Tastes

The second of the heads up reviews between the Octomore 07.1 and 07.2. This time it’s the 07.1, sample supplied to me by Lee. Like the 07.2, this is a 5 year old that is peated to a level of 208 ppm. Bottled at 59.5% ABV, non chill filtered and natural color of yellow gold. The maturation on this one is entirely American oak. The nose is earthy/vegetal peat smoke. Lemon cakes, salted caramels, honey and barley sugar. Vanilla, brown sugar, red licorice and some light oak. Mixed berry donut filling with some floral and herbal notes. The palate has oaky peat smoke, vanilla, toffee and salted caramels. Somewhat fruity with peaches and apricots. Some honey and a lemon/lime type citrus. Not complex, but that’s what I’ve come to expect from Octomore. Medium bodied mouthfeel that is very oily and mouthwatering. A medium long finish with vanilla, salt and smoky ashes. This is better than the 07.3, but about equal to the 07.2. All three are good, but none of them are spectacular. The smoke on this one was probably the most prevalent between the three. Again, the overall youth is apparent here, but again it’s very drinkable despite the high ABV. The smoke, fruits and smoothness make it a winner. Thanks again to @LeeEvolved for the sample. 4.25 Cheers

I decided to do a side by side Octomore review tonight between the 07.1 and 07.2 to follow up the 07.3 review I did a couple days ago. First up is the 07.2 Bottled at 58.5% ABV, non chill filtered, and a natural color of golden amber, this 5 year old Islay malt boasts a staggering 208 ppm. It is aged in a combination of ex bourbon American oak casks and European oak casks that once held French Shiraz/Syrah wine. This expression is a travel retail exclusive that I picked up at the US-Canadian border. The nose has beautiful peat smoke. Not an oppressive, smothering smoke, but a lighter more manageable smoke. Heather honey, red berries and hints of sweet red wine. Red grapes, cereal malt and hints of maraschino cherries. It’s quite sweet, but definitely on the lighter side. More fruits like peach, apricot, pear and a touch of spearmint. Definitely shows its youth The palate is full of peppery peat smoke. Sweet, red wine and grapes, berries. Light oak, cherries, and honey. Some bonfire ashes and it has a slightly medicinal Laphroaig type note. Medium bodied mouthfeel with a light oiliness that turns slightly dry. A medium long finish with red fruits and smoky lemons. The extra fruity notes introduced by the wine casks added a nice layer of depth, but like the 07.3, it shows its youth and overall lack of real complexity. On the plus side, it’s very drinkable despite its high ABV. You only need a little to make your night. 4.25 Cheers

Stop number 48 on the SDT, and the last of round three, is Bruichladdich, specifically Octomore. Bruichladdich is an Islay distillery that produces a wide range of products. From their unpeated Bruichladdich line, to the peated Port Charlotte and finally the super heavily peated Octomore. 07.3 is made with 100% locally grown barley, peated to a level of 169 ppm and then matured 5 years in a combination of ex bourbon and Spain red wine casks. Bottled at a whopping 63% ABV, natural color of golden straw with a little peachy color, and non chill filtered. The nose is surprisingly smooth for being such a high ABV. Delicious red wine notes. Light peat smoke (light considering the ppm level and when compared to the likes of Ardbeg, but strong compared to say, Glenmorangie). Warm vanilla, strawberry/peach jam, lemon cakes. Salty sea spray and seaweed. Dry grass/hay, a little medical and ashy. There is a little sweet toffee and it’s a tad floral. A menthol like coolness to it as well. If you add water the fruity notes come through more and you get some charred oak. The smoke is tamed, but not covered up. The high ABV makes itself known on the palate. A hot and spicy arrival followed by a big puff of peat smoke. Ashy, barrel char/oak. Salty/sweet BBQ sauce and black pepper. Some low level grilled fruits like peaches and apricots. A little ginger and honey, slightly floral and some red wine type tannins. Despite it being hot on the tongue, it has a medium bodied mouthfeel. Oily and mouthwatering. Medium length finish, shorter than I expected. Smoky, salty and ashy with a hint of those red wine casks. While this is certainly not a bad scotch in any way, it just didn’t wow me. Those outrageous ppm numbers just don’t translate into more detectable peat/smoke than an Ardbeg or Laphroaig. I suspect the spirit stills may have something to do with that. If the stills over at Bruichladdich are taller or narrower than its south coast brethren, the heavier compounds won’t carry over into the lyne arm, leaving them in the still. Just speculation of course. I suspect it may also suffer from overall youth. At just 5 years old it might not have the time it needed to pull all those wonderful flavors from the wood in which it slumbered. I’d like to try the 10 year old Octomore and compare. Though I will say this, that little 2 oz sample was plenty to get me good and buzzed! Thanks to @Telex the sample. This is somewhere between a 4-4.25 Cheers

