Tastes

Another limited run (around 7,000 bottles) from the Compass Box masters. This one might be a little too smokey for my tastes based on the blending notes, but it is CB so it still has to be pretty good.... or so I hope.... Nose is a little smokey, but not over the top. I am getting some light honey almond notes as well underneath the peat. First sip lives up to the name as it is a bit wild. Smoke upfront in spades, but as that crescendos a sweetness emerges that is a bit unexpected. Almonds and maybe some stone fruitiness on the backend. A few sips in seem to mellow the peat a bit from the original impression. The finish is another twist as there is a light pepper burn mid pallette that just lingers like a London fog (I am sure Scotch purists are cursing me for a London reference in a blended Scotch review, but so be it). Overall, this is an interesting blend as the makers intended. Menagerie is as fitting a name as they could have come up with for this dram as there is quite a bit going on. Not sure I would grab this one again as it might be on the edge of my peat tolerance, but the suprising sweetness and intersting finish do bring something intriguing to the party. Enjoying this more than I thought I would to be honest. Price is a factor as with most CB bottles, but this is probably a solid pickup if you like mild peat offerings.

I have enjoyed a few of the generic bottle lousy labeling Backbone products. I think I complain about the packaging in every review because it looks like someone printed a label at home and slapped it on a bottle in their garage.... well enough on that. This bottle claims to be their special anniversary release so they set their bar a bit high. Since there was only a single 3.5 rating without a review this one is a bit of a flyer. Hopefully I can give the next buyer a little more to go on. Nose starts off really nice here. Brown sugar and vanilla forward with no ethanol burn. So far so good... First sip brings sweet notes from the start. Vanilla on the very front followed by a slow molasses wave. There is a gentle heat that comes on mid sip with cinnamon and cloves notes. The finish holds that soft warming heat for a fairly long close. I am getting a little bit of banana bread on the very tail and I wouldn't be surprised if there was a high rye mash somewhere in this bottle's pedigree. Overall I am enjoying the sweetness on the front and that long cinnamon finish on the back. As the old saying goes don't judge a book by its cover this dram follows that philosophy. A solid pour from a brand that has pleasantly suprised me. Now if someone could just introduce them to a marketing expert...

I have generally found Virginia Distillery bottles to be a bit over priced for the quality. They are interesting to be sure, but my general feeling at the end of the day is to find a different bottle. This is their first shot at making their own dram as opposed to sourcing from across the pond. Let's see if they can make me a convert. Nose is light butterscotch with just a slight hint of smokiness. A very subtle nose overall. First sip is kind of heavy in an unusual way. There are some honey notes and maybe a touch of cinnamon, but while they are not strong this seems to have an almost syrupy mouth feel. The flavors all ride over a slight burn that comes on mid sip and lasts into a warming finish. I am finding this dram to be more interesting than I thought I would. The sweetness on the front end is nice and the soft warming finish is quite pleasant. I am not sure this gets me in the Virginia Distillery fan club, but it is a pretty good pour. Price point is still a challenge here though and I would like it more for about $20 less.

Another day another Barrell.... the master blenders are at it again with a bottle that just sounds delicious... whiskey, rum, brandy, and why not throw in a specialty Sicilian liquor for kicks? Let's see how this little Frankenstein drinks. Nose is not whiskey on this one. Rum yes... brandy yes... whiskey wherefore art thou? I am half expecting this to taste like a Captain Morgan, but let's hope for better... First sip is redeeming. There is defintely heavy rum sweetness on the front end. The middle brings hints of raisin from the brandy and this seems to carry into the finish. There is a pleasant light cinnamon burn at the tail. The end leaves a bit of an apricot taste that isn't really working for me. Overall, this is just ok. At this bottle price ok doesn't really cut it. This one doesn't hold up to the Barrell standard in my book. There are so many great Barrell bottles that I suggest you leave this one on the shelf unless you really enjoy experimental finishes. In that case grab one and enjoy the journey.

