Tastes

Looking at my notes, it's been 2 months since my last bourbon review. So I figured it's time to review a well know Kentucky straight bourbon whiskey. Eagle Rare 10 year old uses Buffalo Trace's mash bill #1, which I believe means it's 10% or less rye. Not sure what the rest is but it's certainly at least 51% corn. Bottled at 45% ABV, and as all straight bourbons are, it's is free from any unnatural coloring. This is a lovely dark amber or medium maple syrup. If I had to guess its chill filtered. The nose begins sweet and fruity. Cotton candy and bubblegum initially. Charred oak takes over pretty fast after that. Some restrained vanilla and caramel make their way in. Cinnamon, roasted nuts, banana and chocolate covered cherries really play nicely in the middle. Sawdust, very faint mint and a hint of cola. Apple pie and cherry lozenges come later and maple syrup notes at the bottom of the glass. This is a solid nosing bourbon. Nothing overly exciting, but solid. The palate is dominated by charred oak. Once you get acclimated to it you can start picking out other flavors. Cherry cough syrup, charcoal, roasted nuts and cinnamon. Some sweetness going on from the corn and a touch of vanilla. Bitter dark chocolate and maybe some orange peel/oil. A bit of a peppery kick and more oak. Despite being smacked around with a burnt 2x4, this is a fairly mellow bourbon for 45%. Medium bodied mouthfeel with a light oiliness. Medium long finish with oak, cherry cough syrup and corn. Another solid offering from Buffalo Trace. This used to come with a single barrel statement on the bottle but due to automated bottling they can no longer claim this because one bottle may contain the end of one barrel and the beginning of another. Basically this translates to, it's a single barrel, but sometimes it might not be. Either way it's a solid everyday sipper. Personally, I'd rather spend the exact same amount (around $30) and buy an Elijah Craig or an Evan Williams. Not very complex for its age and nothing really stands out other than the oak. Still I'd recommend it. Thanks to Scott for the sample. 3.75 Cheers A bit of an interesting side note, I neglected a flask that had some Eagle Rare in it for a month and poured it (about a half oz) after I finished my fresh sample. The heavy oak is nearly gone and in its place is warm maple syrup and baking spices. I guess this is a whiskey that really benefits from some oxidization. If I was basing my review off of this pour it would be a 4. So we'll call it somewhere in between.

This review is for the small cask strength sample bottle that came with the full bottle. Also note that this is the 10 year version, not the 12 The extreme climate that is home to the Amrut distillery causes a very high volume loss annually to evaporation, 10%+ vs the 1-2% of scotch whisky. This matures the whisky faster, but does not allow for a final product with a high age statement due to the greater loss to those greedy angels. So this 10 year old is, to steal a phrase from the man who provided this sample, "rare as hens teeth". This single malt clocks in at an intimidating 71% ABV. If I had to guess, it's non chill filtered and natural color. This is a brilliant copper color. The 50mL sample bottle got split 5 ways, and unfortunately a small amount of mine leaked, so I had about 9 mL to work with. Here's what I could gather with what I had to work with. The nose begins with a powerful blast of alcohol, as is to be expected given the high ABV. Once it settles down I was greeted with a very fruity profile. Ripe red fruits and a candy-like sweetness. Exotic fruits like mango, pineapple and passion fruit. There was a very light citrus note, like lemongrass mixed with tangerine. I'm not sure if there is any sherry cask maturation, but it had the feel of an Oloroso type sherry, mostly raisins. Caramel and toasted oak at the bottom of the glass. Very hot on the palate on the first sip, but it burned so good. At first the taste it was strange but somehow familiar, couldn't quite put my finger on it. Then the tropical fruits came out. Passion fruit, papaya and mango. Hints of toasted oak, cinnamon and maybe nutmeg. Wonderful The mouthfeel is HOT up front, oily and mouthwatering. Medium long finish with mostly passion fruit and papaya. This is a great and extremely rare whisky, especially since this is from that small cask strength sample bottle. Loaded with exotic fruits and a burn that was invigorating. This is my first Amrut, and my first Indian whisky at that. I'm afraid it's probably all downhill after this one. I'm extremely thankful for Pranay who generously shared this one. Thanks buddy. I only wish I had more. Solid 4.5 Cheers

