Tastes

Today I'm reviewing the Glenmorangie 10 Year Original. In a phrase, I'm not super impressed. I've had this bottle for a while and hoped I'd eventually enjoy it more, but no progress has been made on this front. I picked it up from Costco as part of a 3 bottle sampler pack for somewhere around $25 a bottle. Obviously this was a good deal, but there are a variety of other entry-level single malts I prefer. More thoughts and rating below: ⠀ ⠀ 🥃 Glenmorangie 10 Year - 43% ABV ⠀ Nose: Delicate sweet floral notes. A little grassy. Dusty malt notes that reminds me of Dalmore. After some time, the nose gets a little sweeter and reminds me of sugar cookies. Slight blueberry perfumey notes. ⠀ Taste: Dusty and damp old paper. Delicate malt sweetness. Kind of sour and orangey citric, but not particularly fruity. A little floral and perfumed. Strangely, it seems to get hotter and more sour the longer it sits in the glass... ⠀ The texture is pretty average. Somewhat soft but not very oily. The finish is mostly sour, alcohol forward, and quite disappointing. ⠀ As I often find, the nose is the best part of this dram. The taste is delicate and a but too citric for me. I know many people enjoy the Glenmorangie 10, but it doesn't fit into my preferred flavor canvas. If I was looking for a unpeated entry-level scotch, I'd probably choose something else. ⠀ 1st rating: 75/100 Recent ratings: 65-68/100

Picked up a variety of Jim Beam products on sale at klwines and the first one up for review is the Jim Beam Repeal Batch. The concept behind the Repeal Batch is to mimic the bourbon that was being produced in the 30s when prohibition was repealed. It is non-chillfiltered and bottled at 43% ABV. Picked this bottle up on sale for $9.99, which is cheap enough that it's hard to say no to any bottle at that price. Fortunately, I think this one was well worth the price, though not particulary exciting. More thoughts and rating below: ⠀ ⠀ 🥃 Jim Beam Repeal Batch - 43% ABV ⠀ Nose: Peanut butter. Charred oak and corny sweetness. A little peppery and warm, but no unpleasant smells. Tiny bit of sweet cinammon. Really a nice nose and already better than standard Jim Beam white label. ⠀ Taste: Boozy corn, barrel char, and heat. Some baking spices. Sweet and a little sour. Plenty of heat for the proof. This is where the inexpensive price tag shows. It feels a bit light and lacking in flavor. ⠀ The mouthfeel seems slightly more oily than other inexpensive Beams, but is still pretty light. I'm guessing it's due to being non-chill filtered, but I honestly didn't realize that other standard Beam products were filtered. ⠀ This a nice bourbon for the price. Simple drinking, not too much thinking. The nose is pretty awesome but the taste isn't worth writing too much about. ⠀ 1st rating: 76/100 Latest rating: 74/100