Reviews

Semisweet and light, with mid range barrel spice and honey, nice mouthfeel, vanilla, caramel, hints of stone fruits and leather. Too easy to drink. Enjoyed this pour for what it is. I prefer this to the last bottle of Elmer T Lee that I just tasted. A higher proof and more age puts you into Rockhill Farms territory. Distiller Review No. 1004

Sweet caramel and confectioners sugar, toffee, vanilla, dried red fruits, crème brûlée and baking spice notes followed by long lasting, sweet, toasty oak, and a pleasant spicy buzz. Absolutely delicious! Even though I gave this and Eagle Rare the same score, I prefer this and enjoyed it more. 2019 4.25 stars. Today 4.25 stars again. So even though I didn’t know what I was doing in 2019, I could recognize that this whiskey was very good… Distiller Review No. 1003

Neat: I found it rough, brash and spicy. With an ice cube: Better! Some really nice vanillns, caramel, brown sugar, baking and barrel spice notes appear. 2019 3.75 stars. Today: Neat 3.0 stars, with an ice cube 3.25 stars. Distiller Review No. 1002

With a certain milestone out of the way, I will be re-reviewing some whiskeys, just to see how much my palate has changed over the last few years. First up, Eagle Rare 10 year. This is delicious whiskey! Somewhat silky, semisweet and spicy, brown sugar, cherries, baking spices, honey and vanilla notes stand out. Super enjoyable easy drinker. 2019 4.0 stars. Today 4.25 stars. Distiller Review No. 1001

Distiller Review No. 1000 Nose: Very complex, rich and bold, demands attention with a plethora of notes including tootsie roll, caramel, treacle, vanilla, chocolate, cherry, orange, berries, raisin, prune, fig, baking and barrel spices, whole wheat bread, and herbal notes, something I could nose for hours! The best part of this whiskey, 4.75 stars. Palate: Entry is lightly viscous and spicy with notes of charred oak, dark dried fruits, fudge, vanilla, brown sugar, caramel, baking spices, treacle, and bold woody spices. 4.5 stars Finish: Lengthy, warming, spicy, sweet candied fruits, and woody. A real treat. 4.25 stars. Hello, hello, is this thing on? Will anyone notice that I have reached 1000 reviews? It’s a goal I set shortly after reaching 200 reviews. It has taken me longer than I thought it would, which is actually probably a good thing. What does 1000 reviews really mean? Yes it’s an accomplishment. But I am certain I have deleted a number of old reviews as I’ve moved through tastings, due to the fact that I realized they were insufficient, and I have re-reviewed a number of bottles as I’ve traversed time. So is 1000 reviews really significant? I suppose it is. But after much thought, I decided to just keep on reviewing sequentially. Not trying to review a special bottle, or something that represents where I am in the stream of my whiskey journey. Sorry to disappoint. Back in 2019 when I started my journey on this app, there was a lot of what I would call camaraderie: many people commenting on reviews, offering their opinion, for the most part congenial, and it felt like a little bit of a family. Fast forward to today, there are a few stalwarts around, but many of those voices have faded into the void. Of course, the end of Covid restrictions played a part, but I have to ask, where have all the old timers gone?… I know some of them are still lurking around as I see traces of their activity. But others have stepped forward to add their voices to the community, and I appreciate everyone of you…

Nose: Banana runts candies, vanilla, graham crackers, caramel, crème brûlée, marshmallow, light baking spices and toasted oak. Palate: Rich, balanced and semisweet with caramel, brown sugar, bananas foster, toasted oak and subtle baking spices. Finish: Medium length, semisweet, drying with brown sugar, vanilla and barrel spices. Distiller Review No. 999

A friend of the family recently purchased a home and in a cupboard they found an opened, one quart bottle of Seagram’s Seven Crown American Whiskey, which they promptly gifted to me. Best I can tell it is from the late 1970s. I haven’t had a 7 and 7 in ages and have never tried this whiskey neat. So here goes… Nose is dusty grain, vanilla and caramel. Palate is inoffensive and slightly sweet with the same grain, vanilla and caramel notes. Finish is short, slightly sweet and spicy with a tingle on the sides of the tongue. Back in the day, I loved me a 7 and 7. I may just have to pour myself one for nostalgia’s sake. Distiller Review No. 998

Last year, our youngest daughter came home for a visit for the first time in two years. While she was in Yangon, of all places, she picked up this bottle for me. Fast forward to this week and we have both our daughters visiting together for the for the first time in three years, seemed like the perfect occasion to open this up. Wow! First pour is amazing, even with bits of cork from the disintegrated stopper. Nose is just a lovely blend of orchard fruits, dried dark red fruits, butterscotch, sea salt, honey, vanilla, marzipan and barrel spices. Palate is balanced, semisweet and follows the nose almost exactly. So delicious. The quintessence of a balanced, sherried Scotch. Finish is splendid. Long, warming, mildly sweet and spicy. I loved this whiskey. And the fact that I could share it with my daughters, who both drink and appreciate whiskey, certainly enhanced my enjoyment of this whiskey and may have elevated my score a little. But I do think its a fantastic Scotch and it makes me sad that it is no longer produced. Distiller Review No. 995