Tastes

(Good Spirits Co. Glasgow – Virtual Whisky Tasting, 25 February 2022). Nose: Orchard fruit (apples and pears), cereal, honey, McDonalds apple pie, hairspray Palate: Sweet, gristy, vanilla, lemon/citrus, oak, orange, and vanilla. Odd hints of unripe banana. Finish: Medium long finish. Citrus and black pepper on the finish which builds to quite a sour and woody aftertaste. This is not a massively complex whisky, but is an easy drinker. Not a bad dram at all, but not particularly memorable. It was described on the tasting by an attendee as a 'guard dram' - one you have at the very front of your shelf to protect the better drams behind from anyone just grabbing a whisky! Came last out of the six drams, with 0% of the final vote for favourite of the night. 48% of those present said they enjoyed the whisky.

Nose: Toasted oak, vanilla, grist, malt, caramel. Wisps of orchard fruit and berries with honey. Palate: Rich, berries and black cherries. Plum jam, jelly sweets, honey and maple syrup. Oak, vanilla, Demerara sugar and baking spices (allspice and cinnamon). Finish: Short finish. Sweetens further on the finish, more of the berries & cream and Campino sweets. A fair bit of sweet spice and cinnamon, and waves of grapefruit souring on the aftertaste. This is an absolute sherry bomb! Very sweet, vanilla, and berries/forest fruit all the way through. It still manages to retain much of the lightness of spirit Fettercairn is known for, and some structure and spice you’d expect from the ex-bourbon barrel maturation before the finish in the PX casks. There’s a lovely mouthfeel for such a light spirit, and surprising given that it comes in at just 40% ABV. I can’t help thinking it would be improved with a slightly higher ABV, but that’s a minor quibble. Overall, a light fruity, sweet and spicy quaffable dram. c£40 for a 1L bottle on sale at Duty Free, although normally around the £80 mark.

Nose: Vanilla, butter, fresh cut wood and toffee apple. Hints of citrus and orange. Palate: Sweet, Demerara sugar, vanilla, caramel. There are hints of apple and pear, and the slightest wisp of smoke, nuts and aromatic baking spices Finish: Short finish. Very sweet, vanilla, caramel and vanilla. There’s a spiciness on the aftertaste that is not particularly noticeable on the palate, but quite pleasant on the finish. I’ve probably had this whisky in more random airports and hotels around the world than any other drink. The main thing about it is that it’s perfectly OK. No more, no less - just OK. That sounds damning, but it really isn’t intended to be. I have enjoyed it many times for it’s familiarity and inoffensiveness. Do I want it to take pride of place on my shelves? No. Will I have it again, and again and again. Almost definitely, yes.

Nose: Sweet, summer berries, honey, stewed fruit. There’s a slight sour milk hint and wisps of something floral, herbal (lemongrass) and stone and tropical fruit Palate: Black pepper, cinnamon, vanilla and sweet barley. Lemon, apple, mint, orange and a little salt Finish: Medium short finish. More peppery spices, sweet chocolate mousse, woody and minty. This is a pretty decent dram. It has a load of interesting layers, but not particularly well integrated. They are more jaggy than some more refined whiskies and a little jarring - you notice the changes between them - but overall this is a very pleasant, easygoing session whisky.

Nose: Barley sugar, toffee apples, iced biscuits, toffee caramel, vanilla. Hints of milk chocolate Palate: Creamy malt, biscuits, vanilla, toffee, caramelised sugar. Light spice (white pepper & ginger), hints of smoke and sweet chocolate Finish: Medium short finish. Sweet, biscuity and malty. Hints of salt and smoke. Sours on the aftertaste, leaving a bit of a bad taste and spoiling the enjoyment a little This was one of the first whiskies that got me into whisky in the first place. It must be over a decade since I’ve had any of this blend and I’d built it up in my mind into something much hotter and rougher than it actually is. In fact, it has quite a creamy mouthfeel, loads of vanilla/ caramel and malty notes. It’s not in any way refined, but it’s perfectly drinkable and I’m really rather enjoying this as a dram in its own right. For the price, I might have to add a bottle into my next shopping trip!

