Tastes

Stop number 44 on the SDT is Aultmore. This Speyside distillery flies a little under the radar. They don't seem to have much vested in marketing or distribution as I haven't really heard anything about them. This 18 year old is bottled at 46% ABV and is non chill filtered. It is a natural golden color. It is available here in Michigan for $150, but my brother found it on his Naval base in Maryland for $100 so I had him grab it for me. $100 for an 18 seems like a good price in my opinion. The nose is very light. Honey, cereal malt and barley sugar are the predominant notes here. Light fruits, apricots, peaches, melon and plums. Hints of toffee and butterscotch and maybe a touch of mint. Some distant sherry notes, but they seem weak and bitter. Strawberry flavored hard candies. There is a musty/damp feeling to it. An odd rye-like warmth appears at times, it's earthy even though this scotch in unpeated. Sadly there is an off metallic note that comes and goes. Really a disappointment of a nose for an 18 year old. The palate is fruity with a spicy kick. Stronger than the nose would imply, but still not very powerful. Melon, apricots and old oak. Light bourbon notes, weak vanilla and toffee. The spice really comes into play after a few sips suggesting European oak. This is also where some bitter tannins appear, suggesting that European oak is in the form of old refill casks. Some bitter nuts, like raw walnuts are in there. I do enjoy walnuts but in this case not so much. Honey, malt and a touch of dark chocolate rounds things out. A light to medium bodied mouthfeel with a light oiliness that turns very dry. The finish is medium length. Dry, wood spice and a big helping of those bitter tannins. This finish really reminds me of the finish on the Tomatin 12 year old, which I forgave because it was only $35. A big disappointment for the age and the price. Far too light on the nose and if it didn't have the spice on the palate the whole thing would have been immensely boring. The finish is too bitter and makes me not want to continue drinking it. In other words, I have half a bottle that I'm willing to trade... I would have scored this a 3.25, but the price knocks it down to 3. Cheers

Reviewing my first Japanese whisky. This sample coming by way of Pranay. Nikka Whisky from the Barrel is a blended whisky coming in at 51.4% ABV. I have no info on colorant or chill filtration. The color is an orange amber. The nose has a sharp alcoholic bite at first, but that dissipates fairly quickly. Sherry citrus. Oranges, apricots and honey. A very light peat and old oak creep in, subtle but nicely interwoven. Semisweet chocolate, plums, raisins. It's quite vegetal, like lightly cooked celery. Some vanilla and a little grain profile. Cinnamon or dried ginger or both. A wealth of flavors, some additional ones I can't quite pin down. Muted sherry on the palate. Vegetal peat, honey, and fairly salty. Strangely similar to HP 12, but much less peat/smoke. Vanilla and light oak. Apricots and nectarines. There is a peppery heat that builds and builds as you drink more that crescendos to a point of almost unbearable levels, but then levels off just in time. Full bodied mouthfeel that is a little oily and mouthwatering. Medium long finish. Spicy with sherried fruits. This whisky from the Land of the Rising Sun is good. Different than what I expected, though I'm not quite sure what I did expect. The spicy palate is a bit taxing and would probably do well with water, though I did not add any this go around. There is a good bit of complexity, though I feel it is lacking something, not exactly sure what though. Don't think I would buy a full (500mL) bottle at $50 though. Hoping for continued quality from Japan in the future. Thanks again to Pranay for the sample. 3.75 Cheers

Another Orphan Barrel review following last nights "Gifted Horse". This is Barterhouse, a 20 year old Kentucky straight bourbon. Bottled at 45% ABV and is natural color of a dark copper. Most likely non chill filtered. Fairly sweet on the nose. Fruity. Apples, like straight out of the orchard. Dark berries and pineapple. A very light sensation of bubblegum and cotton candy. Very light oak, a little dill and nutmeg. Vanilla, cherries, corn and simple syrup. Not a very deep nose, light but pleasant. More woody/wood spices would have been a plus. Very sweet on the palate as well. Corn, cherries and a little pepper. Apple skin, baking spices, but missing the cinnamon, and a little caramel. No real complexity, especially for a 20 year old bourbon. Medium bodied mouthfeel that is a little thin. A medium long finish with corn and apples. I have to say I'm surprised by the underperformance by this bourbon. I would think that 20 years in a new oak barrel would have imparted much more flavor, especially in the oak department. It's all but missing any cinnamon or toffee. It's easy to drink, but for the age and the price of $80 locally, I would have expected some much more flavorful. Thanks again to Lee for supplying both of these Orphan Barrel whiskies, but I doubt I'll be trying any more in the future. 3.5 Cheers