Cool name. Check. Tiger jumping through a golden ring of fire. Check. Another stellar golden elixir from my favorite scotch label. Let's see how it plays out. This one was pretty hard to come by and was at the upper end of what I like to spend on a bottle, but it is Compass Box so I took the leap. Nose is sweet. Really sweet. Cherry cordial, cotton candy, all over laying a very subtle smokiness. Honestly you would probably miss the peat altogether if you weren't looking for it. First sip is not what I was expecting from the nose. This one is soft on the front end with light almond notes and hints of cinnamon apple. Then the light peat shows up with some gentle alcohol heat that is a little unusual for the Compass Box drams I am most fond of. The tail brings a soft burn, but not any overwhelming flavors. Am I glad I found this bottle? Absolutely. Am I glad I took the dive at this price point? Yes. Should you? Probably not unles you are a Compass Box junkie like me. The number of great vs good bottles will always keep me squarely in the Compass Box camp, but this one didn't knock my socks off as I had hoped. Still a solid bottle that any CB fan would enjoy.

I am normally indifferent on Old Forester, but upon trying this bottle at my brother's house I felt I needed to review it. Nose is sweet brown sugar, but at 130 proof there is definitely some ethanol coming through. After allowing some setting time this lightens, but is still present. First sip is a flavor explosion. I am surprised this is an OF bottle. Maybe this is why people chase the Birthday bottles all over. Caramel and brown sugar are on overload on the front end. There is some intense cinnamon heat in the middle that peaks and then starts to fade. The finish builds off the cinnamon and brings some soft vanilla notes. Interestingly this one is hot in the middle, but there is almost no heat going down. Overall this is a really great bottle. I would not chase an OF product, but I will gladly buy one of these on the spot. From the sound of things this will be more limited as a single barrel so it may not be out there everywhere. Grab one if you see it and you will be glad you did!

Ever since the first entry to the Wood Finishing releases (RC6) I have been a fan. These tend to always be the cream of the stave finishes (although you can find some extremely good private store picks out there). I'm not going to waste anymore time talking this one up since I am eager to dive in. Nose is subtly sweet. Let's call this Bananas Fosteresque with light hints of banana, cinnamon, vanilla, and a touch of brown sugar. There is a slight bit of ethanol here, but overall quite enticing. First sip is a little underwhelming to be quite honest. There is some brown sugar here and what is almost a burnt caramel on the edges. I am also getting a little more of a habanero burn on this pour. The biggest oddity here is the fairly short and unremarkable finish. That pepper heat comes on mid sip then just sort of flames out. There is a slight linger of caramel, but nothing really to write home about. Overall this would be a nice store pick, but does not hit the mark laid down by the first two releases. I immediately bought backups of the first two releases, but I won't be doing that with this one. I would rather have a pour of 46 Cask Strength over this one. A bit of a let down here, but based on previous track record it won't dissuade me from purchasing the next in line. Worth a one time pick up, bit not nearly on par with the earlier drams.

My brother treated me to a pour of this limited Japanese offering. 1000 bottles released globally make it a one time opportunity I was privileged to share. At 30 years this is my oldest age trial to date. Nose is definitely butterscotch forward with a hint of icing. I am getting a little more ethanol than I might have expected from this age, but it was a fresh crack so that might open up. First sip is really smooth. There is nothing harsh about this pour. Definitely some sweet marzipan and almond cookie notes. As the sweetness fades there is a very faint citrus taste before the slow sweet finish. The close isn't overpowering, but lingers on your tongue a bit before fading away. Let me start by saying I had no idea what to expect from this having nothing aside from the Dewars 27 to compare it to. Overall this was really a great glass. I am not always a huge Japanese Whisky fan, but this definitely holds up well. At the price point this is something special to share, but I am not positive I would grab one for myself after having the opportunity to try. If you love Japanese this is probably a must buy and I definitely recommend. If you are just a casual drinker this is probably one to leave for the connoisseurs.