DISCLAIMER: This is the 14 year old Macduff from Duncan Taylor that was distilled in 1998. There was no entry for this one so I put it here. Stop number 29 on the SDT is Macduff. This Speyside distillery is probably better known as Glen Deveron. Apparently the distillery often changes its name between the two for some unknown reason. It seems as though Macduff is hard to find as a single malt, thus we have this independent bottling from Duncan Taylor. This is a single cask bottling, bottled at cask strength of 54.6% ABV (the info I found online put it at 55.3%, but looking at the picture of Lee's bottle it looks like 54.6). This tells me that there were probably several casks purchased by Duncan Taylor. Distilled in 1998. This is natural color of yellow gold and it's non chill filtered. The nose is full and intense. Heavy cereal malt and honey. Plenty of cinnamon with oak and light toffee. Fruity with baked apples and pears, coconut and maybe some cantaloupe. Barley sugar sweetness with vanilla and caramel. A little grassy with a touch of menthol. A little bitterness comes through with cocoa powder and some licorice. There is also a waxy note with a damp/musty smell. The palate does not give any surprises in relation to the nose. Again, its heavy on the malt and honey. Black pepper, cinnamon, oak and aniseed. Baked apples and pears. More oak and wood spices. There is a good amount of heat from the high ABV but it's not too bad. Medium to full bodied mouthfeel. A bit hot and oily but turns dry. Medium length finish. Spicy and sweet with oak and malt dominating. For cask strength, this is fairly easy drinking. It's not too complex, but has a nice Speyside profile. I believe this bottle was purchased for $115. In my opinion this is too high for the quality of the scotch. I know the price has more to do with the fact that it's cask strength, independently bottled and on the rare side for a single malt, but the whisky itself is nothing special. Typical for a Speyside, but it just doesn't offer anything that a Cragganmore or Glenlivet doesn't. I wouldn't buy a bottle at this price, but maybe at $65. Thanks to Lee for the sample. 3.75. Cheers

Stop number 28 on the SDT is BenRiach. This Speyside distillery is a bit of an enigma for the region. They have their regular line of unpeated single malts but also a line of heavily peated single malts. This 17 year old Septendecim (which is Latin for seventeen , go figure) falls into the latter category. 46% ABV, natural color of yellow gold and non chill filtered. Matured exclusively in ex bourbon casks. The nose presents itself as a big smack of peat smoke. Bonfire ashes, tobacco, smoked bacon and brisket. It's a bit briny with some tar and rubber notes as well, but nothing close to Laphroaig. It shifts into a very fruity character. Apricots, peaches, nectarines and red berries. Heather honey, vanilla and a light menthol cooling sensation. When I got towards the bottom of the glass I swear I got both peanut butter and strawberry or maybe raspberry jelly. Really quality stuff. Lovely peat on the palate. I would say that it's more of a perfumed peat than earthy or medicinal, but it has both of those qualities as well. Smoke and ashes. Very fruity as well. Apples, pears, and grapefruit, but all covered in charred bacon, black pepper and honey. A faint oak in the background. Very drinkable for a "heavily" peated scotch. Medium bodied mouthfeel that starts oily but turns semi dry pretty fast. Medium long finish with smoky ashes, orchard fruits and honey. This is a wonderful peated single malt, the third I've had from BenRiach. The others were the 10 year old Curiositas (the younger brother to this one) and the 17 year old Solstice which is port finished. This is better than the Curiositas but not by a large margin. It falls short of the Solstice though, which is one of my all time favorites. Given its age, color and relative peat level I would say this Septendecim was matured in more refill casks than first fill. I need to get a hold of some of BenRiachs unpeated bottles to compare styles. I have a feeling they would be quite good. Thanks to Lee for the sample. A solid 4.5 Cheers

Stop number 27 on the SDT is The Isle of Arran. This distillery is part of the Islands region. This version of the 12 year cask strength is Batch #4, which was bottled in September of 2014 and comes in at 54.1% ABV. It is natural color of amber gold and is non chill filtered. Initially on the nose there is an alcohol burn, but that's cask strength for you. It settles down to reveal warm citrus notes and orchard fruits. Apricots, pears, oranges, tangerines. Also some darker sherried fruits like raisins, dates and sweet syrup. Definitely some rich oak spices, cinnamon, clove and nutmeg. More sweetness comes in with brown sugar, vanilla, toffee and a light maltiness. Strangely I picked up on peanut shells and a bit of earthiness, possibly a sign of some light peating. Towards the bottom of the glass I got a sweet cotton candy note, not unlike a bourbon. It takes more time and patience to pick out flavors in a cask strength whisky, but it's a good challenge. The palate starts off with a nice peppery punch up front. Orchard fruits, mostly apricots, tangerines and plums. Some oak with cinnamon and brown sugar. It was hard to get much else due to the heat. Full bodied mouthfeel. Oily, mouthwatering and a bit hot but not too bad. The finish is long, spicy but sweet, like sherried peppers if that was a thing. This is a very good cask strength scotch. Compared to the Springbank 12 year CS and the Glendronach CS it's much more forgiving and easier to pick out the flavors. Still, it doesn't let you forget that it too is cask strength. No real peat/smoke to speak of, which is something I expect from Island distilleries. This is my first from Arran and it was good. I suspect their standard bottlings would take on a more traditional Highland profile. A solid 4. Thanks to Scott for the sample. Cheers

