Tastes
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Upon nosing, the “smoky” presents moderately peaty with gobs of vanilla from the bourbon cask behind the sweet clover and mostly charcoal smoke. A touch of orange blossom honey and candied orange peel, no doubt from the Sherry cask, plus a tinge of dark fruit like Italian plums cuts through the cloud to hint at the Marsala wine cask influence. After an initial hit of honey and caramel sweetness, with a gentle pepperiness and some potent mandarin citrus pith, it transitions into a brief Tootsie Roll chocolate before becoming very ashy on the tongue. Fat, fast legs with heavy tears are few, leaving a misting of tiny droplets behind. The mouthfeel is surprisingly on the thin side, but not bad. The somewhat short finish is very dry, sooty, still a bit orange citrusy but with some lemon now, and just a tad tannic like iced tea but with a subtle woodiness or perhaps almond skins. Nose: 9 Taste: 8 Body: 7 Finish: 7
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Sweet and rich, it has brown sugar of course, but also a hint of dates, some tropical fruit top notes, and a base of light tobacco smoke plus suede. Quite sweet on the tongue with warming spice and some candied pineapple. Full bodied and syrupy. Heavy legs form slowly with small, neat tears following. The finish is short but rich, slightly woody, with an almost grassy note. Nose: 9 Taste: 8 Body: 9 Finish: 8
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A very mild, classic bourbon nose that’s a tad on the green side. Certainly a note of rye bread, the seedless variety, plus pressure treated lumber, allspice, a hint of cherry cough drop, some caramel corn, a smidge of vanilla, and a whisper of green apple. It’s really all quite muted, and probably a bit too watered down, but there’s nothing too unpleasant about it. A bit more going on with the palate. Sweet, herbal, peppery, fruity, and nutty. Candied orange peel is followed by rye, mint, a little hot pepper, dried apple and cherry, vanilla, peanut brittle, and even cocoa. After a swirl, legs are reluctant to form, appearing only just before the descending sheet returns to the liquid below. Thin textured in the mouth too, light and fluffy. The finish is short. Slightly dry, with hints of the palate plus a little bit of bitter wood varnish. Not a bad bourbon, but don’t add ice or water to this already ABV deficient, thin feeling, bottom shelf libation. Nose: 7 Taste: 8 Body: 6 Finish: 7
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A subtle nose leads with sweet florals, specifically cherry blossoms, some grassiness, and a hint of funk. Leaning more towards bourbon to start, breathe it in for a spell and the sherry cask influence becomes evident. Red currant jam, light toffee, wildflower honey, and a touch of milk chocolate. The palate is just as sweet as it smells but much spicier than expected, the heat creeping up on you. The flavors are honey, white nectarine, orange zest, white pepper, cayenne, cinnamon and a smidge of hot fudge. The body feels full, a tad oily and slick. However, in the glass it’s quick, hardly forming legs at all as it recedes and leaves behind a meager smattering of droplets. The finish is mild and enjoyable. There’s a lingering citrusy zest like burnt orange peels, an echo of red fruit, ashy oak, and cocoa powdered almonds. Overall, it has potential but could certainly benefit from more time in the cask to mellow the burn and deepen the flavors. Nose: 8 Taste: 8 Body: 8 Finish: 8
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Glenfiddich Perpetual Collection VAT 01
Single Malt — Speyside, Scotland
Reviewed August 31, 2024 (edited November 9, 2024)The nose is classic Glenfiddich married with red fruits, muscadine grape, sugary fondant, mild pink grapefruit citrus, and a touch of oaky vanillin plus a pinch of cinnamon. A little hot and spicy on the palate initially, but it mellows out quickly. Lightly sweet, with orchard fruits, underripe pineapple, barley malt, a touch of Seville orange, and a hint of almond. The body is light, yet with a satisfactory mouthfeel, but not much viscosity. The legs are slow to appear, disperse quickly, and are relatively thin, but are neat, uniform, and leave behind a lovely mist in the glass. The finish is dry, with a slight bitterness of grape skins and gentle oak tannins, lingering confectionery sweetness, and a perfume-like fruitiness both sweet and sharp, with a final note of ground ginger. Nose: 9 Taste: 8 Body: 7 Finish: 8 -