Taking a short break from the distillery tour to review an American whiskey. This blended whiskey from Orphan Barrel (Diageo) is bottled at 57.5% ABV and is most likely natural color of a dark copper and at this ABV I would think it is also non chill filtered. This sample was sent to me by Lee. This blend consists of 17 year old Bernheim bourbon (38.5%), 4 year old high rye bourbon from MGP (51%) and 4 year old corn whisky also from MGP (10.5%). The story, or tall tale as it would seem, is that the Bernheim was "accidentally" added to the blend. The nose is potent, plenty of alcohol. Ripe red apples, cinnamon and oak. Lots of corn. Vanilla, toffee and a little butterscotch. Some orange and a little rye spice. Milk chocolate and toasted nuts. The palate is powerful and peppery. Apples and oak, lots of both. Lots of corn too. Toffee and caramel. Not much more to it than that. Very little complexity. The power of the high ABV drowns out anything else that might be there. I added some water to see if anything else could be coaxed out. More apples on the nose and what seemed to be a bit of a rubber hose note. On the palate it just brought out more corn. Full bodied mouthfeel. Hot and spicy. The finish is long, spicy and full of oak and corn. Not a very impressive blend. Seems a bit too high on the corn. Way too overpriced for what you get at $90. Seems like a result of Diageo's typical over inflation of prices. While I am a bit disappointed, I'm still glad to have tried it. Variety is the spice of life after all, and the more variety the better. 3.25. Thanks again Lee. Cheers

This review is from a bonus sample provided by Scott from our tour group. Old Line is a new comer to the whiskey world. This is an American single malt made from 100% malted barley from the Pacific Northwest. Made in pot stills and aged in charred new American oak 10 gallon bucke...I mean barrels, for two years. Bottled at 43% ABV and is probably natural color of a beautiful deep red mahogany. Most likely chill filtered. The nose starts off a little harsh, but a little extra time takes care of that. Strong charred oak. Vanilla, toffee, caramel and maraschino cherries. A little malty, but the oak hides most of it. Red apples and a little berry note. Not bad for only 2 years. After a little more time, some buttercream and vanilla cake, roasted caramel malts and brown sugar appear. There is a slight cardboard note that is a little out of place. Some cinnamon and clove in there as well. Very strong oak on the palate. Somewhat bitter. Vanilla and cherry cough syrup. Sour apples, burnt toffee and caramel. Cinnamon and clove. More bitterness comes in, it really erases the nose in the overall experience. I added water to see what would happen. It takes out any harshness in the nose and brings out more toffee and apples. Water nearly kills the palate but everything is still there, including the bitterness, just all weakened. A medium bodied mouthfeel. Dry but fairly smooth. The finish is long, but that is a bad thing here. Bitter oak, cough syrup and barrel char. It's my belief that the use of such small barrels was simply a way to get product on shelves as fast as possible. I've heard that barley distilled in pot stills is a much harsher spirit than a corn mash bill from column stills. This is why scotch is not typically matured exclusively in virgin oak, because the wood tannins are extracted too quickly and does not play well with the new make spirit. I could be wrong on that, but it's what I remember. The nose on this young single malt is pleasant enough, but the palate and finish killed it for me. 3 stars, but it could be a 3.25 with water. Thanks for the sample Scott. Cheers

