Tastes

Nose- Sweet with notes of honey and melon. Body- The classic Balvenie honey and oats are there but they are brighter and peppier in this rendition with citrus, grape and even raisin coming through as well. This dram is noticeably fruitier than the other Balvenies I have tasted. Finish- The finish is fairly long and herbal with mint, lavender, and grass. The citrus fruits stay with you throughout. Note- While a nice dram, this noticeably lacks the depth of the Doublewood and Portwood that I love so much.

Nose- Vanilla and orange zest come to the nose like a spiced marmalade. Body- Vanilla and orange give way to lemon and wood. Nose- The woodiness becomes more prominent and becomes bitter at the finish. Note- This whiskey has played an important role in my life. The strong vanilla/ honeysuckle presence is my favorite quality of this whiskey. It is a solid pour but there are many whiskeys I now prefer. The bitterness at the end makes this a mid-level dram for me.

"Nose- Astringency hits your nose first followed by lemon, ginger and a subtle floral note. Body- Like most Irish whiskeys that I have had, the astringency in the nose does not continue into the body. This is a very smooth, easy drink. No one flavor comes out strongly. Lemon and honey are present. There is a sweet oat flavor in the background that reminds me of almonds and coconut. Although sweet as you would expect in a Sherry cask dram, the sweetness is surprisingly subtle. Nose- This all gives way to an herbal finish with mint and a hint of basil. Note- This is a really well balanced drink that is equal to much more than the sum of its subtle parts.

"Nose- Whew! Yup! This is definitely a rye! There is a lot of spice here. The kind that makes your mouth start to water immediately. Vanilla is immediately present. Lots of cinnamon and baking spices present with that caramel sweetness that you get in ryes. There is an astringency present as well but it is balanced effectively. Body- Vanilla, burnt brown sugar, clove and soy sauce throughout. Finish- Lemon and orange zest give way to cut grass. There is a bitterness here that doesn’t come until the end. It reminds me of the bitter bits between the meat of pecans. Note- While this is definitely a rye, the pickle juice flavor that I often find in ryes and find unpleasant is almost completely absent here. To date this is perhaps my favorite rye. I may have to revisit my Willett and do a comparison. Sherri said that this reminded her of Thanksgiving. I couldn’t agree more the clove and nutmeg are definitely there. It reminds me of many of the flavors in pecan pie and pumpkin pie. This came in a cool ass mini bottle, complete with real cork and wood stopper and shaped/logo bottle just like the large bottle.

Nose- Fruity notes of pineapple and melon come through immediately followed by vanilla sugar, smoke, and the smell of the ocean. Body- Pineapple continues with the vanilla sugar. Smoke is always present but noticeably lighter than the 16 year. This allows the fruit to come through more here. Finish- The finish is long, but less so than the 16 year. The fruitiness gives way to sweet straw. The smoke becomes more noticeable on the finish and slowly brings a conclusion to an excellent dram. Note- While this definitely has the qualities of the Lagavulin 16 year, the equalizer knobs are adjusted dramatically. The sweet fruitiness gets turned up while the smoke is turned down. The meaty hickory smoke of the 16 is basically absent here. I like this a lot and am happy to have this in my collection. The 16 barely edges this out because I enjoy the longer finish and increased smoke.

Nose- It has that baking spice fragrance that suggests rye but that is tempered by sweet brown sugar. Body- This dram is very smooth for a rye. This may be due to the high wheat content. Baking spices give way to pie crust and oats. Finish- Fairly short but very pleasant. There is a suggestion of a sweet chocolate and fruit candy like the Cadbury fruit and nut bars. Note- This whiskey is fairly one noted and may lack some depth due to its younger age (a guess). However, the note is remarkably nice. This is one of the most enjoyable ryes I have had and is the best craft whiskey I have had the privilege of drinking up to this point. Seriously! Given as a gift in Clyde not Clyde, Asheville not Asheville, NC. Thanks John! Prost!

Nose- Smoke and freshly tanned leather is pervasive with a bit of brine. Body- Smoked brisket fades into tannins of a thick breakfast tea and tobacco.The end is both sweet and peppery. Finish- Long and lingering! This stays with you for a long while. The sweetness and the spice stay with you. There is also a bit of saltiness in the mouthfeel. Note- The legs in this are some of the longest I have seen on a scotch. The outline hangs on the glass for minutes before falling. This is by far one of the richest scotches in my collection, but I really like it as an evening sipper! It was brought to me as a souvenir from Sherri's trip to PA. Cheers Ron Swanson! I get it! Note- I have reposted this and decided to raise to five stars. This whiskey has changed the way I look at peaty scotches. It crawls up inside of you, kneads around and goes to sleep like a house cat curling up on the couch. It’s finish is like a positive thought that you think back on and smile. I look forward to the future smiles.

Nose- Honey and hints of fruit punch. Behind all of this is a light smokiness. Body- Smokier than the regular line of 18 year with a sweet graininess like dried unsalted peanuts. Nose- I have been drinking a lot of peat monsters tonight so my tasting may be affected but the finish is much lighter than I would have expected. Note- This is very good but the standard eighteen has more complexity and a longer, more substantial finish. For this price, I’ll take something with more complexity.

Nose- Very floral with a bit of lemon zest (not juice but peel). Peatiness is pervasive as well. Body- Bright and floral with hints of vanilla. Lemon zest continues and is quite pervasive. Nose- Lemon zest, mint and perhaps a hint of botanical (basil). This is a nice one. Surprisingly bright for such a heavily prayed scotch.

Nose- Much lighter peat comes through than the Laphroaig. Instead there are fruit notes (raisins and dates) with smoke wafting in the background. Body- Thicker and oilier than Laphroaig with a salty meat smoke blending with a fruity sweetness. Finish- Mint and a hint of lemon. Phenols are present throughout but not overpowering. Note- This has a noticeably thicker mouthfeel. I prefer it over the Laphroaig. I really am beginning to come around to peaty scotches thanks to Lagavulin (still my favorite Islay scotch).