Tastes

Rich, dark fruity bouquet with a hint of date nut bread and a touch of rose. Entry on the palate is sweet and herbaceous, then follows intense spice. Afterwards stewed fruits, jammy plums, Medjool dates in syrup, ginger, cassia cinnamon, a hearty dash of cayenne pepper, deeply charred bourbon barrel, and grape musk become apparent. The body is velvety and sumptuous, with decent legs despite the low ABV. The finish is long and reminiscent of fortified wines aged in wood. There’s a bit of mint, possibly oregano, lingering caramelized fruit sweetness, but also some sourness like balsamic glaze, chocolate hazelnut spread, just a touch of bitter orange, and finally charred oak that lingers for a spell. Nose: 8 Taste: 9 Body: 8 Finish: 9

A bit of a rough and ready nose at first, calling to mind days of old with illicit stills and rustic saw mills. Give it time to breathe and the vapors settle, the dusky wood fades, and some sweet vanilla bean, juicy citrus taffy, a little sticky toffee, and a slightly floral note comes out. Sweet and flavorsome on the palate. There’s serious bourbon notes, brown sugar, Rainier cherries, cinnamon, peppercorn, raisin, orange peel, and a smidge of mint. Good body, it’s a little creamy on the tongue, while in the glass the legs are pretty thin and quick leaving plenty of tears behind. On the finish the orange peel transforms into lemon, the sweetness diminishes into a simple icing and a bit of dry spice cake. Dry dusky oak lingers longest bringing the experience back to where it started. You can’t go wrong with a Deanston. Adding water amps up the brown sugar/bourbon notes, making it almost too sweet, no need to dilute this beaut. It’s just right the way it is, even if it is a bit different. Nose: 8 Taste: 9 Body: 8 Finish: 9

A sweet nose greets you with gentle notes of orchard fruits and cereals, but then a sharp trailing edge leaves some ethanol and underripe strawberry in its wake. I get Golden Delicious apple, Anjou pear, oats, a hint of gin soaked Golden raisins, a dollop of honey, and some very mild baking spices. To the tongue, it’s equal parts spicy and sweet. There’s immediate heat and cinnamon spice, then fruity sweet notes muscle their way in with fresh apple dominating an undertone of lemony citrus and strawberry jam. The body is a bit on the light side, not surprising at a meager 40%ABV. The mouthfeel is a little thin but with a redeeming oiliness. In the glass, the legs start off a hot mess, but manage to get it together before they disappear completely. The finish is nice, semidry with a little rustic oak coming through. There’s cocoa dusted almonds providing some bitter astringency, and just a drop of lingering sweetness. No need to add water to this one, it’s better as is. It’s a worthy scotch with a flavor that nods at finer Irish whiskies. Nose: 8 Taste: 8 Body: 6 Finish: 7

To the eye this whisky is shockingly light in color, like white wine, so it obviously hasn’t spent much time in the barrel. It has a strong nose that takes some time to reveal its subtleties. Up front it has powerful ashy peat, buttery cold bacon fat, some copper, iodine, and punchy alcohol. Then comes a hint of vanilla, and just a drop of fruitiness in the form of Bosc pear and underripe pineapple on a bed of salty kelp. On the tongue it’s surprisingly sweet and spicy. It’s a straightforward sugary sweetness, accompanied by red pepper flakes and some sharp citrusy tang, reminiscent of lemon. The moment you swallow though, sooty peat dominates the palate along with a tinge of iodine. The body is nice, coating, yet not too heavy. The legs start out thin and quick but give way to heavier ones with medium tears and leaves a nice mist at mid glass. The lengthy finish is slightly dry, somewhat leathery, peaty, a little woody and sharp. Nose: 7 Taste: 8 Body: 7 Finish: 7

First impression of the nose is that it lies somewhere between Writer’s Tears and Green Spot. It’s very gentle aside from a little sting of alcohol, and really takes a while to open up. There are floral notes such as wild clover, distant honeysuckle, and far away orange blossom. There’s some vanilla, a dab of honey on graham cracker, a drop of lemongrass oil, and a suggestion of candied orange peel and sherry, but it’s all quite subtle. On the palate vanilla hits first, followed quickly by honey, cinnamon graham cracker, then sharp citrus in the form of bitter orange peel. The body is pretty thin, and at 40% ABV, there’s not much wiggle room to experiment with adding water. Legs take a long time to develop but are beautifully uniform despite being thin. The finish is short and bittersweet. Oats, stale cinnamon stick, sour grape must, and finally oak makes an appearance along with nuts and a pip of dark chocolate. An interesting if not strange blend, this whiskey has potential. Nose: 7 Taste: 7 Body: 4 Finish: 5

Classic Oban nose with a touch more smoke than I remember in other expressions I’ve had, a cold smoke like the smell of a fireplace the morning after a fire. There are nice malty cereals, a hint of green apple, vanilla, and caramel all carried on a gentle sea breeze. Nice and malty on the tongue, sweet but not overpoweringly so, everything is quite balanced. There’s substantial spice (think mulled cider), white pepper, barley syrup or perhaps light honey, and a bit of ash. Beautiful, uniform legs cascade evenly and cling for a long time. It’s light bodied for its age but not thin by any means, with a nice buttery feel. The finish is long, gently warming, and a little dry. There’s some lemon peel, pear skin, mild oak, and a tinge of peat at the end. All in all, it’s just a really nice malt whisky that’s not particularly challenging yet hard to forget. Nose: 9 Taste: 10 Body: 8.5 Finish: 9

(Batch 92M Bottle 6640) A little harsh at first, both on the nose and the palate. Given time to breathe, the nose begins to reveal its character in the form of vanilla extract, iced tea, pungent and peppery spices, cherry blossoms, crabapple, rough cut lumber, stale peanut shells, and a pinch of spearmint. On the tongue it burns slow but steady. Beyond the alcohol there is sweet cherry syrup, Pink Lady apple, mild rye spice, a touch of clove, and a splash of Ruby Port. The body is alright, with a relatively thin mouthfeel that thickens as you hold it. The legs run quick and wild at first, but a thin skirt cascades several waves of more uniform and delicate patterns to follow. The finish is mild yet long, with sweet and sour disposition. Some raisiny fruitiness lingers alongside slightly tannic wood, citric acid, leather, and whispers of spice. I preferred this with ice, as it seems to round everything off without sacrificing too much flavor. Nose: 7 Taste: 6 Body: 5 Finish: 7