourbon-cask aging, and almost tastes like a blend in its mixture of half-expressed flavors: some fruit, some honey, some spiced tea. Double Cask finishes on notes of malt and sweet cereal grains, along with some oaky barrel char. This comes in at a similar $65-70 price to Macallan 12, but I'd opt for the original.

Glenfarclas is one of the few remaining independently owned Scotch distilleries, and has a reputation for bold, sherried whiskies. This puts it squarely into competition with the big boys at Macallan and Aberlour, and other excellent Speyside distilleries such as GlenDronach. The 17-year old expression is arguably Glenfarclas's flagship, and it is an excellent scotch, albeit one that is, surprisingly, not a sherry bomb. This whisky's foundation is balance. In its aromas, there is a harmonious mix of red velvet cake, honey, mild sherry, and strawberry frosting. In its tastes, this sweet and easy-drinking whisky features sherry, more orange and citrus fruits than the nose, cake again, a little smokiness, honey, and vanilla. The finish integrates spice, wood, and sweet, milk chocolate for a calming conclusion. In its mildness and balance, Glenfarclas shares more in common with Aberlour than with other Speyside distilleries, and is a worthwhile alternative to its more famous brethren.

I tried a small sample of this last night, and this is not quite a 98 for me. I'm generally wary of expensive, no-age-statement scotches. And, while this scotch wasn't a huge letdown, and in fact was pretty tasty, I would not buy a bottle for the $250-300 it demands. This is a classic Macallan sherried whisky. The distillery claims that a high proportion of the casks used are first-fill and, based on the scent, I believe it. There are clear, relatively pure notes of cherry, vanilla, sherry, and dry chocolate (kind of like the chocolate shavings or parts that are left after you've eaten most of a bar). I also sense some musty oak, so this certainly smells like an aged expression, not a young one, and older than 15 years on average. I even detect some brine or iodine, a note I more commonly find in Islay scotches. I'm not sure where it's coming from, but it's a surprising touch. The nose is the best part of this scotch. It tastes like graham cracker, again some sherry and cherry, hazelnut, raspberries and other rich, sweet berries, and some more chocolate. Again, oak spice indicates that the average age of this dram is significantly older than Macallan 12, so -- say what you will -- it's not scamming us too badly on the age. The palate doesn't impress as much as the nose, however. At the end, there are flavors of chocolate and dried fruits, particularly dates, and a bit of freshness from a mixture of mint and ginger. Look, this is a good whisky. It has a famous brand name. You can show the bottle off to your friends, family, and guests. Those facts all add some value, with the amount depending on the individual consumer's preferences. But, for me, there is such a wealth of sherried scotches with age statements and that cost less (GlenDronach 18, Dalmore 18, Balvenie 15 Sherry Cask, Glenfarclas 17), it's just hard to justify this price point.

OK, everyone has their desert island scotch. It might not be your favorite dram of all time, and there are other whiskies you'd pick when the mood strikes you. But if you can have only one, you need a versatile drink that ticks off all the boxes and doesn't stray too far in any one direction. That might be Talisker 10 for me. It's not the greatest scotch or whiskey I've ever had, but it's one I could drink every day. The initial curl of smoke that wafts out of this glass is near-perfect. It's not a sooty Islay peat smoke, it's more of a resinous and sappy woodsmoke -- a camping smoke, not a coal smoke. The other scents lean away from the sweet side of the spectrum, with significant minerality and seaspray. It's the perfect bridge between Islay and Highland scotches. The palate is complex, sweeter than the nose, and features mild sherried nuts and dates, floral rosewood, pepper (the Talisker signature), and a smoke and honeyed malt core. Talisker 10 has a medium body with a near-ideal texture for a daily sipper. Its spectacular finish has a strong pepper kick, a light lingering smoke, cocoa-powder covered cherries, and orange emerging at the end. $70 for a bottle and worth every cent.

This was one of two whiskies I tried at Barrel Proof, at the end of an epic afternoon bar crawl that began after lunch and ended after sunset in New Orleans. I'm always intrigued when Speysiders experiment with peated single malts given that their specialty (particularly GlenDronach's specialty) is gorgeously decadent sherry bombs. There's a bit of an arms race between the Islay distilleries and the Speyside distilleries in the sweet-and-peat arena -- can the Islay peat-smoke specialists civilize their barbarian single malts with sherry and other wine-aged casks better, or can the Speyside masters toughen up their rich and fruity scotches with some smoky, rugged flavors? To my knowledge, some of the most famous Speysiders don't really try, such as Macallan or Aberlour. They know what they do well and they stick to it. GlenDronach, however, has ventured forward to challenge the excellent Islay sweet-and-peat scotches such as Laphroaig PX Cask or Ardbeg Uigeadail, and the results are an astounding success. The peat of the Highlands is different than Islay peat and lends the nose and palate more floral, musky, and leathery aromas rather than an intense, brooding smoke. This gentler peat blends with the sherry sweetness perfectly. While the initial flavors upon entry are mostly sweet fruit and there is a lasting note of orange citrus throughout, this dram morphs into something very similar to Laphroaig PX or Lagavulin Distiller's Edition over time. Compared to Islay exemplars, however, GlenDronach's flavors blend more harmoniously while being less challenging. This is a symphony of sympathetic flavors as opposed to an exhilarating boxing match between two power punchers. The finish leaves abiding notes of mint and espresso. This dram lacks an age statement but, based on taste, this is not a young whiskey. Bravo, GlenDronach.

This review basically could be condensed down into a cross-reference to my prior review of Talisker Storm, with the caveat that this whisky has more assertive notes of barbecue smoke, sweet caramel, and chili pepper. I tried this in an airport duty-free shop, which is the main place that you can find this travel retail exclusive. Compared to Storm, Dark Storm strikes its notes with more power and clarity, which makes it the better pick in my book. It's surprising that two scotches bottled at the same ABV and aged using similar techniques (apparently the main difference is a higher char level for this expression) could differ so much in perceived strength. Blind, I would have guessed this was an amped-up, 50% ABV version of Storm.