Tastes

I didn’t know when I picked up a bottle of the 12 yo Glenmorangie Nectar D’Or month’s ago that it might be my first and last go at it. I enjoy trying out alternative casks and reviews seemed positive enough to seek it out. First impressions, this does seem a bit over packaged (the other “Extra-Matured” offerings don’t seem to suffer from that). But I suppose that’s part of vividly marketing the prestige of the Sauternes casks employed here. I usually see this type of packaging for 18 yo+. I typically don’t remark on the color of the dram because so often it’s been unnaturally tinkered with. (And while I’m at it, there are a lot more qualified folks to wax poetic about most spirits out there so I find these reviews are nice touchstones for myself to remind me of my impressions and details I liked/didn’t like about a particular pour.) The nose: sweet lime, apricots, lemon scones, and light-grade honey. On the palate, it’s a medium-bodied pleaser. Notes of lemon, ginger, honeycomb, and dessert (lemon pie?). What really impresses me is the bright acidity that balances the sweetness and oaky tannins. A sweet, tangy, and lightly-spiced finish. 92 proof is a nice touch too. I haven’t tasted many whiskies in a similar vein. All in all, I really enjoyed this well-balanced offering from Glenmorangie, and I’m very curious to see how it stacks up against the new NAS offering. The fact that I am debating squirreling an “old” bottle away betrays how enjoyable this is for a summertime dram. Solid and delicious. 4.0 ~ 87 ~ Great

I tried this at a place down the street after work. Not always the most ideal tasting conditions, but for more experimental releases like the Balvenie Caribbean Cask, in hindsight it seems like a smart, low-risk choice. For starters, I like a lot of the Balvenie’s other offerings, but I could not get into this one. The nose was straightforward and cloyingly sweet. I was more unimpressed with the palate - lacking. Light, and so much syrup with very little else to balance it. Searching for more ticked off sweet fruit notes, and the finish was uninspiring. This isn’t to say I hated the Caribbean Cask - it was just, OK. I’d be willing to give this another try in the future to see if I had a poor serving, but I certainly won’t be picking up a bottle of it myself. There are better values out there. 3.25 ~ 77 ~ Average

Ah, the much-beloved aroma that wafts out of this bottle after opening. In the glass, I find the nose on Corryvreckan doesn’t do the strength that simmers beneath justice. Smoked briquettes, sweet fruit, and seaweed. At full strength on the palate, it’s rich, intense, masterful, and delicious. Chargrilled meats, boldly roasted coffee grounds, sweet and tangy cherries, and pepper. The finish seems everlasting...just when you think it’s ending, it’s reveals something new. Ridiculously smooth and drinkable at 114 proof, but it can benefit from the addition of water too. Just remember, no swimming. 4.5 ~ 95 ~ Exceptional

This 10 yo is my first foray into Springbank’s offerings and it has taken a while for me to figure out. I’m no stranger to peated whisky (some of my favorites are) but something about this bottle was off-putting at first taste. It didn’t seem complex, it seemed messy and disjointed, and there was a trace of something I couldn’t identify that was really unappealing. I tried it again after letting it sit a week or two - still no. I was beginning to regret my purchase, but this is a producer I don’t see stocked all that often. A few months later, and it does seem to have improved greatly. The nose has soft aromas of fruit, sea, and malt. On the palate, it’s a medium-bodied, rich, sweet brine with smoke and citrus fruits. The finish is long, with smoke and an unusually tangy brine at the end. It feels and tastes completely different now, and it’s no longer a bottle I’d be embarrassed to bring to Whisky Night. My takeaways from this experience are: I won’t write off such a unique distillery after such a rough start, I’m curious what their other offerings are like, and I’m reconsidering a local store’s tease of a forthcoming cask-strength, single barrel Springbank offering later this year. TBC. 3.75 ~ 85 ~ Good

I came across this at an airport lounge during a layover, having waited to try it until I could find a place to sample it without needing to gamble on an entire bottle. It’s been on my list for a while and I wasn’t disappointed. It seems impossible to try the 17 yo without comparing it to the 12 yo release. The nose is more muted and restrained than it’s younger sibling’s. On the palate, it’s more spice-driven than the 12, with vanilla, amber honey, dried fruits, and Christmas baking spices dominating. The finish is long and tends towards dry, where more of the spice and wood elements prevail. Overall, I prefer the 17 yo as a smoother, richer, and more robust dram than the 12 yo. Very enjoyable after-dinner (or holiday) selection. 4.25 ~ 90-92 ~ Excellent