Tastes

The best way to describe the nose on this bourbon is decadent. Chocolate, vanilla, caramel.. it smells like dessert in a glass. Once the sweetness subsides a little, velvety corn notes start to appear to remind you that this is indeed a bourbon. The palate is far less sweet then the nose indicates. You are instantly met with toasted wood and spices.. so clearly the stave strategy is working here. Next comes some more grain notes but not too much else... except a little more oak. I can see people really liking this palate but it may take me some time to fall in love. The finish is short and dry.. like mouthful of cinnamon challenge on you-tube dry. I wasn’t expecting it and perhaps it is a result of the French oak staves. This tastes more expensive then it is, and if you like dry, wood heavy bourbon, this is for you.

The nose is delicate but strong, giving off salty air, cured meat and just a hint of medicinal iodine. Warm the glass just slightly with your palm and seaweed and the slight hint of fruit makes it presence known. Beautiful. Palate is initially just as soft as the nose (though full of flavour) delivering gobs of malted barley, rolling into smoked deli meat and then, once you’ve swallowed what feels like a delicious mouthful of food, the peat shows up as a chaser. The proof gives the finish a little warmth, and there are some spices and char in there as well. I just wish it would hang around a bit longer. This is a great whisky and plays in the same arena as Ardbeg or Laphroaig, but far less aggressive. It reminds me so much of an Islay that I initially reviewed it as such. Thanks to @cascode for correcting me. It is decently complex and if you like Bowmore or Peat Monster you will surely enjoy this.

Over the last couple months I had heard there was a re-release of this spirit, but it didn’t seem like it was going to be in Canada.. much to my delight I found a bottle and had to give it a try. The nose is right down the middle of bourbon territory with corn, cherry, caramel and a little nuttiness. Familiar but delicious nonetheless. The palate is where the namesake really comes to light. The first sip explodes with more grain, leather and tobacco with just the slightest bit of sweetness. And when I say explode I mean it literally.. the flavours are jagged shards that are rough and unbalanced. Maybe it’s the marketing, but if I close my eyes I can picture myself drinking this from a communal wash basin behind an old brothel, hiding from the coppers in 1926. The #4 char shows up in the finish, as the rough and tumble palate gives way to some dry and bitter barrel notes. The decent proof does make it stay medium long which is nice as well. This is an absolute guilty pleasure bourbon. There are so many that are better, but after a long day at work sometimes you just want something unapologetic and unrefined.

The nose starts off very bright and shiny, giving you strong notes of barley, honey, and orchard fruits. Maybe it’s the type of still used, but close your eyes and this could trick you into thinking it’s a malty Irish. The palate doesn’t deliver a whole lot more then what the nose foretold.. heavy on the cereal with some slight sweetness matched evenly with barrel tannin and a wisp of campfire to remind you that it’s a scotch and not an Irish. The finish and mouthfeel is far thinner and far shorter then expected which is disappointing because the overall flavour is quite delicious. This plays in the same sandbox as many others you’ve tried... Glenlivet, Glenfiddich or Monkey Shoulder... it’s better then budget but not premium and that’s ok. Cheers.

After trying RR straight bourbon and really loving it I was excited to finally find this on the shelf. The nose on this is initially pretty, delivering obvious notes of rye, yeast, citrus, and dare I say Hubba Bubba gum. Let it breathe a little and the vapors gather and there is also some potent ethanol, which wasn’t expected being only 90 proof and aged at least 6 years. It would have me believe it’s much younger then that. The palate delivers more grain, and noticeably absent is the sweetness that is usually present on the front of many Ryes or Bourbons. The high corn % shows up next, tricking your brain into thinking you grabbed a Bourbon. The back of the sip gives way to baking spice, pepper and anise. The #4 char shows up on the finish, lingering with bitterness and tannin, with mild warmth that sticks around way longer then it should given its price. This is a good rye, and for the price it deserves a price on your shelf. It is smooth and balanced and rich, but for the same money (or less) the 100 proof Knob Creek Rye can deliver a very similar experience but with a little more drama.