The last of the bonus samples from this round of our distillery tour group. Colonel E.H. Taylor Four Grain is a special release from Buffalo Trace. Made with a mash bill of corn, rye, wheat and barley (hence the name Four Grain). Bottled in bond which of course means 50% ABV and since it’s a Kentucky straight bourbon it is also natural color, this is a dark copper. I would guess that it is also non chill filtered. It comes in at the ripe old age of 12 years old. The nose is full and powerful. It starts off with a big mint note, but that fades fast and doesn’t really come back. Sweet corn, candy corn and a little bubblegum. It’s also fruity with cinnamon apples and some muted oranges. Cherries, cherry syrup and cherry cough syrup. Love those cherries! Some rye spice and warm rye bread. Sweet and spicy oak, vanilla, caramel and dark toffee. Red and black licorice, anise, clove and cinnamon. A softness from the wheat comes through in the fruitier notes. Vanilla coffee or mocha and light maple syrup all come through after time in the glass. My oh my this is a great complex nose. Fun to dissect. The palate is even more powerful and arrives spicy. Charred oak, licorice and rye punch though at first. It softens a little with sweet corn, vanilla, caramel and toffee. Pepper and more charred oak hang around. It does get a little fruity with apples, pears and cherries/cherry pie filling. Demanding, but rewarding. A full bodied mouthfeel that instantly dries the mouth, then becomes mouthwatering, but then dry again. A long finish that again is very dry. Oak, vanilla and corn slowly fade away until, hopefully, you take another sip. After reading Lee’s review I was excited for a top notch bourbon, and that’s what I got. A near perfect nose, but the palate was just a tad too demanding to make it truly superb. It’s close though, very close. It just keeps evolving in the glass, something I always find as the mark of a truly great whisk(e)y. If you have the opportunity to buy this one for retail prices, jump on it. Secondary market prices...depends on how much you like a quality bourbon. A big thanks to @LeeEvolved for the sample. 4.75 Cheers

Stop number 47 on the SDT is Bunnahabhain. This Islay distillery is best known for producing unpeated single malts, but Ceobanach is their first peated malt since the 60’s. Officially it’s a NAS expression, but the back label states that it is at least 10 years old. Bottled at 46.3% ABV, non chill filtered and natural color of pale straw. The nose is all Islay. Smoky peat and big citrus notes. Lemons and oranges. Vanilla buttercream and plums with a hint of white grapes. Salty seashore/seashells and seaweed. Soot and ashes, oak, pepper and a little sawdust. A bit nutty like peanuts or roasted almonds. Floral with some light chocolate notes. The palate, like the nose, is all Islay. Peat smoke, big pepper, worn oak and ashes. Some salt, sweet oranges/orange juice and lemons. Vanilla cream. Not super complex but powerful. Medium-full bodied mouthfeel that starts creamy but turns dry. A medium long finish with smoky peat, ashes and citrus. A good Islay malt with typical Islay goodness. It’s downside is that it is very similar to both Ardbeg 10 and Kilchoman Machir Bay. It rests somewhere in the middle as far as peat level goes but the profile is right there. Unfortunately the price point of $85 puts it in the not quite worth it category. Now, give this guy 12 months in an Oloroso sherry butt and you might have something special. Thanks to @Telex for the sample. 3.75 Cheers

