Tastes

Stop number 5 on the SDT is Kilkerran from the Glengyle distillery, one of three in the Campbeltown region. This is the 7th and final release in the "Work in Progress" line. Even though there is no official age stated on the bottle, it is 11 years old. This one is matured exclusively in sherry casks. There is also a release matured exclusively in bourbon barrels. The new 12 year old is a blend of both styles (I believe 1/3 bourbon and 2/3 sherry or the other way around). It is bottled at 46% ABV, it has colorant added producing an amber honey color. No word of it is chill filtered or not. Immediately off the nose I can tell it's a sherry bomb. Not overly sweet sherry which is the way I prefer my sherried whiskies. Raisins, dates and figs initially, followed by stone fruits like plums and apricots and a touch of underripe apple. Toffee and caramel and a syrupy sweetness. A light thread of vegetal peat holds it all together. The palate is medium bodied and not too complex. Sherried fruits, light oak and even lighter pepper. More vegetal peat and a nice level of sweetness. Nowhere in the dram is there smoke, but peat for sure. A nice oily mouthfeel which leads me to believe it is not chill filtered. Somewhat mouthwatering at first. Medium length finish that is mostly dry with sherried oak and peat that tapers off slowly. I think this is better than I expected, mainly because I didn't know it was peated. A higher level of peat would have really made this one, but some is better than none. The fact that the sherry wasn't super sweet helped as well. It's a solid dram, but nothing extraordinary. 3.75

Stop number 4 on the SDT is Isle of Jura. This is the only distillery on the island of Jura, which is sparsely populated (under 200 people per Wikipedia). It is a minimum 40% ABV, it is chill filtered and has colorant added that creates a deep amber color. The nose is quite malty with a good amount of honey. Light fresh oak and cardboard. Earthy and vegetal with underripe fruits like berries or melon. Thick toffee and syrup with a bit of roasted nuts and vanilla. There is also some lemony citrus. After time in the glass I got a brief hit of coffee grounds. Light and malty on the palate. Light fruitiness and pepper. Semi sweet. A hint of smoke but not nearly enough in my opinion. A fairly boring dram. More oily than expected for the mouthfeel considering that its chill filtered, but it is light bodied. The finish is medium short with light oak and toffee. This was my first offering from Jura so I didn't know what to expect. Everything about this single malt screams Highland or Speyside. Not at all like an Island whisky. It's very light and kind of jumbled. I would not recommend this to anyone that is a peat head or likes stronger flavors. Not a bad option to keep in the bar for your friends who want a whisky but don't want a WHISKY lol. Thank to Lee for the sample.

Stop number 3 on the SDT is Springbank. One of only 3 distilleries in the Campbeltown region. This 12 year old cask strength is from batch #11 and is matured in 70% sherry casks and 30% bourbon barrels. It comes in at 53.8% ABV and is non chill filtered and natural color of what I would call rusty bronze. I had to put on my lab coat and bust out the microscope, beakers, graduated cylinders and centrifuges to analyze this enigma of a single malt. I had tasting sessions over 3 nights and contrary to my normal habits, I had one glass neat and one with water. Here is what I found... Neat: The nose has a light but earthy peat, but no smoke. There is heat there. It's musty with a bourbony mint. Dried grass or hay. Tobacco maybe? Slightly briny with leather. There is also a sweetness to it. Dried sherried fruits, dark chocolate cherry cordials. With time in the glass a sort of caramel corn note appears and a very faint coconut. It took a lot of time to figure out what all these were. With water: More floral with light oak. Fresh sherried fruits. Honey and toffee. Depending on how much water I added (I used different amounts each night) I would get baked pears with cinnamon. Light orange/citrusy notes. Neat: The palate is HOT on the first taste. Once you get past the heat (if you can) there are dark sherried fruits and oak and maybe some new leather. With water: The palate is much lighter with honey, hay and a faint citrusy note. The mouthfeel is hot, oily and mouthwatering. The finish is long with faint peat and dark fruits like berries or cherries. Like the Glendronach Cask Strength I tried a few months ago, this whisky really does benefit from water. Unfortunately I do not enjoy NEEDING to add water to enjoy a dram. There is complexity here for sure, but it was too much of a chore for me to decipher everything, and I'm sure I missed much on the palate. Too hot for my liking as well. I hope the 10 year old I have will treat me a little better. 3.25

