Tastes

Review #044 Type: single malt scotch Proof: 43% Comments: aged 12 years, European oak oloroso sherry maturation Tasted after: first up Appearance (no score): Not really able to assess color or legs with the blue plastic cup this was served in. I’ll update if I have the opportunity to have this served in a glass on a future flight. Nose: 16/20 Apples, sticky raisins, caramel, and warm banana bread. Palate: 28/40 Simple but nice. Mostly I get oak spices and tannins, but also getting subtle hints of salted dark chocolates, lemon zest, and dinner rolls. Finish: 30/40 Vanilla and butterscotch, for just a moment there’s chocolate covered cherries and maybe a hint of coconut, then ending on an earthy and salty note. Lots of good sweet flavors without being sickeningly sweet. The finish is moderately short and non-complex, but also has no noticeable alcohol burn. With Water: Short flight and was cut short by beginning our descent so wasn’t able to try. I’ll assess and update the next time I’m able to snipe a free upgrade to first class! Total: 74/100 Scoring rubric 70-74: A solid dram, but wouldn't go out of my way to get it. 3.75 stars. Final thoughts: Couldn’t say no to a free pour of this at 28,000 feet somewhere between Burlington VT and Dulles VA. I guess all that work travel is finally starting to pay off… I’m surprised by how little sherry influence this has given 12 years of olorosso maturation. The oak influence is a lot more noticeable. Guessing this may be a byproduct of being watered down to 43% ABV and perhaps the use of 2nd and 3rd fill barrels. I feel like I’d enjoy this much more at +50% ABV. Price: complimentary with business class upgrade on United Airlines Would recommend: no Would buy: no Scoring Legend: 96-100: The perfect dram, absolutely exceptional, nectar of the gods, I will savor this bottle and make it last, 5 stars. 90-95: Near perfect, there is something truly special about this whisky, 4.75 stars. 85-89: Very good to amazing, almost the complete product, 4.5 stars. 80-84: Quite good, very enjoyable to drink, but doesn’t wow me, 4.25 stars. 75-79: Good, enjoyable but ultimately flawed, unlikely to purchase again, 4 stars. 70-74: A solid dram, but wouldn't go out of my way to get it, 3.75 stars. 55-69: Drinkable, 3.5-2.75 stars. Below 55: Suitable for cooking or direct contribution to the kitchen sink drain, 2.5 stars or less.

Review #043 Tasted after: first up Appearance (no score): • Medium gold color • Swirling reveals a thick line sticking to the side of the glass, legs are slow to form Nose: 16/20 • Honey, smoke, and green apples mostly, continued nosing also yields sticky raisins and molasses Palate: 34/50 • Charcoal, heavily burnt toast, maybe a little asphalt too, also some cinnamon, with hints of red apple, toffee, and vanilla Finish: 21/30 • Short finish, starts with a big puff of campfire smoke, but it doesn’t last long, makes way for some chili pepper heat, then turns salty before ending with mild bites of vanilla Total: 71/100 • 70-74: A solid dram, but wouldn't go out of my way to get it. 3.75 stars Final thoughts: • I wasn’t impressed with the last Glenfiddich experimental bottle I picked up (IPA Cask) but I saw this one on the shelf at a clearance price too good to pass up so I rolled the dice on it • It doesn’t make for an impressive dram but it’s definitely drinkable and was a good value for the price I paid, it went down easy when a friend of mine broke into it with me the other night and there’s not much left now… • A drop of water brings some additional brown sugar sweetness and grapefruit citrus to the palate, but also reduces the smokiness of the finish Price: $35 Would recommend: no Would buy: maybe

Review #042 Tasted after: Ardnamurchan AD/ Comments: NAS on bottle, but distilled in 2016 and bottled March 2022 so likely aged 5 or 6 years, bottle 128/312, Spanish Oloroso single cask Appearance (no score): • Light mahogany color • Swirling reveals a thin line sticking to the side of the glass, it slowly thickens but legs are very slow to form Nose: 18/20 • Milk chocolate, raspberry jam, candied orange peel, campfire ashes, espresso, and a faint hint of asphalt sealant Palate: 44/50 • Cinnamon and honey dominate, dark chocolate, raisins, and just a brief wisp of smoke Finish: 27/30 • Medium-long finish, surprisingly not very hot at all, more honey, fades slowly into a very interesting salty ashes flavor, then oak wood, and ending with my mouth holding the bitter-creamy flavor of recently swallowed +85% cocoa chocolate Total: 89/100 • Scoring rubric 85-89: Very good to amazing, almost the complete product, I will likely try to keep a bottle of this in my collection if feasible. 4.5 stars. Final thoughts: • Really happy with this bottle, doesn’t offer as much value as the AD/ but it’s very enjoyable to try a CS single sherry cask immediately after and see the similarities between the two • Purchased this bottle on a trip through Quebec to see a hockey tournament, and am very glad I did • I really enjoy how they’ve utilized blockchain technology (not the same as cryptocurrency) to enable full transparency of the distillation process of each individual bottle. https://ardnamurchan-distillery.co.uk/newBottles-detail/157878 • I’m very excited to see what this young distillery will be doing in the future • A drop of water brings some additional sweetness to the palate with peaches and raspberries, and introduces some black pepper to the finish Price: $199 CAD Would recommend: yes Would buy: yes

