Tastes

Unfortunately Blanton's is fast becoming impossible to find and, it seems, more expensive by the day. My friend Dan gifted us a bottle when we moved a number of years ago, and it was a wonderful gift. Blanton's has the most scotch-like qualities of any bourbon I've had, with a lot of baking spices that balanced out the syrup and caramel sweetness of bourbon, and also a mature smokiness that made it feel like a dram that would hold up to even a robusto cigar. Also, this is one of the most distinctive and beautiful bottles on the market! The 89 on Distiller seems low by 3-4 points.

Farewell, Elijah Craig 12, your time has come too soon. While it was on the shelves this was the best value at or around $30 in the bourbon market. I can't even give it coherent notes because in my mind this one was the Platonic form of affordable but delicious bourbon. What a combination of caramel, corn sweetness, oak, and spice, all in a combination that could be sipped neat and yet played well with others. I'll miss this one!

This bourbon verges on cloyingly sweet. It really toes the line. And yet it succeeds perhaps because of this character, which almost makes it seem like the inside of a rich creme brûlée in a glass, accentuated by its thick, syrupy mouthfeel and flavor. It also exhibits a powerful warming finish that lasts and lasts, and which is consistent with the higher proof -- but it does not burn. The downside of this one is I find mixing this in sweeter cocktails to not produce a balanced drink, and it lacks a spicy or smoky character to add some complexity, so makes for a relatively poor mixer. Best as an after-dinner substitute for dessert!

These notes are from memory (finished the bottle perhaps nine months ago). Although Distiller's flavor profile disagrees, I found the dominant notes of this whiskey to be floral or herbal in nature, in a way that's hard to define with reference to another flavor (pine may be the closest analogue). I'm not sure if it's a product of the unique types of wood they aged this in, but it's an unusual note that I can't recollect experiencing in another whiskey. The finish is also a little rough and harsh, surprisingly so compared to Yamazaki 12 or other Japanese whiskey staples (actually seemed harsher than the higher ABV Nikka Whisky from the Barrel to my palate). I am not the biggest fan of this one, although it is undeniably complex and worth trying.

This scotch would be my pick for introducing a first-time scotch drinker to the genre. Its standout feature to me is its smoothness, and it lives up to billing as a gentle drinking spirit. Its smoothness and sweetness are so rounded and soft that it more closely resembles a blend than a single malt to my nose and palate, but it has nice notes of honey and orchard fruits. I don't observe the smokiness that some pick up in this dram.

Maker's is my generic go-to if ordering at bars with a small selection because of its wide availability and reasonable price. Its nose and palate are sweet but not cloyingly so, and I enjoy the warmth of its finish. It has a bit more of that furniture polish characteristic scent than I love, but I don't expect a flawless bourbon at the entry level. When it existed, Elijah Craig 12 was a far superior option, and Knob Creek may also be a cut above in my book. I will always have a sense of fondness for Maker's Mark, however, because Laphroaig ages its scotches in ex-Maker's Mark barrels.

This is a smooth, easy-drinking blend. I actually tried this before trying Aberfeldy as a single malt, and I see how Aberfeldy is at the heart of these Dewar's blends. It has a well rounded character with some oakiness, but overall its predominant features are a nice malty sweetness that verges on fruitiness at times. I'm not sure if this remains widely available, I got it when my store was clearing it out at under $30 a bottle, and at that price it was an excellent value.

This bottle was my introduction to Talisker, so I'll always be fond of it, particularly because for a year or more my local liquor store sold this for $35-40 a bottle. It's a slightly rougher around the edges, higher intensity version of Talisker 10 in many ways, with the distillery's signature smoke and brine combination coming through immediately on the nose. The palate is flavorful and rich, and there the smoke is well balanced with the fullness of the malt. The finish is moderate in length but has some pepper and smoke. This one goes great with a cigar!

This one is very light, a pale straw or pear juice in the glass. The overarching character is light, sweet, and airy, very easy drinking and with a relatively short, quiet finish. Like a diluted mix of vanilla cream and apple juice. It's of such a delicate character that it faded to very little when smoked with a cigar, unlike other whiskies I tried at the same time (Talisker Storm, Lagavulin 16, and Nikka Whisky from the Barrel). I got several bottles of this at an incredible discount of $20 a bottle, where it felt like a great value as a mixer and gentle sipping spirit. My review is pegged to that price; I'd look elsewhere at the $40-50 price point where I see this now. At that high a price, it's a nice introduction to single grain but would only merit a 3-star rating.

Definitely worth trying for Islay scotch fans. The most distinctive note on the nose is frosting and lemon pound cake, with surprisingly little peat or smoke. The palate begins with citrus sweetness, with herbal or grassy middle notes, although smoke and peat introduce themselves slowly after two or three seconds. The finish is where the smoke shines through most clearly, and unfortunately it's a slightly too ashy smoke relative to my ideal. There's also a little bitterness, almost like arugula. The finish was hot for the first pour but mellowed out in subsequent pours.