Stop number 2 on the SDT is Cragganmore. This 12 year old Speysider is matured exclusively in ex-bourbon barrels, and is 40% ABV. It is unfortunately chill filtered and has colorant added that brings it to a dark amber. The nose is more lively that I was expecting. I dove right into this one the first few drams and didn't give it time to breathe. I was surprised by a distinct strawberry lozenge aroma. I've been battling a cold for the past few days so I know what I'm talking about (and before you accuse me of being influenced by the actual lozenges I used, I had the whisky the night before I started on the lozenges). Tonight I let the whisky sit for about 10 minutes and the strawberries were quite subdued. Strong citrusy lemon peel and honey. Oranges, apricot and light dried pineapple. It's turns floral with more honey. Very light oak with toffee, cinnamon and nutmeg. Also some almond/marzipan. After a while a bit of strawberry lemonade finishes it off. If the HP12 was unpeated I would think it would smell like this. Crisp and citrusy on the palate with a light peppery punch. Lemon and honey. Somewhat malty and grainy with a hint of oak. A very good way to wake up your senses without ruining them for any further tastings. The mouthfeel is medium bodied and creamy. Fairly dry. The finish is medium length and dry, but not overly so. Citrusy with peppery oak. I have to say I was very skeptical going into this one because of it being only 40%, but I have to say I don't think it needs to be any stronger. Cragganmore is the embodiment of Speyside. Fruity and floral. I think of it as a more assertive and powerful Glenmorangie 10 YO. It is what it is and doesn't need to be finished in exotic casks to enhance its flavor. I do feel that if it was composed of 15-20% sherry matured whisky it might help, but it might also ruin it. A natural presentation would have improved its score but not by much. I bought a 1L bottle from duty free and I think it cost me $40-45 and at that price it's a great value. 3.75 but I could easily be swayed to a full 4.

This NAS peated Highland malt is a travel retail exclusive. It's double matured, being finished in quarter casks. I don't know what style of casks are used for the initial maturation, but I would guess a combination of ex-bourbon and sherry and a mix between (mostly) American and European oak. It is 46% ABV and is non chill filtered. Artificial color is added unfortunately, making it a bright gold. Earthy peat smoke is the first thing that greets you on the nose. Lovely smoked meats (brisket or ham). Strong brown sugar/molasses. Raisins and dried figs and a light oak. After time in the glass a strong vanilla cream pops up along with toffee and caramel. Cardboard notes come in followed by floral honey. After that it kind of keeps switching between the smoked meats and musty cardboard. It shows its youth at times but also has some complexity to it. The palate brings nice mid levels of peat smoke. Rich soil, in a good way, and more of the smoked meats. A slightly malty character. Some vanilla and not much more than that, at least not that I could detect. Light oiliness in the mouthfeel that turns semi dry. The finish is medium long, smoky and semi sweet. I got this one at duty free and paid somewhere around $40 (maybe closer to $35) for a 1L bottle. Exceptional value/quality if I do say so. The smoked meat notes really reminded me of Ardbeg Corryvreckan, with much less complexity and intensity. The peat levels are somewhere between Lagavulin and HP, enough to excerpt itself but not enough to overpower your senses. I have to say this is my new favorite non Islay/island peated scotch. Cheers

