Tastes

Recently found this dusty, old bottle near a job site in Oceanside, CA. Neck pour. Neat, this is a challenging whiskey to enjoy. Honey, a camphor like note and slight peat on the nose, not much else. Thick, oily and medicinal palate with a slight, smokey, honey note. Finish is long with a semisweet, eucalyptus type note. Hope this gets better with time open. Edit: That didn’t take long. One day open, nice vanilla and lemon notes added to the nose and palate. Upped the score 1/4 point. Edit: 3 months open have tamed the wild beast, mellowing the nose and palate. Bumped another 1/4 point.

I am greeted by by wonderful floral, sweet peat, toffee and grape jelly notes, almost ethereal in the glass, still two hands breadth from my nose. Do I dare move in closer? Yes I do! It turns earthy and rich with malt, musty leather, mixed nuts, grapes, varnished wood, hints of toffee and tropical fruit. Entry on the palate is rich, full, oily and savory, oh my! The individual notes from the nose are there but not as detectable from the whole. Finish is long, spicy, woody and drying. Whereas the 10 year was pure drinking pleasure, the 15 demanded my attention and rewarded me accordingly. Thanks to @ctbeck11 for the sample.

It’s been almost two and a half years since I last tasted Springbank 10 year and I had nearly forgotten that this is such a delicious whiskey! Apple, brine and toffee notes mixed with a little funky smoke. So easy to drink, yum! Thanks to @ctbeck11 for the sample.

I'm doing the work, I'm baby-stepping, I'm not a slacker! 9 months after my first review, this bottle is about half full now and I’m finally starting to get why this is a great rye. The sugary, fruity, and spicy notes are fusing into a scrumptious treat. It’s still a little hot, but nothing a splash or big cube can’t tame.

Oh so good! Fantastic whiskey! Thick, rich, sherry, orange, chocolate, creme brulee, spices and a little funk. One of the best sherry finished whiskies I have tasted. Thanks to @ctbeck11 for the sample.

Nose: Apples and pears, hints of toffee, honey and smoke. Palate: Light viscosity, semisweet, more apples and pears, honey, hints of marzipan and spices. Finish: Medium length and sweet. A nice introduction to Hazelburn, thanks to @ctbeck11 for the sample.

Really enjoyed the nose with notes of sweet peat, tropical fruits, spices and menthol. The palate is rounded, semisweet, a little thick and oily with subdued peat, spices, and fruitiness, heat builds over time. The finish is medium length and moderately spicy.

Opening the sample bottle I was struck immediately by how fragrant this is. Flowery, fruit nectar and general sweetness. Can’t wait to dive in! Nose, after resting, has manuka honey, cooked pear and apples, honeydew, vanilla and some really interesting spices I can’t nail down. Palate is light, a little creamy, oil, waxy, with sweet pears, honeydew, some tropical fruits and those interesting spices. Finish is on the longer side with sweet fruits and mild spices. Doesn’t quite live up to the initial blast of notes out of the bottle, but very good. Empty glass combines all the best notes and is divine for a brief few moments. Thanks to @ContemplativeFox for the sample.

Nose is very light with pineapple, apple, mild spices, hay and lemon. Palate is grassy, semisweet, citrusy, mildly peppery with a little caramel. Finish is woody and dry with green tea note. This was an interesting whiskey for sure, not run of the mill. Not sure if I really liked it, would probably need half a bottle to decide. Thanks to @ContemplativeFox for the sample.

Initially brash and biting, after a long time in the glass it calms down a little, but it’s still rough and tumble for a single grain with ethanol and bitterness. There’s a nice little lemon curd, vanilla, pastry thing going on, it’s a little creamy, but not enough to redeem this whiskey. Thanks to @ContemplativeFox for the sample.