Tastes

Today's review is of the Oban Little Bay single malt whisky. As you may know, Oban is Gaelic for "Little Bay", so this is the Little Bay Little Bay. It's a NAS single malt that apparently takes Oban small batches and finishes them in smaller oak casks. It's bottled at 43% ABV and does alright at that level, though a little more ABV and a little less chill filtration would be appreciated. I picked this up for $39 and was happy to be able to try something new at that price. Thoughts and rating below: ⠀ ⠀ 🥃 Oban Little Bay - 43% ABV ⠀ Nose: Fruity, jammy, bubblegum, seasalt taffy, some smoke, a little maltiness, ⠀ ⠀ Taste: This whisky has a nice tropical fruit flavor - maybe toasted coconut and grilled pineapple. Equally present is a roasted smokiness. During my firsting, I thought of roasted peanuts, but it's not quite that oily or salty. Maybe more of a toasted pecans thing. Hints of salt, young barley, and floral notes poke out here and there and make for a complex whisky. It's also got a bit of a perfumed black tea thing going on. There is some noticeable heat and the tasting ends with drier fruity notes and get a little peppery. Many flavors, but not necessarily all harmonius. ⠀ The mouthfeel is light and the finish is pretty short. The dry coconut and pepper notes fade away into kind of a delicate sweet floral nothingness. ⠀ I think that this whisky's weakest aspect is its finish, but it's certainly interesting and stands out as unique compared to others Highlands and Island whiskys I've tried. Somewhere in between a sherried speyside and a smoky coastal highland. I think a little oxidation has improved this from last time. It's very drinkable. I'm not sure if I would buy it again even for the $39 i got it for, but that's mostly just because I like to try new things! ⠀ 1st rating: 79/100 Latest rating: 84/100 ⠀ What do you think of the Oban Little Bay?

Today's review is of the Crooked Water King's Point Bourbon Whisky, finished in a port cask. It's bottled at 45% ABV. This spirit is distilled and bottled by Yahara Bay Distillers in Madison WI on behalf of Crooked Water Spirits in Minneapolis MN. I picked up this 50ml sample from Ace Spirits for $1 and think I would pay for a pour in a bar to have it again. The bottle notes "Distilled from Grain", but I'm not really sure why. From what I can find, this is aged for 2 years in typical bourbon fashion and then finished between 6 and 18 months in port casks. Before sipping, I rested this dram in the Glencairn for 5 minutes. Thoughts and rating below: ⠀ Nose: Gentle port sweetness, corn, heat, a little oaky spice ⠀ Taste: A bright, sweet, and zesty berry fruit sweetness comes up first. There is some tannic zest that joins it as well, clearly from the port cask. A mild orangey astringency starts after the initial note and persists throughout the entire experience to the finish. The bourbon doesn't have much spice or rye character, but more of a gentle sweet corn and sugar note to accompany the fruitier notes. The texture is slightly oily and helps the flavors last for a surprisingly long time. ⠀ As a fan of sweet bourbons, I think this is a solid offering. I'll repeat myself that it lacks the rye and spice character that many love in a bourbon, but it's a great sweet sipper. I have had mixed thoughts on port cask finishes for other bourbon and scotch in the past, but I think this provides a balanced level and is a decent inteoduction to the port-finished style. Being from a low volume craft distillery, I appreciate the quality here and think this drinks very well for it's age. I can't find any unpleasant notes. I would prefer a little more complexity. ⠀ 81/100

Much better on the second go. Smokey, light but oily, a bit citric and crisp. sour on the finish

This review is of the 12 year Highland Queen Majesty single malt. Nose: Very mellow nose, hardly anything notcieable Taste: Barley, cereal grains, very watery and light, but slightly sweet. Possibly the smoothest and most boring spirit I've ever had. Not particularly exciting or enjoyable.

Nose: brown sugar sweet, floral, Taste: complex, peaty, light texture, slight citric, long finish, floral, Not bad, worth trying again, idk if i would buy a bottle