Finished in Amoroso sherry casks (not Oloroso), this 2014 Distillers Edition weighs in at the typical 45.8% ABV Talisker is know for. The color is honey gold but I do not know if it is natural color or not. Also no word if it is chill filtered. The first thing I asked myself when I first nosed this single malt was, is this really Talisker and not Glenfarclas? Sherried fruits and sherried oak. Nutty with raisins and dates. Bitter orange/grapefruit peel. Incredibly similar to Glenfarclas, but the sherry influence is less intense. Very similar profile but just not as in your face with the sherry. A light malty character too. There was something else that was different though. It took me a while to figure out what it was and then it hit me. Peat! Not smoke like that typically found in Talisker, but an earthy peat. It was so covered and muted that I almost missed it, but once I found it there was no losing it. After the level in the glass neared the bottom I was able to get a light maple syrup and cinnamon, like a room temperature French toast. Very odd for Talisker. The palate was equally non Talisker like. Semi sweet up front with the typical Talisker pepper creeping in. Fairly mild at first, but it picks up steam the more you drink. Sherried oak and light fruits. The same phenomenon that happened on the nose happened on the palate, the peat just showed up out of nowhere. Again more of an earthy peat and not really any smoke. Very odd indeed. A nice oily mouthfeel at first with some spice. Turns dry though. Again, like the Glenfarclas 25, the finish really let me down. Long finish that is quite dry. Some sherry, pepper, light peat, maybe some citrus, but very bitter. The bitterness just hangs around and makes me want to wash it away with water. I'm not really sure how to score this one. It's more like a lightly peated Highland/Speyside malt than an Island malt. Again, very un-Talisker in my opinion. I would not seek out a bottle. I would much rather stick with the 10 YO which is a solid whisky at a reasonable price. I do want to thank Lee for sending me the 2oz sample that this review is based on. It's good, don't get me wrong, but not great and not what I want from a Talisker. I would give it a 3.75, but the finish killed it. 3.5

A PX finished bourbon...wwhaaaaatt!? Yes this NAS Jim Beam took "extra aged" bourbon and finished it in Pedro Ximenez sherry casks. It clocks in at 50% ABV, or 100 proof for you bourbon lovers, is a natural color of what I would call rust, and I have no word on if it is chill filtered or not. The nose give a big blast of sherry sweetness up front with a noticeable hit of alcohol if you are too eager and don't let it settle down for a few minutes first. Dark dried sherry fruits and a corn sweetness. Cotton candy (first time I ever really picked up cotton candy before). There is some rye hiding in the background. Something like maple or maybe slightly burnt caramel. Low levels of vanilla show up with time. Very interesting to nose. That palate is equally interesting. A touch hot on the first sip, but you get used to it pretty fast. Sweet syrup and sherried American oak in spades. Cinnamon and clove. If you really swish it around your mouth the base bourbon notes really come forward in a big way. Somewhat oily mouthfeel and it's slightly mouthwatering. A fairly long finish. Dry with caramel, dark sherried fruits, oak and some lingering heat. This was difficult to figure out early on due to the very different profiles at work. Bourbon and sherry are not two styles I would think to put together but it works. I feel like a better quality bourbon like an Elijah Craig or an Evan Williams would have really shined with a PX finish, or even an Oloroso finish. I know lots of people swear by JB but it's not my cup of tea. Still this was damn good. Not $200 good, which makes me glad I was able to get a 1oz sample from Lee, who In turn got it from someone else I believe. 4.25 all the way

