Tastes

I’m 3 drams into balvenie. Still have my wits about me though. Nose: interesting to me that on my first whiff this would have slight smells of a light bourbon... Fruity, peaches, vanilla, slight toffee/ caramel notes. Pear/ apple . Slight citrus zest. Taste: white wine grape flavor, raisins, vanilla, Followed by slight oak. Mouthfeel: very light feel on the tongue. A lot of the flavor comes through in the mid. The finish is a slight burn, leaves you with a dry finish.

Nose- this has a lighter smoke smell than ardbeg or laphroiag. Light sweet salty smoke, vanilla, rubber, beef jerky. Taste: Mild vanilla covered in light smoke, granola, hazel nut, oak, Mouthfeel: sweetness glazes the mouth and turns into a medium heat that falls to the back of the throat. Of the three big peat distilleries, this is the most well rounded. It sits in this pocket of flavor like eating hard candies.

Nose: sweet cinnamon, spice, maple syrup, cola, the smell is lighter than the color would indicate. After tasting and coming back to the nose, I get some sweeter caramel chocolate flavors. Taste: spicier and more peppery in taste, not feel, than most bourbon I’ve had. Oak is the mid flavor, and after the slight burn wears, there’s a note of banana that I get. Oak

About my 3rd pour of this. Nose: this is a little more potent than the 12. I get more of the alcohol on the nose. Same danish cookies smell but seems more concentrated. Light citrus zest, buttery pastries. Melon. Honeydew Taste: oily butter cookie goodness. Spices and oak follow. Hints of almond butter. Dark chocolate is what coats the throat to finish. Mouthfeel: this feels oilier than most whiskeys I’ve had. Spice hits the back of the throat right away and lingers there till it subsides. The flavor hits the tongue and leaves the wood flavors and spices quickly.

Excited to try this dram. Nose- of course the classic smoke, beef jerky, not as strong as laphroiag, no hint of alcohol burn. I have to get in close to really pull the nose. Rubbery nitrile. Taste- interestingly enough I get wood notes before I get the smoke flavor, coffee grounds, oak, walnut. Lots of dark and heavy flavors here. I can definitely taste the mint chocolate finish. Update: 03/18- I taste nothing but peanut buttery finish. Was surprised by this. Yummy taste. Mouthfeel- medium and waxy, leaves a short burn in the throat. Verdict, I prefer Laphroaig and lagavulin over this. Both give me a end of night dessert feel, this feels a little unfinished. Something I’d drink if I just wanted to drink, but not necessarily sit and give much thought to.

Slight cold, nosing and taste may be off Nose: dried fruit and raisins, tamarind, marmalade, vanilla Taste: it’s got some wine type flavors, grapes, jam, apple juice, hint of smoke, oaky Mouthfeel: medium, oily, with a short finish on the major flavors, leaves you with a nice heat that lingers in your throat. I actually really enjoy this dram. It’s definitely different than an Islay which is more my preference but this will have a place in my collection for sure.

Nose was hard to get since I had it at a restaurant and they didn’t use a snifter. Nose- nutty and light vanilla. Was pretty tipsy at this point so not smelling much else, slight banana Taste- nutty and earthy and woody, sweet spicy finish

Nose: light caramel/ toffee notes. Flat soda, slight citrus notes Taste: really does taste like flat soda. Not a ton of depth of flavor- honey simple syrup, feels like the flavor is an additive and doesn’t feel infused with the whiskey. a little disappointed in lack of flavor, though I should have known better since it was a 16$ bottle. But I guess I can’t be mad

Nose : fruity, raisins, apple juice Taste: toasted oats, toasted bread, oak, spice, burnt bread. Mouthfeel: deep flavor, coats mouth, oily and low heat that lingers Interesting as the nose doesn’t match the flavor but both are good in their own right. I enjoy this for the complexity.

First dram of stagg jr. pretty stoked. Just had some curry and tried to wash out the taste with water... M Nose: Not as potent as I expected on the nose with the proof it sits at. Sweet spicy pickles is my initial whiff. Grains. Sweet mustard. Raisins. Hard to pick anything else out possibly because the food I ate. Taste: peppery sweetness with lots of heat. Leathery. Lots of alcohol on the tongue. Finish: tons of heat in all areas of the mouth, it pools up in the back of the throat, minute in and I’m still feeling tons of heat in the back of the throat.