Tastes

I got to taste this whisky thanks to my buddy Pranay. I found this to be a fairly unremarkable, inoffensive product - pleasant but nothing at all spectacular. On reading that it is the backbone of the Chivas line, but of course. Chivas must blend it with something with some peat because this has none. A few drops of water helps the mouth feel, giving it some oiliness that isn't there neat. I'd call this one a nice gateway scotch for the neophyte. An experienced thinker-drinker is not going to find much to savor. But again, it was pleasant. Thanks Pranay!

So how can I best describe my very favorable impression of this whiskey? Let's say that if bourbons were guys, this is the one I would want my daughter to marry. Yeah I know, I recently rated Woodford Reserve Double Oak pretty high, but it's just too high falutin. The Wyoming Whiskey Small Batch Bourbon is one you'll have fun with. You can take it fishing or to the local high school football game! Even if you don't catch any fish or run into an old girl friend (I mean really old!), you will still have a good time with the WWSBB. This whiskey will have your back and lie to your wife to keep you out of trouble! Yep, its that good. It coats the glass beautifully and has notes of toasted nuts, vanilla, caramel, maple and leather on the nose. On the palate I picked up licorice, hazelnuts, and a cereal graininess with a bit of oiliness and a very slight sweetness. I didn't even try it with a bit of added water, it was great just the way it was. The dry glass - loose black tea and leather. I got the 'Atta Boy hat for serving this whiskey at a neighborhood party a few weeks ago. WWSBB has earned a permanent place on my shelf. I'm not saying it will replace the Rittenhouse Rye that I keep loaded in my pocket flask. But I am saying that I need to get another flask.

My sincerest apologies to Pranay for taking so long to acknowledge his generosity and to get these tasting notes in for this sample. But Pranay, I lost my notes and just now found them. I very much enjoyed this whisky. The nose was very much the expected Laphroaig peaty/phenolic/bandaid notes, but easier than the Laph10. As it sat in the glass, citrus sherry notes developed. Not much of a coating on the glass. On the palate, it was not so easy as the high ABV was evident. There was more smoke flavor than I was anticipating given the nose, and an ashy smoke carried through to the finish. So I added some water which really brought this dram alive. The citrus-sherry nose became sweeter with a nicer smoke presence (imagine eating an orange creamsicle while sitting by a campfire). the sherry was not so evident, but the smoke accompanied some spiciness through a lingering finish. A tiny bit of sweetness at the very end. Dry glass- nutmeg and an Islay tidal pool (not that I actually experienced that, but someday....). Thank you so much Pranay!

You can bury your nose in a glass of this one all evening, enjoying the notes of hazelnut, tobacco and toffee. The vanilla fragrance justs soars from the glass. Vanilla is there on the palate as well in a warm oily way, occasionally allowing the other flavors - pecans, hazelnuts, maple syrup, dried plums (I know, they are called prunes, but who wants that in a whiskey?). Maybe a bit of salt in the continued oaky finish. The dry glass notes suggest pipe tobacco and raisins.

When I describe a whisky, I typically try include a description of the setting, the scenery, the circumstances, the people, because I've found that all of this contributes to my enjoyment of the pour. But in this tasting there was none of that. Just me and the whiskey, and it was going to have to stand on its own. And that it did, admirably. I noticed first its very pale color and the way it coated the glass - many slow and small legs. My nasal appraisal identified just a hint of smoke, celery and some marshy notes (in a good way). I took my time nosing it because it was so pleasantly "scotchy". Tasting it without any added water, I found it almost explosive on my tongue, with spice notes of mint, anise and basil, with a somewhat oily mouthfeel. "Young" popped into my mind. Adding a wee bit of water really changed things up, or maybe it was just a matter of more time in the open glass, but the whiskey offered up so much more for the nose - kind of a buttery sweet rolled oats and caramel corn concoction. And the taste was somewhat sweeter, less spicy, and I was picking up some woody barrel notes. The finish was pleasantly long and tingling. Dry glass notes were floral. Thank you so much Pranay for providing me with this opportunity to sample this fine Campbeltown whisky. And my apologies for the delayed posting of this note and its recognition of you generosity.

This is a beautiful pour, coating the glass with long slow legs. Thick applesauce and rootbeer on the nose, with honey, berries and citrus. And maybe a bit of tobacco. The oiliness on the glass becomes sweet oiliness in the mouth with a mild suggestion of smoke, coffee and tobacco. Water adds vanilla and oak to the nose, lightens the palate and sneaks in some anise. The dry glass is redolent with butterscoth and blood orange. Put all this with a gorgeous dark amber color, and you have a mighty nice whisky. Thanks Pranay!

Someone suggested that this whiskey was misnamed, that it was too calm to be called Storm. I'm not so sure about that. I've been tasting and testing Storm for a couple of months now, and I find these seas to be choppy indeed. I can't figure it out; one time I will absolutely love it, and the next time I'll find it not so enjoyable. Its becoming my go-to pour when I'm in the mood for complexity and unpredictability. Right now I have a Storm-filled Glencairne an arm's length away. The iodine peat is reaching my nose at gale force, gradually calming to a smokey brine as it sits awhile in the glass. This smokey brine continues on my palate, with tartness and spice, mellowing to a pleasant tingling. This one needs water! A drop or two will ease the nose and allow some sweet cream and vanilla notes to get past the peat. The spiciness mellows and the lingering smokey brine carries a certain sweetness. The empty glass is leather and citrus. I think Storm dares you to like it!