Review #041 Tasted after: first up Comments: technically NAS but compiled of casks distilled in 2015 and 2016 and bottled April 2022 so likely aged 5 or 6 years, bottle 1,493/25,200 of AD/04.22.02, blend of peated and unpeated malts, ex-bourbon and ex-sherry Appearance (no score): • Medium gold color • Swirling reveals a thin line sticking to the side of the glass, it slowly thickens but legs are very slow to form Nose: 17/20 • Lemon squares, a nice gentle peat smoke, pears, vanilla, and honey Palate: 43/50 • Nice almost milky mouth feel, also very little alcohol burn • Surprisingly simple in the mouth, I get toffee, a wisp of smoke, a dash of salt, and a hint of orange citrus, doesn’t mean though that it’s not well balanced and very enjoyable Finish: 27/30 • Medium length, a brief taste of oak spice yields to mild chili pepper heat, then cinnamon and hearty wheat bread, with the ending mouth cool of having recently chewed on mint leafs Total: 87/100 • Scoring rubric 85-89: Very good to amazing, almost the complete product, I will likely try to keep a bottle of this in my collection if feasible. 4.5 stars. Final thoughts: • This is a very nice bottle, being slightly smokey, flavorful, yet not overly complex, it always seems to hit the spot regardless of what I’m in the mood for, and at it’s current price point offers incredible value • This one will likely be a permanent addition to my shelf, and I really enjoy how they’ve utilized blockchain technology (not the same as cryptocurrency) to enable full transparency of the distillation process of each individual bottle. https://ardnamurchan-distillery.co.uk/newBottles-detail/184845 • I’m very excited to see what this young distillery will be doing in the future • A drop of water brings out some additional saltiness to the finish Price: $48 Would recommend: yes Would buy: yes

Review #040 Tasted after: first up Appearance (no score): • Medium gold color • Swirling reveals a thick line sticking to the side of the glass, legs form quickly Nose: 14/20 • Not very complex, mostly I get overly ripened pears and vanilla, hint of grain cereal in the background, enjoyable all the same Palate: 37/50 • Honey, baking spices, vanilla, wheat bread, and a little bit of butterscotch, overall very smooth with little to no burn Finish: 19/30 • Medium-short finish, mostly more of the same with a mild alcohol burn, honey, vanilla, shortbread, and crisp pears, gives way to baking coca and finishes there on a bitter note Total: 70/100 • Scoring rubric 70-74: A solid dram, but wouldn't go out of my way to get it. 3.75 stars. Final thoughts: • An easy drinker but not much going on outside of that, probably good for folks who are first being introduced to Irish whisky but not something I’ll replace once the bottle is gone • A drop of water makes the palate a bit saltier and introduces some black pepper to the finish Price: $39 Would recommend: maybe Would buy: no

Review #039 Tasted after: first up Appearance (no score): • Light mahogany color • Swirling reveals a thick line sticking to the side of the glass, legs are slow to form Nose: 15/20 • Woody oak, apricots, and brown sugar Palate: 38/50 • Mild and warm (almost hot), honey sweetness and oak spice, as I keep sipping nutty pecans and plumbs also emerge Finish: 25/30 • Medium finish, more heat, lemon citrus, salt, and ending on a sweet caramel note Total: 78/100 • Scoring rubric 75-79: Good, enjoyable to drink but ultimately flawed, unlikely to purchase again. 4 stars Final thoughts: • A drop of water adds orange zest and tart cherries on the palate, and medicinal iodine to the finish • A number of years ago, my brother purchased a bottle of this for me as a gift, and that was the first enjoyable dram of scotch I’d tried up to that point so this bottle will always have a special place in my memories • I think there’s better bottles out there for the price point, still a good one for someone first getting into scotch, but if I buy again it would be primarily for sentimental reasons Price: $65 Would recommend: maybe Would buy: maybe