Another bonus sample from the distillery tour team, this one coming by way of Telex. Sagamore Spirit Rye is a Maryland style rye composed of two different rye recipes, both of which are MGP distillates. It’s a NAS American whiskey but available info puts it at 2 years old. Bottled at 41.5% ABV. No word as to whether it is chill filtered or has colorant added, but I would suspect both are at play. The color is a medium amber. The nose is fairly restrained with vanilla and dill as the predominant notes. Rye spice, sweet corn, bubblegum and cotton candy. Wood stain/varnish, which I actually liked. Some dark cherries, caramel and butterscotch. A light but pleasant oak with a little barrel char. A little maple comes through after some time. Not too powerful due to the lower ABV and it comes off as youthful, but not overly so. The palate has a real lack of complexity. Rye spice and lots of dill, perhaps too much dill (at least for my tastes). Corn, vanilla, a little oak, and some herbal and earthy notes. Not much else really. It’s all quite subdued, again owing to the relatively low strength. A light bodied mouthfeel, somewhat thin and fairly dry. A short finish with corn, vanilla and oak. It’s an easy drinking whiskey, but probably best left for mixing in cocktails as it doesn’t have much power to it and the flavors are somewhat muted. At $50 I suppose the cost is par for the craft distillery course. Not bad for only being two years old though. I would be interested in revising this after a few more years in the barrel. A solid 3. Thanks again Telex for the sample Cheers

Stop number 46 on the SDT is Glenkinchie. Only my second of the Lowland distilleries, this 12 year old is one of Diageo's Classic Malts of Scotland. Bottled at 43% ABV, chill filtered and has colorant added making it a yellow gold. The nose has a ton of honey and orchard fruits. Oranges, lemons, pears and baked apples. A little toffee and butterscotch and a nice warm vanilla. Very light oak and a bit of a floral note. Buttery biscuits and a touch salty. Really quite enjoyable in its light and fruity nature. Not super complex, but good. A very light arrival on the palate, but the development has a burst of flavors. Some underripe fruits like apples, pears and grapes. Lots of honey and vanilla. Slightly sour, but good. A bit nutty, like pecans or perhaps walnuts. It's also a little savory with buttered biscuits and tea. A fairly light bodied mouthfeel, creamy and rich. A medium long finish that is slightly bitter oak and honey. Dry. I have to say I was not expecting anything here after trying Auchentoshan earlier in the tour. This Lowland has Speyside levels of flavor and a profile that isn't so different from its northerly neighbors. The nose is a little on the tame side, but the palate makes up for it before it's somewhat bitter finish. At around $50 it's a decent price but not great. A good summertime dram. I could also see having this with a mild meal. A touch of sherry maturation would have really made this a great dram. As is I give it a 3.75. Thanks to Telex for the sample. Cheers

This review is for the special committee release of Kelpie from Ardbeg. I believe the only difference is the ABV. This one is bottled at 51.7% vs the standard version that is 46%. Non chill filtered and natural color. Being that it's a higher strength, the color is slightly darker color. This one appears as a champagne gold. I had a much different experience with this one vs the standard version. Let's break things down a little. The nose opens with peaty grilled lemons and apricots. Vanilla cream with what I can only guess is spearmint. Oak and pickled ginger. Black pepper, salty sea air and, as Dreaming of Islay so aptly described, warm salty pretzels. Even though there was no wine maturation at work here, I got subtle white wine notes. Cinnamon dusted nuts and a little toffee/butterscotch. This has a strong resemblance to Machir Bay from Kilchoman, but with more peat. I have to say it took much more concentration and digging to pull out these nosing notes than it did with the standard version. The palate is smoky citrus, lemon custard and peppery oak. Not quite as smoky as the standard version, but there is no doubt that it's there. The standard version was like sitting in the middle of the smoking section at a restaurant (when that was still a thing), where this one is like sitting at the table next to the smoking section (credit to my wife for the analogy). BBQ brisket, brine, tar, ashes and a little iodine. There is also some sourdough bread that was unexpected, and I would say neither a good nor a bad thing. Full bodied mouthfeel that is oily but turns a little dry. The finish is long with peat smoke, citrus, pepper. A little dry but not bad. Maybe it's just me. Maybe I'm just not in the right mindset to fully enjoy this one tonight, but I just didn't find it as good/complex as the 46% version. At $200 per bottle vs $110 for the standard release, its that much harder to get behind. Still it's a good dram. For me, it comes off like an Ardbeg/Kilchoman hybrid. Thanks to Lee for the generous sample. 4.25 Cheers

