Tastes

Nose: very light spice, almost floral, oak, burnt caramel, orange peel, dark chocolate, 3 drops of water softens the nose now with more rich chocolate, leather and vanilla cream Body: medium and improved with water to a more mouth coating dram Palate: peppery, oaky, light vanilla, more burnt sugar and water softens the spice Finish: is pretty long and warming with a nuttiness Note: a more complex bourbon than old rip van winkle 10, but not quite as overwhelming as PVW15. Not as complex as PVW15 either. This is really good and the vanilla cream with water was very nice.

Nose: cherry and vanilla with sweet red candies and caramel. Nuts come through but I was eating peanuts so I’m not sure. Red licorice. Body: light. I wonder if my bottle being over 5yrs old might adversely effect taste but body wise was thin and smooth. Palate: oak, vanilla, toffee Finish: not long more nuts and light caramel and toffee. Note: it’s light, very mildly spicy, thin and perhaps watery. Flavors I fear are a little washed out perhaps from the bottle being old. Still it’s good but I want a new bottle to try again.

Nose: light and sweet, fruit, hint of cigar, raisins, juicy nose and light almond and clove. Body: more smooth than pappy 15, but lighter and thinner too Palate: mild spice, more raisin, light smoke and apricot. Finish: fairly long and warming but not very interesting. Note: not as full bodied as PVW15. A lighter more gentle and less complex dram. It’s a nice bourbon just a little simpler and manly but still very nice. No water was added. Was sweeter than PVW15 too. 2020 update: an ounce from don. Nosed vanilla and caramel. Apricot. Oaky later. Palate very sweet so good. I still like. 2021 update: an ounce from 1010. Nose this year was really nice following up from lot b which I found to be very woody. Lot of caramel on the nose and palate. Good not great, more flavor than the lot B. 2023 update: an ounce from don. Cherry and creamy nose. Very tasty dram this year. Woody caramel this year.

Nose: sweet with a hint of spice, caramel, vanilla, almonds, fruity candies, orange. A few drops of water and it got very fruity and nutty. Body: is rich and full. Water makes it more smooth and takes the beast of spice down a few pegs and cranks up the smoothness. It costs the mouth nicely. Palate: major spiciness, bold in that way, caramel. with water the spice tamed a lot and an explosion of fruitiness powers through. Finish: is long, hot/warming all the way down. Caramel finish is long and it left my mouth watering. Later chocolate bubbles out of the long finish. Note: 3 oz’s and I was buzzing. This is a drinkers drink. With this I suggest starting straight to feel it’s full octane then a few drops of water to bring down the spice and increase the fruit. On my very last sip I thought I tasted a honey dew. That is the shit!

Representing the lowlands Nose: fruity (like green fruits), caramel, syrupy raisins, mild, very faint oak, hints of vanilla. Body: smooth, this and pleasant Palate: mild spice, very mild caramel, it’s light and flowery with light tobacco and again light oak Finish: is warming and medium in length Note: this is a subtle scotch, sweetness abounds but has understated heather and caramel and tobacco. The more I drink it the more subtle fruits and tobacco along with leather and come come through. Very very easy to drink. A very nice scotch.

Representing isle of Orkney Nose: oaky, raisins, apricot, sherry, light peat and smoke, sea salt and light caramel. Body: so smooth Palate: minimal spice, oak, salty, mild peat Finish: warming and too short Note: feels like I could drink a lot of this. This is an understated and beautiful single malt. Refined. This. Is. My. Favorite. Has everything in beautiful balance.

Representing speyside, spey River Nose: raisins, vanilla, aged apricots, a little oak, after opens some orange and hits of caramel waft out Body: thin and oily Palate: light malt and fruit, light spice and a hint of smoke in the end Finish: shortish but warming, nice lingering caramel. Note: this is a nice dram. Sweat with a little malt and hit of smoke. Like the triple wood the nose has that same juicy apricot thing going on. This is a nice light scotch but lacks an identifying feature... it’s like a less robust macallan 15 or perhaps a less intense 15 with a little more spice, that said it’s still good.

Representing speyside Spey river Nose: sherry, juicy, hint of sweet bourbon in the background and hint of oak but heavy apricot Body: light Palate: easy to drink, very little spice, fruit apricot and sherry, very light smoke and peat Finish: light peat, fruit and juice, mild and warming Note: complicated, feels sophisticated. Fruity nose, smooth start fruit moves into light smoke. Very fine.

Representing western highlands Nose: salty (sea salt?) toffee, light apricot, wet oak, light vanilla Body: smooth Palate: nice spice, gentle sweet, mild apricot, there is a pop of nice sweet almost like green grape and light oak Finish: medium and light tobacco Note: this is a nice scotch, smooth, mild spice and a nice sweet pop. A great gift from Amy and pat!

Representing isle of islay Nose: sweet peat and smoke, apricot (sherry?), raisin, earthy, grassy, mossy and old oak Body: full and smooth (surprising given its 60+% proof) Palate: huge peat and smoke, mild spice, dried smoky raisins and maybe smoky meat Finish medium to long and warm Note: I am not a huge super peat and smoke guy, that said I appreciate how this scotch is crafted. It’s easy to drink with powerful flavor. I like the balance. This got better the longer I sipped it. Any friends that like peat will love this.