Tastes

Very well rounded with some vanilla and light caramel. When I first opened the bottle it had more heat than flavour and felt a little one sided. After a few weeks it seemed to balance out and showed some more depth. Having said all that I have tasted better for less $$. The brand is a little over priced.

I was trying an Ardbeg 10 for the first time yesterday and had expected the Lagavulin 16 to not only be more in my taste wheelhouse but really blow away the Offerman 11yr old Lagavulin. For some reason I’m favouring the Ardbeg. It was a little thinner and to me had more of that oily, briny ocean taste. I really wanted to like the 16 more but until I do a side by side later this weekend that’s my initial thought. PS - Still great!

This is definitely one that seems to get better with each taste. I remember thinking it was pretty shallow when I first opened it and then tasted it. Several weeks later the complexity seems to shine through and now a few months later it’s one of my favourites for a smoky, peaty scotch. Everything seems balanced and nothing is overpowering.

Too much oak oil taste and missing what I expect in a bourbon. Some hints of spice when you add a touch of water. Tried to use it in my bourbon but it made it bitter.

Buttery with apricot is quite forward for a scotch with a high ABV like this. I found a few drops of water really brings out the caramel flavours.

I really wanted to like this, but I think only because I was told I should. For my taste it fell flat. It was spicy and hot without any depth. It was very 2 dimensional - oaky and hot (maybe oily). I’ve had much higher proof boutons that bring the heat but packed with flavour. I went through a bottle over a period of time thinking it might change but each tasting held the same outcome, one of my least favourite bourbons. I do own 180 of them. Other than a slight touch of vanilla I’m picking up all the rest is hot oak. Even the sweetness of the corn is very short lived before it is beaten up by a burnt tire taste. Someone please tell me why I should like this again??

Soft and creamy undertones for such a smoky scotch. Great evening sipper and amazing with steak, just like Ron Swanson would have wanted it.

Mellow slightly sweet versatile bourbon that in my opinion hits all the basic notes of what a bourbon should be.