This years annual release from Ardbeg is Kelpie. Matured in virgin oak from the shores of the Black Sea. This is the standard release version, not the committee release which I will be reviewing later. Bottled at 46% ABV and non chill filtered. I believe it is also natural color of a pale gold. A full and rich nose. Voluminous peat smoke, but also quite sweet. Lemon cakes and buttery blueberry muffins. The lemon notes are strong here, but sweeter than the 10 year old, which I find on the tart side. Fireplace ashes, creosote and tar. Beautiful. Lots of creamy vanilla, apples, pears and apricots. Salty seaweed, tobacco and leather. Truly a wonderful nose. The Black Sea oak gives this a very different feel than the Corryvreckan, but does not give quite the level of complexity (probably due to the fact that it's at 46% vs the 57.1% of the Corryvreckan). After some time it gets sweeter, like maple syrup. I could nose this all day. The palate is smoky and sweet. Not too intense at 46%, quite smooth really. Huge peat smoke, ashes, seashore. Peppery oak, licorice, lemon cakes. Rich oak, clove and ginger. Vanilla cream and salted caramels and chocolate. Marvelous. A medium to full body, oily but turns dry. The finish is long, smoky and sweet syrup. Dry Simply Ardbeg. Boy do I love Ardbeg! So much flavor. Smoke smoke smoke. Again, not as complex as the great Corryvreckan, but more than the 10 year old delivers. That Black Sea oak really added a nice layer to this one. At around $110 I'd say that it's worth the price. Not perfect but really good. Can't wait to try that committee release. A huge thanks to Pranay who provided this sample. Solid 4.5 Cheers

Stop number 45 on the SDT is Glenfiddich. At one time this Speyside distillery was the top selling single malt in the world before they were overtaken by Glenlivet. This special release is different from their normal expressions not only in its age, but also the fact that it is exclusively matured in ex bourbon casks. The others are finished in sherry casks. Bottled at 40% ABV and most likely chill filtered and also it most likely has colorant added making it an amber color. The nose is surprisingly strong for only 40%. The ex-bourbon maturation is front and center. Caramel, vanilla, oak. Wood spices like cinnamon and ginger. It is also fruity though. Apples, toasted coconut, banana and red berries. Fairly creamy as well. Buttercream, peaches and cream. Quite a robust nose, warm and inviting. A little brown sugar and just a touch of mint. Some honey and a light floral note. Nice. The arrival on the palate is smooth and like a watered down bourbon, that's not a criticism just an observation. Fruity, apples, apricots and berries. Bitter almonds and walnuts show up. Oak, cinnamon, vanilla and honey. Not quite as complex as I had hoped, but good and easy drinking. Light bodied but mouth coating and a little oily. A medium short finish that is slightly bitter nuts, oak and fairly dry. The bourbon presence is strong here. Tastes more like a bourbon matured in ex bourbon barrels than a scotch in ex bourbon barrels. I was expecting more from a 19 year old, but I'm not disappointed either. Warm and very drinkable, but not worth the premium price of $170. Overall it's pretty good, but nothing all that special. 3.75. A big thanks to Pranay for offering up this expensive bottle for our tour. Cheers