Tastes

Representing speyside findhorn river Nose: malty, light peat and smoke, oak, orange cream, caramel sneaks in later. Later more sweet fruit. Sweet and smoky. Mmmm later a little burnt caramel. Body: smooth, firm, medium and oily Palate: yum! Starts with oak, fruitcake and vanilla cake. Slight cinnamon spice Finish: Love love love the late smoke, reminds me of a springbank 15 in that manner. Medium, warming. Note: really well balanced fruity sherry nose with sweet bourbon and smoky finish. This is excellent! Really easy to drink but has complexity that slows you down to appreciate it. Yum. 9/12/20: update won whiskey of the year 2020 whiskey exchange, 2018 gold medal spirits spirits selection, 2018 world whiskey awards best scotch speyside single malt

Representing speyside deveron river Nose: oak, wood, cream, distinctive, sweet, like a cream puff, ?acidic?, winey (red), I think the acid is really orange & citrus mixed with red wine. I don’t care for it. Very distant caramel. The nose is better from a distance. Body: smooth and creamy Palate: orange stands out, then oak and caramel sweetness. It’s different. Finish: woody, way late an orange twangs which I thought was amazing. Later still bready, more orange cream, nice bourbon sweetness, not very warming though. Note: first sip had a lot going on. The nose had me a little concerned (the acid) but I think it is a strong orange nose. Overall I appreciate this dram but it’s not my style. The taste is better than the nose. I was excited for this one and a little let down it’s ok not good or great. Certainly interesting. It has scored so highly but I think that must be the novelty of the flavor which again I appreciate its different but I don’t like different in this case. A second taste mixed with benriach curiositas was a no go. A third taste was different perhaps as the bottle breathed the weird red wine cream tamed down and it was more like a 3.25 than a 3. It was just better

Nose: distant, coy, faint caramel and vanilla but prudish. Chocolate wafts out and some oak Body: firm and robust Palate: caramel, spicy, vanilla, sweet, molasses Finish: medium to long, warming, surprisingly long when the nose is so delicate. It’s like being tucked in by a big warm comforter. Note: reminds me of the saying a lady in the streets and a freak in the sheets. Wow, really good, I was expecting this to perhaps disappoint based on the nose but this little lady takes the gloves off and punches you in the tonsils. I particularly like this bourbon, it’s got balls with the high proof but gives of airs of delicacy. Noice

Nose: light vanilla, some floral notes, lemons when I opened the bottle. Light toffee and red berries. Body: medium, smooth and easy Palate: vanilla (light) caramel (light too), very mild spice Finish: medium with medium warming and nice caramel hanging around. Note: this is a calm and restrained but delicious bourbon. Not as robust and manly as I prefer but more like a dapper gentleman a bourbon in a fine three piece suit. Delicious.

Representing speyside isla river Nose: light, fragrant, nutty, a very mild bourbon-y vanilla and toffee, winter spice, caramel, candies nuts and maraschino cherry a really nice nose. Body: full bodied, no joke! Palate: spice is nice, can taste the bourbon cask sweetness and heat, it’s really nice. MJ notes mixed fruits. Finish: medium and warm Note: I like this one, it’s my kind of scotch hot and sweat, it’s not terribly complicated just a real nice dram. MJ called this finish short but sweet and pleasant with a palate that is minty (?) with nice balance. This is my jam!

Representing speyside rothes river Nose is more mild version of glenglassaugh revival with orange cream and a bowl of fruit. Sherry sneaking in and wet oak. The body is light and oily, smooth and medium/gentle Palate is sweet, clean, lightly malty and fresh herbal heather Finish is short but sweet, unfortunately not very warming but later in the dram a hint of tobacco snuck out (yum). MJ notes lightly syrupy. Note: a little less robust aultmore 12 or arran 10 but still very nice. This is my style in terms of taste but it’s a little robust than I prefer, pretty mild and uncomplicated.