I took a couple of days deciding which dram was to be the subject of this, my 100th whisky reviewed on the Barreled app. I have a handful of worthy contenders but I settled on this 25 year old Macallan to celebrate the occasion. This Speyside single malt is aged for a quarter century in sherry oak casks and bottled at 43% ABV. As all Macallans are, it's natural color. This one is a deep mahogany and if I had to venture a guess I would say it is non chill filtered. My good friend Lee was generous enough to provide me with a 1 oz sample, but being that it's 1 oz vs our usual 2 (and I'm not complaining), I wasn't able to give it as thorough of run down as I normally do. Anyway, here goes. The nose is very mature, as is to be expected for a 25 year old. Warm toasted oak up front. Sherried raisins, sweet dried fruits. Oranges, red grapes, light cinnamon and apples. Aged vanilla and a mix of about 3:1 dark/milk chocolate. Plenty of honey and mixed berry/cherry pie. Lovely and elegant. The palate, again, elegant. A pop of spice, oak and wood smoke. Raisins, dates, apricots and black tea with honey. There is a little bitterness from the oak but it's not bad. Light to medium bodied mouthfeel. Silky, creamy and lightly oily. Dry on the back end. Medium length finish. Oak tannins, sherried oak, cherry syrup and a puff of smoke. This is by far the most expensive...anything...I've ever consumed. I believe Lee bought his bottle for $1300, but if I wanted to buy a bottle here in Michigan it would cost me a ridiculous $1800. It's very elegant and smooth. I was surprised by the level of smoke. It's nowhere near Islay levels, but up there for a Macallan. There is a bitterness on the finish that is a bit of a negative mark on an otherwise wonderful scotch. While this is a very good dram, I don't think it's even close to $1800 good. Personally, I think the Rare Cask Black is a superior offering. Regardless, I find myself very lucky to have even had the chance to taste such a rare and expensive scotch. Thanks again Lee. 4.75 Cheers

Stop number 26 on the SDT is Macallan. Macallan, the Speyside distillery that has made a name for itself as THE premier single malt around the globe, with prices to match. This expression is the Double Cask. Aged in a combination of sherry season new American oak, and sherry seasoned European oak, then married together. Bottled at 43% ABV and, as all Macallans are, it is natural color. This came as a deep amber. I don't know if Macallan chill filters or not, but I suspect that they do. The nose is full on sherry. Dates and raisins with a ton of vanilla and brown sugar. Some light citrus, blood oranges and lemongrass. Toffee and butterscotch and some oak. Slightly nutty with an odd sort of damp cardboard note. Vanilla buttercream and a brief sensation of roasted coffee beans. A light maple syrup aroma to finish it off. This is classic Macallan, but a little softer no doubt from the American oak. Sherry sweet and elegant on the palate. Walnut pancakes with lots of syrup and a light peppery spice. Faint oak but a fair amount of wood spice. Vanilla buttercream, toffee and caramel. Dates, red plums, and light raisins. A touch of powdered ginger that adds a nice contrast to the sweeter notes. Medium bodied mouthfeel that is rich, oily, creamy and mouthwatering. Medium length finish. Sweet sherry oak with walnuts. Simply elegant. I thoroughly enjoyed this single malt and I am coming to see just what kind of quality Macallan is really capable of. I did not care for the Fine Oak series, but that's not because they were bad, just too heavily focused on the oak and it didn't have that classic Macallan profile. I found this to be much better than the standard 12 year old sherry oak version, and given that it's the same price ($63 locally) I would reach for this one every time. Thanks to Lee for the sample. 4.25 Cheers

