Tastes

Nose is so full of vanilla and brown sugar that it makes the first sip seem a bit bitter. Flavor smooths a bit on the second sip offering subtle vanilla and caramel with a mild cinnamon finish. A nice pour, but not Woodford's finest by any measure.

Well you have to admit the bottle and label are pretty cool..... so let's move on to the juice. Nose is burnt caramel, but also an underlying ethanol that can burn you if you inhale to deeply. Taste brings more caramel with some intense heat. As the fire runs its course vanilla notes trail to the end like a smoldering campfire at the end of a summer's eve. Betty nice dram if not a tad bit pricey.

How can you pass on a bottle labled Hedonism? The first sniff is an enticing bouquet of fruit and vanilla. And then there is the first sip. Smooth like Lando Calrissian in a night club this is a dangerous dram. Caramel and coconut flavors swirl into a light warming burn. There are haters on this out there, but they are just plain wrong as this is a damn fine whisky! The price is pushed up due to the tariff wars, but it is a fantastic pour.

Nose is brown sugar and vanilla, but there is also a bit stronger hint of alcohol than I would prefer. Taste is powerful here with heavy Carmel and vanilla before a rising pepper burn emerges. Flavor flavor and more flavor as the layers wash over your tongue. Finish is a sustained slow burn that leaves a smooth caramel as the fire subsides. Wasn't sure this woukd live up to the San Fran award from 2019, but it definitely does. A very nice pour often!

Honestly I bought this because of the Shackleton history with low expectations. The nose is lightly smoked. Taste comes across lightly peeted with subtle caramel and vanilla notes. Finish is short and sweet. Overall not a super dram, but nice for the price.

Nose is a little musty and definitely gives off the cider notes. Taste is smooth on this one with some bright sweet notes on the tongue. The cider finish has a softening impact on the whiskey in a rather delightful way. Vanilla and golden apple notes pop out. The finish is a nice warming burn like a hot toddy on a crisp fall evening. Overall a different, but very nice dram.

Finally landed a bottle after several months searching. Initial nose comes off sweet with a little spice almost like a cinnamon apple. Sip is smooth vanilla with a mild cinnamon apple burn that lasts a long time. Fantastic dram that lives up to its billing.

Dickel BIB is the rage after the Whiskey rankings this year, but barrel select is the distiller's self selected top shelf. Nose is mild sweet corn, but nothing special. However, the taste is much better. Initial flood of sweet corn followed by a caramel apple finish. Interesting with this each sip seemed to get better. A nice value for the price and a nice daily drinker.

Generally I am not a Scotch guy so that prefaces my Scotch reviews. Nose on this is ever so slightly smokey, but not overpowering the light butterscotch notes. First sip plays on the smoke, but it mellows quickly and subsequent tastes are less smoke forward. Hints of butter toffee and smoked nuts come to mind while a gentle burn warms your insides. Finish is long, but suttle with more honey almond notes. This is a wonderfully smooth Scotch and as mentioned to start I am generally not a Scotch guy, but for very good Scotch I believe I will make exceptions.

Let's start by saying New Riff is making some good stuff. This pour has a rather sweet nose almost like a Vanilla Coke. The first sip is a blanket of vanilla with a light rush of pepper morphing to a slow simmer on your tongue. Brown sugar and vanilla dominate. This one never takes the harsh bite of many ryes and stays smooth like Lando Calrissian along the entire journey. I will go ahead and say what seems to be a growing consensus: New Riff is where it's at in the realm of fledging brands.