Fresh from the bottle and into the glass the nose delivers a candied fruitiness, slowly giving way to wonderful barley and honey. At this point it has masterfully disguised itself as being anywhere but from islay. But let it breathe.. go back and there it is.. briny sea air and the slightest peat that found its way into this unpeated elixer. As expected with a nose this pretty the initial taste starts off sweet with more honey and citrus zest. It evolves rapidly, morphing into a rich, full, malty and cereal forward mouthful. The 100 proof keeps it popping and interesting all the way down. Baking spice and some barrel are evident on the finish, and are gentle but long lasting. You realize as you’re about to grab another sip that you actually don’t need one yet... but of course you take it anyway. I thought I knew what islay was all about, and then something delicate like this comes my way. Since it’s a core expression I’m excited this should be around for quite some time.

The nose on this dram jumps sharply out of the glass.. initially shiny, but let it breathe a little and it rewards you with rich malted barley and cider. Stick around long enough and bananas foster will slowly creep out from the background. Initial sip is sweet with thinned honey, but immediately evolves into deep malt, layered with white pepper and a wonderfully oily mouthfeel. Before you finish swallowing it does an encore, adding tobacco and more spice and making sure every tastebud was in on the action. Finish hangs around quite a while, which isn’t as complex as the palate of course, but delivers some sherry and barrel notes which should be expected after 21 years. You’ll read that some say they would just as soon have the 15, and for the price I see where they may come from (15 is great) but this 21 is easily the richer, more complex and delicious choice! It’s a pretty good price considering it’s a 21, and sipping elixer this old makes me feel fancy.

My journey into whiskey has been like many I think.. start with some budgets, then as your palate develops go into more premium, and then say you’ll never go back to budgets. Well I’m also a sucker for a sale and when this bottle was on sale for 35 CAD I decided why not. As a bourbon the nose gives you classic vanilla, honey and citrus.. but as a wheated, the spice you expect it gone, replaced with creamy notes of leather and just a hint of oak. A very inviting dram. Palate is initially very sweet, tapering off a bit mid palate but always there. Corn, vanilla and citrus continue, keeping the consistent creamy texture the nose set you up for. This is where the price of the bottle shows up. Its delicious, but plays it safe and isn’t as interesting as some others. The finish is longer then you expect and gives about 1/2 the spice of a traditional high rye mash, which is really quite nice. The only other budget I have currently is 4R yellow, and as a budget neat pour this Weller will be the new standard and 4R is the new mixer.

The nose on this dram is right down the middle of bourbon territory. Vanilla, caramel, orange peel and some rye spice in the background. It does nothing to surprise you, but for the price point it’s not expected to. Palate is sweet initially, with anticipated notes of corn and caramel, and then the 20-30% rye mash shows up with some pepper and other spices. Overall a little thin and flat.. but for the money, tasty indeed. Finish was unexpected.. initially seemed short with a little citrus and oak, but wait 30 seconds and you realize it’s still there, even warming you with it’s low 80 proof. Impressive. As many have said this is a no brainer for making cocktails. You could interchange it between Buffalo Trace and Bulleit or a Makers for that purpose. However here I am sipping it neat on my patio trying to avoid my daughter who wants me to make her nachos... and I’m just fine with it.

Like many others, I decided to mark my 50th tasting with something special, and just so happened to find the last bottle of this on the shelf today. Specifically I got batch MMXVII-B, which is 51% blended grain from Cameronbridge, 37% grain from North British, and 12% from Port Dundas. The nose is both fruity and floral at the same time, and very bright, reminding me of an Irish. A very pretty dram indeed. Maybe this is the grain showing up, or maybe just the marketing on the bottle, but if I close my eyes the perfume that it emits takes me back to being on a date with an old girlfriend... when I was younger and paid attention to stuff like that. The palate is smooth and creamy, with all the vanilla flavors John G and the team want you to find. That vanilla then rolls into a spiced toffee cake.. something that I’ve never had nor sure even exists; but thats what I’m tasting. After that there is just the slightest coconut hiding in the background. Finish is caramel, then pepper, then some oaky barrel notes, and lasts medium long. The sum of all these parts blended together is truly delicious and makes for a great 50th taste. At 100 CAD, that’s like 3 dollars US so a good deal too.