Tastes

These bottles have been spying me from the shelves at the store for so long, but I’ve never bothered to snag one. That changed today when I realized I have so many Islays and nothing from Campbeltown. The nose is complex, rich and sweet, with banana and vanilla cream jumping out initially. After a few mins the barley dominates with honey and floral grassy notes as it’s backup. All of it is wrapped in a light ashy envelope, so much different from the meaty noses I’m used to. Palate starts like the nose, with a sharp introduction of sweetness led by Concord grapes and honey, then crashing into a cacophony of ash and smoke and malt. The sweetness never leaves tho, which allows the heavy umami flavors to be lifted higher then they could be on their own. Finish is about medium in length with some nice peppery spice and just a hint of salty brine which helps balance all the sweetness from the sip. Where has this whisky been all my life? Oh yes, staring at me on the shelf. This 10 year is affordable, super delicious, and a distillery that I’ll be paying attention to in the future.

The nose is initially shiny and metallic with phenolic notes that remind you of the earliest budget scotches you had in the past. For me JW red or Dewars WL come to mind. After a few mins to breathe the malt takes over with strong notes of grain and leather. Behind all that there is some pear or white grape trying desperately to get noticed. Palate is sweeter then expected, headed in the direction of vanilla and cream, then switching mid way to the barley that was late to the party on the nose. Back of the palate is woody and dry, not unpleasant but not remarkable. There really isn’t a finish, just a little more barrel and a hint of smoke so light I thought maybe it was my neighbor lighting up across the street. Tastes good, and I would happily drink if someone was pouring, but no need to own a bottle.

Visually this dram is so pale I thought perhaps the Americans forgot to actually char or use the bourbon barrel. 😉 If I didn’t know what I just poured I would have bet money this was an Irish on the nose. Lots of fruit, like when you just peel back the tin lid of a can of Del Monte fruit cocktail. Usually the ethanol fades with time but this is the opposite.. the fruit gives way to malt and alcohol. Quite shiny too. Palate is initially sweet and shows some single malt highland character. Lots of cereal and a decent amount of spice all while staying quite light and refreshing. This is serendipitous however, as that light and playful palate is rather thin and fairly one dimensional. There isn’t much of a finish, but the best way I can describe it is like a dry white wine with just a hint of barrel wood. This is good, but not remarkable in any way and as their entry level it probably doesn’t need to be. If your reading this you have undoubtedly already tasted many scotches like this before.

After recently falling in love with their Classic Laddie, I knew that adding peat to anything that comes from Bruichladdich would be right up my alley. The nose brings the expected aromas of tarry rope, cereal, brine and hints of citrus. Let it breathe a while tho and out come more hints of pepper and bitter chocolate. The palate is super lively, with just a splash of sweetness up front, then all aboard the train to Barelytown. This flavor being so centric you’re figuratively chewing on the malt. (This is a good thing) A rich earthy peat comes next, with more salt and pepper closing it out. Finish brings some warmth from the 100 proof, with some wood tannins showing up beyond the lingering smoke. It’s medium in length and a little thin, but this is forgiven since it was such a beautiful sip. This doesn’t have the cured meat or iodine type flavors you might be used to in some Islays.. it’s more of a clean, barley forward smoker, and it absolutely needs to be on the shelf.

Saw this on the shelf with 2 special glasses as gifting pack for Xmas, and who doesn’t need more glasses ;-) The nose hits you with dark, chewy, fruit.. like what a bag of raisins or dried cranberries would smell like. After that there are good amounts of malt, and a whisp of peat, but also a little flat and a bit chalky. The palate follows the nose identically. Initially the sherry influence brings the sweet fruity funk, then the barely makes its presence known, and then....that’s it. The whole affair is over just as quick as it started. No peat or smoke to speak of. There is no finish.. after it’s down my brain can’t decide if that was a glass of water, some sweet fruit juice or whiskey I was drinking. Does it taste good? Yes. Is it boring? Yes. Is it worth the price? No. But do I like exclusive glasses? Sure.