(Good Spirits Co. Glasgow – Virtual American Whiskey Tasting, 05 February 2022). Nose: Fruit - stone fruit and berries, stewed apples, kirsch cherries. There are some floral hints notes and hints of charred oak Palate: Caramelised fruit, red berries, orange and orange zest. Sweet, vanilla and creamy. Concentrated and unctuous. Finish: Long finish. Leather, sweet dried fruit (cranberries), burnt sugar, dark chocolate berries. Icing sugar on the aftertaste. This is a cracker of a dram! Unctuous and luxurious, loads of interesting layers - heavy on the sweet fruit - but finishing on leather and oak. Great! 13% 16y/o OBSV 6% 14y/o OBSQ 23% 12y/o OESK 58% 16y/o OESV Came first out of the six drams, with 59% of the final vote for favourite of the night. 88% of those present said they enjoyed the whisky. This got my vote for the best of the evening and it was a runaway winner. Very tasty, although a bit on the expensive side.

(Good Spirits Co. Glasgow – Virtual American Whiskey Tasting, 05 February 2022). Nose: Fruit (apricot & peach), strong dry oak, allspice, cloves, black pepper. Hints of grapefruit and forest floor earthiness Palate: Crème brûlée, caramel, vanilla, toasted oak, char, menthol, dill pickle. A lovely 'chewy' mouthfeel. Finish: Medium long finish. Charred, ashy, leather. Wood forest, slightly dirty/earthy note. Caramel and menthol. Lots of rye notes evident. There is a sweetness and intensity to this dram. The main note is the wood - it has a huge hit of oak and vanilla, but strangely drying (particularly on the finish). Unctuous and oily on the palate, leathery and woody dryness on the finish. Came second out of the six drams, with 24% of the final vote for favourite of the night. 88% of those present said they enjoyed the whisky.

(Good Spirits Co. Glasgow – Virtual American Whiskey Tasting, 05 February 2022). Nose: Floral/heather, apple, sweet stone-fruit (peach & apricot), oak, vanilla. There's a lime/grapefruit freshness. Palate: Burned sugar, caramel, sweetcorn, spices (ginger & chilli), crème brûlée, vanilla Finish: Long finish. All about the rye - leather, nutty, a little burnt tasting. There's a pleasant sweet & sour note on the aftertaste. Cask wood is air dried for 18-48 months to allow the natural tannins to come out. They apparently heat cycle the warehouses which helps to pull more flavour from the barrel & speed up the barrel influence. This has a slightly floral and burnt sugar note throughout. Lots of fruit sweetness that is most noticeable on the aftertaste - it sweetens as it lingers. Came third out of the six drams, with 12% of the final vote for favourite of the night. 100% of those present said they enjoyed the whisky.

(Good Spirits Co. Glasgow – Virtual American Whiskey Tasting, 05 February 2022). Nose: Oak, fruit (figs and berries), ashy/charred notes. Cinder toffee / puff candy Palate: Creamy, herbal, spicy (chilli & ginger), quite dry and peppery. Finish: Medium long finish. Spicy and cardamom, nutty. Ashy and drying on the aftertaste. 4 & 7 year old whiskies from Kentucky. Quite an austere, spicy and intense whisky. Full-bodied and lighter on the vanilla/caramel than many Kentucky bourbons. Tasty. Came fourth out of the six drams, with 6% of the final vote for favourite of the night. 82% of those present said they enjoyed the whisky.

(Good Spirits Co. Glasgow – Virtual American Whiskey Tasting, 05 February 2022). I've tasted this whiskey in the past, but my notes and score are a little different this time round. I definitely enjoyed this more this time and the flavour seems to have drifted away from the artificial banana notes I found previously, although it does retain the doughy notes that brought the score down a little. I had previously scored a 2.75 which now seems a little harsh. Nose: Burned sugar, floral, black pepper, baking spices, cinnamon, menthol Palate: Sweet and spicy up front. Vanilla, doughy/floury, menthol. There's a, slightly artificial, fruitiness throughout that reminds me a little of cognac Finish: Medium long finish. Fruit, black pepper, chilli, dry oak, chocolate. Aftertaste is fruity (almost grape-y) and drying, with more of the powdery dough-y mouthfeel. Blend of straight whiskies. 40% 4-12y/o bourbon 60% 3-5y/o rye The flavour profile starts all bourbon, but the finish is mostly on the rye. There is quite a fruity character with a few layers that seem to flit between cognac and rye, but you can get the bourbon spiciness in there, too. The finish is numbing and putty-like. This is certainly an 'OK' whiskey, but not particularly memorable. Came joint last out of the six drams, with 0% of the final vote for favourite of the night. 76% of those present said they enjoyed the whisky.