A lively, fruity, and sweet nose on this iteration of the Benriach, and one completely devoid of any smoke. A bit prickly at first, it quickly smoothes out showcasing notes of red fruits, currants and red apples, also orange marmalade, honey oats with vanilla and almond, plus a hint of maple, a bit of white chocolate, just the slightest pinch of spice, and a drop of saline. Starts out prickly on the tongue as well. Not so complex as the nose, though rich flavors blossom quickly with warm spices, cinnamon and pink pepper, jammy fruits, ripe juicy plums and some maraschino cherries. Medium to full bodied, with a little oiliness to the texture. In the glass, weak, undefined legs fall quickly, followed by a broad smattering of broken droplets left clinging to the walls. Sharpness lingers on the finish, alongside fairly bitter tannins. Notes of ripe fresh raspberries, old varnished wood, a hint of baking spices, and a touch of cocoa powder. Nose: 9 Taste: 8 Body: 8 Finish: 7
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St. Petersburg Distillery Old St. Pete Rum & Spice
Spiced Rum — Florida, USA
Reviewed August 14, 2024Dessert in a glass! This stuff honestly makes a great dessert, used in bananas Foster and served with vanilla ice cream it’s to die for. Served up neat it’s sweet and spicy on the nose. Rich cinnamon, honey butter, toffee, butterscotch, allspice, orange blossom, and a smidge of funky, earthy smoke. Spicy, citrusy, and very sweet on the tongue. Hot cinnamon candy, candied orange peel, and raw honey dominate the palate, with subtle undertones of rum hogo, molasses, and other baking spices. The body is syrupy and thick, coating the mouth. In the glass, it clings to the sides forever, taking its sweet time to develop skirts of heavy teardrops that fall in waves with steady legs. The finish is slightly bitter yet still sweet, reminiscent of bourbon, with a touch of charred oak, some lingering spice, citrus pith, and brown sugar. Speaking of sugar, this rum definitely has a bit added to it post distillation as it is just so sweet and a little spill will dry quite sticky. You really have to be in the mood for sweet or else serve over ice, but the spice blend that goes into this rum is fantastic. Nose: 8 Taste: 8 Body: 10 Finish: 9 -
The aroma is sweet, mildly spicy, fruity, and a little bit muddled. I get vanilla up front, followed by some nail polish remover, then a splash of watered down burnt caramel, a big hit of cherry cola, a pinch of allspice, and a hint of banana. Hot on the tongue, but expected at 46% ABV. The flavors follow suit with the nose, with just a bit more spice, and the cherry cola flavor dominating the rest. It’s quite dry, bordering on acrid. The body is good, substantial in the mouth, but nothing special. However, in the glass it’s a beauty, forming a high and tight skirt of tiny beads that take their time transforming into slow, heavy, and attractive legs. The finish is mild, slightly dry, slightly spicy, quite tannic, and even sports a bit of hogo. Not terrible straight, though obviously intended to be a mixer, and that’s really where it shines with its higher than usual ABV, extra flavor, and no added sugar. Nose: 6 Palate: 6 Body: 7 Finish: 6
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Sweet and spicy is the melody this musician plays. The nose holds equal parts of both, with a spice that is herbal and peppery like arugula, and a sweetness that is fructose and honey forward but yields a rich vanilla with some coaxing. Cherry pie filling, a hint of allspice, applewood smoke, and a touch of orange blossom wafting over green fields. The palate is played allegro forte, with a lively dance of flavors delivered on a potent ABV. There is plenty of canned fruit cocktail and pecan pie filling, plus an earthy rye and some cayenne that balances things out. The body is medium to full, and has a slight oiliness to it. She must’ve danced her legs clean off, because there are none to speak of. Though, a couple of swirls leaves a nice string of her pearls behind in the glass. The coda of the performance is somewhat short, semidry, and woody yet fruity, like peach pits and apple seeds. Plus, soft barrel spice and one final note of pecans in bitter dark chocolate brings the curtains to a close. Nose: 9 Taste: 8 Body: 8 Finish: 7
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Typical Irish blended whiskey nose but richer and deeper than most. Subtle malty sweet caramel, light orchard fruit-apples and pears, a bit of banana, with a hint of vanilla, a drop of honey, and some acetone. After an initial kick of warm, tingling spice and sharp citrusy zest, the flavors follow suit with the nose, starting with sweet malt and grain, sugar in the raw, light honey, and vanilla taffy. Then it takes a turn towards fruit with white peach, Anjou pear, Ruby grapefruit, and finally a touch of wood. The body is decent, especially for the low ABV, and rather silky. The legs, while being a bit quick, are well defined and attractive with heavy teardrops. The finish is short, a little dry and somewhat tannic, even metallic. A touch of sweetness remains, mostly in the form of Juicy Fruit chewing gum, plus a whisp of cinnamon spice. If you’re on the fence about trying this whiskey my advice is just D.E.W. it. Nose: 6.5 Taste: 7 Body: 7 Finish: 6
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