Tastes
-
Another Barreled transfer from December 2016 This review is coming from across the border in Windsor from my brother in laws liquor cabinet. This blended Canadian whisky is 100% rye, comes in at the minimum 40% ABV, appears to be a heavily colored dark amber and is most likely chill filtered. The nose is quite interesting. It smells heavily of breaded and baked whitefish. To clarify, it doesn't smell fishy, you can have fish that isn't fishy. Nice rye bread aromas as well. It's not very complex but it is very warm and inviting. Unlike the standard Canadian Club, the palate is very smooth and easy to drink. A bit of rye spice but nothing even close to too much. Again, not overly complex. Given my lack of rye experience I can't really pick out much more in the palate. It does have a sweetness to it. It does have a bit of spice on the finish which is medium short. Not bad for a cheap every day sipping rye or for mixing.
-
Another transfer review from September 2016 Dark copper or bronze in color typical of Kentucky bourbon. 45%ABV and extremely affordable, but that doesn't translate to a lack of quality. The nose is not terribly complex. Sweetness from the corn comes through, slight alcohol burn. A little water lets the rye and some vanilla and brown sugar come through. The palate is more of the same. It has bite but not burn. The finish is both spicy and sweet. BT is definitely one of the best bang for your buck bourbons, but it won't blow your socks off. At around $25 you can't go wrong
-
Another transfer review from Barreled from March 2016 Dark copper or bronze in color typical of Kentucky bourbon. 45%ABV and extremely affordable, but that doesn't translate to a lack of quality. The nose is not terribly complex. Sweetness from the corn comes through, slight alcohol burn. A little water lets the rye and some vanilla and brown sugar come through. The palate is more of the same. It has bite but not burn. The finish is both spicy and sweet. BT is definitely one of the best bang for your buck bourbons, but it won't blow your socks off. At around $25 you can't go wrong
-
A review from almost a year ago on the Barreled app. Time to switch things up for tonight. Doing my first bourbon review in quite a while. I was able to get a 2oz sample from a coworker who is much more into bourbon than I am. Basil Hayden is part of the Jim Beam small batch lineup (Bookers, Knob Creek, Bakers, Basil Hayden's) and is said to have the lightest body of the four brands but also the highest rye content. It comes in with the minimum legal 40% ABV. It is most likely chill filtered but is natural color as is all Kentucky straight bourbon. I would call it a deep amber. The nose is very rye forward. Rye bread and caraway seeds. Vanilla, butterscotch lightly toasted oak and toffee. There is a light but very present minty note. The nose is very pleasant but very light as well. The palate almost completely echoes the nose. The rye dominates. Oak, toffee and vanilla. It is slightly sweet with a low spice. More of the mint in the background. Not very strong flavors, but good flavors nonetheless. Lightly oily mouthfeel and very smooth. Medium long finish with the rye and mint lingering. Even though this is only a 40% bourbon, I was expecting something a little stronger. The flavor profile is very good, just lacking in power. This would be good for a relaxing day in late spring or in a light cocktail. 3.5 Cheers
-
Mortlach 15 Year Distillery Labels (Gordon & MacPhail)
Single Malt — Speyside, Scotland
Reviewed November 30, 2017 (edited October 21, 2024)DISCLAIMER: This review is for the 11 year old Mortlach from Classic Cask, not the 15 year G&M. Stop number 51 on the SDT is Mortlach. This Speyside distillery is owned by Diageo and is primarily used as a blending component in Johnnie Walker, however there are a few official single malt releases. This bottle came from the independent bottlers at Classic Cask. A single, first fill hogshead (not sure if its ex bourbon or sherry) was used and only 384 bottles were released. Distilled in 2002, bottled in 2014, making it 11+ years old. 46% ABV, non chill filtered and natural color of pale straw which would point to the cask being ex bourbon. The nose is bright and citrusy. Lemon and a little lime. Buttercream, vanilla, very light oak. Some sharp alcohol burn early on. Light bourbon notes, butterscotch and caramel. Furniture polish and a bit of a metallic sensation. Some almond paste and after a while a nice thin layer of smoke arrives, just enough to let you know it’s there. Sourdough bread, malty. More fruits show up in the form of plums, some brine and olive oil as well. A very homogenized nose. Nothing really stands out except the citrus and everything else I had to fight for. A sweet arrival on the palate with a touch of spice. Lemony citrus and a general fruitiness, but like the nose, nothing stands out. Light brine and vanilla. Weak raisins and weak smoke. Not complex at all, very simple. Nothing wrong with it, just nothing special. Medium bodied mouthfeel that starts dry, then becomes mouthwatering...then dry...then mouthwatering. A medium length finish with citrus, cream and raisins. Dry. Pretty much the definition of mediocre. Nothing at all stands out except the citrus. Difficult to pull distinct notes from it. Unfortunately this is another subpar offering from an independent bottler. At $88 it’s not worth the price of admission. Thanks to @Telex for the sample. 3 stars. Cheers -