Review #038 Tasted after: Blair Athol 2008 A Total Wowser! Cask No. 68.78 (SMWS) Appearance (no score): • Light mahogany color • Unable to look for legs due to water-repellent coating on the glass I was tasting with Nose: 17/20 • Figs, caramel, blood oranges, and milk chocolate Palate: 43/50 • Honey, raspberry sauce, blackberries, grain cereal, and dark chocolate Finish: 27/30 • Butter, so much sweet honey butter and cinnamon butter to kick things off, transforming to some subtle cinnamon and nutmeg, more chocolate but now it’s extra dark almost baking cocoa, ending on a not-quite ashy/charcoal note Total: 87/100 • Scoring rubric 85-89: Very good to amazing, almost the complete product, I will likely try to keep a bottle of this in my collection if feasible. 4.5 stars. Final thoughts: • A drop of water brings some additional sweetness to the palate, and saltiness to the finish • Juicy and delicious, probably the best Dailuaine I’ve tried to date and the first one where I’ve gotten some so semblance of smoke or charring, very glad I had an opportunity to try this • Thanks to my brother @Mark-Watson2 for the sample Price: gifted sample Would recommend: yes Would buy: yes

Review #037 Tasted after: Single Malt Scotch 1996 Fruit Utopia Batch 17 (SMWS) Appearance (no score): • Light mahogany color • Unable to look for legs due to water-repellent coating on the glass I was tasting with Nose: 18/20 • Butterscotch pudding, ginger bread, vanilla, over-ripened bananas, and juicy plumbs Palate: 37/50 • Bourbon, cinnamon, mulling spices, dark chocolate, and a hint of maple • This one doesn’t want to be swished around much in your mouth, it gets rather bitter after a couple seconds Finish: 24/30 • Long finish, chili pepper heat to start but gradually grows sweeter, as the heat fades I get some molasses and more dark chocolate that evolves into brown sugar by the end Total: 79/100 • Scoring rubric 75-79: Good, enjoyable to drink but ultimately flawed, unlikely to purchase again. 4 stars. Final thoughts: • A drop of water doesn’t change the palate much, but adds a sweet and salty meat profile to the finish reminiscent of summer sausage • The nose is definitely the best part of this dram, nothing about it is bad, but I wish the palate and finish were as good, the bitterness on the palate really threw me • Thanks to my brother @Mark-Watson2 for the sample Price: gifted sample Would recommend: no Would buy: no

Review #036 Tasted after: first up Appearance (no score): • Light mahogany color • Unable to look for legs due to water-repellent coating on the glass I was tasting with Nose: 18/20 • Wow this is so sweet, vanilla ice cream, warm banana bread, I can practically taste these and can’t stop nosing it, digging deeper I get walnuts and pears also Palate: 46/50 • Very nice almost silky smooth texture • Wow, wow, wow, where to start!? Red currants, apricots, buttery pastries, tart white grapes, and dare I say a hint of coconut? Finish: 28/30 • Nice long and complex finish, starts out with a quick burst of lemon citrus, then sweet honey which gives way to bourbon, though not in an overpowering way, more like how the taste of bourbon accentuates the overall flavor of a good cocktail, as that fades it’s replaced by the taste of walnuts before ending on a mildly salty note Total: 92/100 • Scoring rubric 90-95: Near perfect, there is something truly special about this whisky, I will always try to keep a bottle of this in my collection if feasible. 4.75 stars. Final thoughts: • A drop of water brings out some melon on the palate and a really nice buttery sweetness on the finish • This is just an incredible bottle, refined but explosive in flavor and complexity, I’ve been holding out on joining SMWS but this this bottle is making seriously re-consider signing up to be a member • Thanks to my brother @Mark-Watson2 for the sample Price: gifted sample Would recommend: yes Would buy: yes

Review #035: Tasted after: first up Appearance (no score): • Dark gold color • Swirling reveals a thin line sticking to the side of the glass, legs begin to form moderately quickly Nose: 16/20 • Smells very sweet, dominated by honey and grape juice, with some subtle nutty and floral scents in background Palate: 41/50 • Nice almost milky mouthfeel • Honey continues to be the prominent theme, but the flavor is less sweet and more reminiscent of mead, I also get subtle tastes of vanilla, grain cereal, and almonds Finish: 25/30 • Medium length, a nice medium chili pepper heat gets things started, interestingly it blends well with a sweet blood orange citrus that soon develops and then gradually grows mildly salty, after the pepper heat fades the lingering taste in my mouth is that of molasses Total: 82/100 • Scoring rubric 80-84: Quite good, very enjoyable to drink, but doesn’t wow me, still it may make regular appearances in my collection. 4.25 stars. Final thoughts: • Didn’t notice much change with a few drops of water, maybe just a slight increase to the mild alcohol burn • It’s been awhile since I cracked this bottle and I forgot what an enjoyable easy sipper this is, it’s not complex and awe inspiring, but very few Diageo core releases are, it’s just generally good and sometimes that’s the type of bottle I want to reach for • Many people talk about a hint of smoke on the palate, but I’ve never once been able to detect any smoke or char at any stage of a tasting when I’ve poured from this bottle • Bought this bottle on sale, not sure it’s worth the $90 MSRP, but I may end up buying another anyway once this one is kicked as long as it doesn’t go north of that Price: $76 Would recommend: yes Would buy: yes