Tastes

Nice, creamy mouth feel. Too smooth for my taste, but balanced. On the nose I get pears, peaches, floral fragrances, fig newtons, and nuts. Light salted caramel with some slight charring. Very sweet, like candy. I do think the nose is more complex than the taste. The oak spice lingers longer than the flavor, for better or for worse. Don't add any water, for it rips the fun out of this one! Overall I think this is a great go to, and something I would offer a friend looking to get more involved in the world of scotch!

[Revisited 07/19/16] - On the nose we have honey, with slight vanilla and banana. The palate delivers a sweet sticky honey with light vanilla and bananas. Short finish with slight burned oak. SLIGHT pot still influence, but not much. Say hello to Irish Coffees!

This is one of those cases where the nose is more interesting than the taste. This malt smells of sweet candy, and warm caramel. Unfortunately the palate is very bland. I get nothing but oak and water, with some salted caramel attempting to break through. There is some slight oak and spice in the aftertaste, but that doesn't linger either. Great for sipping, great as an introduction to Speyside, and that's that!

From what I remember, predominant lemon and peppery taste. Smooth, fruity, and pleasant!

[Revisited 042315]: Rich, dark color. Cherry, licorice, and sugar cookies on the nose. Very full bodied, oaky with sweet fruits, and a warm rich vanilla polish. A big bite for the finish, with an aftertaste of caramel and toasted marshmallow. Quite unique, and at 30$ for the bottle, I am not dissapointed!

I've had the chocolate iteration of this brand. I won some at a company party. It has to be one of the most aweful flavored whiskies I've ever had. It smells of super dark cacao, and licorice. It hits hard and leaves a synthetic syrup residue in your mouth. I'll be passing this off to somebody else who is curious about this little quirk.

More or less the same as the black label. Made to mix or take on the rocks.

Along with the rest of the Small Batch Collection, this is a VERY sharp, though delicious bourbon. I didn't try it with water, so my opinion isn't full fledged. Bourbon lovers who want to challenge themselves from their usual drams should go for this, or Bakers while you're at it.

I know this is considered a step up from the standard Bushmills, but I find the Black Bush to be much more obnoxious all around. There is great fruity flavor to be had if you don't mind the initial burn and bitter finish. For the price point, there are many other more interesting avenues that you could go down.

[Revisited 05/25/15] A little smoke, with a floral nose. On the palate it is slightly creamy with a touch of vanilla, honey, peat and lemon. The finish has a burn with some oak, and sort of teeters out without leaving a lasting impression. I'm certainly discovering that I enjoy a decent scotch over a decent bourbon. I'd give this a 3.5, but I'll just round it up!