Glen Scotia Double Cask Single Malt
Single Malt — Campbeltown, Scotland
Reviewed November 29, 2017 (edited January 27, 2020)Stop number 50 on the SDT is Glen Scotia. One of only three distilleries in the Campbeltown region of Scotland. Double Cask is a NAS whisky matured in ex bourbon casks and then finished for about 12 months in PX sherry casks. This is bottled at 46% ABV, is non chill filtered and natural color of golden honey. The nose is rich and full. Some alcohol burn at first but that quickly fades into quite the little sherry bomb. Dark toffee, caramel and honey. Dark dried sherry fruits, raisins, dates and figs. Brown sugar/molasses. Black cherry pie filling, plums and maple syrup. Sweet but not cloyingly so. A very deep and roasted type feel to it. Roasted almonds, chocolate, vanilla cream and buttery biscuits. Perfumed oak and faint mint. Quite nice indeed. The palate arrives spicy and sweet, but more on the sweet side. A dark and deep sweetness. Toffee, vanilla, syrup. Sherried fruits, dark berries, raisins, dates. A little pepper and nearly burnt pie crust. It’s a tad young feeling but still very good. Medium to full bodied. A little on the dry side but also mouthwatering at times. A medium long finish full of sherry, cherry syrup and toasted oak. Although it comes off as young overall (8-10 years), it has depth and maturity in there as well. A good sherry bomb that has a pretty good value at $50. It could have been smoother on the palate with less bite and had a stronger finish, but I still enjoyed it quite well. Thanks to @PBMichiganWolverine for the sample. A solid 4. Cheers -
Bladnoch 21 Year
Single Malt — Lowlands, Scotland
Reviewed November 27, 2017 (edited December 30, 2017)Disclaimer: this review is for the 26 year old version from independent bottlers That Boutique-y Whisky Company Starting up the old Scottish Distillery Tour again after a couple of weeks off between rounds. Stop number 49 is Bladnoch. A Lowland distillery with apparently very few official bottlings. This offering comes by way of the independent bottlers over at That Boutique-y Whisky Co. A single ex-bourbon cask matured for 26 years and bottled at 47.8% ABV, natural color of yellow gold and non chill filtered. The sample I have is from a 500mL bottle that was one of only 165. The nose starts off with heavy honey, cereal malt and dried grass. A fairly strong oaky character with vanilla and caramel. Lightly nutty with a kind of baked whitefish feel to it. The honey and malt keep coming back around and dominate the nose for a while. Quite floral with some fruits becoming more and more prominent. Melon, peach pits, green grapes, yellow apples. It moves into some tropical type fruits like mango, but that is not as obvious as the others. After more time I get brown sugar, toffee and buttercream. This is a whisky that benefits from patience. A huge arrival on the palate, not at all what I was expecting from the nose. Luscious fruits and lots of them. Apples, pears, berries, melons, mango, coconut, passion fruit and maybe some papaya. Really great so far. It does come around to more closely resemble the nose after a while with vanilla, some pepper, floral honey and malted barley. If you sip and swallow without letting it linger in your mouth there are strong bourbon notes. Then more and more. Some slightly perfume type notes as well. Nice A medium-full mouthfeel that is oily and mouthwatering. The finish is short to medium short, very fruity with honey and vanilla. This is an excellent independent bottling. It took some time to open up and reveals its true character, but it was well worth it. The nose does not prepare you for the palate and I love getting surprised like that (as long as it’s for the better). I was very surprised that all those wonderful fruity flavors came out of an ex-bourbon cask filled with a Lowland new make spirit. The finish could have been longer, but overall I’m impressed. As far as value goes it’s hard to justify $150 for a 500mL bottle, but it’s not that bad considering the age. I give this a 4.25 and a big thanks to tour member @PBMichiganWolverine for the sample. Cheers -
E&J VS Brandy
American Brandy — California, USA
Reviewed November 22, 2017 (edited December 23, 2020)I apologize in advance for this long intro. My grandfather passed away a couple months ago and we found his stash of alcohol while sorting through his house. He and my Grandma were not drinkers, but it appears that they either received a lot of alcohol as gifts or kept it on hand for guests. Lots of old wine and champagne, old bottles of Canadian whisky, gin, various liqueurs and this brandy. Everything was stored in a cabinet above his refrigerator so I’m sure all the wine is long past disgusting and the champagne all turned brown and had black chunks in it. The spirits however lived on. He had an unopened Canadian Club from 1967, an open but very full Seagrams VO from 1976 and a few others. Nothing that would cost more than $10-15 today, but the nostalgia alone makes it more valuable to me. I opened this pre-1988 brandy today (I know it’s pre-88 because that’s when the surgeon general warning was first put on alcoholic beverages and this one don’t have it!). Anyways here’s what I found. Bottled at 40% ABV, most likely chill filtered and colored. This is a sort of bronze amber. There is no age statement, but I believe the V.S. designation (which this old bottle doesn’t even sport) means that it’s at least 2 years old. The nose is very sweet and fruity. Red grapes and berries. Pears and hints of toasted coconut. It almost has a corn-like sweetness to it and it’s quite floral. Almond butter, candle wax and potpourri. Potpourri like if it was in another room and a breeze carried it over to your nose. Dry grass and somewhat earthy. Honey and butterscotch. A little vanilla and wood spice. Much more depth and complexity than I had hoped for. The more you let it sit in the glass the sweeter it gets with syrupy goodness. A bit of a peppery arrival on the palate but not too intense. Honey and strong butterscotch. Grape skins, earthy and waxy. More butterscotch. It shows its youth here with some harshness and hits of alcohol at times. Light to medium bodied mouthfeel. Creamy, mouthwatering and then dry. A medium length finish with more butterscotch and some salted caramels. I went in thinking this was going to be super harsh and better used as drain cleaner, but it’s really not bad at all. Other than the occasional alcohol harshness it’s very enjoyable. Granted I have very little experience with brandy, but I liked it for what it is. Superb value for money. I’m tasting from a 200mL bottle that today would cost me a whopping $3.48, and a 750mL bottle would be $11. Can’t beat that. I’d give this a 5 for sentimental reasons, but in reality it’s a 3.25 that gets a bump to 3.5 for the value. Cheer 🥃 -
Compass Box Flaming Heart 15th Anniversary Limited Edition
Blended Malt — Scotland
Reviewed November 16, 2017 (edited September 16, 2019)I was lucky enough to get a sample of this limited edition release by Compass Box Whisky from my good friend Lee a few months ago. I finally had the time to try it tonight and I’m glad I did. This is a blended malt scotch, the components of which are a combination of two different vintages of Caol Ila, Clynelish and Dailuaine. I’ll spare you the age, percentages and cask types of each as they are well documented. Bottled at 48.9% ABV and as all CBW whiskies are, it is non chill filtered and natural color. This is a golden straw color. Big peat smoke on the nose initially. Strong citrus, grilled lemons. I get salty baked whitefish with green olives on a plank of green oak. A bit of an unusual combo but it works. Burnt wood/campfire ashes, settling into what my in-laws basement smells like during Christmas when they have a nice fire going. Once the big smoky notes subsided, a beautiful wave of warm vanilla buttercream, toffee, caramel and toasted coconut took over. Lovely but somewhat restrained fruits like peach, apricots and pineapple. Some dark chocolate rounds things out. The palate starts off with vegetal peat and sooty smoke. Smoked shellfish in a lemon/lime brine with some herbs. Baking spices like nutmeg, clove and pepper. Creamy vanilla comes in with oak and dark chocolate. Soft leathery notes and maybe the barest hint of tobacco. Every sip the smoke is the first thing you notice, but you get used to it and then can pick through everything else. A medium bodied mouthfeel that is oily, becoming dry. A medium long finish that is dry with lots of cold ashes, peat and vanilla. A well put together blended malt scotch. I’ve never had any of the individual components as single malts (soon to change), but they work well together. The casks are mostly American oak and it shows in the vanilla and toffee notes as well as the nutmeg and overall softness. It’s quite mature with the peat still playing a major role in the overall profile. Even though I’m giving this the same rating as I did with the Lost Blend, I think Lost Blend still holds the top spot from CBW for me. Thanks again @LeeEvolved for the lovely sample. 4.5 Cheers -
Jim Beam Black Label Extra-Aged
Bourbon — Kentucky , USA
Reviewed November 13, 2017 (edited May 10, 2020)I grabbed a bottle of this bourbon a couple of weeks ago and have been making my way through it pretty quickly (I shared most of it with family). Here’s what I’ve found. Bottled at 43% ABV and most likely chill filtered. It’s a Kentucky straight bourbon so it’s natural color by law. This is a straight amber. It’s a NAS that formally had an age statement of 8 years. My guess is that it’s somewhere between 6-8. Not a bad price at $23. The nose is strong on the corn. Plenty of oak, vanilla, cinnamon and clove. Buttery rolls, orange zest and some milk chocolate. Toffee and butterscotch, baked apples, a bit of banana and almonds. It’s a very nice nose especially considering the price. Nothing really remarkable, but nothing bad either. The palate is more of the same with corn leading the charge. Caramel, vanilla, oak and a touch of mint. Stronger banana than on the nose and walnuts instead of almonds or maybe both. Very easy drinking and inoffensive. A light bodied mouthfeel that is a little thin but a little oily too. A medium short finish with oak, banana, walnuts and corn. For the price this is a solid choice. More expensive than Evan Williams Black Label ($16), but much better quality. Definitely good enough to drink neat or with a little ice, and almost too good to drown in a mixed drink. I still need to try EW White Label (which is still cheaper than this one [$18]) to compare, but this might become my go to house bourbon. A solid 3.75 factoring in the value, but could be bumped up to a 4 depending on how many I’ve had lol. Cheers
Results 271-280 of 372 Reviews