I decided to review my 2oz sample of The Lost Blend that I got from my friend Lee tonight to honor all that we have lost; family, friends, icons. Last week my wife lost her maternal grandmother and Detroit lost a great king of a man in Mike Ilitch, owner of the Detroit Red Wings, Detroit Tigers, founder of Little Caesar's Pizza, believer of and investor in the city of Detroit and contributor to countless charities. This blended malt whisky comes in at 46% ABV, is non chill filtered and a natural color of what I would call champagne gold. The nose is simply divine. Floral peat smoke up front that turns to tarry/creosote ashes (I'm not sure what malts are being used but if I had to guess Laphroaig would be a key component). Light oak and vanilla creep in but are subtle. Red fruits and stone fruits like plums or apricots. A pineapple like citrus note and a very distinct candle wax. Complex and powerful with a great balance of peat and fruit. The palate is a bit more perplexing. Lightly spicy up front. Bonfire smoke. Pepper, cinnamon and other wood spices. It turns into light oranges and orchard fruits and a general deliciousness. It was difficult for me to pin down a few of the notes but this is a very tasty blended malt indeed. The mouthfeel is fairly light but has some oiliness to it. Very mouthwatering. The finish is medium long with peat smoke, fruits and some oak spices, a bit dry at the end. To me this is like a mixture of Peat Monster and Spice Tree with a splash of Hedonism. It's too bad this is a limited edition as it's exceptionally well crafted. Granted this is my first non core range CBW but it is my favorite so far, sorry Hedonism but you needed a hint of smoke to remain on top. Even though this is a NAS I can tell it has some age to it, but enough youth to boost its intensity. 4.5. Cheers everyone.

Ah, the fruitier side of peat. Based on another review (Horst from whisky.com) I believe this is natural color and non chill filtered, however neither is stated on the bottle or tube. I hope this is not an indication that Benriach has changed both aspects of production. 46% ABV and at a pretty good price for an uncommon single malt at about $60. The peat on this Speyside scotch is different from the Islay offerings. Lighter and fruitier but with plenty of peat smoke to go around, think Highland Park 12 on steroids. Not as complex as the HP12 but comparable taste and much more peat. Fresh red fruits, a bit of citrus, pineapple, oak, floral notes and a hint of mint. The palate is peppery and smoky but not over the top. The oak also comes through quite nicely. Very different from the nose. The finish is dry, short and abrupt with a slight lingering pepper/smoke. A better finish would have improved the rating, but this is a quality single malt and a good option to go with if you are just venturing into peated malts and are not ready to tackle Islays south coast distilleries.

This Ardbeg is 46% ABV, non chill filtered and a natural color of golden straw. The story behind this bottling is a little interesting. Ardbeg sold 270 casks to Chivas Brothers to be used for blending. The casks sat in a warehouse for the better part of two decades and were never used. The current manager at Ardbeg, who was a distiller at Ardbeg at the time the whisky was made, bought the casks back. They only used half of the casks to make this 21 year old, so there is another 135 casks to use down the road for a 25, 30, or older bottling. There is an initial blast of wonderful peat smoke on the nose, but I think that's because I didn't give it enough time to breathe. Earthy and vegetal with notes of old leather. It quickly evolves into vanilla custard and butter cream, very nice indeed. There are some fruits in the background but more exotic ones, possibly mango and coconut. Very refined for an Ardbeg. The palate is soft, again, for an Ardbeg. Some wood spices, oak and vanilla. Earthy peat with a little pepper. Slight hint of lemon zest. There is a little bitterness but it's not unpleasant, and smoky of course. The mouthfeel is lovely. Very oily and mouthwatering. Initially it's also very creamy. This diminishes the more you drink, but the oiliness stays. The finish is long and oily, smoky and a little peppery. Given that these casks were intended to be used in a blend, it's safe to say that they were not the best quality and probably not first fill. Most likely 2nd or maybe 3rd fill and not the best wood. The good stuff would have stayed at Ardbeg. I would think that if first fill casks were used there would have been a greater intensity to this scotch. I'm not saying that this is a bad offering in any way, because it's wonderful, just that it seems like it could have been something greater. Maybe it should have been bottled at cask strength. I'm ignoring the price point because it's hard to say any alcohol is worth $500 for one bottle. The price point is what it is because of the limited quantity available and the fact that it's Ardbeg. I thoroughly enjoyed the 2oz. I was able to try of this very rare whisky. I want to give this a full 4.5, but I think 4.25 is more accurate. Cheers