Stop number 25 on the SDT is Speyburn. This Highland distillery is by and large sold as a blending component, but has a handful of expressions sold as single malts. This 10 year old is their youngest that carries an age statement. 43% ABV and most likely chill filtered. If there is colorant added it would be minimal as it is a yellow gold color and it lacks the telltale fake orange glow most colored scotches have. The nose starts out with light citrus notes of lemongrass and lime leaves, shifting to underripe apples and pears. A fair amount of vanilla and some noticeable bourbon qualities. Noticeable, but not intense. Light brown sugar and sherry notes like raisins and dates. Floral honey and melon and a bit of candied pineapple. I also got the strange sensation of lightly salted, unbuttered popcorn. Unexpected, but very interesting. It's got some complexity to the nose, but it's not overly appealing and kind of boring. The palate has lots of vanilla and honey and a malty character. Bourbon notes more than sherry, but still there is some sherry making itself known. Apples, pears, cinnamon, allspice and light oak. Light peppery spice. Possibly some mango and pineapple. This is one of those rare occasions where, for me anyway, the palate delivers beyond what the nose indicates. Like the nose though, it's nothing to get too excited about. The mouthfeel is light bodied, thin but somewhat oily and mouthwatering. The finish is surprisingly long. Honey and vanilla with some oak and spice. This is a typical Highland/Speyside malt, but more subdued on the nose. The palate is nice though. Probably a mix between first and second fill casks. It's not something I would seek out, but for around $30 it's hard to question its value as a gift or as something to keep around for the casual scotch drinking friend who might stop by. I'd give it a 3 if it were more than $40, but for the price it gets a 3.25. Thanks to Scott for the sample. Cheers

Stop number 24 on the SDT is Deanston. This Highland single malt is a NAS that is composed of young whiskies finished in virgin American oak casks. Bottled at 46.3% ABV and is non chill filtered. It appears to be natural color of golden straw. The nose starts off with a warm pop of citrus. Tangerines, oranges and apricots. It moves into wonderful baked apples and pears. Nice warm toasted oak with nutmeg and a little cinnamon and a hint of ginger. There is toffee and light butterscotch as well. There is a definite malty character, like whole grain bread that's half way done cooking. I also get wet sawdust oddly enough. Caramel and more toasted oak on the back end and some candied fruits. The palate is warm and inviting, very drinkable. Ripe to overripe apples and pears. A touch sharp, showing its youth, but I'm enjoying it. Oak with nutmeg and toffee. A medium spice level and a light heather honey. Light to medium bodied, and a little on the thin side. Fairly dry. The finish is medium long. Spicy and spirity with sharp oak, honeyed apples and cinnamon. I wouldn't say this is better or worse than I expected, just different. This is a young whisky (I would guess between 5-10 years), and I suspect the virgin oak finishing didn't go much longer than 6-9 months. Having said that, it is very flavorful for a NAS. It's a touch rough at times though. 3.75 for this scotch on its own merits, but if you add in it's incredible value ($36 locally) it's a solid 4. Thanks to Ryan for the sample. Cheers

Stop number 23 on the SDT is Aberfeldy. This Highland single malt is one of the main components in the Dewars blends and was founded by the Dewars brothers (now owned by Bacardi). Bottled at 40% ABV and has colorant added that makes it an amber gold. It is chill filtered as well. The nose is bright and citrusy up front with lemongrass and sweet oranges and orange peel with a little unsweetened banana chips. Heather honey and lots of cereal malt. Slight vanilla and oak with a thread of smoke on top. Creamy with some nutmeg and toffee. Syrupy sweetness and some sherried raisins and dates. Green apples make their way in as well. More complex than I was expecting, but still a very light overall profile. The palate is floral honey with a bit of spice to it. Very malty. A wisp of smoke, orange peel and slightly bitter oak. Green apple in the background. Sweet but not too sweet. Vanilla and toffee but less so than what was indicated in the nose. Maybe a little toasted coconut and nuts and more cereal malt. Not as complex as the nose but easy drinking and inoffensive. Light bodied mouthfeel, very dry and a bit thin. The finish is short to medium short, again it's dry. Cereal malt, honey and light pepper trailing off. This is a good beginner scotch. It's light, easy on the nose and tongue and wallet. At around $40 it's not going to scare too many people away. I was expecting much less as far as quality goes, but I'm fairly happy with this dram. This would make for a good choice on a hot summer day either neat or on the rocks as a pick me up. It's a little too light to warrant a permanent spot on my shelf, and upping the ABV to 43% would have really improved the overall quality. Thanks to Ryan for the sample. 3.25 Cheers