Tastes

Nose: Closed off at first, a good 5 minutes later distinct Strawberry Starbusrt candy, which gives way to cherries, sweet peat, lemon and baking spices. Palate: Rich, refined and oily, baking spices, red fruits, a little black pepper, sweet peat and dark chocolate. Finish: Medium length with moderate spice, black pepper, peat and chocolate. Based on the samples I have to say, that although rated the same, I would choose the 10 year Red Refill Malbec over this. I liked the dirty funkiness of that better than the refined taste of this. Thanks to @ctbeck11 for the sample.

Nose: Initially fresh, floral, raspberries and cherries, turns to earthy peat, diesel, tobacco, dark chocolate, vinegar and black pepper. Palate: Oily, earthy, diesel, tobacco, leather, black pepper, hints of raspberry, caramel, cocoa and sour citrus, sweet tropical fruits arrive late. Finish: Medium length with sweet, sour, savory notes. Wish I had a bottle of this. Thanks to @ctbeck11 for the sample.

This is a Private Selection bottle found at the local Albertson’s labeled “Sugar and Spice”. Nose has French vanilla, cinnamon, caramel, toffee, sugar cookies and toasty oak notes. Palate is buttery and semisweet with vanilla, caramel, baking spices, oak and cookies, maybe Madeleines. Finish is medium length with light spices and sugary notes. Lives up to its name.

It’s regular MM46 amped up, maybe a little richer, but less enjoyable to me. Another case of more is less, I prefer the regular.

Nose: Caramel, cinnamon, butter, tobacco, old books, oak, barrel spices, old leather and dark fruits. Palate: Semisweet, buttery, rounded with dried fruits, vanilla, cherries, oak, tobacco and baking spices. Finish: Long, spicy, hot with hints of some fruity and nutty notes.

Batch 21 Nose: Dark fruits, rich malt, raisins, citrus, apricot, toffee, mild sweet peat, sherry nuttiness and barrel spices. Palate: Buttery, minerals, sea shore, sherry nuttiness, barrel spices, oranges, raspberries, dark chocolate and honey. Finish: Long with luscious red fruits, sea salt, hints of sweet peat, citrus and pepper. Wow, the Springbank DNA is evident in both batch 19 and 21, but they are different whiskies for sure. I give a slight edge to this batch as it fits my preference for sweeter whiskey. Thanks to @ctbeck11 for the sample.

Batch 19 Nose: Fruity, floral, malty, earthy, farm yard, citrus, toffee, raisins and barrel spices. Palate: Creamy, viscous, minerals, sea shore, sherry nuttiness, spices, old wood, orange peel, dried fruit, honey and white pepper. Finish: Long, minerality, sea salt, wood (I have never actually consumed driftwood but this is what I imagine it could be like), peppery with light citrus. Thanks to @ctbeck11 for the sample.

Distiller review No. 600 I swear I heard Frank singing the entry of Cheek to Cheek when I first nosed this amazing whiskey. Chocolate, orange peel, espresso, malt, vanilla, fruit leather, baking spices fill my nostrils inducing a temporary raptured condition. I could nose this for days. The notes from the nose continue on the rich, viscous and semisweet palate and lengthy finish. The only mar on this otherwise excellent whiskey is a slight, and I mean slight, artificially sweet note towards the end of the finish. I want to have this Scotch always on my shelf!

Quite artificially floral and sugary on the nose, reminds me of SweeTart’s candies mixed with scratch and sniff stickers, there’s a little farm yard muskiness too. Palate is…interesting, it’s weirdly saccharine yet bitter, SweeTarts again, I kinda dig it, but it would get old fast. Short finish is more of the same. Thanks to @ctbeck11 for the sample.

2018 bottling Nose: Musty warehouse, motor oil, seashore, hints of vanilla, caramel and mixed berries. Palate: Oily, savory and spicy, this feels substantial, a proper scotch. Notes of seashore and umami, hints of caramel, anise, tropical fruits and lemon. Finish: Long, mildly spicy and salty, umami hangs on to the end. This may be sacrilege, but based on the sample bottles, I prefer the 15 year. Thanks to @ctbeck11 for the sample