Another review that I am carrying over from Barreled. Sample again from Lee. Like the 15 YO fine oak, this is 43% ABV and matured in ex bourbon and sherry casks. The color is more of an amber gold. Just like the 15, I don't know if it's colored or chill filtered. The nose is oak forward. Lots of floral honey. There is caramel and toffee, but it's a bit muted. A combination of dried and fresh fruits, especially pears and apricots. Some vanilla as well. The nose is improved from the 15. Additional time in the glass creates a fuller nose but sadly I didn't have enough time to spare to see it's full potential. The palate has lots of oak spices but they don't overpower you mouth. Light sherry sweetness. More oak and a hint of wood smoke. It's less lively than the 15 but a little more refined. The mouthfeel is less oily than the 15 and is slightly drying. The finish is medium long and laden with oak spices. Is this better than the 15 year old fine oak, yes. $120 better, not even close. For $240 per bottle I would have expected much more. I go back to the Glenlivet 15 and see it shine compared to the 17 and 15 year Macallans. As odd as it might sound, I immediately compared these three to guitar pickups. You can take the same guitar and put 3 different pickups in it and get 3 totally different sounds. That's what this is like to me. Somehow I am equating taste and smell to tones. The Macallans are focusing on the highs and are very bright sounding, while the Glenlivet is warmer sounding and boosts the mids. Maybe I'm just crazy. Anyways, I would not buy this at $240, probably not at the $120 price of the 15 either. 3.5

This review is about 10 months old that I posted on the Barreled app before I met all you fine people. Sample was from Lee This Macallan is 43% ABV and is aged in a combination of ex bourbon and sherry casks. I do not know if this is chill filtered or not. It is a brilliant yellow gold in color, but I'm not sure if it is natural color or not. The nose has an initial blast of strong oak. It develops into raisins and orange peel. Dried fruits and sherried fruits are there. There are strong floral notes as well. More oak and some vanilla. I think the best word to use to describe the nose is sharp. Not an unpleasant sharp, but it definitely cuts through your senses. The oak dominates everything else. The palate is pretty light, again with the oak in the foreground. Orange oil and some sherry sweetness. There is some nuttiness in the background. What really surprised me was the mouthfeel. Lightly oily and it coats the mouth. This carries into the finish. This one sticks around for a while with the oiliness just leaving you wondering how long it will last. In a good way. Overall this is a quality scotch, but it seems like it's relying more on the Macallan name to warrant its price rather than its intrinsic qualities. I was expecting more from this and I have to say I'm scratching my head as to why Macallan has as high of a reputation as it does. I did a side by side with the 17 YO fine oak. I think I prefer the 17 overall, but the mouthfeel on this one wins between the two. Given that the quality of the oak is the selling point of the fine oak series I grabbed my bottle of Glenlivet 15 French oak reserve to compare. I have to say the Glenlivet had a warmer nose and smoother, fruitier palate. All for half the price of the Macallan 15. 3.25

Stop number 43 on the SDT is Highland Park. Arguably, along with its sister distillery, Macallan, one of the most highly regarded brands in single malt scotch. Located in the far north on the Orkney Islands, HP is part of the Islands region of Scotland. Einar (pronounced I-n-ar), is a travel retail exclusive and the second of eight in their Warrior Series released to celebrate their Viking heritage. Bottled at 40% ABV and like all HPs it is natural color. This one is an amber gold. I believe it is non chill filtered but not 100% on that. The nose is sticky sweet sherry. Brown sugar raisins and dates. A little citrus, like chocolate oranges and dried pineapple. Barley sugar and a it's a little malty. Vanilla buttercream and golden pancake syrup. Just a hint of smoke and a little mint in the background. A big French toast note with maple syrup. Some overripe bananas trailing off. Sherry sweetness up front on the palate. Some wood smoke, but it's not peaty. A little citrus, but not a zippy citrus like lemons. More of a darker citrus if that makes sense. Figs and raisins and some weak oak. French toast with syrup. Banana muffins with crushed walnuts on top and warm vanilla. Light bodied mouthfeel. Thin but a little creamy. Medium length finish. Sherry, light smoke, syrup and banana. The use of American oak here is apparent from the softer notes and lack of any significant spice level, but there is some European oak in play here too I feel. Sherry is the driving force here and the peat level is very low. I was surprised at the distinct notes of French toast and syrup. Most scotches this sweet would be called a dessert dram, but this feels more like a breakfast dram, if that was a thing. For HP, this is rather weak. It's good, just sadly has no oomph to it. Very easy to drink though. One of those all night type drams. I believe I picked this 1L bottle up from duty free for around $45, which makes it a great value for money. Would I buy it again? No, but I do not regret this purchase. 3.5 Cheers

