Tastes

Very nice, and good value scotch considering the age. Fairly (but not very) smooth, with a lot going on in the full-bodied taste. Some marmalade and honey on the nose. The taste has a lot of flavors – some Christmas spices, a fair amount of wood, a bit of sweetness, some tobacco, mint, dark chocolate, and a bit of smoke. The woodiness does leave the finish a bit dry.

Quite good for a 12-year scotch, it’s a fairly nice regular drinker (albeit a bit expensive for the value). Nice rich caramel color, clearly derived from the sherry casks. A bit of ginger and vanilla on the nose. Quite smooth, rich, and balanced for only 12 years. A healthy amount of dried cherries and cranberries, with some spice and hints of ginger and orange.

My overall impression is that it isn’t bad, but it’s sort of underwhelming for a 16-year old. The nose is fairly unimpressive – you get more alcohol than anything else, but you do get some nuttiness. You definitely sense both casks, the bourbon cask is lighter and helps give some peanut an walnut flavors, while the sherry adds some more body and dried cherry and apple flavors. But instead of adding complexity, in this case it sort of mutes all the flavors and makes it less rich. Overall, it has some good flavors, but isn’t as smooth, rich, and full as I’d hope from the age. This does improve a bit after it gets lots of air.

Really rich and complex whisky. Really well-balanced flavors – some peat, smoke, sherry, fruit, and a wealth of other flavors. Some hints of chocolate, mushrooms, honey, and rich dried cherries, apricots, and other fruit. Light and sweet aromas. Very dry finish which isn’t to my taste so much and holds it back for me.

Really powerful, smoky scotch. The youth makes it a little rough, but a really good expression of the Islay character. Good value as well. Really smoky in the taste, with some pepper, smoked meat, salt, and a bit of dark chocolate. The finish is a bit shallow, which holds it back a bit. It’s also a bit tart overall, could be a bit richer and peatier amongst the smoke.

Fairly good, in a pretty bottle. Not as good as Blanton’s (my go-to), but rather well-balanced, flavorful, and smooth. Honey and charred oak on the nose. A fair amount of caramel, a bit of vanilla, and a hint of apple in the taste.

Not as good as the other Editions I’ve quite liked (2 and 3 in particular), but still fairly full of flavor and better than the entry-level offering. Decently rich barley color, dependent on how it catches the light. Fairy aromatic; a bit of undefinable sweetness with a fair amount of charred wood and some ginger and herbal spice. A bit of butter and caramel on the palate, with some spice as well. At the roof of the mouth, you get a bit of flavor like lemon-lime soda.

Pleasant, easy-drinking unpeated malt. Very light in color, reminds you of the barley it comes from. Adam Hannett describes it as a good “breakfast whisky” which I think is surprisingly accurate. Nose is very light, smelling a bit of the barley itself. On the palate it’s sweet – a fair amount of vanilla, with some apple, honey, and a bit of minerality. As you approach the finish you get stone fruits like apricot and a bit of peach. Long finish as the flavor lingers quite a while.

Beautiful dark amber color with a reddish hue. Almost mahogany in the bottle. Very pleasant to drink, very complex flavors. Mostly oak on the nose, get a little bit of the sherry sweetness. On the palate there is enough smoke and sweet peat to know it’s from Islay, but it isn’t overpowering. Very well-balanced, even flavor between the sherry and bourbon oak influences. Some honey at the start followed by rich raisin, jam, and fruity flavors. A touch of seaweed and salt as well. Water brings out the sherry at first but dilutes a bit and adds a bit of sourness. Don’t recommend water. Very nice and complex, would buy again.