This is a newcomer to my part of the woods so was surprised to see the bottle out of the corner of my eye. Ingredients I love in scotch but made in American style was an exciting prospect. The nose is dark with chocolate and citrus, like a Terry’s chocolate orange in the glass. Behind that comes the malted cereal with just hints of spice and peppermint. A very appropriate nose for the holidays. Palate doesn’t deviate, leading with bittersweet cocoa, then making sure you remember this is American it delivers lots of warm baking spices. Unlike in the nose, here the corn in this mash tells the barley to get lost and the back of the palate moves right into bourbon territory. Finish is thin but medium in length, so it does hang around enough to get some tannins and herbal notes. For the price this is a great bottle for the holidays. Scotchy on the nose, Bourbony in the taste, and light on the wallet. Well done WR.

Not surprisingly the only nose here is cream with a touch of cinnamon. Palate is equally expected; egg nog with some warmth from the bourbon. Most people state the whiskey is a dominant flavour here but it could be so much more. I suppose it needs to cater to the masses though. For a 1/4 of the price you can get a gallon of plain nog and add as much bourbon (that you already own) in it. Also if you haven’t tried, put some amaretto in your nog for some outstanding flavour.

As a big fan of the original peat monster blends I’ve been eagerly awaiting the drop of this arcane version to Canada. I expected these to be similar in many ways, but nothing could be further from the truth. The nose is subtle, decadent and only mildly smoky, forcing you to not take a sip but slow down and explore. This is stark contrast to the classic which jumps up and down screaming at you to pay attention to its peatiness. After taking some more time you’ll discover deep malted barley in addition to some fruity undertones. The palate is richer than the classic as well, first delivering the earthy namesake, but then springing to life with baking spices and char that instantly transports me to a bourbon glass. It will then take you back to Scotland where the Ardbeg influence delivers those wonderfully chewy umami flavors. Finish is medium, with oak and pepper being the dominate players. This is much more complex then the original, however like having 2 kids who are different, I love them both for different reasons. One of the monsters is bright, shiny, loud and smoky, and the other is mellow, rich and earthy. At the price of 121 dollars CAD, it is probably overpriced, but I’m glad I was able to snag a bottle if indeed this is a limited release.

I previously loved the 12 year expression so I’ve been wanting to tuck into a bottle of this for a while. Theres no need to put the 3 year aged in sherry label on this as it pops from the glass at first nosing. After that the expected peat layer shows up quite thick and rich, but not over bearing. Keep exploring and a zesty spearmint comes alive, transporting you to the final stop; dark, sticky, jammy fruit. Since the 12 year is quite soft and mellow I figured 3 more years would keep up that trend but I was wrong. The palate immediately comes to life with malted barley and more dark fruit pinging off the tastebuds. Then there is a transition to the smoke, a wonderful boggy peat that starts off strong and rich, and slowly fades, like the last whisps of smoke from the fire. The finish is medium, but just barely, with wood notes and tannins showing up once all the peat and sherry notes have dissipated. An absolute delicious dram, and while it does offer a little bit more of a funky adventure than the classic 12, for the price difference the 12 is still my favorite from Bowmore. (Granted I have a lot more to try)

First nose of this reveals an impactful peat smoke, yet rounded and delicate. The same softness I get with a Bowmore or Talisker. Let it sit for a bit and the malt starts to take over, followed by orchard fruits. Wonderful so far. Palate is quick to deliver a hint of sweetness, followed by gobs of malted barley. It then rolls into smokiness, which then leads you to source of that smoke.. more peat. It changes again (too quick) into peppery notes and baking spice and is a little more prickly than the nose had you believe. The finish is medium long, with the oak and sherry coming through with just a hint of warmth. Overall this is a delicious whisky for the price, it just shifts gears so fast that I’m not done exploring before it changes again. If you like Peat Monster you will appreciate this as it’s about 1/2 as smoky and more barley forward.. and also so affordable!