Stop number 42 on the SDT is Talisker. Ahh Talisker, that lone distillery on the Isle of Skye and part of the Islands region of Scotland. This 10 year old, like all other Taliskers (except the 57 North), is bottled at 45.8% ABV. It has colorant added making it a golden amber and it is chill filtered, thanks Diageo... I first reviewed the 10 year old in March of 2016, and my last taste was nearly a year ago. Let's see how my current palate does with this Classic Malt of Scotland. The nose starts off much fruitier than I remembered. Tart red apples and red berries, plums. Then the peat and smoke take over with a thick oaky backbone. Charred oak, pepper, caramel and a little toffee. It's earthy and vegetal, but nowhere close to the same as an Islay whisky. Lots of honey and cereal malt. Dark dry toast, salty maritime notes. Some ginger or cinnamon and a little citrus. A good amount of complexity for a 10 year old. The palate is that classic Talisker profile. Huge black pepper up front. A lot of honey and malt and some oak. Orchard fruits, apricots mostly, but a fairly low amount. Very salty, maritime notes. Peat smoke with a touch of ginger and citrus. Such a big in your face profile. Love it. A full bodied, spicy mouthfeel. A long finish that is peppery, oaky, malty and smoky. This is such a good scotch. Classic big Talisker taste. Other than the Distillers Edition, every one I've had has been a winner. While not terribly balanced, the peat, pepper, salt and honey really work wonders. Storm and Dark Storm are good, the 10 is great, and the 18 is superb. I really need to get another bottle before the prices go up again. While it's not exactly the same as I remember it from a year ago, it's just as good. I gave it a 4.5 then and that score stays the same today. Thanks to Lee for the sample. Cheers

Stop number 41 on the SDT is Glen Moray. This Speyside distillery was previously owned by Moët Hennessy/Louis Vuitton, which owns Glenmorangie and Ardbeg, but they dropped the brand as it didn't fit with their luxury profile. Glen Moray is now a part of La Martiniquaise, France's second largest spirits company. Ok, enough with the backstory now let's get to the good stuff. This NAS expression is bottled at 40% ABV, is most likely chill filtered, but appears to be a natural color (although a have no actual proof) of strawberry blonde. I have no idea of its age or of how long the port finishing process was. The nose starts sweet with buttery croissants, strawberry Jolly Rancher candies and some port wine notes. Very sweet indeed. Honey, nutmeg and a little cinnamon & sugar. This is definitely a dessert dram. I get lemon squares dusted with powdered sugar and cocoa powder. Almond paste or marzipan comes and goes. This is like smelling a dessert table at a family holiday party. Some cinnamony oak in the background. A malty character shows up after a while. This is a great nose that is complex, although overall it is somewhat subdued and watered down. Spicier than expected on the palate given how sweet the nose was. A fair amount of oak and sweet port notes. Some blueberry/blackberry pie. Dark chocolate and a touch of ginger. Again, very good, but watered down and lacking in power. Light bodied mouthfeel that is thin and dry. Medium short finish that has port wine, almond paste and lemon candy. Scott did a masterful job in his review and I picked up on most of the same things he did with only a few differences. A big thanks to him for the sample he provided. This scotch is so close to being great. Everything is there, it just needs a higher ABV to carry it across the finish line. I love the nose, very pleasant if not a tad unbalanced from all the sweet notes. The palate is a bit thin and the finish is too short. 46-50% ABV would have made this a force to be reckoned with. Hell, I'd even take 43%. At around $25-30 you really are getting a great value for money. Without that low price I would give this a 3.5, but it's VFM factor gives it a boost to 3.75. I now had a very strong desire to try the 25 year port finished version! Cheers 🥃