Tastes

Smooth and rich, the label says. Well... let me be the judge of that! Fairly cheap Irish ex-bourbon cask whiskey, which I drink without many expectations. After all, Irish whiskeys and I aren't quite fond of each other. The nose is sweet and quite alcholic, hints of banana, citrus fruits and dulce de leche. Very smooth indeed, but also too aqueous, faint taste of banana and jackfruit, slight alcohol punch. Not much flavour. No kick when swallowing, loads of tannins and a bitter aftertaste with coffee and cornstarch. Dry mouthfeel. Not unpleasant, but definately not a keeper. Smooth? Yes, rich... definately not.

Amazing whisky, which I tried out of curiosity. Soft and sweet opening of strawberry candy and panna cotta, vanilla and toasted almonds. Beautiful, dark yellow / brownish colour. Surprisingly appetizing nose. Thick and solid mouthfeel, soft and juicy. Caramel, fudge, Dutch Speculaas herbs, sweet and creamy with a beer-like bit of drought to it. Soft tannins in the finish, with a splash of fruits, tasting like plums and ripe berries, fading with a smooth kick. Lovely balanced and very impressive.

I'm starting to like the sherry-cask types of whiskey and therefore the Bunnahabhain Stiuiredair attracted my attention. The nose contains a slightly peated bowl of sweet fruits, banana, soursop, rambutan, bit Asian. Smells very smooth and delicate, not too much alcohol considering its percentage. Soft and silky mouthfeel, ligth kick to the tongue with a whiff of honey and butterscotch, a lot of wood. The fruity masquerade turns in a dusty, heavier whisky. Becomes grainy if you let it whirl around in your mouth. Slight smoke. Dark and very woody finish, dry mouthfeel, salted liquorice, quite bitter as well. Hmm. It's definately something else than the regular sweeter whiskeys I like, but in a good way I think. Not spectaculair though, 3.0 overall.

Found this one in a gift package and was quite suprised by the strong and sherry-ish nose of this special whisky. Loads of Milka Chocolate too, with some slow vanilla and citrus juice essence. Really hits the tongue right from the start, huge alcohol kick, very warm mouthfeel, very 'autumny' and cozy. Dark fruits mingle with vanilla, chocolate, almonds, hints of anise and sage, powerful and filled with herbs and spices. Sherry and Madeira wine in the aftertaste, combined with wood and dust. Fairly soft burn, compared to the kick it had when entering the mouth. A tad to heavy for me, and definately not one for everyday, although I am fairly enthousiastic of the special and complex palate. But personally, I like them a lot smoother.

Delicious single malt Scotch, a very complete whiskey with a bourbonny richness and fruitiness, combined with a hint of peaty, Scotch craftsmanship. Orangy nose, tangerine, fruit pastilles and a whiff of Turkish Delight. The taste is more sugar-like than the fruity nose would give away, slightly bitter, hints of fudge, rhubarb and butterscotch chocolate. Tiny bit of lemon zest. Tannins. Aftertaste is very smooth and a bit dry, a faint hint of smoked woodchips, taste of sandalwood and white pepper. Very interesting and complex whiskey, smooth enough for every day but special on its own. Very pleasantly surprised.

I really tend to like Scotch, ripened in Oloroso sherry casks. Same with the Tomatin 12, a nice and very soft, mellow whiskey opening with a very welcoming nose of sweet brown sugar, tangerine zest, a hint of balsamico and an overload of nougaty sweetness. Thick and creamy mouthfeel, herbal with hints of freshly mown grass and basil. I taste Jackfruit, combined with caramel and a lot of wood. Long aftertaste, making me think of the little liquorice-like Potter Pastilles and salmiak, a hint of Starfruit after 30 seconds. Very clean mouthfeel, barely any burn. Lovely whiskey for everyday. Very good price!

Lovely little bottle of joy, this Akashi Red is the second Japanese whiskey I am trying. Opens with a nose of butterscotch, chocolate, dark roasted coffee and crema di limoncello. Exquisitely soft on the tongue, regaining the butterscotch, melted with caramel, toffee, Tawny port and red dried fruits. The aftermath is just a little dissapointing, though there is a lot of fruitiness (apple, banana), there are also a lot of tannins and a very dry mouthfeel. Rings it down a bit, but nevertheless a very good imported whiskey for an acceptable price. Could have been a larger bottle, though!

My first Irish whiskey, this fairly young blend. Spicy in the nose, hints of tarte tartin and raisins, cinnamon and tangerines, fruity but... a bit faint, watery. Doesn't splash out of the glass. Also spicy when entering the mouth, especially on the tongue. Load of alcohol, fairly dry. Coffee beans, after eight and chocolate, where the nose is very fruity, the taste is sweet but fruitless. Slightly bitter in the end. Aftertaste is bitter, with hints of nutmeg, cinnamon and figs. Faint and watery though. Overwhelming alcohol. Though it smelled promising, the taste is too shallow. Definately not a bad bottle, but not special as well.

The regular Bulleit Bourbon is my standard go-to bourbon, I always have a bottle in my cabinet. Today I tried the 10yo. Very 'autumny' nose, with caramel, cloves, schwarzwalder kirsch torte & oak. Very soft mouthfeel, creamy, loads of forest-like flavours, like fresh dirt, oak and pinetree. Hint of cherry and citrus. Not like a regular bourbon at all. Slightly bitter aftertaste of old dust, oak and cedarwood, combined with a tip of caramel. Thick when swallowing. Genuinely love it. A top 3 whiskey, for me only the Chivas Regal 13 Extra makes life more worthwile :-)

Distiller is not a fan of this low budget Buffalo Trace bourbon brand. It's like 25 bucks in The Netherlands so I found it interesting enough to try! Floral nose with hints of pine and sandal wood. Hint of Old Spice. Lots of herbs. Tastes a bit plastic-ish when entering the mouth, opens up a little with dried dark fruits, fresh mud and a very old book. Not particularly bourbon-ish. Smooth finish, barely any burn, little hint of citrus and a lot of tannins. Bittersweet. It is what it is; it does the job, but I won't recommend it. Lightly wry and dry whiskey. Still have 0.95 liter left, wish me luck :-)